Pandora: The World of Avatar Announcement, Construction, & Preview Discussion

[epcyclopedia]

I think since we're supposed to be riding one of those dragon type critter, an animated/animatronic one you have to hop on top of and then strap yourself onto would be the dream vehicle.

We know the system is set up in tiers, I believe 4 tiers. Sort of like a variation of the BTTF/Simpsons system where many vehicles view the same screen and are lifted into the room with the screen. So, 4 tiers in 4 dome/curved theaters is what I recall.

The plans i recall also show the loading areas and vehicles at rest being sort of in a stack and they then extend forward and up a little to hop "out" into the air in the projection space.

In my dream world you go through the caves of that big Pandora rock and to little cavern of your own that looks out on the world (all 4 levels viewing the same screen out their window) where you find your own dragon critter. It's fidgeting and such and has "handlers" like the old triceratops encounter. You haul yourself up onto it for your first "flight."

It jumps out the window/hole in the cave and into the world and the ride goes from there.

I sincerely doubt that's what is going to happen. I highly suspect some M:S style lack-of-thematics where you see all the gizmos and gadgets that make the ride operate as you load into your OSHA approved vehicle compartment. Maybe we're in a mecha suit thing, maybe we're being cybernetically linked in and will "awaken" to be able to hop a ride.. Dunno. Regardless, we're not starting out in a highly themed environment on the back of a dragon critter. I just don't see them doing that.

 

[UNIrd]

There seems to be a lot of negative vibes towards the "Soarin' 2.0" ride. I was wondering what it would have to do to be considered by yous guys to be a state of the art E-Ticket attraction?

Facade? Queue? Ride vehicle? On ride experience?

Not sure where the negativity would spring from. I feel like these are two attractions we know very little about. Is the negativity because Soarin' is one of the last E-Tickets added to WDW built back in 2005 and in 2017, a new E-ticket is essentially the same tech?

I guess I wouldn't be thrilled either if Universal didn't build anything after say, Forbidden Journey in 2010. And then announced a kuka arm attraction with mini dome screens for 2022. But I really don't know how similar this is to Soarin'.

 

[epcyclopedia]

I think the negativity stems almost entirely from "no one cares about AVATAR" combined with a little bit rumors that it's "like" Soarin in that it's using a ride system made by a 3rd party developed to be sold to smaller parks to cash in on the Soarin hype.

So it is essentially, from what the rumors have said, a lesser Soarin.

New flavor original Soarin opens just a short time before Lesser Soarin along with "random boat ride of things from AVATAR no one cares about seeing."

The "things no one cares about seeing" point is quite salient. You have more interest in flying over the great wall of china than any CGI thing in Pandora, no? I certainly do. Same for the boat ride. I can't imagine myself giving even the slightest of craps about what it might show.

See the Hello Kitty boat ride that exists if you're not a Hello Kitty fan. It's well done and is your standard boat ride.. but if you dont care about Hello Kitty it is Hella Boring.

 

[misterID]

I think "no one cares about Avatar" line of thinking is incredibly naïve, and a bit of wishful thinking. And we can't compare Avatar, with dragons and alien beasts, spaceships, action, and beautiful landscapes with a children's cartoon character. People can not care about the IP, but the aforementioned elements are compelling, no matter the IP. You can hate Cars and still dig Radiator Springs Racers and want to ride it.

 

[epcyclopedia]

Oh... I'm pretty sure I'm not naive at all in the properties I chose to use as a comparison and illustration of why this is generally a terrible idea...

 

[twebber55]

Oh... I'm pretty sure I'm not naive at all in the properties I chose to use as a comparison and illustration of why this is generally a terrible idea...

View attachment 1738

so trends go up when new movies come out, good three new movies on the way should help remedy that

Google Trends
plus i can look at it this way

 

[twebber55]

What kind of RV would be at the top of your wish list?

something besides a bench
maybe something like sitting on the back of a banshee, like the tron coaster rv
but im assuming thats a big no

 

[Miketheboss]

I don't care about avatar. Never even seen the movie. I can't wait until this thing opens though. The ride may lack but I think the atmosphere is the focus.

 

[epcyclopedia]

Atmosphere in terms of physical sets only goes so far - what will they sell? What can we eat and what can we bring home? How will we be entertained?

Avatar as a film never delved into these areas much. Potter comes with stuff - there's whole sections of the books about shopping and eating.

Even something like Nintendo comes with food and merch built in. What do we get from Avatar?

 

[Miketheboss]

Atmosphere in terms of physical sets only goes so far - what will they sell? What can we eat and what can we bring home? How will we be entertained?

Avatar as a film never delved into these areas much. Potter comes with stuff - there's whole sections of the books about shopping and eating.

Even something like Nintendo comes with food and merch built in. What do we get from Avatar?

And your point is? It's been said Disney worked with Cameron to come up with ideas for the land. Plus more films are coming out. I don't think of these just as "sets". I love Diagon but it's literally a shopping mall, which I know that is how it is in the book.

 

[misterID]

Atmosphere in terms of physical sets only goes so far - what will they sell? What can we eat and what can we bring home? How will we be entertained?

Avatar as a film never delved into these areas much. Potter comes with stuff - there's whole sections of the books about shopping and eating.

Even something like Nintendo comes with food and merch built in. What do we get from Avatar?

Oh, God, it's one of those avatar debates...

Oh... I'm pretty sure I'm not naive at all in the properties I chose to use as a comparison and illustration of why this is generally a terrible idea...

View attachment 1738

No, it's not naïve, it's just a deliberate comparison that makes no sense. You don't have to like the movie to be interested in the land. Theme park enthusiasts, or people who visit theme parks, like new and cool stuff. No matter how much I hate the idea of the Fast & Furious ride as projected, and I loathe that franchise, it would be disegenuous to say people won't line up for it and be excited. Like Kong, also. People will go crazy over the ride no matter how they felt about the film.

 

[UNIrd]

Atmosphere in terms of physical sets only goes so far - what will they sell? What can we eat and what can we bring home? How will we be entertained?

Who cares? Food and merch haven't gone hand-in-hand with theme park lands and their IPs until WWOHP. For 50 years prior and to this day, people eat cheeseburgers in Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Tomorrowland.

I'm sure the incredible physical environment they've dreamed up and the 2 new rides will entertain us enough. In this case, it's not what the commissary will serve that should excite anyone.

 

[IzzyB]

Yeah, I'm really looking forward to this, too. The only negativity on my end is the length of time this thing has taken to get built, which UNI has kind of spoiled me when it comes to anticipation. I think there are people who don't like the IP so they don't like the land, and in their mind, because they hate the IP, everyone else does too. This is exactly the thing AK is in desperate need of.

And yeah, I love a good boat ride. Put some pretty lights a cool AAs in it, I'm there. You get a thrill ride with a family ride to boot. Awesome stuff. It's good to see WDW try again.

I agree, the amount of time this took was just silly. I think they announced it way too early which made it even more painful. I have never seen the movie so not thrilled about the IP, but I have never seen mummy and love that ride. So IP is not everything to me.

The thing about riding a dragon vs. Benched seats is capacity. We would have little to no capacity with the RVs recommended here. AK and this land needs capacity. It is why we are on a bench in FJ and not individual brooms. Wouldn't it be way cooler to be on a broom really flying? Of course, but it just wouldn't work.

When was the last Kong movie? How does it trend on google? Yet, aren't we all excited and think it will boost attendance? So if parks only built stuff on Google trends we would not get cool stuff like Kong, not every IP is going to be HP. Star wars and HP are at the top and no IP is going to come close to them, it doesn't mean parks should never build any other IP.

I really think Avatar will do well, will bump attendance a good bit, and really make AK a full day park. Now do I think it will be best thing ever created or will be created? No. But it will be awesome and something many people, including myself will be flocking to see. And not just pixie dusters, this will go over well with the GP.

Last thought, I think Disney is filling huge holes with the stuff added in 2016 and Avatar. These holes needed filling and for once they are actually doing it. I feel AK will be fixed with these additions. Now I hope they don't sit on their hands and do nothing for 10 years, but I do think this fixes all the major holes this park had. For once Disney did something right. It may have taken way too friggin long, but when done will be what AK needed.

 

[Nick]

I agree, the amount of time this took was just silly. I think they announced it way too early which made it even more painful. I have never seen the movie so not thrilled about the IP, but I have never seen mummy and love that ride. So IP is not everything to me.

The thing about riding a dragon vs. Benched seats is capacity. We would have little to no capacity with the RVs recommended here. AK and this land needs capacity. It is why we are on a bench in FJ and not individual brooms. Wouldn't it be way cooler to be on a broom really flying? Of course, but it just wouldn't work.

When was the last Kong movie? How does it trend on google? Yet, aren't we all excited and think it will boost attendance? So if parks only built stuff on Google trends we would not get cool stuff like Kong, not every IP is going to be HP. Star wars and HP are at the top and no IP is going to come close to them, it doesn't mean parks should never build any other IP.

I really think Avatar will do well, will bump attendance a good bit, and really make AK a full day park. Now do I think it will be best thing ever created or will be created? No. But it will be awesome and something many people, including myself will be flocking to see. And not just pixie dusters, this will go over well with the GP.

Last thought, I think Disney is filling huge holes with the stuff added in 2016 and Avatar. These holes needed filling and for once they are actually doing it. I feel AK will be fixed with these additions. Now I hope they don't sit on their hands and do nothing for 10 years, but I do think this fixes all the major holes this park had. For once Disney did something right. It may have taken way too friggin long, but when done will be what AK needed.

While it was no doubt a way too early announcement, if they waited until late 2013 or even 2014 after construction started to announce, there would've been an even bigger "wtf Avatar" reaction. When they announced it, it was only out of theatres for just over a year and they had already announced the sequels.

Mostly though, the early announcement was about Iger stroking his ego.

 

[IzzyB]

While it was no doubt a way too early announcement, if they waited until late 2013 or even 2014 after construction started to announce, there would've been an even bigger "wtf Avatar" reaction. When they announced it, it was only out of theatres for just over a year and they had already announced the sequels.

Mostly though, the early announcement was about Iger stroking his ego.

Oh I agree, it would have made no sense to announce a project in 2013 or 2014 for Avatar unless it was tied to an Avatar movie release. Now would that have pushed the movie or would they have scrapped the whole thing? Who knows. Obviously we don't live in that world. I was just saying it was announced way too early before any really rides or concepts were ironed out and that caused a long wait to be even more painfully long.

 

[Ultranel]

TF/Spiderman utilizes the same ride tech though. Flight of Passage uses a completely different system altogether. The easiest differences to point out being the ride loads on three different levels and the axis of motion are dialled up.

TF/Spiderman are like siblings, Flight of Passage/Soarin' are more like cousins.

Ok, so instead of the Horizontal Load to Vertical Show, now it would be Vertical Load to Vertical Show? Saving on hydraulics? perhaps? I'm pretty sure it still a swing chair with a 70's car waist seat belt and a big screen in your face.

 

[Teebin]

Ok, so instead of the Horizontal Load to Vertical Show, now it would be Vertical Load to Vertical Show? Saving on hydraulics? perhaps?

I believe it became apparent to DI that their original solution for Soarin was an over-the-top piece of engineering. The newer designs offered by other companies achieve the exact same thing within a smaller footprint and price-tag.

 

[Ultranel]

I believe it became apparent to DI that their original solution for Soarin was an over-the-top piece of engineering. The newer designs offered by other companies achieve the exact same thing within a smaller footprint and price-tag.

:clap:Thank you for proving my point. It was never about the WOW! factor, it's all about how to clone in a cheaper way and put a pretty wrapping paper around it to be able to sell it as NEW!!!

 

[snayberry]

If this is anything like Soarin it will be underwhelming. I remember going on Soarin for my first time last year and thought that ride blew. You just get elevated up and boom the screen turns on and you start going places.

 

[brianlo]

What kind of RV would be at the top of your wish list?

What have you heard?