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

[JungleSkip]

Epcot's Soarin doesn't have single rider does it? I know that it did opening day and then it was torn out. Has it since been put back?

No, but I believe DCA's does.

 

[ReelJustice]

That was basically the plan before Avatar.

It was supposed to open last October, in fact.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

No, but I believe DCA's does.

DCA does because of it's shorter queue. The DCA stand-bye queue is outside and to the left of the attraction, and where the blue hallway forms in Epcot is where the normal, indoor queue forms at DCA. This allows for a much shorter FastPass and Single Rider queue. At Epcot the line would get so long because the front of the line CMs couldn't see how long the line was.

 

[Hatetofly]

Couldn't they install cameras or maybe use walkies

 

[TheDecemberists]

JTTCOTE not as good as Test Track or Everest? Riiiight..

The unbelievable part is that you think I said that.

I didn't.

Only from a technical perspective on the ride system alone, is Test Track better. But some people don't seem to care about that, even though it's considered a thrill ride. If a bunch of shiny rocks is enough for you, go have a friggin shiny rock party on Journey for all I care. It's a really cool-looking ride with about 10 seconds of excitement.

 

[UNIrd]

Iger was quoted talking about Avatar at a company meeting today:

From the website Deadline -

Iger added, in response to a question, that design work is “just beginning” for the Avatar attraction planned for Animal Kingdom in Orlando — and “in all likelihood” it won’t open until 2015. He says the company is “working on some concepts” to introduce attractions involving Marvel characters. They’re also “kicking around ideas” to enhance the presence of Pirates Of The Caribbean and Cars at the parks. “It would be tough to do walk-around characters” for Cars, he said.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/03/disney-planning-a-muppets-sequel-sees-avatar-park-attraction-in-2015/

Yeah, I don't see an attraction or land in the early design phase opening by 2015. This is Disney we're talking about.

--- Update ---

Only from a technical perspective on the ride system alone, is Test Track better. But some people don't seem to care about that, even though it's considered a thrill ride. If a bunch of shiny rocks is enough for you, go have a friggin shiny rock party on Journey for all I care. It's a really cool-looking ride with about 10 seconds of excitement.

Says the person who has not been on it. And the Test Track ride system is not better. It's actually the same, except Journey's is most probably improved since it opened a few years later and does not have the technical malfunctions that Test Track was (is?) famous for.

 

[Jymmymack]

If they are just putting together designs, there is no possible way this gets done in 3 years.


And I've never been on JTTCOE, but the dark ride elements look much more impressive and fun than the dark ride elements of Test Track. Just my opinion.

 

[JungleSkip]

I find a lot of odd things bout what happened at the Shareholders meeting today.

1) Avatar wasn't mentioned a lick during the actual parks portion of the Parks and Resorts section, even though the future was heavily detailed including Shanghai. It wasn't brought up until the Q and A. I find that odd.

2) Iger seemed perturbed that it was brought up. Didn't seem like he wanted to answer the question about it at all.

 

[Teebin]

^ Yeah, what I take from his comments is that he wants to kind of save face and let it fade away at the same time. Cake and eat it too.

 

[JungleSkip]

^ Yeah, what I take from his comments is that he wants to kind of save face and let it fade away at the same time. Cake and eat it too.

Yea. Plus, the guy obviously pulled the "2015" opening date out of his butt. There's absolutely no way they could get that thing built in 3 years. It's taken them forever to build a fairly simple Fantasyland expansion.

 

[Splatter]

As others have said. It is either on the back burner and will take more like five years, or they are really really going to rush things and it is not going to be good if it is only going to take 3 years. Ground demo work has not even begun yet.

And for a minimum of three and a half years with nothing coming to the park within that time, especially Animal Kingdom, which its last major attraction there was Everest in 2005-2006 time frame. Not to mention the lack of anything substantial we know of coming to EPCOT or Hollywood Studios in that time. Star Tours last year being freshly upgraded is nice, but does not cut it for that long.

Also we should note the language. It may not mean anything but he refers to it as an Avatar Attraciton in the quote, not land. Thigns like "By 2015 an attraction" or "By 2015 Avatar will be in our parks" could matter. Not saying to look into it at the moment, but something to keep note on.

 

[BJCool]

I find Screamscape's faith in Iger's speech quite amusing.

(3/14/12) In a perfect bit of timing, Disney CEO Bob Iger reaffirmed at the Disney shareholder meeting that their plans to build an Avatar themed land at Animal Kingdom are still on track to see it open by 2015. So looks like the rumors about possible Avatar setbacks were simply bad rumors.

 

[Scarletwebslingr]

Yea. Plus, the guy obviously pulled the "2015" opening date out of his butt. There's absolutely no way they could get that thing built in 3 years. It's taken them forever to build a fairly simple Fantasyland expansion.

I wouldn't want them to throw down Avatar in three years. It would be rushed, sloppy, and before details from the third (possibly even second) film is released. They should take their time and get it right if they are indeed going through with this.

 

[ReelJustice]

I find Screamscape's faith in Iger's speech quite amusing.

Not only faith, but an obscene amount of spin. Iger didn't volunteer anything about Avatar, a shareholder asked about it. If Iger had had it his way, Avatar wouldn't have come up at all.

 

[kingeric]

I agree. This was a Q&A answer, not part of their road map, which in all honesty this should have been on.

 

[rhino4evr]

I love Screamscape..but I think the guy is loosing it. Didn't he think that one company was building a new Avatar ride, when it seems obvious they are building a ride for Potter?

and his update about the rumors on Avatar cancelling seem to be extremely optimisitc. You would think a blog would be a tad more cynical.

 

[kingeric]

Screamscape is only as good as it's sources. Sometimes it is golden sometimes it is hit and miss. I know I personally have been responsible for some of golden information, and some of the misses.

Just like I had heard on an incredibly SOLID source that Kong was coming back to UO, and now that is looking like that is not happening at all. Screamscape reported it, trusting me. Again that is why it is a rumors site.

But I do agree that Screamscape is being overly optimistic about Avatarland.

Mind you, I have heard about various tests being done in Glendale, and in the California desert. But regardless of all these tests, that have happened the trail at TDO has gone cold. It has pretty much disappeared from people's calendars and meetings. That can't be ignored.

Time of course will tell who is right and who is wrong, and maybe with Iger being called out in a shareholders meeting, he will now become personally involved and kick some behinds into gear to get this project completed. But really who knows at this point. Now we are in a wait and see position.

 

[JungleSkip]

Time of course will tell who is right and who is wrong, and maybe with Iger being called out in a shareholders meeting, he will now become personally involved and kick some behinds into gear to get this project completed. But really who knows at this point. Now we are in a wait and see position.

Iger's been involved with this since day 1. It's his pet project, and the only reason it has any semblance of a pulse is because of him.

But he was obviously hoping it wouldn't come up yesterday. He was obviously annoyed by the questions, not to mention caught off guard.

 

[kingeric]

It seems that Avatar was removed from the transcript.

Q3 2011 quote

We've made significant investments in Parks and Resorts in the last 5 years and many are coming online. Toy Story Playland just opened a great guest reaction in Paris, and we're excited about its opening in Hong Kong next week. Next year, the highly anticipated Cars Land at Disney's California Adventure and Little Mermaid at Disney World's expanded Fantasyland will be completed. Following the success of the Disney Dream earlier this year, we will launch the Disney Fantasy in Spring 2012 and our Imagineers and James Cameron are already at work on the design of our first Avatar-themed land at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom

http://seekingalpha.com/article/307...sses-q4-2011-results-earnings-call-transcript

however if you look at the Q1 2012 transcript does not included the Q&A section.

Here is the quote where Avatar "should" be mentioned

Turning to Parks and Resorts. I'm very pleased with recent attendance and pricing trends. Disneyland Resort has seen strong results lately due in part to the strategic investment we made at Disney's California Adventure. We've already opened some attractions as part of the expansion plan, but the largest and most exciting part of this expansion has yet to open, and that's Cars Land. This brand-new 12-acre land with 3 attractions set in Radiator Springs will open in June.

Hong Kong Disneyland had a very good quarter as well, with its recently unveiled Toy Story Land, the first of 3 new themed areas to open as part of its expansion.

Setting sail next month is the Disney Fantasy, the sister ship to the popular Disney Dream, expanding our fleet to 4 and allowing Disney Cruise Line to significantly increase the number of destinations around the world. And as I also mentioned earlier, we're really pleased that construction at Shanghai Disney Resort is well underway at the 963-acre site. And just looking at the model of this vast new resort has us all very excited about its prospects.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/348...sses-q1-2012-results-earnings-call-transcript

 

[UNIrd]

Something's fishy... and it's not just your Avatar, kingeric.