Avatar Attraction in AK

[weepstah]

I think what worries me a little about this is the proposed size and scope. This is not an attraction, this will be the replacement for Beastly Kingdom. That is quite clearly the plan currently agreed upon between Disney and Cameron.

AVATAR Coming To Disney Parks Disney Parks Blog

AVATAR land at Disney's Animal Kingdom news - James Cameron reveals a few more details of AVATAR land

[supernova]

I think what worries me a little about this is the proposed size and scope. This is not an attraction, this will be the replacement for Beastly Kingdom. That is quite clearly the plan currently agreed upon between Disney and Cameron.

Exactly.

[Flrancho]

I haven't seen the movie and still don't really care to see the movie. Sure, I'll go to the land and try it out. If I don't like, I just won't go to that part of AK.

I'm concerned as well about the scope. That's a lot of land to try to do something else with if this thing should fall completely on its face. Will only cost them that much more money to redo it, not to mention the time it would take to do imagineer and then build something else should it fail. If they had to do Avatar, I much rather would have seen a single attraction or show and then seen what kind of reception it would have gotten, rather than plunging in with two feet on something that seems pretty dicey at best.

I personally would have rather seen Beastly Kingdom, Australia or (even better, in my opinion), South America. There's so many plants and animals in the Amazon Basin its not even funny, and they could have done a really cool riverboat ride or something.

[Zipadeedooda]

An Amazonian Rainforest riverboat ride would have been awesome

[supernova]

But instead, silly looking blue creatures. Nearly the same thing.

[DVCDad]

It's not a replacement for Beastly Kingdom. It's a replacement for essentially unused land. Even if the area isn't your favourite once it's done, it's better than what's there now.

I'm amazed how people can be nostalgic for something that never happened. When a company like Disney get's an opportunity to work with another huge entity like Avatar (with Cameron's team footing at least part of the bill I'm sure), they'd be stupid NOT to do it. If Universal ended up getting this, the same people would be complaining that Disney needs to do more.

[DVCDad]

If what I heard on another podcast is true, then Imagineering is at a loss with what to do. Word was they weren't even involved in this decision. So they may well be starting at an extreme disadvantage.

What podcast is that, the one run by bus driver rumours?

[MartianCrab]

Dad-on-Dad conflict!

[supernova]

Dad-on-Dad conflict!

Nice.

[weepstah]

DVCDad -

Replacement isn't the right word, you are correct - there's nothing there right now! But it's quite clear that the concept of Avatar is replacing the concept of Beastly Kingdom. I think most of us agree that Disney needed to do something there where Beastly Kingdom was supposed to be. My concern is really - is Avatar really the right choice to develop an entire land around? I think it's awesome that Disney is pouring money into the theme parks again. Really, really awesome. It's easy to harp on them but when you look at what they are doing now at Fantasyland, DCA, and the refurbs of classic attractions it's extremely encouraging.

Back to Avatar. An attraction? Absolutely. It could totally end up being another Star Tours or Indiana Jones. The core themes in Avatar fit well with AK well as far as I'm concerned. As a whole land, it could be a wonderfully immersive experience. But it's not unreasonable to be concerned since this is a very long term decision. Win or Flop, it'll be in the Animal Kingdom until at least 2026. Probably more like the 2030's.

Did Disney make this decision as a response to Harry Potter? It's good that they have a response, but Avatar does not and almost certainly will never have the highly motivated and energized audience that the Potter empire does. Avatar at this point is a one off. A good part of the success of this gamble (as a bunch of other people already noted) is based on the premise that the sequels will do well and that the Avatar brand continues to grow.

It will be very interesting to see what they do with this, and I hope they can pull it off.

[DVCDad]

Give Harry Potter 5 to 10 years and no one will care a bit about it. My kids are 8, 8 and 11, and could care less. It's at the end of its run, with no more content coming out, whereas Avatar is just at the beginning.

Even if the next movies are horrific, that has no bearing on how good the area in Animal Kingdom will be. I can almost guarantee you that probably 1% of the people that ride Splash mountain have ever seen Song of the South, but that doesn't prevent them from enjoying a fantastic attraction.

I have faith in Disney that they will make something worth seeing, regardless of the popularity of the movies. Even if it isn't the best thing since sliced bread, it's better than what's there now.

[MartianCrab]

I have faith in Disney that they will make something worth seeing, regardless of the popularity of the movies. Even if it isn't the best thing since sliced bread, it's better than what's there now.

Ironically, a land or pavilion devoted solely to sliced bread would be far more interesting than Avatard.

[supernova]

Ironically, a land or pavilion devoted solely to sliced bread would be far more interesting than Avatard.

Maybe that's what Epcot is missing in my favorite abandoned pavilion. I think we've found our new sponsor. A few blue, yellow and red circles and bingo... The Wonder Bread of Life.

[MartianCrab]

White, wheat, pumpernickel, rye, multigrain, artisan, so many to try! Don't let The World of Bread© pass you by!!!! A slice of life on your sammy, the limit is the sky!

[ohiodisneydad]

What podcast is that, the one run by bus driver rumours?

WDW News Today was one of them. Of course Jim Hill had a bunch of things to say about it. Yeah I know Hill can be a fountain of misinformation but he tends to be slightly more reliable then those bus drivers.