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Thread: AVATAR coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom!

  1. #1

    Whoa! AVATAR coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom!

    DISNEY, FOX AND JAMES CAMERON TO BRING AVATAR TO LIFE AT DISNEY PARKS

    Long-term agreement will bring AVATAR themed lands to Disney parks, with the first at Walt Disney World in Orlando

    BURBANK (September 20, 2011) - Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide is joining forces with visionary filmmaker James Cameron and Fox Filmed Entertainment to bring the world of AVATAR to life at Disney parks. Through an exclusive agreement announced today by Disney, Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox, Disney will partner with Cameron and producing partner Jon Landau to create themed lands that will give theme park guests the opportunity to explore the mysterious universe of AVATAR first hand. Disney plans to build the first AVATAR themed land at Walt Disney World, within the Animal Kingdom park. With its emphasis on living in harmony with nature, Animal Kingdom is a natural fit for the AVATAR stories, which share the same philosophy. Construction is expected to begin by 2013.

    “James Cameron is a groundbreaking filmmaker and gifted storyteller who shares our passion for creativity, technological innovation and delivering the best experience possible,” said Robert A. Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “With this agreement, we have the extraordinary opportunity to combine James’ talent and vision with the imagination and expertise of Disney.”

    “AVATAR created a world which audiences can discover again and again and now, through this incredible partnership with Disney, we'll be able to bring Pandora to life like never before. With two new AVATAR films currently in development, we'll have even more locations, characters and stories to explore,” said James Cameron. “I'm chomping at the bit to start work with Disney's legendary Imagineers to bring our AVATAR universe to life. Our goal is to go beyond current boundaries of technical innovation and experiential storytelling, and give park goers the chance to see, hear, and touch the world of AVATAR with an unprecedented sense of reality.”

    The agreement announced today gives The Walt Disney Company exclusive global theme park rights to the AVATAR franchise and provides for additional AVATAR themed lands at other Disney parks. The other locations will be determined by Disney and its international theme park partners. James Cameron, Jon Landau and their Lightstorm Entertainment group will serve as creative consultants on the projects and will partner with Walt Disney Imagineering in the design and development of the AVATAR themed lands.

    “This exciting new venture combines the world of AVATAR with the enormous reach of Disney and the incomparable talent of Jim Cameron,” commented Fox Filmed Entertainment chairmen Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman. “While Jim is bringing audiences further into Pandora with the next two chapters in the AVATAR motion picture saga, the theme park attraction will likewise bring a new dimension to the amazing universe he created.”

    “AVATAR is a uniquely powerful franchise that has global appeal with audiences of all ages. Its spectacular settings, intriguing characters, imaginative creatures, and strong themes of family and loyalty make it a perfect fit for Disney,” said Thomas O. Staggs, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We can’t wait to give our guests the ability to journey to Pandora and explore the incredible immersive world of AVATAR in person.”

    In addition to setting a global box office record, AVATAR has been hailed as one of the most innovative and visually stunning movies ever produced. With its advanced motion capture and 3-D digital projection technologies developed by James Cameron and his team, moviegoers were able to connect with the world of AVATAR in new and engaging ways.

    This new venture complements Walt Disney Parks & Resorts’ strategic efforts to continue to invest in its core theme park businesses around the world while simultaneously expanding into other parts of the family vacation business.

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  3. #2
    Self-proclaimed Diz nut TinaMouse's Avatar
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    Hmmm....Avatar doesn't scram Disney to me......Should be insanely profitable, though!

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  4. #3
    Registered User dban3's Avatar
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    Take that Harry Potter..... great movie ..... bad idea ..... but the same things were probably said about the Indiana Jones and Star Wars franchises finding their way into Disney Parks.

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  5. #4

    Is this a movie that younger kids have been exposed to much? I remember a lot of violence, killing, burning, etc. and not a lot of little ones in the movie theater.

    Was the movie pretty? You bet. Would I go on an attraction that followed the story of the movie? Nope. I didn't even like the ET ride at Universal as a kid because I thought the end of that was scary! Forget burning down an entire (albeit fictional) world!

    This will be interesting. I wish they had chosen a Disney-avenue instead (Jungle Book, Atlantis, or Pocahontas since they seem to like the story so much ) but I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. I hope it's lovely, well-themed and leaves out the boat sinking, er, I mean the planet burning parts. It isn't a unique story by any stretch, but it's got the potential to be very stimulating visually.

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  6. #5

    I can only hope that they decide there is no place for this at Disneyland and skip right over it...this seems like a very bad idea to me. And at the Animal Kingdom? Well, at least they aren't desecrating the Magic Kingdom with this...


  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by iceman559 View Post
    I can only hope that they decide there is no place for this at Disneyland and skip right over it...
    I sure can't think of anywhere they'd put it. I imagine their overall rights are to give them the chance to shove it in one of the overseas parks.
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  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by dban3 View Post
    Take that Harry Potter..... great movie ..... bad idea ..... but the same things were probably said about the Indiana Jones and Star Wars franchises finding their way into Disney Parks.
    Yes, the big difference is that ALL of those were ESTABLISHED franchises before being added to any park. Now, if I had to bet on someone creating a big hit, I'd bet on Cameron. But that does not GUARANTEE a hit. This seems like a really strange move to make at this time. With a pocket full of established franchises to pull from they go for the unknown.
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  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by AJDerrick View Post
    I sure can't think of anywhere they'd put it. I imagine their overall rights are to give them the chance to shove it in one of the overseas parks.
    There's definitely no space available, but that doesn't mean they won't decide to rip something out...there are rumors that they will be using Big Thunder Ranch and some backstage areas up over there to expand Frontierland...they could decide to throw an Avatar land in there. But I do agree that they will most likely look at their international parks...first.

    Quote Originally Posted by MovieBoy
    With a pocket full of established franchises to pull from they go for the unknown.
    I completely agree. But even so, I'm not a big fan of having an entire land dedicated to a film franchise, unless it's a Disney franchise or at least related to Disney in some way. This just opens the door for Disney to slowly start turning into Universal. There's something special about the Disney lands and themes that I think will be lost if all of the new lands they make are going to be based on film franchises now...Cars Land, now Avatar, what's next? What happened to the originality that Disney used to be so good at?

  10. #9
    Read Everything-Assume Nothing GusMan's Avatar
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    Disney plans to build the first AVATAR themed land at Walt Disney World, within the Animal Kingdom park. With its emphasis on living in harmony with nature, Animal Kingdom is a natural fit for the AVATAR stories, which share the same philosophy. Construction is expected to begin by 2013.
    With this thought as the main premise, I can see where it could be a fit. However, I think that the concept is so far fetched that it will stick out like a sore thumb, much like DinoLand USA, when compared to the rest of the nature-themed areas.

    Its once been said that AK is a theme park that does not have a good flow between the "lands" within the park itself. I think this idea not only falls into that category, but takes it to the next level of awkwardness.

    Personally, I would have thought that an Avatar-themed attraction would be better housed at DHS, possibly replacing part of the backlot tour.

    Now, I know that sounds like a lot of negatives. At the same time, I am sure that Disney is not going to put on a bad show. Im pretty sure that the imagineers involved wont let that happen. But that still does not mean that it will have the same appeal as other movie-based attractions.

    Im going to have to find out more before commenting further.
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    Quote Originally Posted by iceman559 View Post
    There's something special about the Disney lands and themes that I think will be lost if all of the new lands they make are going to be based on film franchises now...Cars Land, now Avatar, what's next?
    Well, technically, isn't all of Fantasyland (not including it's a small world) based on film franchises?
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  12. #11
    CL--DLR Trip Planning and DVC Toocherie's Avatar
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    Have they announced WHERE it will be? Could they be replacing Dino-Land with this?

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  13. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by cstephens View Post
    Well, technically, isn't all of Fantasyland (not including it's a small world) based on film franchises?
    The individual rides and characters are, yes. But the land itself isn't tied to a particular franchise. Say that tomorrow everyone hates Pinnochio, well, swap out the single ride and you're still good. The rest don't have to go anywhere and the entire land doesn't need to be rethemed. Now, say that the day after they open this new Avatar land that everyone suddenly hates Avatar. Well, that means demolishing an ENTIRE land simply because it went out of style. Like I said, I'm not a fan of dedicating a LAND to a film franchise. I'm not against having rides here and there that are from film franchises. They are relatively easy to replace if needed. Rides come and go, that's to be expected. But, a LAND *should* be forever, IMO.

  14. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by cstephens View Post
    Well, technically, isn't all of Fantasyland (not including it's a small world) based on film franchises?
    Edit: Iceman already addressed this. I type slow I guess.

    I think (correct me if I'm wrong, Iceman) that Iceman's concern is more that large pieces of land are being dedicated to a single franchise. Where Fantasyland covers a LOT of movies (Snow White, Peter Pan, Pooh, Pinocchio, tons in Philarmagic, etc.) the new trend with Cars and now Avatar is to dedicate a huge chunk of a park to a single movie franchise--much the way Universal has a Harry Potter section, a Dr. Seuss section, etc. in their layouts.

    I would tend to agree--I like that in Disneyland I can see Adventure as Indy, or Tarzan, or Aladdin. I like the way each Fantasyland incorporates a lot of different stories with the same genre. I would probably have been more receptive to an AK add-on that incorporated a greater theme (whether fantasy, reality or both) like oceans which could then be home to different experiences based on more than one story (Atlantis, 20,000 Leagues, DisneySea elements) including, if they wished, an Avatar attraction.

    Sure, Indy and Star Tours are in the parks--and I wouldn't give them up. But they don't get their own land and I don't see why Avatar should either. Until Cars even Disney films didn't get their own land!
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  15. #14
    Registered User wishiwasthere's Avatar
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    I don't get it. I don't think it belongs in Animal Kingdom at all. I think they are just trying to do something like Harry Potter.

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    Quote Originally Posted by iceman559 View Post
    The individual rides and characters are, yes. But the land itself isn't tied to a particular franchise.
    Quote Originally Posted by AJDerrick View Post
    I think (correct me if I'm wrong, Iceman) that Iceman's concern is more that large pieces of land are being dedicated to a single franchise.
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    I guess I better see the movie now.....didn't interest me then, doesn't really interest me now. But I never saw a Harry Potter film either and I loved Wizarding World.


  18. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by MovieBoy View Post
    Yes, the big difference is that ALL of those were ESTABLISHED franchises before being added to any park. Now, if I had to bet on someone creating a big hit, I'd bet on Cameron. But that does not GUARANTEE a hit. This seems like a really strange move to make at this time. With a pocket full of established franchises to pull from they go for the unknown.
    Right. Movies 2 and 3 will be released right when this is opening, but there's no guarantee that they will be successful. It's a gamble.

  19. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by AJDerrick View Post
    I think (correct me if I'm wrong, Iceman) that Iceman's concern is more that large pieces of land are being dedicated to a single franchise. Where Fantasyland covers a LOT of movies (Snow White, Peter Pan, Pooh, Pinocchio, tons in Philarmagic, etc.) the new trend with Cars and now Avatar is to dedicate a huge chunk of a park to a single movie franchise--much the way Universal has a Harry Potter section, a Dr. Seuss section, etc. in their layouts.

    I would tend to agree--I like that in Disneyland I can see Adventure as Indy, or Tarzan, or Aladdin. I like the way each Fantasyland incorporates a lot of different stories with the same genre.
    Precisely what I mean! And I agree with your thoughts about the lands, too. It's nice having a variety of different types of attractions in a land. What is adventure? Is it going on a thrilling journey through a cavernous temple, evading booby traps while rescuing Dr. Jones? Or is it climbing a tree and seeing what it be like to live with the apes? Maybe it's a carpet ride high above the ground? No wait, I bet it's a perilous trip with pirates as they loot and burn a city! Oh no, it's all of them! Rides with VERY different individual themes, yet they all have one thing in common: adventure. No matter how many different types of rides you have, every attraction in Avatar will have one theme: Avatar. Avatar's not the type of movie that I could see multiple themes coming off from. I feel the same way about Cars land. I'm looking forward to Radiator Springs racers, but that's about it.

    Harry Potter works for Universal because there's so much in that franchise. From quidditch to Hogsmeade, even Diagon Alley, there's many different themes possible. Heck, there's seven distinct sub-plots to the series that they are able to use! Avatar doesn't have that. They had one hit movie, that was really only a hit because of the stunning visuals. Once you lose that (and you will - there's no way Disney can reproduce that level of detail on a costume/AA), there's really not that much to the movie. Also, there's just a single movie to base on! That's not enough for a whole land! I doubt MUCH of the next two movies will be in the land, as they aren't even to be released until a year and two years respectively after construction is set to begin...

    Oh, and I also agree that I don't think it belongs in Animal Kingdom. Maybe DHS, but even that is pushing it...I can't think of a single place in either Orlando or Anaheim where this themed land would fit.

  20. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by wishiwasthere View Post
    I don't get it. I don't think it belongs in Animal Kingdom at all. I think they are just trying to do something like Harry Potter.
    Well, if you recall, when AK was first announced there was supposed to be a mythical creatures section. Lots of folks at that time went "huh?" and it never was created. There was always an idea of immersing you in some fantasy there they just did not know what.

    Quote Originally Posted by stan4d_steph View Post
    Right. Movies 2 and 3 will be released right when this is opening, but there's no guarantee that they will be successful. It's a gamble.
    from announcement, they said the Park land was 5 yrs out - and with Avatar 2 for Xmas 2014 and Avatar 3 at Xmas 2015, that makes it probably Summer 2016 for Avatar- the land - to be opened (I know, let's argue whether it should be Pandora or Avatar, like Radiator Springs or Carsland :-P ). sorry- issue from a disneyland thread.

    It really does depend on whether there are many more characters, places, and objects created in movies 2 and 3 to be able to fill up the Avatar universe. without those the land itself at AK will be popular for 1 or 2 years and then slowly drift...
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  21. #20

    Although I have never been to Animal Kingdom (or any of the Orlando Parks) I have to admit my first reaction when I saw the twitter feed was "HUH?!"

    Avatar was a great movie. But I have no idea how it fits into ANY of the Disney parks. I am sure the imagineers and development team can and will do a great job building an immersive and beautiful replica of the Pandora world, but I don't think it is the best bet for Disney. A ride, like Indy or Star Tours would seem more a fitting collaboration between Cameron and Disney. But a giant leap into a whole new land just seems like too much to me.

    I will certainly be watching where this goes...

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  22. #21

    I'm agreeing with the consensus here. An Avatar attraction, while misguidedly cashing in on a fad that people have already moved on from, wouldn't be a terrible thing. It could be a fun attraction, and in ten years when absolutely no one cares about Avatar anymore they could re-theme it. Easy as that. However, and entire Avatar Land is a bad idea, for all the reasons listed above (non-Disney properties should not get an entire land, replacing fad land will be a lot harder than replacing fad attraction, weird sexual themes, heavy handed environmental themes, and themes of genocide don't really go hand in hand with Disney Parks, etc.), but also one more big one:

    It will be an enormous waste of space think Dinoland Part 2, and you'll be getting there. The problem I have seen with Lands based on a single property is that there's not enough ideas to spread around to multiple story driven attractions. Think about the lands at Disneyland. You typically have one big E-Ticket attraction surrounded by other smaller rides, and shows that all tell unique interesting stories that you can't experience anywhere else. Now think of A Bug's Land: It's Tough to Be a Bug surrounded by dressed up kiddie rides. Cars Land: Radiator Springs Racers surrounded by dressed up kiddie rides. Toy Story Playland (Disneyland Paris): Dressed up kiddie rides (they don't even bother with an E or D-Ticket here). Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey surrounded by two run of the mill roller coasters. See the trend?

    Yes, in all of these cases the theming is really cool and is part of the draw. Recreating Radiator Springs is awesome, as is visiting Hogwarts Castle, however, the actual attractions are typically lacking. Real, classic, Disney Lands have a good combination, great theming with several great rides, not just one and filler. That is what we'll get with Avatar Land. We'll have one cool (probably 3D, because that's the *only* reason Avatar was so successful) attraction, some interesting theming and filler. Ooh boy, I can't wait [/sarcasm]. If Disney really wanted to do something with Avatar it would have been much better to incorporate the E-ticket attraction into a land with a broader idea that lends itself to more unique possibilities. You could even theme the area surrounding it in close proximity like Pandora. An Avatar attraction as part of a re-imagined Beastly Kingdom (obviously re-imagined to include sci-fi creatures) could have worked really well. An Avatar Land, is going to be a massive waste of space and awkwardly clash with the rest of Animal Kingdom.


  23. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Toocherie View Post
    Have they announced WHERE it will be? Could they be replacing Dino-Land with this?
    IF they place this where the conservation station train thing is, then I might be able to get behind it. That is such an abomination I still can't believe it exists.
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  24. #23
    Fun is wherever you find it... olegc's Avatar
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    all the speculation aside - to me this is definitely a sign that Iger is very nervous about attendance and multi-day stays due to WWHP at Universal. THink of it - Avatar is unproven, not really a franchise yet, and has 1 movie (no 6 books, no 7 movies). and yet they signed a GLOBAL licensing deal for ALL theme parks. Fox and Cameron must be rolling in dough right now... and it also looks like any theme park productions involving Marvel for Disney may have gone to the back burner...

    It will still, though, be called the "me too" strategy unless they're able to leapfrog technology.

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  25. #24
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    I'm a "What Would Walt Do?"-type "purist" Disney fan, and this news frankly bothers me. I would have wished for Disney Animation Studios or Disney Live Action Studios to have come up with a terrific hit movie, very imaginative, fanciful, that would also make a compelling tie-in to the parks in some way..... or Imagineering to have come up with the same idea.... _internally generated creative idea_, in-house. Walt Disney in his lifetime when Disneyland was built didn't go to competing movie studios asking them to partner with him in putting a park attraction of one of their movies in his theme park. Walt came up with his own animated and live-action family movies and he based park attractions and shows based on his own studio's work.

    At least the fantasy aspects of "Avatar" would have a "fit" in Animal Kingdom since, when AK opened, thematic room was left for "imaginary" creatures and lands to be built. Then again, "Avatarland" could also have a fit at, say, Busch Gardens. Or other parks or park operators. I wonder if this concept was also shopped around at theme park corporations other than Disney.

    I feel that Disney once again bringing in non-Disney films and non-Disney characters into it's parks is a further dilution of Disney and what people generally expect of a "Disney experience" at the parks. Perhaps if Disney came up with "Theme Park for Ride Concepts or Ride Concepts Based on Competing Studios' Movies Disney Itself Didn't Think Up But Would "Fit" at Walt Disney World Since There's So Much Land Disney Owns in Central FL Theme Park" as a fifth major new theme park gate at WDW (that would be the name of the park, heh...) ;-)

    Or is it because the Yeti at Expedition Everest doesn't work very well, still, that Disney lost confidence and now feels it has to go outside itself for what it thinks of as good, marketable theme park attraction ideas?

    And I wonder if two other "What Would Walt Do" type folks internally at Disney Imagineering, John Lasseter and Tony Baxter, are OK with this or not? They may not have a choice, they may have to grin and bear and build it if they want to keep jobs. But still, I wonder what they privately may think.

    Eh, well... maybe someday I'll get over it.

    Last edited by CarolKoster; 09-20-2011 at 02:16 PM. Reason: Correct typographical errors, add a little more text

  26. #25
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    Like so many others - I might just have to see the movie now that there will be a "land" themed for it.

    I disagree that it won't fit into AK. There is a ton of space around existing developed areas. They don't have to get rid of anything. But, IMHO, this type of "land" best fits into the Studios. Problem is, there really isn't much available space there. Not for a new land. And AK has the lowest attendance of the WDW parks, so it needs a boost.

    I'm not one to say I won't visit this land or ride its rides. I will, at least once. After that -- well, let's see just how good it is.

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