AVATAR coming to WDW

[Soarin08]

I HATE THIS MOVIE. Seriously, I don't get the hype. It's really amazing visually but I think the storyline is overdone.

I'm not complaining about an expansion but when I first heard the rumours ABOUT expanding, I was not expecting this.

I'm surprised James Cameron let them have the rights to do this...

I'm betting it comes down to the almighty $$$ ~ once again

My personal opinion- Disney should have just cooperated with JK Rowling and gotten the rights to do HP. I know there were conflicts with that, but still... then I guess Universal could have had Avatar.

I'm just wondering what they're gonna do with it... rides? Shows? I'm needing concrete details here. The idea might be really cool if it is done right, but honestly, I thought the movie sucked. However, my little brother will be THRILLED, this is his favourite movie.

[mindflipper]

They could have made a deal with J K Rowlings, but the film rights to HP are with Time Warner - I do not see Disney and Time Warner could ever have come to an agreement there. A deal with James Cameron would be far easier than that one.

[Jacca5660]

I for one enjoyed Avatar and feel it's about time they did something to AK. The original plan was to have a mythical section and this fits right in. I think AK is the perfect place to put it.

I am "SO HAPPY" that Disney doesn't have a thing to do with Harry Potter!!! To me, in my mind, it's a horror, what would you have the castle turned into Hogworths?? HP is "NO" fit for Disney and Disney management showed incredible foresight not caving in to QUEEN Rowlings demands!!! What a mess she would have made out of the parks!!

Look at my past post, this could be the first time I've agreed with Disney management!!

PS As for Cameron not having an original story in AVATAR, Name me the last original story you've seen?? I mean WED stole everything he did from something else. Oh, I'm sorry, WED retold everything he did!! Come on!! There hasn't be an original story since the Bard!!

[Soarin08]

I just don't see how this has anything to do with animals or the general theme of DAK itself... I think it fits much much better at DHS but what do I know. -shrug- Guess it'll all depend on how it gets pulled off. And if it sucks when it opens, well, one more reason DAK will stay at the bottom of my list as far as favourites at WDW go!

And agree with mindflipper, the story is pretty much EXACTLY like Pocahontas, only in place of the British coming into America and taking over the Native Americans' lands, you've got the Earth people going to whatever that planet, Pandora or some such nonsense, and taking the land from the blue people. Don't ask me the names, I was about to fall asleep during the film. And at least Pocahontas was based on fact- Cameron simply took those types of stories and sold them as his own idea- yeah right. He should have quit after Titanic.

[Wizzard419]

Harry Potter land was a good idea, about 10 years ago when the movies were just taking off and the franchise had a future. Building something big like that seems like a bad idea considering there is no means to update it.

I'm still a little creaped out that the organs they use to control animals and use the internet in that movie are the same ones they use for sex.

[Jacca5660]

Harry Potter land was a good idea, about 10 years ago when the movies were just taking off and the franchise had a future. Building something big like that seems like a bad idea considering there is no means to update it.

I'm still a little creaped out that the organs they use to control animals and use the internet in that movie are the same ones they use for sex.

Everybody use the Internet for sex!! Most of us just can't type that way!

[MmeLeota]

Personally, I liked the idea of a Beastly Kingdom...with past, present and mythical creatures.

While I enjoyed the movie Avatar, I'm not sure I want to see it in a Disney park. Sure James Cameron may have "borrowed" storylines, but who doesn't? He put his own spin on it...I'm fine with that.

If done well, this project could be mind-blowing...but again, I'm just not sure I want to see in in a Disney park.

[Wizzard419]

Well you're going to get a lot of beastiality out of this new land too.

Yeah, Avatar was the same as Dances with Wolves mixed with Fern Gully. Basically "The white man is awesome in the rainforest"

[mindflipper]

The mythical creature area was dropped because Disney did not feel it fit with the idea of the Animal Kingdom dealing with actual animals past and present. Avatar in the same respect does NOT fit in with DAK (unless, DAK is being renamed now "Disney's Avatar Kingdom" instead of "Disney's Animal Kingdom")...

[Jacca5660]

The mythical creature area was dropped because Disney did not feel it fit with the idea of the Animal Kingdom dealing with actual animals past and present. Avatar in the same respect does NOT fit in with DAK (unless, DAK is being renamed now "Disney's Avatar Kingdom" instead of "Disney's Animal Kingdom")...

I just hope that I don't have to insert something into a horse on the merry go round for it to move!!!! ;+?

I also wonder where they will find all those 9 ft tall people to dress as characters?? I want to drive one of the robot things and I wonder if they will make a big tree with magical little jellyfishes floating under it.

[Wizzard419]

The giant people actually won't be as hard to do, other than the arms. For the legs they may simply make something similar to the running stilts that people use.



Or they may even skip the whole "make them giants" angle or simply avoid having them interact with customers.

[Soarin08]

The mythical creature area was dropped because Disney did not feel it fit with the idea of the Animal Kingdom dealing with actual animals past and present. Avatar in the same respect does NOT fit in with DAK (unless, DAK is being renamed now "Disney's Avatar Kingdom" instead of "Disney's Animal Kingdom")...

Agreed 100%. This idea has zero to do with anything, except maybe environmentality, and even that is pushing it (which, such a concept is already prevalent at DAK as it is).

I read on another site it is slated to open in 2017. Really? Avatar isn't exactly pop-culture material. Who's going to even remember the movie in 2017 short of die-hard fans?

Comparison with HP over at IOA- my two cents. HP as a theme park makes SENSE. For a good many of us, those books and movies were our CHILDHOOD, and seeing it preserved in that way is a true testament to the power of that story on so many of us. My sister and I began reading the books when they first came out, then passed our well-worn copies down to my brother, who has read them voraciously since we got him started on the first one- and he HATES to read. I plan to pass the books down to my own children so they can experience a piece of my childhood and how much it means to me.

I don't think anyone can say these same things about a movie with a story made from a conglomerate of others with 3D effects tossed in for the wow factor.

[Polynesian Princess]

Ugh, I am very disappointed about this. I hope there's going to be enough complaining from Disney fans, the sequels flop and they abandon it, or some issue that can't be resolved between the companies that scraps this all together or at least seriously edits it. It's apparently still in the very early planning processes, so there's still a chance for it to change. I'm surprised they didn't work hard to announce it at D23/save it for next year's D23.

It should be at DHS, not DAK. It's a MOVIE not affiliated with Diz - isn't all of that over at DHS? Once again, abuse the theming....

Exactly my thoughts. If the announcement had been that it was going to be an attraction at DHS, I would have been excited. I also would have accepted it as an attraction within Beastly Kingdom. I would have worried about it being dated by the time it's completed just like American Idol, but those are much better fits. The big difference between this plan and SW/IJ is that those things are a single attraction in a park dedicated to the movies - not an entire LAND.

I've seen a lot of comments on the blog and Facebook about needing to "trust Disney". I know Disney will make it a nice place with fun attractions. I just hate that it's such a bad match.

[Jacca5660]

The mythical creature area was dropped because Disney did not feel it fit with the idea of the Animal Kingdom dealing with actual animals past and present. Avatar in the same respect does NOT fit in with DAK (unless, DAK is being renamed now "Disney's Avatar Kingdom" instead of "Disney's Animal Kingdom")...

Agreed 100%. This idea has zero to do with anything, except maybe environmentality, and even that is pushing it (which, such a concept is already prevalent at DAK as it is).

I read on another site it is slated to open in 2017. Really? Avatar isn't exactly pop-culture material. Who's going to even remember the movie in 2017 short of die-hard fans?

Comparison with HP over at IOA- my two cents. HP as a theme park makes SENSE. For a good many of us, those books and movies were our CHILDHOOD, and seeing it preserved in that way is a true testament to the power of that story on so many of us. My sister and I began reading the books when they first came out, then passed our well-worn copies down to my brother, who has read them voraciously since we got him started on the first one- and he HATES to read. I plan to pass the books down to my own children so they can experience a piece of my childhood and how much it means to me.

I don't think anyone can say these same things about a movie with a story made from a conglomerate of others with 3D effects tossed in for the wow factor.

I couldn't disagree more!!!! HP shouldn't be in any theme park! It's not something that is going to age very well! I refuse to believe that in ten year it's going to be anything but a trip in the way back machine for a group of people go back to the only book that they read out side of school. I mean I don't see Hobbit land and those where books read by multiple generations!

[Wizzard419]

Agreed 100%. This idea has zero to do with anything, except maybe environmentality, and even that is pushing it (which, such a concept is already prevalent at DAK as it is).

I read on another site it is slated to open in 2017. Really? Avatar isn't exactly pop-culture material. Who's going to even remember the movie in 2017 short of die-hard fans?

Comparison with HP over at IOA- my two cents. HP as a theme park makes SENSE. For a good many of us, those books and movies were our CHILDHOOD, and seeing it preserved in that way is a true testament to the power of that story on so many of us. My sister and I began reading the books when they first came out, then passed our well-worn copies down to my brother, who has read them voraciously since we got him started on the first one- and he HATES to read. I plan to pass the books down to my own children so they can experience a piece of my childhood and how much it means to me.

I don't think anyone can say these same things about a movie with a story made from a conglomerate of others with 3D effects tossed in for the wow factor.

Going with that whole theme thing that people wax poetic about, it would probably work better than beastly kingdom since the theme is humans and nature not trying to screw each other over.

They are making a big budget sequal, so it may be closer to the opening than thought.

HP is the childrens book of a select generation (and some disturbing adults, but if it gets them reading that is a good thing) but HP has already begun it's transit into the land of forgotten franchises. When was the last time anyone said "lets go read that new Hardy Boy's book!"? Some will get picked up but overall it will fall by the wayside for the next generation of entertainment. That is going to be interesting to see the HP land in 5 years or so since updates don't appear to be factored in.