Avatar experience coming to Disneyland

[mdmost]

Bob Iger dropped on the earnings call that an Avatar experience will be coming to Disneyland. Details will come out later. Anyone want to speculate on what it will be?

I'm assuming it will be something virtual that's in Downtown Disney like the Star Wars experiences. It's obviously not a land like Pandora at Animal Kingdom. I would love them to put something in Star Wars Launch Bay to give Tomorrowland more attractions. Maybe the Flight of the Banshee experience.

 

[DLgal]

Bye bye Tom Sawyer Island...

I don't like it. We don't need any of that stupid movie franchise at Disneyland. We don't want it.

 

[Lisa24jks]

I assume it will go into Carousel of Progress/Innoventions/Launch Bay, since it fits in best with the future theme. And they really do need to do SOMETHING with that building.

That said... meh. I know it's made a gazillion dollars, but I truly know maybe one whole person who has seen the new one.

 

[DizMe]

Bye bye Tom Sawyer Island...

Oh, that would destroy me! I sure hope that doesn't happen.

 

[mdmost]

I don't think Iger is going to sign off on Avatar in the middle of Rivers of America. I don't think it will be something massive. I think it will be something fairly small and inexpensive. I'm sure they have Pandora in their back pocket if they move forward with the new park additions in the Disney Tomorrow plan.

 

[rtravels]

I think it’s the subs. Way of Water would actually make more sense in Tomorrowland than Nemo. Could be really beautiful.

 

[Lisa24jks]

I think it’s the subs. Way of Water would actually make more sense in Tomorrowland than Nemo. Could be really beautiful.

They just refurbished the subs last year, so I kinda doubt that.

That said, we can spectulate all day long, but no one knows until we know.

 

[mamaburrito]

I sense a 3d movie coming our way.

 

[StarGirl11]

I sense a 3d movie coming our way.

Isn’t the former Captain EO theater empty right now? That might be a good spot

 

[ballarinamom]

I remember when it showed Honey I shrunk the kids! LOL!

 

[irlandaise]

That said... meh. I know it's made a gazillion dollars, but I truly know maybe one whole person who has seen the new one.

That's what I've never figured out about "Avatar." It made a boatload of money but was never a cultural phenomenon like "Star Wars" or the Marvel movies. I understand even less with the recent movie also pulling in huge box office receipts. They're beautiful movies to look at (I saw the first one on TV anyway), and I've heard that the Pandora section of DAK is extremely well done (Joe Rohde, right?), but are there really people clamoring for more Avatar stuff at the Disney parks?

 

[DLgal]

T

I don't think Iger is going to sign off on Avatar in the middle of Rivers of America. I don't think it will be something massive. I think it will be something fairly small and inexpensive. I'm sure they have Pandora in their back pocket if they move forward with the new park additions in the Disney Tomorrow plan.

This announcement was part of a larger discussion about increasing CAPACITY by adding in more IP to the parks. Making the island more of a destination that can eat up people makes sense. It could just be a walk through sensory experience.

 

[StarGirl11]

It’s just and I bring this up anytime retheming TSI to something major comes up. TSI is not the most accesible if you’re disabled. And I have to wonder if that’s held them back before about doing something more extensive on both coasts.

If they’re going to bring Avatar to TSI. Or change TSI that is going to need a huge revamp to make it ADA compliant. I feel like.

And maybe that’s what Iger has in mind but this won’t be exactly small since I’ve not been on the Island in a very long time. But everything I read makes it not very easy to navigate with a disability.

 

[joseph821]

T

This announcement was part of a larger discussion about increasing CAPACITY by adding in more IP to the parks. Making the island more of a destination that can eat up people makes sense. It could just be a walk through sensory experience.

I was thinking the same thing. They could build an attraction like Soarin through California but it would an adventure through Avatar.

 

[DLgal]

It’s just and I bring this up anytime retheming TSI to something major comes up. TSI is not the most accesible if you’re disabled. And I have to wonder if that’s held them back before about doing something more extensive on both coasts.

If they’re going to bring Avatar to TSI. Or change TSI that is going to need a huge revamp to make it ADA compliant. I feel like.

And maybe that’s what Iger has in mind but this won’t be exactly small since I’ve not been on the Island in a very long time. But everything I read makes it not very easy to navigate with a disability.

Not everything can be accessible. Look at Redwood Creek Challenge trail. That's not fully accessible, but it's a brilliant space for kids and adults to play.

Maybe Avatar will go in there...

 

[DLgal]

I was thinking the same thing. They could build an attraction like Soarin through California but it would an adventure through Avatar.

The island is not anywhere close to large enough to host something like that. I don't forsee a ride announcement, though. I think it will be a smaller scale addition.

 

[rtravels]

They just refurbished the subs last year, so I kinda doubt that.

That said, we can spectulate all day long, but no one knows until we know.

The whole point of this thread is to have fun and speculate. Also, the refurbishment only strengthens the argument imo.

 

[mdmost]

I think TSI is just too tiny for even a walk through attraction. Plus, there's only so many people you can take across every hour with the Riverboat and Columbia running non-stop.

I'm thinking you could take Star Wars Launch Bay and put the Banshee 3D machines on the lower floor. Preshow and queue in the upper level with guests going to the lower floor for the "ride". It obviously wouldn't have the capacity of the AK one but it wouldn't really need it. You could market it like Star Tours. It's not the fully immersive experience of AK but you could remake it as the Way of Water version.

 

[Pluto468]

I remember when it showed Honey I shrunk the kids! LOL!

Me, too!

 

[StarGirl11]

Redwood Creek is more accesible from what I’ve read about TSI. Like there are parts I can still go into with my mobility device. Just not the entire area. But I can at least go in there to an extent

And in order to be ADA compliant they kinda have to have some. Federal laws and all that.

And not being able to apparently go more then 200 feet without running into problems. From what I’ve heard is an issue.

The place got grandfathered in. A lot of older Disney stuff does.but this isn’t like the rides where a reno isn’t going to fix the issue. This could be fixed with a long term Reno

At the very least if they retheme TSI again to be a bigger draw. They really should make it a bit more accesible.

Maybe Avatar will go in there...