Your typical HVAC plan for a building isn’t all that exciting. There are color overlays showing which rooms will be cooled or heated by which unit. But when the building will be home to one of the most anticipated, not to mention heavily debated, new lands people get excited. The excitement today is for plans that appear to indicate the attractions being constructed for Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Disney’s partnership with James Cameron to bring to life the world of Pandora created for his Avatar films was announced in September of 2011. Since then it’s been very quiet. The biggest news since the announcement was a test balloon flying over Camp Minnie Mickey; in theory judging how high an attraction show building can be without dominating over the Tree of Life. It’s also known that the cast of The Festival Of The Lion King have been told the show will shut down sometime in early 2013, presumably to move the show elsewhere in the park (I’m hearing over in Dinoland next to Nemo or in Africa). We’ve also heard that relations between Cameron’s team and Imagineering have been testy.
Be that as it may, someone has been working on a new E-Ticket for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. There is even a partial plan for a C-Ticket boat ride as it passes underneath the volcano. What we don’t know is how much of Avatar we’re not seeing in this blueprint. The crux of the E-Ticket is a 3D movie simulator.
We do know that the building is very big. With four theatres and three levels of seating loading via ramps, it’s tall too. There are a lot of break rooms for cast members and there’s even room for a portion of another ride to exist within this show building. We also know that there are plans for some rockwork on the exterior of the building.
To me this fits in with Cameron’s announced plans to have volcanoes on Pandora as part of the sequels. Imagineering has already done the volcano thing once, so it’s possible they’ll be doing again here. The ride mechanism isn’t clear, but based on the giant screens and the tri-level loading, it’s likely similar to Soarin or Back to the Future/The Simpsons.
Total speculating, but this may be a potential scenario: You arrive on Pandora via drop ship and before you lays a giant volcano. But don’t worry, it’s dormant, or so we’re lead to believe. The base for Avatar operations has been constructed inside the volcano and we’re invited in to see a test of the latest Avatar technology, perhaps get a tour of the planet and other planets in the solar system. Then something goes wrong and it’s up to the audience to help the Avatar escape.
Now there is one caveat to all this speculation. These plans are generic enough they could be for any new theme at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. But since the HVAC plans have leaked we can guess that the project is now out for bidding and since Avatar is the only known land coming to DAK, it’s the most likely choice.
If all goes well, Avatar should open in 2015, one year or so after the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is completed at the Magic Kingdom.
Hoping and praying that these plans are for something – anything – other than Avatar land.
Not a fan of Avatar Land and I really hope these plans fall through. Although, it seems Disney has a lot of wiggle room with these plans, they could add up to any type of attraction, not just Avatar, which I think is good, in hopes the project falls through and we get Beastly Kingdom instead.
All that said, I highly doubt we’ll be seeing a 2015 opening date. They have yet to break ground yet, at earliest, we’re looking at late 2016 opening date. All the better.
I don’t mind the idea of avatar coming to AK but I do t want to see a whole land of it, a really good attraction, and shop would be an amazing companion to a more interesting and more welcomed beastly kingdom. I think disney had started focusing on individual movies and charachters rather than amazing experiences/attractions that aren’t necessarily connected to a film or show. Eventually, it seems, that they’ll turn into a movie-centric group of parks, which isn’t the true essence of disney.
Couple of things…
1. I have not received any confirmation that FOTLK is closing early in 2013. In fact, they recently posted casting calls for it. I think the early 2013 timetable is mostly correct, but it may be pushed back a bit now. I am hearing Africa for it, but I do not see an obvious space for it there.
2. I am not excited by the Avatar idea, simply because I did not like the movie much and I would rather investment in DAK be in…well…animals. But I am keeping an open mind. The look and feel of the film fits the overall look of DAK and a great attraction is ALWAYS welcome.
I don’t mind the idea of an Avatarland. I am open to most anything they want to build. But, as far as FOTLK goes, wouldn’t it make more sense for them to get the new theatre ready before they shut down the old show and theatre? Especially with recent casting calls. I wouldn’t think they would want those performers not performing for very long!
I’m also not a huge fan of Avatar, but I know that Disney can make anything magical and therefore, I’m excited to see what imagineers come up with! I really love the Soarin’ type of ride mechanism and I think it would be great to see another instance of it in the Animal Kingdom park.
The best investment in AK would be a night time water show. They cant have firewords because of disturbance to the animals so a new show utalizing the World of Color technology (not copying world of color directly) would be perfect.
I like the plans except one thing: Avatar
I just cannot understand all the dislike of the movie and the idea of the land. Avatar was an amazing movie whether or not some of the same elements have been used before. All movies are based on only 5 stories, so every movie you have seen you have seen elements of that movie before. So why the intense hatred over this one. The special effects and CGI Navi where the best I have seen yet. The story was one of how people, in this case the Navi, should live in harmony with their world instead of systematically destroying it like we are doing right now. I would love to see this land and some kind of new technology being used to show us Pandora and maybe even some Navi in actual walk around characters. If Universal can have 14 foot tall Transformers walking around, why can’t Disney have 14 foot tall Navi walking around.
Just a few points:
1: I did not think it was such an amazing movie.
2: Some of those elements were straight up rip offs of stories used time and time again, where was the originality? And the “other” movies you talk about that also use “elements” from stories already told, well, some are done well, and some not. Avatar was essentially Pocahontas note for note, and it was weak.
3: CGI and Special Effects don’t make the movie. And yes, Avatar had truly great special effects, but this was really the only draw that brought people in, 3D and CGI. Personally I don’t care how good the CGI and 3D is, no story, no interest.
4: Sorry, I just didn’t like it. Wish it wasn’t coming to Disney.
Crap, this is still a thing? Can Disney please just let this thing quietly die? It was a terrible idea from the start and there is nothing that can be done to redeem it.
As for the movie in an IMAX theater in 3D, it was an amazing experience. Movie in itself is really good but no masterpiece.
As for the hostile reaction I firmly think it is because the movie really is a mirror of our behavior on Earth. And people don’t like what they saw ^^
Now we DO KNOW that our blue jeans destroyed an Inland sea, our mobile/PC/game box destroyed many parts in CHina or just think about oil… In our world we have big companies with a big smile for the customers and a very harsh behavior in the poor countries for local people & nature. And some of these companies have blood on their hands.
On the other hand, as for the franchise in AK, I’m not a big fan of it. Bring me a reimagined Beastly Kingdom anytime. Hope WDI will win me over. But like New Fantasyland even with many great thing, an average decision can’t make a great land.
Is anyone else aware that James Cameron doesn’t give a darn about family-friendliness? He’s one of those filmmakers who overlook the importance of wholesome entertainment and never bother to keep out any and all indecency and vulgarity brought out in their works.
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