Avatar Land will be amazing

[Borishack]

Yes they get front row seat... for a few seconds until it has to move on. Then you get walls and dungeons and other things until you get to the next screen and get so many seconds before you move on.

Yes, those trivial, cheap non-film 3D elements ("walls and dungeons...")

 

[Yellowstonetim]

Yes, those trivial, cheap non-film 3D elements ("walls and dungeons...")

No they aren't cheap and are very well executed in the most part - some were just fancy walls. It's a great ride. But it does have design tradeoffs and limitations, as well as benefits.

Something could be done differently that would result in a great ride too, and what that illustration implies could be it.

 

[Rumors Rocks]

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...atar-inspired-land-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/

Earlier this week, leaders from Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Lightstorm Entertainment kicked off the largest expansion in Disney’s Animal Kingdom history with a ceremonial groundbreaking for the park’s new AVATAR-inspired land with blue, Na’vi-inspired shovels.

In this photo illustration, they were joined by a Na’vi, showing the scale of characters from the “AVATAR” film.

The area, which is being designed by Walt Disney Imagineering in partnership with “AVATAR” creator James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment, will be unlike anything ever experienced at a Disney park. Guests will experience the wonders of Pandora when they fly with banshees and explore a rich natural environment with mountains that float and interactive plants that glow at night.

“Disney’s Animal Kingdom is already home to some of our guests’ favorite attractions,” said Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “With AVATAR, we are adding a spectacular new world and an exciting set of attractions unlike any our guests have experienced. The expansion now under way will make the park a true full-day, must-see experience.”

This week’s milestone is just the first step in a larger expansion for the park that will also include the debut of a new evening spectacular, as well as a nighttime version of Kilimanjaro Safaris.

Check out the video below for a look inside the ceremony, and be sure to follow the Disney Parks Blog for future updates on this exciting expansion.

AVATAR-land Groundbreaking Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oJ8CjnshVg

The shovels are officially in the ground.

 

[beer dave]

Thanks for the post--I just hope they include adult beverages from other planets. I wonder if Joe was mad his shovel bent.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

Thanks for the post--I just hope they include adult beverages from other planets. I wonder if Joe was mad his shovel bent.

~LOL. You are just too funny!

~I'm sorry but this "groundbreaking" thing is just another media ploy against Universal. Universal has backed Disney into a corner, yet again -- and this is yet another "reaction." Disney flat out refuses to be proactive.

~It's no coincidence that Universal's special webcast announcement for Diagon Alley is scheduled on January 23. Again, we get this knee jerk reaction from Disney for Avatarland's "groundbreaking" barely two weeks before the Diagon Alley special announcement.

~Disney's announcement sounds more like a reaction toward Universal, instead of a genuine update for park guests.

~Universal's announcement and marketing campaign is so well done, it upstages Disney in every way. They even have a special webpage just for fans to sign up and receive exclusive updates about the Diagon Alley expansion. This is a company that *adores* their patrons. It's so impressive to me. I'm very excited about Avatarland but deep down I know, it's only because of Universal not about the fans.

~Diagon Alley Update Page~

~I'm glad Comcast's CEO has waged war against Disney. It's looks like this is the only way we're going to get new stuff! Disney doesn't want to invest a dime in the parks and everyone knows it.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Thanks for the post--I just hope they include adult beverages from other planets. I wonder if Joe was mad his shovel bent.

hmmm.......beer from Pandora...........now that could prove interesting!

AKK

 

[Yellowstonetim]

~I'm sorry but this "groundbreaking" thing is just another media ploy against Universal. Universal has backed Disney into a corner, yet again -- and this is yet another "reaction." Disney flat out refuses to be proactive.

~It's no coincidence that Universal's special webcast announcement for Diagon Alley is scheduled on January 23. Again, we get this knee jerk reaction from Disney for Avatarland's "groundbreaking" barely two weeks before the Diagon Alley special announcement.

~Disney's announcement sounds more like a reaction toward Universal, instead of a genuine update for park guests.

~Universal's announcement and marketing campaign is so well done, it upstages Disney in every way. They even have a special webpage just for fans to sign up and receive exclusive updates about the Diagon Alley expansion. This is a company that *adores* their patrons. It's so impressive to me. I'm very excited about Avatarland but deep down I know, it's only because of Universal not about the fans.

~I'm glad Comcast's CEO has waged war against Disney. It's looks like this is the only way we're going to get new stuff! Disney doesn't want to invest a dime in the parks and everyone knows it.

Disney has been working on long term plans for improving AK and HS for some time. Backed into a corner by Universal?! Everything Disney does is in response to Universal?! This isn't just a last ditch effort to respond to Uni and stay out of receivership.

And sure Universal is going gangbuster with building up HP. They don't have anything else. They have to stay viable.

HP2 had better be good and then they need to go on to something else, because when Pandora opens and then Star Wars at HS, the table will be set and Sea World and Universal will be fighting over the decreasing table scraps.

Of course, either way you look at it, it is all good for us. Universal will have more for us to enjoy and Disney will expand AK and HS. It is all going to be good. Some of us think it will be great, awesome, even. But it will at the very least be good.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Disney has been working on long term plans for improving AK and HS for some time. Backed into a corner by Universal?! Everything Disney does is in response to Universal?! This isn't just a last ditch effort to respond to Uni and stay out of receivership.

And sure Universal is going gangbuster with building up HP. They don't have anything else. They have to stay viable.

HP2 had better be good and then they need to go on to something else, because when Pandora opens and then Star Wars at HS, the table will be set and Sea World and Universal will be fighting over the decreasing table scraps.

Of course, either way you look at it, it is all good for us. Universal will have more for us to enjoy and Disney will expand AK and HS. It is all going to be good. Some of us think it will be great, awesome, even. But it will at the very least be good.

Yellowstonetim...exactly..."HP2 had better be good and then they need to go on to something else". It seems that a lot on these boards think Disney needs to build something big and new every year while all Universal has to do is expand HP and build another resort they are gonna eat Disney's lunch.

 

[Borishack]

when Pandora opens

Which given the experience with Mine Train will be sometime around 2020 or later....

and then Star Wars at HS

We all missed the official announcement that Disney was doing anything new with Star Wars at WDW. Can you please document your speculative claim? And no, we want something more specific than vague, non-committal "teasers" from Iger or some lower level flunky at a D23 event.

 

[rteetz]

Which given the experience with Mine Train will be sometime around 2020 or later.... We all missed the official announcement that Disney was doing anything new with Star Wars at WDW. Can you please document your speculative claim? And no, we want something more specific than vague, non-committal "teasers" from Iger or some lower level flunky at a D23 event.

The new fantasyland construction as a whole took about 4 years so with that I wouldn't think pandora would be any later than 2018.

 

[twebber55]

The new fantasyland construction as a whole took about 4 years so with that I wouldn't think pandora would be any later than 2018.

Tom Staggs said early 2017..i would think that is manageable since avatar is completely blocked off from the rest of the park

 

[rteetz]

Tom Staggs said early 2017..i would think that is manageable since avatar is completely blocked off from the rest of the park

I know I was just responding to the craziness of the comment by borishack

 

[jeanylaser]

Why so long to build Avatar in the Disney Animal Kingdom?

 

[DanBoris]

Why so long to build Avatar in the Disney Animal Kingdom?

If it opens early 2017 then we are looking at somewhere around 40 months of construction which is consistent with other major WDW ride projects:

BatB/Little Mermaid Section of FLE - 34 months
Mine Ride 10/1/2011 - 30 (estimated)
Expedition Everest - 33 months
Mission:Space - 43 months (including Horizons demo)
Test Track - 38 months

 

[RooRach0906]

Tom Staggs said early 2017..i would think that is manageable since avatar is completely blocked off from the rest of the park

That would be awesome as we are skipping WDW in 2015 and 16 and not because of the stuff going on with magic+ and the stuff others are complaining about with the parks. We just wanna see what Aulani and a Disney cruise are like.

 

[DanBoris]

Tom Staggs said early 2017..i would think that is manageable since avatar is completely blocked off from the rest of the park

What concerns me is that they still haven't filed a permit with the South Florida Water Management District. By comparison the permit for the Fantasyland Expansion was filed about 3 months before we saw the construction walls go up. This would indicate to me that they still have completely settled on what they are building yet.

 

[beer dave]

What concerns me is that they still haven't filed a permit with the South Florida Water Management District. By comparison the permit for the Fantasyland Expansion was filed about 3 months before we saw the construction walls go up. This would indicate to me that they still have completely settled on what they are building yet.

Didn't the one filed prior to the relocation of FOTLK have a blanket clause or some wording that covered the entire time period of the Avatar construction? I don't remember it being specific to FOTLK, and it involves the same areas...

 

[rteetz]

Didn't the one filed prior to the relocation of FOTLK have a blanket clause or some wording that covered the entire time period of the Avatar construction? I don't remember it being specific to FOTLK, and it involves the same areas...

my guess the construction now is just demolishing what is in camp Minnie Mickey which isn't much but still.

 

[DanBoris]

Didn't the one filed prior to the relocation of FOTLK have a blanket clause or some wording that covered the entire time period of the Avatar construction? I don't remember it being specific to FOTLK, and it involves the same areas...

Since my original post a SFWMD permit for AK has finally popped up. It's definitely for the area where Avatar will be, but it is very light on details and doesn't show a plan for what is being built. At least it's something.

As to your original question, there are two types of permits that are publicly available. You are probably thinking of the Notice of Commencement which are filed for all work being done on properly. These tend to be very vague and have an expiration date when the work needs to be completed by. There have been NOC's files that could cover Avatar.

The other type is from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). These only need to be filed for project this will in some way impact storm water control. For example if they are going to build new structures in an area that is currently woods or grass. The FOTLK permit from SFWMD definitely would not cover the Avatar work, but the permit I found today would.

 

[beer dave]

Since my original post a SFWMD permit for AK has finally popped up. It's definitely for the area where Avatar will be, but it is very light on details and doesn't show a plan for what is being built. At least it's something.

As to your original question, there are two types of permits that are publicly available. You are probably thinking of the Notice of Commencement which are filed for all work being done on properly. These tend to be very vague and have an expiration date when the work needs to be completed by. There have been NOC's files that could cover Avatar.

The other type is from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). These only need to be filed for project this will in some way impact storm water control. For example if they are going to build new structures in an area that is currently woods or grass. The FOTLK permit from SFWMD definitely would not cover the Avatar work, but the permit I found today would.

You're right-- it was the noc that I saw previously.