Am I the only one puzzled by Pandora?

[Somnia]

There 'may' be a third ... I think Cameron already plans for 3-5 more movies i just hope the sequels do well since I think what helped the first film (which I admit I've never seen but DSis says is overrated) is it was one of the first with the 3D technology we have today

They're filming all 4 sequels at the same time FYI with the 2nd due out in 2018 and will be set 8 years after the original and focus on Jake and Neytiri's family/kids.

Regarding the theming asked about, the film is about the environment and how destroying it affects cultures, animals, etc. so I think the theming of Avatar fits extremely well in Animal Kingdom.

 

[kiford]

How many people have seen Song of the South but Splash Mountain is incredibly popular? How many kids even know that it's based on a film that you can't even see anymore? Even though Twilight Zone is well-known, how many younger children have actually seen an episode? Or know who Rod Serling is? There was a time, when I first went to Disneyland, that POTC was just an attraction and not a movie and we loved it. It's one of the first rides DH and I went on at WDW when we were first dating and that was years before the movie. As long as the attraction is interesting, fun and well done, I don't think it's relevant whether it's tied to a movie that is currently popular or part of popular culture.

 

[niffer5150]

i think the imgineers saw an opportunity with the world of avatar and ran with it. it sounds like a great idea. there's weird plants, alien everything, and creatives can totally go nuts with that... the fact that the story/movie hasn't held up wasn't a thought to them. they can just make more movies to make it relevant again. i hated avatar. it's space pocahontas with weird hair "bonding" issues. the 3d made me sick too. BUT... i am interested in seeing what the imagineers do with the landscape of the avatar world. i'm sorta bummed that this was all announced WAY too late for a change of plans and will now hold a small seed of hope that since we will be in AK on a low attendance day, maybe there will be a working rehearsal or a peek of something.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I remember bits and pieces about the movie Avatar. I'm sure it was very pretty to look at nine years ago. Sure, it is the highest grossing movie of all time, but I guess it doesn't have the legendary mythology and cultural zeitgeist of Star Wars or even other lesser properties. I'm very excited to see Pandora at AK, but the upcoming movies don't move the needle much for me.

This is not directly related to the theme park rides, but I have to wonder if all five of those movies will be made and released. Where are the masses yearning to take a big screen journey to Pandora over and over again.

 

[MrInfinity]

I am a bit puzzled by the choice of Pandora as a new land at AK. I mean Avatar came out in 2009 and while we went to see it when it came out, I honestly haven't given it a second thought since then. I really don't even remember much about it. Is there a sequel coming out or something? My 15 year old son loves all the Star Wars movies and other action/SI movies but he could care less about Avatar.

While I will be excited to see what it is all about when we are there in July, I can't say that I'm excited because of the Avatar theme per se, more just because it's new. It just seems like an incredibly outdated option to me. I understand that it is probably more difficult to come up with a new theme for AK but it just seems odd to me.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/

However relevant it may not be to you, you do recall that Avatar is the best-selling movie of all time... Right? So if you haven't seen it, don't recall it, or didn't care for it, it's just because your kids were 7 when it came out.

You should go watch (rewatch) it. We did the other day. It is a really great movie... The world they created is beautiful and the quality so high it could have been made yesterday and you wouldn't know. It's got a really great theme about conservation and appreciation for life and this fits amazingly well within the Animal Kingdom.

Outdated... Star Wars is from 1977.

 

[BrianL]

Well, I for one LOVE Avatar and think it's a great movie. "Oh, i'ts just Pocahontas in space." Well, guess what, Pocahontas is a pretty great movie too! Yes, they are similar as well, but they are also different enough. I've never understood that as a criticism. "Star Wars is just The Hidden Fortress in space." Is that some kind of reason not to like it? Sure, I get some people did not enjoy the story of Avatar, and that is fine if you can come at it with true criticism, but the Internet hive mind deeming it bad because it's "just Pocahontas or Ferngully" will not fly with me.

When it comes down to it though, the "choice" of Avatar is nothing but pure business. James Cameron and Disney had talks about it and came to a mutually beneficial agreement. It's just a contract that everyone feels will make money. For those saying Avatar is not a cultural touchstone, well that is true in the US, but Avatar made most of its money overseas where it is more highly looked upon. WDW gets a lot of International visitors so I think it'll work out fine.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

They're filming all 4 sequels at the same time FYI with the 2nd due out in 2018 and will be set 8 years after the original and focus on Jake and Neytiri's family/kids.

.

Yeah, see... that's just it. Nobody cares about Jake or the blue lady or their kids. They mean nothing in our pop culture, except I'm sure to some small niche. The good news though is that the Pandora section of AK can still rock no matter about the movies.

 

[disneyvoice]

I was planning to rewatch before we go - it's been so long I don't remember very much. Plus since there are sequels I will need to brush up before those are released. Based on the descriptions it sounds like it will work well with the new night time hours.

 

[Scar1199]

Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs came out in 1937 and Mine Train just opened 2 years ago. So 8 years between Avatar being released and the ride opening isn't that long.

 

[sabrecmc]

I saw the movie, have little to no recollection of it other than laughing at the hair sex, and care absolutely zero about the sequels. I'm still glad to see something new. It does look beautiful. Would I have personally preferred something else, like the myth land that was once supposed to be a thing? Sure. But, it should still be neat. I don't think it will be nearly the draw that SW or Pixar lands will be, but I suppose that was never what Disney was expecting.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm with you op, except without the interest in visiting it or the assumption that it will be good.

Well, to begin with, the land was announced in 2011 when the original movie was still fairly current. But yes there are new movies planned.

I feel that an announcement two years after one movie is both too early (it's one movie, hardly a classic) and too late (yawn after two years).

Avatar is one of the biggest grossing movies of all time

Cameron is very good at making movies that get people to see it. Being a movie that makes a lot of money can simply mean it was an intriguing premise. Doesn't mean people come out of it prepared to see it ten more times.

The frozen ride just opened up and that movie came out 3 years prior to the ride.

And by that time I felt a big old "who cares" about it. And also "this isn't a classic, give it a sequel first".

It's weird to me how I never seem to meet/talk to anyone that likes Avatar but it did $2.7 billion at the box office.

Once you go to see a movie once that money is spent. You can't go back and get it back because you didn't think it was worth it. Could just mean that a bunch of people spent 10-20 bucks one a ticket for it then moved on with their lives.

don't think it's relevant whether it's tied to a movie that is currently popular or part of popular culture.

But if you are making something based on a movie shouldn't it be one people care about?

 

[angierae]

To me, Avatar was a big deal at the time because it was the first movie that really used 3D to add depth instead of gimmicky stuff to a movie. It showed that you could do a 3D movie that didn't have to be "WATER SPRAYING IN YOUR FACE HAHAHAHAHA" but more enhanced what you were already seeing.

As for the plot, it was pretty boring "outsider comes in and saves the native people who obviously can't do anything for themselves" tired old plot. I have no interest in seeing any more of them, and no interest in the Avatar area of AK.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

We saw Avatar, because everyone said how great it was. Only things DW and I remember is how pretty it looked and how boring the story was. We don't remember anything about the story, though. Can't even remember the characters names.

That said, we are looking at Pandora the same way we would have looked at the mythical creatures section, if it had been made. A (hopefully) beautifully themed land with "mythical" creatures (i.e. creatures that exist only in imagination).

Essentially we plan on enjoying the new land (assuming it's well done) and not care where the IP came from, as we don't remember it, and don't plan on seeing it again.

 

[Dakota731]

Trouble at it takes so many years to develop a new ride or land that by the time it comes to fruition, many no longer care or remember. Though if it's a fun time and a great ride, people won't even tie it in to the movie much.

 

[JKalai]

Guys, we are talking about James Cameron here. The guy has made arguably two of the greatest sequels ever made, so all is not lost on these upcoming movies and it's safe to say it will be good if not great. The plot of the first movie goes along great with the theme of the park as far as wildlife conservation and if you watch the movie again, the giant tree in the movie even resembles the Tree of Life. We've only seen concept art at this point so there is little to judge, however the animatronic Navi that they teased was amazing.

If you guys are worried that the flying attraction will be a carbon copy of Soarin', it won't be. When I was at D23 2015, I asked one of the imagineers at the Avatar pavillion if the ride system is similar and he told me it's something new that we've never seen before. If the rumors are true and the ride vehicles are actual breathing animatronics we mount onto, it will be awesome.

I remember not being that stoked on Cars Land as the movie IMO was okay, but Radiator Springs Racers and the land in general is A+.

 

[Farro]

I'm with you op, except without the interest in visiting it or the assumption that it will be good.


But if you are making something based on a movie shouldn't it be one people care about?

As for the plot, it was pretty boring "outsider comes in and saves the native people who obviously can't do anything for themselves" tired old plot. I have no interest in seeing any more of them, and no interest in the Avatar area of AK.

So you both aren't going to go to Pandora when you visit AK? To me, that's kind of silly to miss out on something potentially great just because you didn't like the movie. I've never even seen it.

And in answer to shouldn't it be a movie people care about - there are quite a few people who visit Universal to see Harry Potter based on positive word of mouth, not because they have read the books or seen the movies.

Marketing - if Disney does it right people won't need to associate Pandora with anything but an awesome land in Animal Kingdom.

 

[Lothlórien]

Avatar is one of the biggest grossing movies of all time with 4 more movies planned to come. So a total of 5 movies which I'm sure the other 4 with be widely popular as well. It might seem a little outdated because the movie came out 8 years ago, but with 4 more on the way, it won't feel outdated at all. The frozen ride just opened up and that movie came out 3 years prior to the ride. To put both into perspective on just how big Avatar was, for theater opening weekend numbers Avatar did $10 Million more than Frozen..And while Avatar is 4 years older than Frozen, Avatars lifetime gross is $1.5 Billion more than Frozen. So it's not like their dealing with a movie that was a dud and has fallen by the wayside. I agree they should've ramped up the speed and opened the land a little earlier, but I think it'll be accepted well

And if the theme of Avatar being within AK feels like it doesn't fit there, just know that when AK was first imagined they planned to incorporate dragons into it. While the creatures of Avatar aren't real life Earth animals like the rest of the park, the theme and message of the movie fit into AK.

It'll be a hit and I'm sure you'll enjoy it once you get there.

Apples and oranges.

Frozen is clearly Disney and appeals to children and adults alike, especially Disney fans. Avatar...not so much.


Having said that, I am glad Disney is adding to Animal Kingdom. Anything to make the Kilimanjaro and Dinosaur line shorter is great in my book.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Guys, we are talking about James Cameron here. The guy has made arguably two of the greatest sequels ever made, so all is not lost on these upcoming movies and it's safe to say it will be good if not great. The plot of the first movie goes along great with the theme of the park as far as wildlife conservation and if you watch the movie again, the giant tree in the movie even resembles the Tree of Life. We've only seen concept art at this point so there is little to judge, however the animatronic Navi that they teased was amazing.

If you guys are worried that the flying attraction will be a carbon copy of Soarin', it won't be. When I was at D23 2015, I asked one of the imagineers at the Avatar pavillion if the ride system is similar and he told me it's something new that we've never seen before. If the rumors are true and the ride vehicles are actual breathing animatronics we mount onto, it will be awesome.

I remember not being that stoked on Cars Land as the movie IMO was okay, but Radiator Springs Racers and the land in general is A+.

James Cameron does make good sequels. I'm still waiting for Titanic 2.

There was a giant tree in the movie? This is why I'll have to rewatch it before I go to WDW next
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Cars Land is a good analogy. Cars is among the least interesting Pixar movies to me, yet CarsLand looks like awesomeness. I am eager to get back out to DLR and experience it.

 

[KalamityJane]

.
Cars Land is a good analogy. Cars is among the least interesting Pixar movies to me, yet CarsLand looks like awesomeness. I am eager to get back out to DLR and experience it.

Cars Land is pretty cool. Radiator Springs Racers makes Test Track look blah.

 

[Redcon1]

I don't get it. I enjoyed the movie but I don't consider it to be a classic like Star Wars or Harry Potter so I don't get why they went with Avatar. Sure, the land has potential to be kinda cool and I'm looking forward to something new but I'm not particularly excited about it being Avatar. I wish it was mythical beasts instead.

I will probably go see the first sequel of Avatar when it comes out but if it sucks, I won't bother with the other 3. Disney is really gambling that they are going to be big hits.

Disney owned the rights to the Narnia books for awhile and made two films from them. I wonder why they didn't consider that property for a land in AK back then?