Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt The Disney Parks Blog is reporting the Cameron toured Animal Kingdom yesterday on a site inspection for Avatar-land. <a href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/10/james-cameron-explores-disneys-animal-kingdom-as-development-of-first-avatar-themed-land-continues/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DisneyParks+%28Disney+Parks+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher" target="_blank">http://disneyparks.disney.go.c...dfetcher</a>
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer This is the equivalent of Disney showboating and saying "LOOK WHO WE GOT!!!!". Means nothing. So far. I still want art and a definitive plan before I really accept that this is happening.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Yep. Looks like Staggs is trying his best to pretend like he wants to listen to Joe ramble, and Cameron has just about had enough. And in the mean time, Joe just keeps going. It's just like every Travel Channel special that ever visited DAK...
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Joe Rohde is actually a really nice and genuine person. Got to know him a bit when I worked there. Cool guy. In that first shot, you need a thought bubble from Cameron that reads, "Now, is this that place that's based on a movie I produced?"
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer I like how In Over Her Head Meggy Crofton is lurking in the background.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom The fact that Joe Rohde is involved makes me more comfortable with the Avatarland endeavor. At least with Joe around whatever it is going to be, it will be good.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<At least with Joe around whatever it is going to be, it will be good.>> Debatable. I'd really rather see someone new getting a hand in this.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<Debatable.>> Agreed <<I'd really rather see someone new getting a hand in this.>> I don't think anyone at WDW works in a vacuum, well except the castmembers over at the Wedding Pavallion who only react when the cranes show up! Oh wait, then there was that person at the monorail "barn". (In best Miss Lily Litella inpersonation) Never Mind!
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn "See that giant tree in the middle? Yeah, we'll have to take that out. I advise missiles and bulldozers."
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Hokie... would be interested in knowing why you think so. I think Rohde did an unbelievable job at the AK!
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper I don't mind Rohde. His projects turn out decent and are fairly consistent. I always get what I expect from a Joe Rohde project. But I feel like Rohde squanders the budgets he gets more than any project lead. I find his projects to be on the whole disappointing. They're all good, but all (save for Adventurers Club) fail to achieve greatness. He puts so much time and effort in setting up a great story (whether it be in a queue or an overall land), that he fails to deliver when it comes to the actual attractions. Everest is fairly devoid of theming during the ride, especially after the second lift. Kali River Rapids is short and not very interesting. Dinosaur spends a good quarter of the ride in pitch black nothingness. On top of that, the projects always seem to have effects that are incredibly difficult to maintain, or unmaintainable (Yeti, half the effects in Dinosaur, Poacher Jeep in KS). I don't know if it's because he doesn't listen to his engineers, or because the engineers at WDI just suck, but it's a plague that seems to hamper most of his attractions. They aren't terrible attractions. But with the money he gets, and the way people talk about him, I expect much more than what I get from him. That being said, the man can create a "place setting". His lands make you feel you really are somewhere else. If I was creating just the theming of a land (shops, restaurants, general landscaping and theming) Joe would be my go to guy. But attractions-wise...I just always come out hungry for more, and find too many dead spots in his rides.
Originally Posted By Manfried "I'd really rather see someone new getting a hand in this." I agree with Hokie.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<Hokie, you are spot on as to the troubles that ail Animal Kingdom.>> Oh. there are problems with AK. But, I'm not entirely placing the blame on Joe. We took a pasture and turned it into a African Park. I think Joe had to work with the budget given him. And I think DAK was a rush job and half baked. Joe completed KS but some of the "other" attraction seem unfinished. In my opinion most of the rides are too short. And they all have this "Save the environment" vibe to most everything ( even the lack of plastic straws ) in the park. I still appreciated his efforts though. I think Disney higher ups got involved and watered everything down! So no guns, no poachers, no "secret trail", are the chainsaw sounds still going on Kali? There was at least one great proposed roller coaster for that park. But when that Imagineer got fired and hired at Universal, the roller coaster got built at Universal instead. Dinosaur is a disaster. They should have built Indy Jones instead ( easily the best Disney ride/attraction in the world). But again they built a watered down version of Indy and named it Countdown to Extinction. Oh course that name was deemed "wrong". So it got changed to Dinosaur. I think Rohde had a lot of hopes, and the reality of Disney management, shrinking budgets, unrealistic ride/attraction completion dates are more to blame. I don't blame Rohde for the Yeti.... he knew what we has dealing with. He discussed that rather openly. It simply didn't work the way everyone had hoped and remains that way. Still, the man built and incredible park. I'm sure he is excited as the prospect of finally completing "his" park.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper ^^^I agree that budget cuts were a problem with DAK. But a good lead designer can make worthwhile attractions with cut budgets. Joe made some great settings, and fell flat on the attraction design. Everest is the best example of this. Joe had all the budget in the world, and we got 3 show scenes, one of which hasn't worked in over 3 years. He's not the only problem in DAK, but the guy is severely overrated in the fan community.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper ^^^In all honesty, I think his look and fairly "out there" demeanor does play in to his reputation.
