Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<>>I think those books are written to appeal to a younger audience.<< Absolutely.>> And I think that Star Wars appeals to a broader audience than just the younger set.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>And I think that Star Wars appeals to a broader audience than just the younger set.<< Both Star Wars and Harry Potter do. It obvious from the attendance upswing at Universal, not to mention the book sales and box office take. They're both fine examples of "family entertainment" that appeals to more than a narrow demographic. I do find it kind of odd to see the Star Wars characters roaming around outside of Tomorrowland. You know how in Toy Story 3, Andy plays with this miss mosh of toys, giving them different roles? I was never that kid. To me, Hot Wheels were one universe, while Tonka trucks were from another. I like the way Star Tours blends in with Tomorrowland, and Indy blends in with Adventureland. That works. Darth in a tea cup, not so much. But he does like popcorn apparently, so he's a good guy after all.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Both Star Wars and Harry Potter do.>> Yup. Neither are highbrow or overly adult. Both are a simple good vs. evil fairy tale in fantastic world.
Originally Posted By leobloom "Same for the features. Personally I can't fathom how anyone would find them anything more than tolerable and there is a reason why none of them were Academy Award-nominated for Best Picture - even with an expanded category that somehow included crap like War Horse and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close last year." >> But they all got strong reviews. << Except for Extremely Loud... which didn't. <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/extremely_loud_and_incredibly_close/#top-critics-numbers" target="_blank">http://www.rottentomatoes.com/...-numbers</a> Had to be the Tom Hanks effect -- or the Academy trying to pick a few "accessible" movies for Best Pic, trying to drum up interest among the philistines, etc.
Originally Posted By leobloom And I hope we all recognize the humor in a discussion about high culture taking place on a Disney forum. Uncle Walt's spinning in his grave (while he eats hamburgers, drinks a Coke, and mutters his hate for Ludwig von Beethoven.)
Originally Posted By brotherdave Maybe none of the Harry Potter movies were nominated for Best Picture, but Star Wars was. Perhaps Disney does have the "upper hand" now...
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 <<Just about any book that excites kids about reading is a good book>> And especially in an era where they have there noses buried in the latest video game that's quite the achievement
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 <<You know how in Toy Story 3, Andy plays with this miss mosh of toys, giving them different roles? I was never that kid.>> I was that kid which would explain some things. But I had some epic battles with Star Wars GI Joe Transformers He-Man M.A.S.K and Thundercats. Though I didn't have enough M.A.S.K and Thundercats figures so I think the former joined the Joes while the latter joined He-Man.
Originally Posted By CDF2 So there already is a Star Wars ride in, by my count, 4 resorts; there is an Indy ride in 3 resorts; there is a Star Wars show in one resort; there is an Indy show in one resort. One question is whether it would be compelling to offer a full "land" for either one of these franchises or if it would make more sense to simply drop in another ride or two based upon some tie-in to a movie (as neither of the Lucas franchises is really considered to be in the domain of literature compared to film). Disney has already signed up James Cameron and has him involved - will Lucas even feel like competing with JC in another theme park ride or will he prefer to simply continue to work in film to flesh out that final trilogy he envisioned for Star Wars so many years ago? Seems like a lot of questions that one can't hope to see answered in the short term from Disney's perspective. Meanwhile, at Universal it seems like the Potter franchise is building momentum with expansion in Orlando and with a project in LA. But hey, who needs Star Wars or Indy to compete with Potter when you have a new theme park area based upon a couple of cartoons sporting a restaurant and a kiddie coaster?
Originally Posted By Blueusion In my opinion. I thimk Avatar will never be built Disney know's the value of the SW legacy and they will probably drop James Cameron . Give him a payoff take a loss for a poor decision and build SW land. But thats just my opinion. Avatar was a great movie visually. but even after seeing it the day after i still did not know any of the charactors like most people remember from the Star Wars movies.. If Disney does not do this right then it will be the worse business decision or implementing of a story that will be talked about for yrs.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "Disney has already signed up James Cameron and has him involved - will Lucas even feel like competing with JC in another theme park ride or will he prefer to simply continue to work in film to flesh out that final trilogy he envisioned for Star Wars so many years ago?" It's not Lucas' decision to make.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt No kidding. Disney's owns the franchise now. I'm expecting Avatar to move forward along with whatever plans Disney may develop for Star Wars.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I'll be surprised if anything with Avatar ever happens. I do expect full steam ahead on Star Wars stuff.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper << I do expect full steam ahead on Star Wars stuff.>> Yea...I don't. I hope it happens, and I think it will eventually...but I'm not holding my breath for anything any time soon. Just looking at the reality/recent history, but they aren't quick to leverage these kinds of purchases in the theme parks. It was 6 years after buying Pixar that the first major Pixar park project was completed with Cars Land, and it's been 3 years since the Marvel acquisition and we have no movement on a Marvel attraction yet. If we see quick movement with Star Wars, I think it will come in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Originally Posted By leemac <<It was 6 years after buying Pixar that the first major Pixar park project was completed with Cars Land, and it's been 3 years since the Marvel acquisition and we have no movement on a Marvel attraction yet.>> You are on fairly tenuous ground with the Pixar analogy. Pixar was leveraged across the portfolio from the get-go. Sure only Cars has seen an immersive environment but $125m got sunk into the lagoon in Disneyland to get us to find Nemo. Pixar is in every single one of the 11 theme parks and has been since before the purchase. Marvel hasn't been leveraged due to the process of elimination - it can't be in Florida (4), doesn't fit into the DL model (another 4) and doesn't fit into the themes of the remaining 3 except for WDSP which has absolutely no cash to do anything about it. There are people that are expecting the Marvel launch to happen inside a DL-type park and at the moment that is looking likely.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<You are on fairly tenuous ground with the Pixar analogy. Pixar was leveraged across the portfolio from the get-go. Sure only Cars has seen an immersive environment but $125m got sunk into the lagoon in Disneyland to get us to find Nemo. Pixar is in every single one of the 11 theme parks and has been since before the purchase.>> Right, but I think people expect major additions from SW. Adding something like Midway Mania isn't what I'd call a major addition like Cars Land. That's what I was getting at.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I've done a complete 180 and think they should build the Avatar attractions as well as future Star Wars attractions. I believe WDW would benefit from a greater variety. Something will be built in Animal Kingdom. I think it is more likely to be the proposed Avatarland. I don't see Disney needs to honor it's business agreement with James Cameron. If not, that could have an impact on future business arrangements with other writers, directors or creative types. Yes, having a Star Wars "land" would be great. But, I don't believe Animal Kingdom is the place to do it, and I would prefer to see Star Wars having ultimately it's own park ( though that is very unlikely, but not impossible ).
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I could see an Ewok encampment in Animal Kingdom taking the place of Avatar. I mean if they're going to install something fantasy based, why not. But perhaps it would make more sense to base it on something out of the next round of SW films. By the way, when I say full steam ahead, that's a relative term with Disney. I imagine it will take a number of years whatever they decide to do.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Understand completely toony. I can see Disney building the attractions and then just filling in the specifics later. With a movie attraction you can change in on a dime. And in terms of the boat ride, that can be chaged easily and cheaply, look at Universe of Energy. I would rather have an Ewok village in Animal Kingdom than Avatarland. But,that doesn't mean an Ewok village couldn't be places elsewhere, or in another park. Plus, that isn't going to help the west coast. Any Star Wars attractions going in there would most likely be placed in DCA. I really do think Disney needs to honor their agreement with Cameron. I don't think that Avatar will hurt DAK. I just don't think it adds much to that park either.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA ^^^While it's nice to think of these attractions as 'easy to change out and update' the problem is that Disney rarely changes out these 'easy to change out' attractions. "Star Tours" was in place for 20 years before it was 'easily' changed out. "Universe of Energy" -- it's got to be close to 15 years old - Alex Trebec, Ellen, Bill Nye the Science Guy and Jamie Lee Curtis -- it looks really dated and almost silly. "Soarin' Over California" -- I remember hearing how 'easy' it would be to update the movie. And sure, it's only 11 years old, but still... The notion that attractions are 'easy to update' must be a great selling point when Imagineering presents to the 'sharp pencil boys' -- but in reality... Dunno.
