Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID10045210.asp" target="_blank"><b>Latest: Disney Parks Answer Harry Potter with Avatar (POLL)</b></a> <p>Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide is joining forces with visionary filmmaker James Cameron and Fox Filmed Entertainment to bring the world of AVATAR to life at Disney parks. Through an exclusive agreement announced today by Disney, Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox, Disney will partner with Cameron and producing partner Jon Landau to create themed lands that will give theme park guests the opportunity to explore the mysterious universe of AVATAR first hand. Disney plans to build the first AVATAR themed land at Walt Disney World, within the Animal Kingdom park. With its emphasis on living in harmony with nature, Animal Kingdom is a natural fit for the AVATAR stories, which share the same philosophy. Construction is expected to begin by 2013.</p> <p><font face="Arial" size="2">[[poll:61]]</font></p> <p><font face="Arial" size="2"><br /></font></p>
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I voted for "a little excited" primarily because it seems like Animal Kingdom will get a much needed addition. I'll have to wait until I see it before I know if I am more excited than that. I didn't see the film Avatar and really have no desire to.
Originally Posted By dennis-in-ct How about an AVATAR evening parade at Animal Kingdom where the entire forest illuminates in bio-floresent colors and the Tree Of Life is transformed Into the Tree Of Souls and maybe Eywa sends some seeds floating down on us I can envision the Na'vi glowing on the parade route with some of the Pandoran animals (who have joined up with the Na'vi in the bio-botanial neural network to which Pandoran organisms are connected) to the tribal beats and hypnotic melodies and chants. *squeal* !!!!! bring it on baby ... I'm psyched.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>How about an AVATAR evening parade at Animal Kingdom where the entire forest illuminates in bio-floresent colors and the Tree Of Life is transformed Into the Tree Of Souls and maybe Eywa sends some seeds floating down on us <<< That could be very pretty.
Originally Posted By leobloom Amazing Disney is hitching its horse to a franchise that is less than two years old. That really is what you call a consolation prize.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper I voted a 4. It'd be a five if this was a Star Wars land in DHS or Indy in Adventureland or Beastly Kingdomme. With that being said, I think this could turn out fantastically. I'm surprised at the outcome of the vote so far though. The majority have said they aren't excited at all. And second is very excited. This certainly is a divisive addition.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt At this point there really isn't anything to be excited about other than the fact that something big and new is coming to WDW. Until the details are announced I think most fans will have a wait and see attitude about this, which is understandable.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Why would Disney want to create an attraction based on a moon that has an atmosphere poisonous to humans? Will quests be dodging strip mining equipment and armed Marine mercenaries? Will the evening show consist of blowing up the Tree of Life each night? The movie Avatar has an upsetting political theme: alien tree-huggers vs. space Marines. James Cameron has made it abundantly clear that the film is linked to both the war in Iraq and the War on Terror. What is unbelievable to me is that Avatar's theme is blantantly anti-military and WDW is home to Shades of Green, the only Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFRC) located in the continental U.S. People go to WDW to get away from all the politics and troubles of our world. Why then create a ride/ attraction that immerses guests into the heart of the pro-environment, anti-military arguement?
Originally Posted By leobloom >> People go to WDW to get away from all the politics and troubles of our world. Why then create a ride/ attraction that immerses guests into the heart of the pro-environment, anti-military arguement? << I find it funny that pro-environment Cameron teams up with Disney to build an attraction that lead to more travel that will not be beneficial to the environment. But at least Jimmy got paid. I guess that's what matters.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "People go to WDW to get away from all the politics and troubles of our world." Why are Hall of Presidents, The American Adventure, Spaceship Earth and other "serious" type attractions there? Disney parks, especially at WDW, aren't always escapist.
Originally Posted By sjhym333 Well for two of those it is because the old Imagineers had been given the task of building EPCOT Center and many of them had worked or had fond memories of the 1964/65 New York World's Fair. I think many of us who loved the original EPCOT Center where people who grew up remembering the World's Fair. I grew up in NYC and our family visited the fair often during its two year run. I remember Small World, COP, Ford and the Illinois Pavilion and they are what made me a huge Disney fan. Spaceship Earth and the American Adventure as well as most of the original attractions in Future World could have been plucked out of the fair and put in Fl.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt So why not continue that tradition? Seems to me that aspects of Avatar follow that mandate while appealing to a modern theme park audience. In other words, people DO indeed go to WDW for more than just being bombarded with cartoons and the like.
Originally Posted By TP2000 >>"I find it funny that pro-environment Cameron teams up with Disney to build an attraction that lead to more travel that will not be beneficial to the environment."<< That irony is noticed by many of us. It's not just exclusive to James Cameron thought, it oozes from many of the other typically trendy Hollywood types. If they really wanted people to stop driving around buying crap they don't need and flying the family around the continent in giant jetliners, instead of building another new mega-project at a cheesy theme park they should just put out a simple statement.... "Please help me save the planet and stop going out for corporate-chain dinners and a movie every Saturday. Don't spend your vacation dollars jetting to giant energy hog air conditioned theme parks. Just stay home and read a book, or play a board game. Thank you." Not only that, something tells me when it's time for James Cameron to fly out to Orlando to inspect the Avatarland site, he's not going to be flying commercial. Fire up the Gulfstream V kids, we're going to Disney World!
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Would this be a good time for me to remind everyone that WDW fought for and was granted legal authority by the state of Florida to build a nuclear power plant on their property if they deem necessary. So much for the pro-environmental crowd.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Man this is WDW group a tough crowd. I thought I was cynical about Disney. You guys take the cake!
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<Man this is WDW group a tough crowd. I thought I was cynical about Disney. You guys take the cake!>> Just pointing out the elephant in the room. And tired of Disney pontificating about the environment when they are doing the exact opposite.
