Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan If they're going to invest in a film property based addition, it really should be on something that is beloved and destined to become a classic. Avatar, to me, feels like yesterday's news. It won't be any fresher by the time whatever they're building is complete. This feels like "Disco Mickey" or any number of things Disney has tried over the years to latch onto some pop culture fad, and always just a little too late. Maybe they're hoping Universal will take the bait and invest a lot of money in Airport '77: The Ride.
Originally Posted By macnak81 floating islands and trees? its been brought up before when Doug Henning ( magician) wanted to build an amusement park near Niagara Falls. "Attractions are to include a building that appears to levitate over water" see<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/22/nyregion/veda-land-theme-parl-for-ontario.html" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03...rio.html</a>
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "This feels like "Disco Mickey" or any number of things Disney has tried over the years to latch onto some pop culture fad, and always just a little too late." Did you know that Disco Mickey Mouse went double platinum? You'll also be surprised to learn that I owned the Disco Mickey Mouse album and I know the words to all the songs. My favorite track was Watch Out for Goofy.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Hans, after your photo cuddling with Duffy, nothing about you surprises me anymore. ; D
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Hey, I humiliated myself for Constance after she dared me to pose with Duffy! Please don't judge me. LOL!
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Disco Mickey going double platinum is pretty surprising. Hans knowing all the words is less surprising. : ) Fun fact: I was a member of a band that went double platinum (though I wasn't in it yet when that happened). I guess Disco Mickey and I have something in common!
Originally Posted By hopemax >This feels like "Disco Mickey"< DO NOT DIS DISCO MICKEY MOUSE!!!! I loved my album so much that even after I left it out in the sun and it warped, I still played it over and over and over. How my Mother did not go insane, I do not know. I squealed when I found the CD at Disneyland. Although, it's weird my iTunes has the genre listed as "Alternative & Punk." He's got style, he's got flair He's got two left feet, but he doesn't care Dressed in blue form, fit to form Ladies love to touch his uniform Mess with him and your out of luck He's a macho duck Macho macho duck He's a manic sensation Macho macho duck He's a Macho macho duck
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Disco Mickey going double platinum is pretty surprising. Hans knowing all the words is less surprising. : )" Ouch. "I loved my album so much that even after I left it out in the sun and it warped, I still played it over and over and over. How my Mother did not go insane, I do not know." Hahahahaha!!
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <Maybe they're hoping Universal will take the bait and invest a lot of money in Airport '77: The Ride.> I'd pay to see that. Or even Airport 75 ride -- with an AA Charlton Heston talking to you "okay honey -- now you've got control of the aircraft'
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA I did not buy Disco Mickey, but did own LPs of The New Mickey Mouse Club (hello Allison Fonte!), plus Country Bear Jamboree, America Sings, Hall of Presidents and more!
Originally Posted By Manfried "My preference is always for tech to be the enabler - once it has enabled it needs to disappear seamlessly into the background - like IJA's jeeps or the Soarin' theater." Wow, leemac and I agree again?
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>I loved my album so much that even after I left it out in the sun and it warped, I still played it over and over and over.<< I am sure it was an improvement! Maybe I'm all wrong. Forget Avatarland, build Mickey's Discoland!
Originally Posted By leemac <<I did not buy Disco Mickey, but did own LPs of The New Mickey Mouse Club (hello Allison Fonte!), plus Country Bear Jamboree, America Sings, Hall of Presidents and more!>> Invest in the download or CD Jim - it is priceless. A comedy masterpiece. I must dig it out again soon. I've also still got CBJ, HoP and America Sings. I've also got my Main St Electrical Parade one - my parents love the Mouse but I think we tested their patience with the Baroque Hoedown! We used to use it as the soundtrack to a dressing up catwalk show. Oy vey. WDR still releases a lot of funky hybrid stuff in Japan. I've got some electronica Mickey stuff that is pretty fun.
Originally Posted By leemac <<No, that one is under the sea.>> So that's what it was supposed to be? I'll remember for next time. Although I'm more likely to pluck out my own eyes than ride Mermaid again.
Originally Posted By leemac <<If they're going to invest in a film property based addition, it really should be on something that is beloved and destined to become a classic. Avatar, to me, feels like yesterday's news. It won't be any fresher by the time whatever they're building is complete.>> In an ideal world you are as right as ever 2oony. The problem is that you need a session with Zelda to determine where something will be a classic. Also in today's instantaneous pop culture I'm not sure it is even achievable compared to the time when Star Wars and Indy arrived on the scene. What property from the last decade or so is now a classic? I'm struggling beyond comic book movies that were based on existing characters and stories. Maybe POTC - but I gather that was based on an existing concept too. With the proliferation of entertainment across multiple platforms now I'm not sure we will ever see something as culturally significant as SW or Indy again. Recently box office smashes like POTC, The Avengers and Avatar may survive for a while but I'm not convinced they will last even beyond a generation. Therefore I think you need to pick an IP that will yield story, character and/or environmental opportunities - I guess Avatar only fits one of those bills but at least that is a start. The Twilight Zone is a perfect example of an ancient and decaying IP that was the perfect base for an E-Ticket. TZ didn't need to be current or on-trend to work for the ToT - it just needed to fit thematically and be leveraged. IMHO the story and execution of that attraction is as close to legendary status as any built since POTC. I'm just one of those whingers that hates the horizontal conveyance as it destroys the story and suspense as the carriage locks into the drop shoot. Picky picky. DAK needs something, stat. I'd rather see something that fits the theme better but I'm surprised that TDO left the concept alone for over a decade. Beastly Kingdomme was an interesting concept but it never got any further than that - just a handful of pretty drawings. TDO balked at the cost (it was going to be more than the cost of the rest of the park) and specifically at the coaster that they (rightly) deemed to be too similar to IoA. So what existing IP does fit?
Originally Posted By DlandDug Where to begin? >>Does everyone see the Emperor's new clothes!? I totally can see them!<< Uh huh. If you can "see" them then you're one of the dupes. >>There's nothing resembling a fully developed themed land in the picture.<< If you know what you're looking at there is. Granted, it's a low angle, and we don't see the whole thing. But it's there. >>Couple friends are saying .. It's quite possible this entire announcement was so knee-jerk-reaction to Potter in Uni Orlando ... that they whole idea in itself is so "smoke and mirrors" ... We wouldn't doubt the whole announcement fades away .. and forgotten!<< Couple friends are leading you astray, then. Whether it's only a reaction to Potter or not (and it seems more likely it is), this has too many major players involved to be merely "smoke and mirrors." And fading away and forgotten are definitely off the table. If this one is cancelled, it will not be because it has been forgotten! >>This picture is absolutely nothing, and it's all they had to talk about. It's a table full of carved green Styrofoam blocks, with nothing there except... Styrofoam hills. If you squint you can kind of make out a little Styrofoam snack bar by Staggs elbow.<< Again, if you don't know what you are looking at, don't comment on it so assuredly. It is a study model made of layered foam core with some scenic elements. The "snack bar" is pretty large, according to the scale. What you are seeing in the far right corner of that model is a show building with a couple of odd little buildings in front. >>And James Cameron and the Plaid Shirt guy look photoshopped in.<< Again, if you don't know what you're looking at... >>How long has it been since they announced it? Close to 2 years, right?<< Wrong. >>The announcement was made in September 2011. Prior to that, no work was done at all on the new land. So it's only been just a little bit over two years.<< Math, too? Try "a little over ONE year." Fifteen months, to be precise. So it makes sense that they would start dropping crumbs about this time. Cars Land and FLE are open, and it's time to start tub thumping for the Next Big Thing. >>It's because it's an entire land based of a franchise no one particularly loves. Avatar was a mediocre movie released at the right time with a genius marketing team behind it, but has fostered no long lasting love.<< Hmmm. >>Avatar was EXTREMELY successful. There's no denying. But loved? I don't think so.<< Hmmmmmmmm. I know I don't love Avatar. But I have never been so sure that my taste represents the be-all and end-all of what is truly popular. Try googling "avatar withdrawal" or "would you want to live on pandora" and see what turns up. For that matter, start here: <a href="http://www.avatar-forums.com/" target="_blank">http://www.avatar-forums.com/</a> (Be warned, these people are NUTS. Not like us at all.) >>Splash Mountain wasn't called "Song of the South Log Flume", and is one ride, not an entire land.<< When the attraction was being developed it had a couple of names, all related to Song of the South. (Zip-a-dee-Mountain, anyone?) The name Splash Mountain was bequeathed on it by the ever-tasteful Mr. Eisner, to promote the latest hit from the Disney Studios. You know. Splash. Yes, that Splash, with Darryl Hannah. (No joke. He even wanted "Madison" to make an appearance at the end of the ride.) And Splash Mountain did pretty much consume Bear Country. They even changed the name to Critter Country. If it hadn't been for the Country Bears and Winnie the Pooh, it probably would have happened. >>At this point the long-term drawing power of Avatar is totally unknown. Why bother?<< Hey, I've had this discussion before! It was all about how Uni was putting all their eggs in one basket with a WHOLE LAND based on a single literary/film franchise, which had been experienced by only a single generation. Pretty risky, eh? Will Avatar make a great addition to WDW? I don't know, and neither do you. I prefer attractions based on story. But most of the really great attractions are based on atmosphere. Cars Land, a wildly successful addition to DCA, is almost entirely based on atmosphere. (Only four of the cars make regular appearances.) Avatar is all about atmosphere. So... it could be a big hit. Or... it could be a big mistake. Hopefully, they'll figure that out before they commit to the thing whole cloth. At the end of the day, it's fun to speculate. But it's no fun at all when it becomes just another way to deliver the same old tiresome bashing.
Originally Posted By sjhym333 Personally I don't think you are going to see Carsland at the Studios for a very long time, it at all. My friends in Imagineering keep saying not at this time. As for Avatar...a popular movie that I don't think will be a major draw for guests UNLESS it ends up having a major E-Ticket ride that people line up first thing in the morning and run to when the park opens. I find it interesting that Disney need to keep insisting that Avatar is moving along. They have the rights to build, Disney has never been in a hurry to rush things through. Why keep telling people it is going to happen?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>The Twilight Zone is a perfect example of an ancient and decaying IP that was the perfect base for an E-Ticket. TZ didn't need to be current or on-trend to work for the ToT - it just needed to fit thematically and be leveraged.<< That's an interesting example, because IMO it doesn't really even need the Twilight Zone connection to work. I'm of a 'certain generation' that never really watched the TZ at any point. Yah, I know the general idea of the series, but I don't think I've ever seen an episode all the way through. Yet the TOT storyline makes perfect sense to me, despite my lack of knowledge of the source material. With almost everything coming out of WDI in the past decade-or-so, I would be completely lost if I didn't already know what was going on. Great attractions can stand on their own, with or without the IP tie-in. With all the book report-style rides (Monsters Inc in DCA, Mermaid) and off-the-wall things vaguely connected to the films (Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Stitch's Great Escape), it's really tough to say that they stand on their own with no prior knowledge of the material. The only real notable excpetions here are Everest (which has a backstory build on popular mythology and explained in the queue) and the two Finding Nemo rides (whose backstory is simple enough that it can be summarized in the two-word title of the film). If is uses an existing property for theme, it needs to be one that makes sense for the location, and that guests can enjoy even if they aren't familiar with it. I just don't have the confidence that WDI can still do that.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<Maybe I'm all wrong. Forget Avatarland, build Mickey's Discoland!>> I have been thinking that for a while. I think the loading level of Space Mountain should be turned into a huge disco.
