Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt This is essentially going to be Animal Kingdom's version of Cars Land, which, according to some, cost close to $600 million.
Originally Posted By TP2000 Yes Hans, but the numbers that have been thrown around by "Disney executives" in some very solid outlets like the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, etc. have the Avatarland project budgeted at between 400 and 500 Million dollars. It sounds like Cars Land cost a decent chunk of change more than Avatarland, even though Avatarland comes five years after Cars Land. A lot of Cars Land money must have gone into that rockwork, and/or the interiors of Radiator Springs Racers are very lavish.
Originally Posted By dagobert Then Cars Land cost about the same as the whole Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>Even the Sentinel sees the transparency and folly of this...<< Uh, no. A commentator at the Sentinel thinks it's a bad idea, and offers some rather specious reasons why.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Then Cars Land cost about the same as the whole Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris." Yep. And it isn't the only construction project going on at DLR either. There's also Buena Vista Street and a major top to bottom transformation of the Disneyland Hotel. Disney is spending a ton of money in Anaheim at the moment. Maybe Disney is finally going to kick it up a notch or two in Florida.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Maybe Disney is finally going to kick it up a notch or two in Florida.>> I hope I'm wrong, but I think Avatar is all we have to look forward to in Orlando until the 50th, assuming they actually do something for the 50th.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Well, there's the New Fantasyland, and I'm kind of hoping that they do some restorative work around the Magic Kingdom. DL went through a period of about 2-3 years where all they did was refurbish things, but it was worth it.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Well, there's the New Fantasyland,>> Yea...not really looking forward to that much. Maybe the mine train, but that's about it. <<I'm kind of hoping that they do some restorative work around the Magic Kingdom.>> I'm not holding my breath, but it'd be nice. There are so many refurbs that have been taken off/put on the shelf over the past 10 years a lot of the rides are in desperate need of some love. But TDO and Phil Holmes LOATHE shutting rides down, so I don't have much hope.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt <<Well, there's the New Fantasyland,>> "Yea...not really looking forward to that much. Maybe the mine train, but that's about it." You can't please everyone I guess. Despite your lack of interest, that doesn't discount the fact that there is indeed a major project at WDW currently in the works that will open before the 50th.
Originally Posted By oc_dean ^^^ LOL ... the 50th ??? (2021 ?) That was either a typo .. or a perfect dig into WDW ... as new projects ... that are ambitious are as slow as molasses ! btw ......... Good article. I'm still waiting for a write-up that shows ...... What does Disney do after acquiring a property outside them (Marvel) ... go out and buy another one! (Cameron/Avatar!) Originality .. that thrived in a co. that use to pride itself in originality - deader than a doornail! I would have preferred Beastly Kingdom with mythical Earth creatures with a deeper level of "mystique" to them ... to a recent commercial science fiction film off some modern "sci-fi" world called Pandora!
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>"Yea...not really looking forward to that much. Maybe the mine train, but that's about it." You can't please everyone I guess. << WDW's Fantasyland ... is going to be good. But it's not some Knock-your-socks-off ... totally ambitious project to rival anything from the past. While a couple things look promising (L.M, Beast Restaurant, Dwarfs coaster) ... surely you can't expect people to get so overly excited over Double Dumbo. Come on. Get serious. And trading out one Snow White ride for a meet and greet. To me ... it's a "reshuffling" things around. Some mediocre stuff. With a few good things. I call it - Meeting Expectations. And surely .. not close to "EXCEEDING Expectations" .. like Disney use to. And I'm not holding out my breath for Avatarland .. or whatever they intend to call it. So far off away .... this will be an easily forgettable story. And for all we know .. can fizzle out. We have no idea what could happen with James Cameron's relationship with Disney. A lot can happen in just a few years.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "That was either a typo .. or a perfect dig into WDW" Dean, it was a response to post 46.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "To me ... it's a "reshuffling" things around. Some mediocre stuff. With a few good things." Like most Disney remodels are. There isn't much, if anything, that's ambitious about it, but considering that absolutely nothing has been done in MK for at least a decade I'll take it. I'd personally be satisfied if Disney did this sort of enhancing all around the MK. It could certainly use it.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "And surely .. not close to "EXCEEDING Expectations" .. like Disney use to." Seriously, people need to let go of this idea. I know it's hard, but Disney, or any other theme park operator, is going to be consistently exceeding anyone's expectations a regular basis. Especially the hard core fans in the online community.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I think it's getting harder and harder to exceed anyone's expectations, let alone everyone's. And this Avatar thing seems alright. I mean, I thought the movie was alright and everything, I had a hard time getting past how stupid the blue people looked. I just thought they were really silly looking. But the land will probably be much more than that. It'll be broader and more general in nature maybe and be pretty cool. Wait a minute, am I still talking???
Originally Posted By TP2000 Yes Constance, you are. But we all like you, so it's okay. Also, valid and interesting point on that "harder and harder to exceed anyone's expectations, let alone everyone's" thing. The visuals on movies and such are so stunning now, it's really hard to translate that into the real environment and have it live up to what you can get on Netflix. Even a silly-sexy TV show like ABC's new "Pan Am" is visually stunning. Did you see the computer generated exteriors of the shiny new Boeing 707 Jet Clippers they used, and that spot on interior look of the computer generated Idlewild Airport terminal circa 1962? Or the helicopter taking off from the roof of the Pan Am Building in midtown Manhattan circa '62? Those visuals impressed and amazed me more than the 22 year old stewardesses in size 4 uniforms. When that kind of technology and visual artistry is on display from a silly Sunday night show on your 50 inch TV screen in your living room, how do you top it in a theme park environment when you've got to factor in wheelchair requirements and maintenance needs and churro vendors?
