Pandora: The World of Avatar Announcement, Construction, & Preview Discussion

[Nick]

They are still clearing land from one place, and then changing their minds and moving the cleared land back, flattening earth in one place and then humping i back up higher, then kicking some sand, and then retiring to talk about it for a few years. They don't take a dump without first having a plan, and then changing it. Meanwhile, Avatar the movie is all but forgotten.

The movie is out of the pop culture spotlight at the moment, but it's not forgotten. In 2 years Avatar will be huge again when promotion for Avatar 2 (and subsequently Avatar 3) kicks in. Avatar 2 is a hard to fail type movie.It won't come close to the 2.7B the first movie did because that was just ridiculous, but it will still do gangbusters.

 

[twebber55]

The movie is out of the pop culture spotlight at the moment, but it's not forgotten. In 2 years Avatar will be huge again when promotion for Avatar 2 (and subsequently Avatar 3) kicks in. Avatar 2 is a hard to fail type movie.It won't come close to the 2.7B the first movie did because that was just ridiculous, but it will still do gangbusters.

yeah it will do an easy billion

 

[Cole]

Even if they start going vertical next month I still think it'll come out 2018. I heard inklings that the layout has changed significantly multiple times to the point where the last bit of concept art will probably be way off by the time it comes out. I hope for the best too but where is the best case in this sinario? No way to tell because it'll probably change next week

 

[Teebin]

The movie is out of the pop culture spotlight at the moment, but it's not forgotten. In 2 years Avatar will be huge again when promotion for Avatar 2 (and subsequently Avatar 3) kicks in. Avatar 2 is a hard to fail type movie.It won't come close to the 2.7B the first movie did because that was just ridiculous, but it will still do gangbusters.

I thought you had been here for a while and realized that I overstate things in jest constantly. That said, I believe the rumors that Disney designers and freelancers are not exited about this project at all. On top of this, Imagineering is notorious for being irresponsible about the details of execution and requesting changes about it.

Someone was irresponsible on the Universal team about the execution of the embankment wall painting. It remains two toned left to right. But UC said whatever and stayed on schedule delayed only by the damned ride.

 

[cbconglom]

what delays? as a pro avatar guy I ve followed this project closely...not sure where the delays are coming from...they started the pours in August and it looks like they should be going vertical in the next month or two

there have been no aerials since june 20th so we don't know what they ve done since then

There is this from person working on the project at Magic

It's going to be a while several design changes have caused a slow down in concrete delivery (Disney did this to the Parking Garage as well) do not expect to see any vertical until early 2015 all we are delivering is foundation mud daily. We hope large pours next month and after that.

Jim hill said there was delays. And epcot explorer said on his trip when he had to turn around somewhere between animal kingdom and animal kingdom lodge he could see the site perfectly and there was no progress basically from that last aerial.

Now if there were only one of these then maybe I wouldn't think so but all three add up to make me think there truly have been recent delays. But as I said above I could be wrong

 

[twebber55]

There is this from person working on the project at Magic

It's going to be a while several design changes have caused a slow down in concrete delivery (Disney did this to the Parking Garage as well) do not expect to see any vertical until early 2015 all we are delivering is foundation mud daily. We hope large pours next month and after that.

Jim hill said there was delays. And epcot explorer said on his trip when he had to turn around somewhere between animal kingdom and animal kingdom lodge he could see the site perfectly and there was no progress basically from that last aerial.

Now if there were only one of these then maybe I wouldn't think so but all three add up to make me think there truly have been recent delays. But as I said above I could be wrong

yeah i read magic daily
i took it as vertical at the end of the year or early part of 2015 that doesnt mean there is a delay...he basically said the same thing happened with teh parking garage....this doesnt mean it wont open in early 2017 though

as far as epcot explorer there is no way to know what is being done from any view point

look im trying to argue here but we have no idea if its truly delayed and wont open when staggs said so

 

[Brian G.]

From their announcement release:

Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort is planned as the site of the first AVATAR-themed land with construction expected to begin by 2013.

 

[Nick]

yeah i read magic daily
i took it as vertical at the end of the year or early part of 2015 that doesnt mean there is a delay...he basically said the same thing happened with teh parking garage....this doesnt mean it wont open in early 2017 though

as far as epcot explorer there is no way to know what is being done from any view point

look im trying to argue here but we have no idea if its truly delayed and wont open when staggs said so

Actually there is. You can see the construction site on the bus ride in.

 

[twebber55]

Actually there is. You can see the construction site on the bus ride in.

well when i went on the bus you might a get a couple second look at it but nothing you can see or tell what is actually happening

 

[cbconglom]

Ee made it sound like he got a better vantage point then just the one from the bus ride. And Jim hill could be wrong and I could be wrong. And I didn't mean they couldn't hustle and get it open on time just that there seemed to be a lull in actual construction due to some changes

 

[twebber55]

Ee made it sound like he got a better vantage point then just the one from the bus ride. And Jim hill could be wrong and I could be wrong. And I didn't mean they couldn't hustle and get it open on time just that there seemed to be a lull in actual construction due to some changes

you may be right and I certainly don't want to come across as someone who condones Disney's embarrassingly slow build time

 

[Nick]

New aerials posted from @photoflight over on Magic (posted earlier in the week):

And a Hi-Res version:

With a layover of the leaked blueprints... for those that don't know, the main part of the building will be a 4-theater Soarin'-style ride (although not same exact ride system and will load from multiple levels). The red part connected to the building is part of the boat ride. The boat ride is expected to go indoors and outdoors, the red will be the indoor portion while the area surrounding it will be the outdoor portion:

 

[MrRoamer]

Wow, I never realized how massive that plot of land is.

 

[twebber55]

it will be interesting to see how much of that land will be used for Pandora

- - - Updated - - -

also those saying they re behind schedule and not much have happened to the plot are quite mistaken.... a lot of work has already gone into this

 

[Teebin]

also those saying they re behind schedule and not much have happened to the plot are quite mistaken.... a lot of work has already gone into this

Yes, I was actually shocked when I saw those new pics the other day on magic. All of those foundations mean that all the sewer, water, electric and goodness knows what underground has already been laid. Tons of time goes into locking down and building the infrastructure. Call me impressed.

Oh yeah,

And I am super happy to hear of the multiple level load above. Hopefully the capacity will be far greater than the wicked cool but deadly slow Soarin launch system.

 

[Milla4Prez66]

Wasn't the boat ride scrapped? Or did that turn out to be a false rumor?

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I've been told lots of design work is still going on. Take that Fire what it's worth.

 

[Nick]

Wasn't the boat ride scrapped? Or did that turn out to be a false rumor?

It was all but confirmed to be false be most reliable sources. The Boat ride is being built into the same building as the Soarin'-style ride. The most likely thing from all i've gathered and heard from CMs is that we'll see an opening similar to New Fantasyland opening where most of the land opens and one of the 2 rides opens, then a year to a year and a half later they'll open the second ride. I'd assume the first ride to open will be the Soarin' style ride as that will be much more impressive than a boat ride, no matter how cool the boat ride ends up being (and i'm fairly certain at this point it will be built, especially looking at those aerials.)

 

[MrRoamer]

Built into the same building? Are you saying it is rumored to be a similar style footprint to Soarin/The Land?

 

[Nick]

Built into the same building? Are you saying it is rumored to be a similar style footprint to Soarin/The Land?

The boat ride will be similar to Living with the Land in that it has inside and "outside" components (even though LwtL doesn't technically go outside). The entire land is basically modeled after The Land pavilion though in terms of the rides. The actual content will be much different of course, but very similar in having a boat ride and Soarin' Style ride in the same area. Except DAK's Soarin-style ride will be much better by all accounts (and will be 3D...a 3D glasses collection room is actually listed in the leaked plans).