Disney to build 'Avatar' Attraction in Theme Parks

[DisneyAnimation88]

As much as I defend Disney, sometimes too much, I think that this is a terrible decision. If this is their gambit in trying to tackle Universal and Harry Potter then they've already failed miserably. For me, Avatar was an awful film, completely overhyped and, like all of James Cameron's films, failed to live up to the promise. If Disney didn't do a deal for Harry Potter because J.K. Rowling wanted too much creative control, I have to wonder what they think they're getting by entering into a deal with Cameron. The saddest thing about this deal for me is that it shows the Walt Disney Company today are more concerned with buying franchises rather than creating their own.

[Disney Duster]

I would much rather see them utilize Marvel in the parks or better yet, an all new IP.

What's an IP?

I don't think Disney should have bought Marvel ever, but while I think both Avatar and Marvel are trying to turn non-Disney things into Disney things, I could at least see Avatar in Hollywood Studios...in some really small attraction. And yet, I don't think that is good for Disney either.

[Super Aurora]

The saddest thing about this deal for me is that it shows the Walt Disney Company today are more concerned with buying franchises rather than creating their own.

Duster and I were talking about that when he came over, and we agreed on it.

[jpanimation]

What's an IP?

Intellectual property. I just want something original and exclusive to the parks, like Dreamfinder and Figment was for EPCOT Center.

I don't think Disney should have bought Marvel ever, but while I think both Avatar and Marvel are trying to turn non-Disney things into Disney things, I could at least see Avatar in Hollywood Studios...in some really small attraction. And yet, I don't think that is good for Disney either.

The biggest problem for Disney trying to build Marvel attractions and areas is that they will always be compared to Universal's Marvel attractions and areas. Quite frankly, Marvel Superhero Island is perfect and I doubt Disney could outdo it. Spider-Man is my ALL-TIME favorite attraction. If Disney does anything that results in Universal removing Marvel Superhero Island, I will seriously consider boycotting them forever.

[Angeldude98]

Sooo sad! Please Disney! Keep Disney, DISNEY! Why on earth would they do this? It's all about $$$ nowadays. I don't think AVATAR fits in a Disney park.

[DisneyJedi]

Sooo sad! Please Disney! Keep Disney, DISNEY! Why on earth would they do this? It's all about $$$ nowadays. I don't think AVATAR fits in a Disney park.

Meanwhile, at Disney.....

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JoYWdHe4tQ4?rel=0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Hell, I wouldn't be too surprised if THAT was what Bob said when he came up with the idea...

[Flanger-Hanger]

I guess Disney figures that Avatar could be a big franchise and if they buy it now they might have an easier time aquiring it. Of course the sequel could do badly and the project never gets built. What worries me most about the idea is its vagueness in both offerings and completion. It's so far out from now (after 5 years of already having nothing new in AK) its hard to get excited about what is strictly an announcement over rights secured and nothing really concrete.

[DisneyJedi]

They already have one movie that talks about not harming nature and which side to fight for. They don't need another that rips off their own!

[Maerj]

In an interview, James Cameron said that they will be building 12 acres of the planet Pandora in the Animal Kingdom with multiple rides and attractions. He envisions it as a half day experience. Sounds pretty good to me.

Also, rumors have started about a 5th park for WDW's 50th Anniversary. I think that they envision in getting the theme park rights from Universal by then which will allow a Marvel Theme Park, which I am really looking forward to. The Spiderman ride is amazing but by that time they'll be able to come up with something better. And really, Spiderman is the only Marvel ride there that really is amazing, the others like Dr. Doom's fear extractor or the Hulk coaster, are okay.

[Disney Duster]

Maerj, I'm sorry but none of those things, Avatar or Marvel, or truly Disney. Disney just own them. To make a "Disney" park or land that is actually some other property that the money grubbers who took over Disney also decided to take over...is just not good. Why don't these amazing things they are talking about, and you would like to see, just get built at a park that fits?

[singerguy04]

Maerj, I'm sorry but none of those things, Avatar or Marvel, or truly Disney. Disney just own them. To make a "Disney" park or land that is actually some other property that the money grubbers who took over Disney also decided to take over...is just not good. Why don't these amazing things they are talking about, and you would like to see, just get built at a park that fits?

Actually, I would personally MUCH rather have AVATAR and Marvel have their own parks separate from MK, Epcot, AK, or DHS anyday. WDW has plenty of room for more parks, so why not let them go crazy and create separate parks for each? Then they wont interfere with the other 4 parks, and I can ignore the AVATAR park like I ignore all the sports stuff that I don't care about when I visit WDW. As for a Marvel park, I would actually LOVE for there to be one somewhere. I don't want to run into Captain America on Main Street U.S.A., but if Disney built a separate park for the Marvel Universe I would be definitely go to it!

[Disney Duster]

I understand what you mean about that.

Like...as if only the Disney company happened to own Marvel and Avatar stuff, but it wasn't considered "Disney", so new parks would be just Marval and Avatar, owned by Disney, but not really Disney. Almost like, Miramax or something. Maybe that would be okay, but Walt still never did stuff like that, he always made his own stuff...oh well it's not the worst thing as long as Marvel and Avatar aren't seen as Disney.

[DisneyAnimation88]

but Walt still never did stuff like that, he always made his own stuff

The entertainment industry has changed massively since Walt Disney was alive so "what Walt would have done" is irrelevent. The Walt Disney Company today is a media juggernaut that has a duty to it's shareholders, meaning that it has to keep up with it's rivals. It was common knowledge that Disney were looking for a property to invest in that would compete with Universal's Harry Potter expansion; Bob Iger said not long ago that the company were looking to invest in deals like the one they did for Marvel so it was not a great shock that something like this has happened; the only surprising thing for me is that it is Avatar that they have placed a lot of faith and invested a lot of money in, simply because I don't feel that it is viable competition for HP. I don't like the decision to bring Avatar to WDW and I have no intention of ever stepping foot in the land when it is finished but I accept that this deal is indicative of twenty-first century media companies like Disney. Iger has also spent billions of acquiring Pixar so he has brought a proven group of creative people to Disney. Walt Disney has been dead for almost forty-five years and the leadership of his company has changed hands three times since then so I find it difficult to begrudge the current management doing what they have to do to keep up with their competition. Personally, I think the decision to buy the rights to Avatar will come back to haunt Disney and Bob Iger and that the money might have been a lot better invested in a full-fledged Star Wars land at DHS or finally bringing Beastly Kingdom to AK, a decision I think that would have made a lot of Disney fans very happy.

[Maerj]

Maerj, I'm sorry but none of those things, Avatar or Marvel, or truly Disney. Disney just own them. To make a "Disney" park or land that is actually some other property that the money grubbers who took over Disney also decided to take over...is just not good. Why don't these amazing things they are talking about, and you would like to see, just get built at a park that fits?

I agree that Avatar seems at first to be an odd fit for the Animal Kingdom. But if they really go for the environmental aspect and the mythical animal aspects they can make it work. No, it is not a Disney property at all but it could fit in that park. Plus, its better than no additions at all.

As far as Marvel goes... I wouldn't want to see them in any of the parks except for Hollywood Studios. They have had other properties there such as Power Rangers (thankfully gone), Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Aerosmith, Twillight Zone and one that they did purchase, Muppets.


Disney paid a lot of money for Marvel and I can see them wanting to get their money's worth. Plus it would give Disney the chance to make a really wild, over the top with really thrilling rides and attractions. Of course there would have to be some family oriented rides as well.

I don't think that it would be bad to give them their own park. If you don't like Marvel you wouldn't have to go there and they wouldn't have them 'walking down Main St.' as people say.

[Disney Duster]

I think Disney doesn't have to compete. Harry Potter Land has been out for a while and has not robbed Disney World of very much at all. I think it's more important that Disney stay Disney and be like Walt and perhaps make a little less money than the greedy money-grubbers in charge want than have them become a big huge un-Disney corporation with un-Disney rides and parks.

[Super Aurora]

I think Disney doesn't have to compete. Harry Potter Land has been out for a while and has not robbed Disney World of very much at all. I think it's more important that Disney stay Disney and be like Walt and perhaps make a little less money than the greedy money-grubbers in charge want than have them become a big huge un-Disney corporation with un-Disney rides and parks.

I don't think you know or understand how the business world work, do you?

The Harry Potter expansion was a HUGE deal to Disney and actually did rob WDW of some money potential.

In business world, competition is hugely important and essential thing. Even in Walt's times it happen. Except it wasn't at it's corporate height as it is now. That's probably why you have the illusion thinking Walt was not money grubbing and money didn't mean anything to him.

[DisneyAnimation88]

I think Disney doesn't have to compete. Harry Potter Land has been out for a while and has not robbed Disney World of very much at all.

Disney doesn't have to compete...are you serious? Of course they have to compete, for the first time their position as the undisputed king of theme parks is in question. Harry Potter has had a big effect and Universal are going to expand that area even further and probably look to upgrade other areas of the park; I don't know if it's confirmed but I've heard that a Transformers attraction is on the way. Disney don't want to see Universal's attendance figures rise so to that end, it was inevitable that they would look to purchase an existing franchise which they could put in their theme parks.

I think it's more important that Disney stay Disney and be like Walt and perhaps make a little less money than the greedy money-grubbers in charge want than have them become a big huge un-Disney corporation with un-Disney rides and parks.

This is Disney as a 21st century media company, not the one that existed in the 1960's that Walt left behind. If Disney don't match their rivals and spend this type of money to compete then they will be left behind. Like I said I don't like Avatar but I understand the logic behind Disney doing this deal.

[Disney Duster]

But Disney still is the theme park king, even after so many months of Potter. The don't have to worry. They will always be more. You just can't beat them. It would take a loooooot for that to happen and Harry Potter is not enough.

[jpanimation]

I think what has Disney worried is that Islands of Adventure had their attendance increase 3x during their first year of Potter and that they even had to close their gates due to hitting capacity (the first time since opening year). Now Disney could ignore that and say it's fans just excited to see something new but the fact that Islands of Adventure's attendance has actually increased it's second year after opening Potter over the first has made Disney nervous. Potter has staying power.

[DisneyAnimation88]

But Disney still is the theme park king, even after so many months of Potter. The don't have to worry. They will always be more. You just can't beat them. It would take a loooooot for that to happen and Harry Potter is not enough.

There is plenty of material in the Harry Potter books and films that Universal have yet to tap into, not to mention any future material that J.K. Rowling might be working on. They're going to expand HP soon and when they do the attendance numbers will go up again, so they'll probably expand the land further and further in the future. And if the rumours are to be believed, Universal are planning on adding more successful film franchises to the park; there have been rumours for a long time that they want to make a Lord of the Rings land. If, speaking hypothetically, that were to happen, along with the rumoured Transformers attraction, then Disney would be under big pressure. What if the attendance keeps rising to the extent that Universal decide to build more hotels and make Universal more of a resort than a theme park? The fact is that HP has exceeded expectations, particularly those of Disney, who I don't think expected it to be quite as successful as it has been, leading them to buy the rights to Avatar. Disney is under pressure to improve than it has been for a long time, perhaps ever, which is a good thing. I've made my feelings on Avatar clear but rumours are gathering pace about new pavilions to be added to World Showcase at Epcot and an expansion of Pixar Place at DHS so maybe the success of HP will be a blessing in disguise to us fans of WDW.