Disney delivers 'the impossible' with debut of Avatar land at Animal Kingdom
POSTED 24 May 2017 . BY Tom Anstey
The Valley of Mo’ara is the US$500m (€446m, £386m) attraction’s backdrop
Disney has celebrated the launch of its new Avatar land at Animal Kingdom with the operator marking the occasion by hosting a ‘Dedication of Pandora’ at the Orlando theme park.
Based on the world of the 2009 Avatar movie, the striking ‘Pandora – The World of Avatar’ covers roughly 12 acres (48,500sq m) and feature multiple rides and attractions, entertainment, audio-animatronics, 3-D holograms as well as retail, food and beverage outlets.
The Valley of Mo’ara is the US$500m (€446m, £386m) attraction’s backdrop, with its seemingly floating mountains and bioluminescent rainforests creating an iconic attraction for Animal Kingdom.
“At Disney we have a ‘how do they do that standard’,” said Disney chair Bob Iger speaking at the dedication. “We love to build things, to create things, and people look at these creations and say ‘how did they do that?’ I cannot give a better example of that then what we’re standing in front of right now.”
Avatar director James Cameron worked with Disney on the creation of Pandora at Animal Kingdom, with Iger saying that his vision helped to “deliver the impossible.”
“James Cameron could easily be a Disney Imagineer, I wish he would be a Disney Imagineer,” said Iger, speaking on the creative process for the park. “He does the impossible again, and again and again, merging wonderful storytelling with mind-blowing technology, creating experiences that no one has seen before. Avatar is a prime example of this.
“Working with James and his team was a dream come true for all of us as we pushed the limits of creativity and innovation to bring the digital world of Pandora to the real world of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.”
The new attraction covers 12 acres (48,500sq m) and has two signature rides. The flying simulation – Avatar Flight of Passage – features 3-D projections and creature designs cut from the original film, while the family friendly Na’vi River Journey takes guests into a bioluminescent rainforest in search of the Na’vi Shaman of Songs.
“Thanks to this collaboration anyone can visit Pandora in all of its majesty,” said Cameron. “Animal Kingdom, a park based on a deep respect for nature, is the perfect place to connect Pandora to our world, helping both to inspire us to understand, and to respect the natural world and our place in it.”
Disney’s next major launch will be its first Star Wars Land, which opens at Hollywood Studios some time in 2019. Pandora – The World of Avatar opens to the public on 27 May.
IPs and investment key to growing parks business, says Iger POSTED 11 May 2017. BY Tom Anstey Disney chair Bob Iger has said that the company must continue to incorporate its most
popular IPs into its parks in order to help grow its business.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Disney delivers 'the impossible' with debut of Avatar land at Animal Kingdom
POSTED 24 May 2017 . BY Tom Anstey
The Valley of Mo’ara is the US$500m (€446m, £386m) attraction’s backdrop
Disney has celebrated the launch of its new Avatar land at Animal Kingdom with the operator marking the occasion by hosting a ‘Dedication of Pandora’ at the Orlando theme park.
Based on the world of the 2009 Avatar movie, the striking ‘Pandora – The World of Avatar’ covers roughly 12 acres (48,500sq m) and feature multiple rides and attractions, entertainment, audio-animatronics, 3-D holograms as well as retail, food and beverage outlets.
The Valley of Mo’ara is the US$500m (€446m, £386m) attraction’s backdrop, with its seemingly floating mountains and bioluminescent rainforests creating an iconic attraction for Animal Kingdom.
“At Disney we have a ‘how do they do that standard’,” said Disney chair Bob Iger speaking at the dedication. “We love to build things, to create things, and people look at these creations and say ‘how did they do that?’ I cannot give a better example of that then what we’re standing in front of right now.”
Avatar director James Cameron worked with Disney on the creation of Pandora at Animal Kingdom, with Iger saying that his vision helped to “deliver the impossible.”
“James Cameron could easily be a Disney Imagineer, I wish he would be a Disney Imagineer,” said Iger, speaking on the creative process for the park. “He does the impossible again, and again and again, merging wonderful storytelling with mind-blowing technology, creating experiences that no one has seen before. Avatar is a prime example of this.
“Working with James and his team was a dream come true for all of us as we pushed the limits of creativity and innovation to bring the digital world of Pandora to the real world of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.”
The new attraction covers 12 acres (48,500sq m) and has two signature rides. The flying simulation – Avatar Flight of Passage – features 3-D projections and creature designs cut from the original film, while the family friendly Na’vi River Journey takes guests into a bioluminescent rainforest in search of the Na’vi Shaman of Songs.
“Thanks to this collaboration anyone can visit Pandora in all of its majesty,” said Cameron. “Animal Kingdom, a park based on a deep respect for nature, is the perfect place to connect Pandora to our world, helping both to inspire us to understand, and to respect the natural world and our place in it.”
Disney’s next major launch will be its first Star Wars Land, which opens at Hollywood Studios some time in 2019. Pandora – The World of Avatar opens to the public on 27 May.
IPs and investment key to growing parks business, says Iger POSTED 11 May 2017. BY Tom Anstey Disney chair Bob Iger has said that the company must continue to incorporate its most
popular IPs into its parks in order to help grow its business.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
