Sneak Peak at Disney "Avatar Land"

[Moco Loco]

HA! (specifically directed at everyone who thought Avatar at Disney World was a crap idea)

[Raiden]

Originally Posted by weka

This is the Internet, you can swear.

LOL, iron jones is the last person you need to tell that to.

Most forum software comes with the option for admins to make it so that swearing is automatically censored, and I'm pretty sure most swear/curse words are censored here.

As for the topic at hand, I'm not terribly excited for this attraction.

The message behind Avatar, in a nutshell, is to be considerate about how your lifestyle(s) and actions impact non-human lifeforms. An important part of this is not "over-consuming", which is something that many people in modern countries/societies (especially "Americans") are quite guilty of doing.

Over-consuming is when a culture becomes obsessed with things like shopping, eating and drinking from potentially artificial, processed sources (i.e. getting coffee from Starbucks every day or eating frequently at restaurants instead of eating at home) that damage the environment, and doing all of the above as cheaply as possible.

A large mass-market theme/amusement park is the very embodiment of all those things. For that reason, I am not excited that an attraction like this ended up at Disney world, and I feel kind of like James Cameron/Lightstorm chose this location because of the sheer utility (which would be hard to find elsewhere), but Disney wants it there just because it will turn a big profit for them.

Finally, this is a theme park catering mostly **to children**. If I'm going to be walking around in a recreation of a chunk of Pandoran jungle, I don't want be stepping in sticky soft drink spills and stale popcorn while avoiding someone else's poorly-behaved brood of vermin as they run around screaming. Also, this isn't going to include anything new or revolutionary. It's probably going to have some really nice scaled models of Na'vi and Pandoran plants and animals, and some interactive stuff, but it probably won't be as nice as the Seattle exhibit, even if it is on a larger scale.

There will probably be some really amazing opportunities for cosplay, and I'm interested in seeing models of the different kinds of plants and animals, but otherwise, I'm more excited that it is in Florida, and since we'll have a meetup there that means we get to go see Florida, which is a glorious gem of biodiversity (in the places that haven't been converted into retirement homes, anyway).

[Empty Glass]

Originally Posted by Raiden

The message behind Avatar, in a nutshell, is to be considerate about how your lifestyle(s) and actions impact non-human lifeforms. An important part of this is not "over-consuming", which is something that many people in modern countries/societies (especially "Americans") are quite guilty of doing.

Over-consuming is when a culture becomes obsessed with things like shopping, eating and drinking from potentially artificial, processed sources (i.e. getting coffee from Starbucks every day or eating frequently at restaurants instead of eating at home) that damage the environment, and doings all of the above as cheaply as possible.

A large mass-market theme/amusement park is the very embodiment of all those things.

I have to admit these are some of my thoughts and worries too.

[CyanRachel]

Originally Posted by Jachyra

Here's a few artworks and a video with JC himself at the beginning of the clip actually on the motion capture set of Avatar 2-3-4 (Yay!) explaining the park.

A little later in the vid, a Disney guy explains more. Some cool infos and sneak peeks.

Here's the link:

Get ready to journey to Pandora! First look at Disney's Avatar theme park - Movie News | JoBlo.com

Tidbit: the earrings on the Disney guy is kinda... unique

Cheers!

Irayo, Jachyra, for posting this news!
WOW! I'm blown away! It all looks SO amazing, beautiful, EPIC!
Cannot wait for this! What an awesome location for future AvatarMeet(s)!
I can't help feeling like a giddy kid now...this combines 2 of my faves -- Disney & Avatar -- in one place. Yay!

Although, to be fair, I do understand your POV and concerns, Raiden. Do hope you'll be able to find *some* enjoyment in "Avatar Land" though.

[Raiden]

Originally Posted by CyanRachel

Although, to be fair, I do understand your POV and concerns, Raiden. Do hope you'll be able to find *some* enjoyment in "Avatar Land" though.

It has very little do with my enjoyment.

It actually has to do with the erosion of our values as a community.

We're not like the Star Wars community, or the Lord of the Rings community; those people belong to groups founded because similar people liked movies that took them away from reality and deposited them in far-away places.

Avatar does that too, but it comes with something that Star Wars and Lord of the Rings do not come with. An important real-world message about preserving the wonders of Earth for generations to come, and that anybody can make a difference for that cause; it doesn't take a famous celebrity or celebrated academic to plant some native plant species, repair damaged habitat in a city park, or pick up garbage on the beach.

If we're just a bunch of nerdy blue sci-fi fans who go out like a swarm of locusts and consume merchandise related to our favorite movie, we've lost something important, and become "part of the problem".

Quite frankly, it would make me question ever coming here.

[MOMS Ball Avatar]

Kaltxi for sharing this. I was just sick to hear Avatar II may not come out until 2016. Movies make the release dates and not visa versa. Still it felt like someone just punched me in the Solarplexes.
I needed this for a pick me up. Thanks again!!

MOMS

[MOMS Ball Avatar]

Eywa bless you for sharing this with us Cyan Rachel. ;*

[CyanRachel]

Originally Posted by Raiden

It has very little do with my enjoyment.

It actually has to do with the erosion of our values as a community.

We're not like the Star Wars community, or the Lord of the Rings community; those people belong to groups founded because similar people liked movies that took them away from reality and deposited them in far-away places.

Avatar does that too, but it comes with something that Star Wars and Lord of the Rings do not come with. An important real-world message about preserving the wonders of Earth for generations to come, and that anybody can make a difference for that cause; it doesn't take a famous celebrity or celebrated academic to plant some native plant species, repair damaged habitat in a city park, or pick up garbage on the beach.

If we're just a bunch of nerdy blue sci-fi fans who go out like a swarm of locusts and consume merchandise related to our favorite movie, we've lost something important, and become "part of the problem".

Quite frankly, it would make me question ever coming here.

Hmm, well, I do see your point, Raiden. It's very true, what you're saying. So I guess, in my own case, I'm of two minds on the topic of Disney's "Avatar Land"...I now find myself a bit more divided as I consider your words. Definitely something to ponder. I feel a bit more conflicted, as I do honestly share many of your sentiments...but that Disney fan inside of me wants to totally immerse myself in what Lightstorm and the Disney Imagineers will create for us Avatar fans at Disney's Animal Kingdom. I'll have to give this all some more thought, and make sure I'm that much more mindful of the POV you've presented here. I truly don't want to be one of those people in the "swarm" that just consumes merchandise for my greedy self and becomes "part of the problem".

Irayo for this insight, tsmukan.

[Neytirislover93]

This seems like it will be petty epic!
I have a feeling this will make me move to Florida,
To go too Pandora every day :
)

[Crickett]

Originally Posted by Neytirislover93

This seems like it will be petty epic!
I have a feeling this will make me move to Florida,
To go too Pandora every day :
)

The thought of applying for a job has crossed my mind. Unfortunately I likely would not be able to afford the move and..... well I don't think Disney pays well enough to cover food, shelter and medical insurance.

[Jachyra]

And the construction of the Avatar Land has begun!

There is a short video included with the article.

Bonus points for the huge blue shovels

Cheers!

[Human No More]

201(?) meetup location, perhaps?

[X.,.Pandora.,.X]

Originally Posted by Human No More

201(?) meetup location, perhaps?

2017 is when they expect to complete it. I vote yes!