Disney to significantly back off capital expenditures in 2013

Michigan's Adventure is adopting the same spending strategy for 2013.

I guess that means Disneyland won't be getting that rumored wing coaster over Main Street next year. :)

Does this mean that the over hyped, means nothing to the vast majority of people Avatar land is a no go then?

Read the story again...

It will be interesting how this news will roll with the online Disney fan community after the latest round of "the Avatar project is dead" rumors just came around a couple weeks ago. I'm not sure what it means that fans seem to keep trying to will the project out of existence with each scrap of news.

TimChat2 said:

I'm not sure what it means that fans seem to keep trying to will the project out of existence with each scrap of news.

It's interesting you mention that about Disney fans. The last round of rumors seem to originate from people reading into a news item on IGN, where it was mentioned that James Cameron and the Imagineers are already having some clashes. This is supposedly causing delays with the project, though it seems the 2 new Avatar films are also delayed.

Disney fans immediately took this as a coded sign that an Avatarland cancellation was imminent. At least one of them was someone I consider to be knowledgeable about the company and usually realistic, but in this case I can't put much faith in such a leap of logic. Now rumor is that Cars Land is being considered for Hollywood Studios, so that's another supposed sign that the Avatar project is dead. I can't deny that I'd be happy if both rumors ended up true, but I'm also not going to start reading tea leaves to figure out what Disney is doing.

Reading tea leaves? That's so 1996. The Lemon Chill guy is your go-to nowadays for park info.

I would cancel it. I think it will be a dated, colossal failure.

I'm beginning to think you're right, Jeff. Even with the new upcoming films, there's just no buzz about Avatar. Here's an interesting, nonscientific method of analysis. How many internet memes of Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter do you see on virtually a daily basis, compared to Avatar memes?

But I dunno. It's not like everybody was going crazy about Cars before Cars Land opened up. So who knows?

I liked Avatar, and I'll go see the sequels in 3-D. I just like it though; I don't love it like a lot of other movie franchises. I wouldn't buy the backpack or desire an Avatar birthday cake. Come to think of it, part of the problem is that Avatar didn't sell licenses for backpacks and birthday cakes. That is probably because no one would want them.

Why not a Lord of the Rings themed area instead? Or what about Beastly Kingdom? Or Star Wars land? There were so many better choices than to take a chance on Avatar.

Disney could get license for a Star Wars themed area, and I'd think that all the Star Wars nerds would be lined up to experience that. I would myself. Just the themed area around the star wars ride is cool. I can only imagine what they could do with a whole themed area. The Death Star could be the center of it.

Jeff said:
Read the story again...

Yeah, I didn't really read the article. I just assumed with the speculation of the Avatar sequels having problems and with the lack of cultural impact that Avatar has, that this project would be dead. Unfortunately, assuming this time only made an ass out of me. Disney spending millions on an Avatar land just makes no sense to me when there are so many other options for a new themed area.

Ensign Smith said:

But I dunno. It's not like everybody was going crazy about Cars before Cars Land opened up. So who knows?

I think part of what makes Cars Land work is that you only really need to understand the concept of the human world translated to a world of cars. You could honestly not know a single character before entering the land and still get what is going on and enjoy the detail, environments, and attractions. The hope is that Avatar/Pandora can act as a generic "alien world" independent of knowing or caring about the events and characters of the movie.

Most kids love Cars. Some adults (and a few kids) loved Avatar. There is a big difference.

The rumor here at Disney FL is that expansion has ben scaled back so greatly that instead of getting a Cars Land, we're only getting CharmLand Lite...

My son was a huge Cars fan around age 2. Therefore, my wife and I were, too, and I think we eventually became more enthusiastic about collecting the die cast miniature Cars more than he enjoyed playing with them.

I know he'd absolutely flip over Cars land even now (as would we). I think Disney would make a visually stunning and immersive Avatar land, but no way would I be as enthused about going there. I liked the movie, probably better than the Harry Potter series (I lost interest after the second one), but given the choice I think I'd prefer to visit IoA for the Potter area.

sirloindude said:

Reading tea leaves? That's so 1996. The Lemon Chill guy is your go-to nowadays for park info.

The Levmon Chill guy is where you go for Cedar Point info. At disney, it's the Dole Whip guy or the Monorail driver.

Yeah but there is a rumor going around the DLR that the Dole Whip guy is on his way out..............