Disney shares first look at possible Avatar experience coming to Disneyland

26 days ago in "Disneyland Resort"

Forum Forums Tweet Share Tweet Share

Gallery / 1 Photo
AVATAR concept art for Disneyland

Posted: Wednesday April 3, 2024 2:39pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

At today's Walt Disney Co. annual shareholders meeting, Disney CEO Bob Iger shared a first look at blue-sky concept art for a possible Avatar experience at Disneyland Resort in California.

Iger said, "You've heard me mention before our intention to bring Avatar to Disneyland and our Imagineers have been hard at work dreaming up what guests might expect. And today I'm excited to give you a first look at the creative inspiration for this possible new destination."

AVATAR concept art for Disneyland

The rendering shows a Pandora landscape with a water-based attraction. The rockwork appears to hide a show building, and the attraction may be a larger version of Animal Kingdom's Na'vi River Journey, with indoor and outdoor elements and most likely a thrill component.

Following the shareholder meeting, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro added, "We are excited about the stories our guests could experience at Walt's original theme park destination after approval of DisneylandForward – including the chance to experience all-new Avatar adventures with a visit to Pandora."

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

captveg9 days ago

Additionally, if the recent art is any indication, the Anaheim Avatar setting is more inspired by the sequel's water culture rather than the sky mountain culture of the original film / Florida attraction, which could naturally keep the height needs more manageable. In any case, using the area across the street from Pixar Pier next to the hotel makes most sense for the Avatar land. That would presumably still leave another section between it and the Disneyland hotel for even further expansion / another land from the DisneylandForward footprint.

Disney Irish10 days ago

If that's the case, and as I recall they've used those as examples as facades but completed (no beams exposed) that they want facing Walnut, then I don't see any issues with height.

Disney Vault10 days ago

They are 125 feet

Disney Irish11 days ago

As an example how tall are the Radiator Springs mountains on the backside of DCA? I imagine that any facade facing Walnut would be at least that high.

choco choco11 days ago

It doesn't take anything out of contention. The smallest height on that chart, the one closest to the street, is a building fifty feet high. That is the height of the Indiana Jones Adventure show building, a ride that is on two levels. Splash Mountain's show building, a ride also on two levels, is forty feet high (the actual show mountain is higher). Rise of the Resistance is somewhere around 50-60 feet (give or take the equipment up there). Fifty feet is very high up, and every twenty feet laterally you gain another ten feet. Given Disney usually puts a service road behind every show building, you really are looking at 60 feet height as your first real limit. That is plenty high and very, very few dark rides will need that height.

truecoat12 days ago

I believe someone looked into what was proposed and the structure limits in the proposed expansion were 2-300 feet tall.

MisterPenguin12 days ago

The taller bits could always be on the far side of the lot. And a small berm on the S. Walnut side.

TheDisneyParksfanC812 days ago

If Avatar goes into Hollywoodland, I wonder if the one of the plans for the Simba lot could involve cloning the rumored DHS expansion behind Animation courtyard.

Disney Analyst12 days ago

I think while Avatar is being used as something to dangle tangibly for Disneyland Forward, it is still likely planned for the backlot, but Disneyland forward requires passing to push it out into the bus loop, expanding DCA beyond its borders.

ThemeParkTraveller12 days ago

For comparison, the main rock structure in Pandora at DAK is 156 feet tall.

chadwpalm12 days ago

How tall do you think the rockwork of Avatar will be? The Matterhorn is 147' tall. Based on that chart it can be this close to Walnut: So even if they built the show buildings against Walnut and put rock work in the eastern side of those buildings, they'd still be able to go fairly tall. I'd guess if Avatar went west of Disneyland Dr. they would butt it up against Disneyland Dr. anyway.

TheDisneyParksfanC812 days ago

This came out during the most recent DL Forward conference: guidelines on what can be built in the Simba lot. The taller the structure is, the further away from Walnut street it must be. Depending on the land and scale, this sounds like it might take Avatar out of contention for the Simba lot and make the original Hollywoodland rumors all the more credible. But who knows maybe they could work around it by designing the land in a way where the E ticket boat ride buts up against Katella Avenue instead.

celluloid13 days ago

Being the country with the second oldest population in the world will do that. It is one thing I never thought of and a major thing I loved while there. Everything seemed like it was the 90s, but perfected. And in some cases, you go to a department store and it is like it has not changed many aspects since the 40s and you can feel underclassed or at least underdressed.

celluloid14 days ago

They have the upkeep factor all around the resort too. Not many broken effects or worn paint. It was amazing how well The Haunted Mansion works when compared to the state the others are in.