Credit: DisneyIn the Morgan Stanley conference call earlier this week, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that he’s not done with the Avatar franchise just yet, sharing an update on the planned Pandora expansion at the Disneyland Resort and seemingly doubling down on infusing IPs throughout the parks.
James Cameron’s Avatar franchise has become the highest-grossing franchise in history, with both films setting records for highest-grossing films of all time, despite the sequel being released over a decade after the first Avatar movie. With Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios), the company now owns the franchise, and it hasn’t wasted any time in capitalizing on its success.
The first introduction of Avatar to the Disney parks was in 2017 with the debut of Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The area was an incredible feat of Disney Imagineering, a beautiful and highly immersive area that transports guests to the alien planet of Pandora. Along with the highly praised quick service location Satu’li Canteen and a merchandise location, the area boasts two attractions, Na’vi River Journey and Avatar Flight of Passage. Despite the seeming out-of-place elements of the area, it’s considered one of the most immersive lands in the Disney parks.
Last year, Iger first announced that Disney guests on the west coast would soon be able to visit Pandora themselves with a planned Avatar expansion at the Disneyland Resort. These plans were mentioned prior to the DisneylandForward project commenced, which is expected to see the resort almost double in size over the next few years. The success of Avatar: The Way of Water seemed to be the perfect proof that Disney could make another land work in a new park.
During the conference, Iger mentioned the expansion again, although this time gave a little more of an idea of what fans can expect, saying, “We have one Avatar-based land, Pandora, in Florida. We’re going to put a second one in California.” This seems to indicate a confirmation that Disneyland will be getting an entire land themed around James Cameron’s iconic franchise. This also seems to confirm that Disney is doubling down on its previous promise to infuse more IPs (intellectual properties) throughout the Disney parks, a move that’s been considered controversial.
In the last few years, Disney has been slowly chipping away at the attractions based on original concepts throughout its parks, replacing them with elements and characters from more modern and recognizable films and franchises. The Pacific Wharf area at Disney California Adventure was very recently rethemed to San Fransokyo from Big Hero 6 while Paradise Pier transformed into Pixar Pier in 2018. Perhaps the biggest example is the recent closure of Splash Mountain on both coasts to be reopened as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, based on The Princess and the Frog (2009).
As Iger and Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro promised to infuse even more IPs into the parks last year, it’s caused some backlash from fans who consider it to be a controversial erasure of Disney park history and originality. In addition, the recent focus on building entire lands themed around one specific IP has faced criticism as well, so it remains to be seen how the Disneyland version of Pandora will be accepted.
What do you think about another Pandora land? Does Disneyland need its own version or should Disney move away from the Avatar franchise in the parks? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!