EDITORIAL...Why is Mickey being so Mousey

This article is an editorial and should be treated as such.  Please feel free to respond and leave comments.

Why is Mickey being so Mousey?

One year ago last week Disney made a major announcement that James Cameron's AVATAR would be coming to the Walt Disney World resorts Animal Kingdom.  The news was meet with mixed reviews and even the most hardcore Disney fans took a step back and went "Wait...WHAT?".

Now here we are over a year later and Disney has not released one clue as to what we can expect or be excited about when it comes to AVATAR.  No details have been given, no concept artwork "leaked" and other than a promise at a recent stockholders meeting, Disney seems to be avoiding the topic.  Disney knows better than any that it's the fan base that keeps the theme parks running, and while Universal is moving forward leaps and bounds with their property here in Florida, Disney just seems kind of stale and stagnant.

Living in the Orlando area I have heard rumors that Cameron (who is known for being a OCD perfectionist) and Disney are at a stand off about the creative aspects of the new area as well as budgets, and that Imagineering has never really been "on-board" with the project.  Add to that the news released a couple of weeks ago from IGN that AVATAR 2 has been delayed (we will not see the second installment until 2015) and that the studios producing AVATAR  is getting cold feet about making the series as Cameron has envisioned. The Disney Avatarland project has just lacked that "WOW" factor from the start.

In Disney's defense they are opening a new expansion in the Magic Kingdom this year which, while very nice and much needed, really does not have the punch that Disney needs to move ahead in the theme park "buzz"  game.  Dumbo received a twin ride system and new queue area, Goofy's was simply re-themed, Storytime with Belle is cute (if you have small children), the Be Our Guest Restaurant is, well a restaurant,  and the Little Mermaid attraction (which I am excited about) is simply a copy of the one in California.  Disney will have a new Snow White themed family style coaster in place with the expansion but that is not on the slate until 2014.

Adding to this Disney recently announced huge capital cut backs for 2013, as it is investing most of its capital funds into the new Shanghai property with Disney fronting 43 percent of the 4.3 billion dollar project and the Chinese government supplying the rest. (Disney and the Chinese government...again i say "Wait...WHAT?").
Disney CFO Jay Rasulo speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference in New York, said that after Fantasyland in Florida is upgraded, "The next project of size in Florida will be Avatarland in Disney's Animal Kingdom." That is the only official announcement Disney has made on the project in some time.

Capital cutbacks mean that the rumored Cars Land/Pixar Land expansion at Disney Hollywood Studios has been placed on hold, which is a shame since the Cars Land expansion in California is making record profits.  A Cars/Pixar Land themed area could be the "Potter swatter" that Disney is looking for in the Orlando area. The fact projects of this nature are on hold is just another sign that Disney is fine with riding out it existing projects and not really into spending the extra capital to"step up their game" here in Orlando.

Disney will always be Disney.  I will always be a fan of basically anything that the company does with its parks and product.  I would however like to see the old Disney attitude back in the drivers seat, making huge park announcements, building excitement about future projects, and Mickey standing back and saying "Catch us if you can!"