Avatar main attraction rumored to be 3-D..360 Degrees

Now that Cameron has confirmed and signed off on the new Avatar area for Disney's Animal Kingdom, more information continues to "leak" out from the creative minds at the Mouse.

The latest rumors are the main attraction for the Avatar area will indeed be, as we posted earlier this month, a 3-D based flight simulator. The great news is the rumored attraction will be not only high Def 3-D but most likely with a 360 degree view. Now remember this looks to be a massive attraction if they stick with the leaked blueprints which call for FOUR theaters of the design type shown below.

SeaWorld has already used this technology in their Turtle Trek attraction which is simply astounding, the ocean creatures appear in front, behind and above you creating a truly unique experience.

Disney will of course be stepping their game up in the use of this technology and are rumored to be going with SimTech for the ride design system.  The photos that are shown below show just what a great experience this attraction should be. The ride base system shown in the photos will allow for extreme movements and offer a new experience for Disney property.

Dome illustration which is shown in the "leaked" Disney Blueprints

Platform movement base

The last two photos below show a great park known as the Singapore Gardens by the Bay.  Disney is rumored to have made a few trips in the past month to this location.  I can definitely see Disney using a similar ideal to create the deep forest areas of Pandora.  

Pandora at night?

A walk among the trees...

Once again, as always, these are simply rumors at this stage and as with any project details are subject to change.

Typhoon Lagoon closed for refurbishment...

The cold weather has arrived and Mickey is taking this chance to do the annual refurb to Typhoon Lagoon.  Disney show that the water park will reopen on January 6, 2013.  Blizzard Beach will remain open during this time period.

SeaWorld's Antarctica...Pre Opening Film One

SeaWorld is well on its way to having one of the coolest attractions in central Florida..and by cool I do not just mean awesome.  The Antarctica expansion will give the park a much needed boost to its high end attraction collection.  Rumored to be the coldest attraction ever built, the journey following the life of a baby penguin through its harsh homeland should be a family experience like none other....watch the first pre-opening videos below to get an idea of what is in store!! 

Universal set to make major announcement...

Universal has invited guests to a press event on the night of November 1st, 2012 to reveal a major announcement   Sources have confirmed that Universal will announce Transformers: The Ride which is on track to open as early as next summer.  Universal has placed Transformers on a 24/7 work schedule so things are going up fast at the site. Transformers is already a massive hit at Universal Hollywood and should be just as amazing here.  The attraction is filmed in high def 3-D and features actual Transformer style robotics, along with live stage sets to make for a truly exciting experience.

I would expect announcements regarding the new Simpsons expansion along with Transformers to be part of the event, but I doubt we hear anything about the Potter at expansion at this time...then again time will tell!!

The pic below was taken from the launch hill of Rip, Ride, Rock-it, it is a little blurry but you can see the track layout for the first floor is being poured and things are moving at a brisk pace....

Track going in place...

Disney Update...AVATAR IS A GO!!!

Big things seem to be happening over at Disney Imagineering this week.  Avatar: The World of Pandora was announced well over a year ago to a surprised and excited public, since that time little... other than the problems the project has seen (Cameron and Disney on costs)... has surfaced to the public information level.

I am pleased to pass on that it looks like "green light to go" for the project.  Cameron has approved the final blueprints and designs for the area and Disney made some moves this week to step up the projects timeline.  Cameron has agreed to two major rides for the area instead of the three he was pushing for, and signed off on the project late last week according to sources. Combine this with the fact that Disney has recruited legendary environment and rockwork artist Zsolt Hormay back to the company to work under Joe Rohde creative lead for the project.  Hormay created some of Disney's most spectacular exteriors in the past 20 years. These include Mysterious Island at Tokyo DisneySea, the Tree of Life at Disneys Animal Kingdom, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland Paris.

The new area will have what is labeled at this stage as one massive "E-ticket" attraction and one "C-ticket" attraction, along with numerous other shops and a rumored restaurant set in the nighttime glowing world of Pandora.  The "E" attraction is said to be a Sorain 2.0 on steroids.  The new attraction would appear to be housed inside a massive multi-floor building and looks to have four theaters.  Now the attraction is rumored to be a high intensity 3-D flight through the world of Pandora, but the catch is the ride car will be on a small track section with a multi point ride base that will allow for some intense movement. The "C" attraction appears to be an indoor/outdoor flume style attraction with guests boarding boats to see the world of Pandora "up-close".

Now remember this is all rumors and Disney is NOT talking about its plans at this stage. However, and there is always a however in this industry, blueprints have leaked that show the initial layout of the two attractions as well as hints as to what the buildings will contain. Bluprint one, shown below, indicates not only the layout of the 4 "Soarin" type theaters, but also the general traffic flow of the building, there is a wash station for 3-D glasses, four independent ride control stations, and other areas such as cast breakrooms, mechanics and other show related stuff.

Rumored Blueprint One

The second blueprint shows the same things but has some ride track details for the the "C" ticket attraction shown in the upper right hand corner and labeled as AH-5 or in the center "C ticket showbox". The blueprint clearly show that it will be an indoor/outdoor style attraction looking very similar to the Land pavilion at Epcot.

Once again this is all rumored information and we will have to wait and see what Disney announces in the coming months, but the information is concrete enough to show that the Avatar project is a go and the world of Pandora will be opening at Disney's Animal Kingdom sometime in 2015!!

A great time for a GREAT cause....Golf anyone??

I would like to take a moment to remind everyone that the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic will soon be here, and if you have never been to a golf tournament this is the one to see.  Disney has been the proud home of this classic for many years now and it is honestly a tournament done in style. The tournament runs from November the 8th - 11th 2012, and will be held at Disney's Palm and Magnolia courses.

Character meet and greets, food and drinks, golf's top names, and usually perfect weather make this a great time for everyone.  The best part is Disney donates all proceeds to the Children's Miracle Network and  for you golf fans this is the last tournament of the year!!  The classic is the longest running golf tournament in central Florida, and past winners have included names like Luke Donald, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Payne Stewart just to mention a few!

Below is a reminder that went out to all passholders, tickets are $20.. per day, or just $30.00 for the week, and may be purchased at the event or through Ticketmaster.  If you can find time to attend the money goes to a fantastic cause and the memories you experience will last a lifetime. Hope to see everyone there!!

Visit cmnhospitalsclassic.com for more info.

Universal to spend 1.5 billion dollars at Florida complex...

Universal Makes a Major Announcement !!

In some great news that is sure to be yet ANOTHER game changer, sources report that Universal Orlando has been granted a massive expansion budget.  An estimated 1.5 Billion dollars has been allocated to spend on capital investments over the next 10 years at the Florida site.  That’s approximately the amount of money that Disney recently spent on the renovation of California Adventure (including Cars Land and Little Mermaid).

The spending began with the fast tracking of a Transformers ride which is now scheduled to open before July 2013.  At roughly 40 million, the attraction will easily be the major new attraction in Orlando for the Summer of 2013 and will be marketed as the high energy alternative to what is perceived as a lackluster summer offering from Disney.

The winning ticket however is the massive Harry Potter expansion taking place at the former Jaws location.  The expansion will tie Universals two parks together with a Hogwarts train system, include a major E-Ticket Gringotts Bank roller coaster, and numerous other family rides and attractions, shops and dining and is estimated to be a total price of around 600 million.

 That still leaves another 850 million to spend.  Think of it.  A resort that is doing amazing against Disney already will  see a Disney California Adventure sized investment being poured into it. This is the theme park equivalent of a dream come true for Universal, and a nightmare for the Mouse down the street.  

When compared to Disney World’s lovely but attraction deficient Fantasyland expansion Universal Orlando is obviously feeling very confident, this is why so many new projects have recently been green-lit.  Rumors have already surfaced about a possible new Seuss attraction based on the Grinch, a new E-Ticket attractions for Jurassic Park,  and a rumored replacement for E.T. themed to all of Spielberg's greatest movie moments has been on the drawing board for a few years now.  I am thinking that we may see a replacement for Terminator T2/3D, and would think that down the road a little further Universal will want to cut the cord and re-theme the entire Marvel Super Hero Island

Universal obviously sees a HUGE opportunity and they aren’t going to waste their chance to steal the spotlight from Mickey.  Disney on the other hand is still standing firm on the Avatar Land expansion to Animal Kingdom.  Delays from Cameron and other issues which are stalling the project places Universal in the drivers seat.  The Potterverse will be dominating the theme park industry, before Avatar can even take shape,  and with a series of additional projects planned and under way Universal will be dealing some mighty hard blows to Mickey and company for many years to come.