Pandora Coming to Walt Disney Co.

Disney had officially announced their intention to build Pandora. As some of you may remember, Pandora was the planet in the movie Avatar. Pandora will be added to Disney's Animal Kingdom part of the park. Construction is expected to start in 2013. The estimated time the project will take is about FIVE years. 

Tom Staggs answered questions fans had on the official Disney blog: 

The main question appears to be; what is going to be in Pandora?

Answer: "This was hands-down one of the most popular questions we got and understandably so. While we’re still in the very early stages of design and planning, we expect this land to be anchored by multiple attractions, entertainment, merchandise locations, restaurants and other immersive elements. Our AVATAR lands will give guests the chance to see, hear and touch the world of Pandora and we can’t wait to dive in with James Cameron and his team as we create new experiences that will delight and thrill our guests."

How does Avatar fit in with the Disney theme?

Answer: "Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the perfect place for our first AVATAR land because at its core, the park gives guests the opportunity to experience the worlds of animals and nature – real and mythical – in whole new ways. With AVATAR, we’ve found the perfect opportunity to let our guests explore one of the most compelling mythical worlds ever conceived. Animal Kingdom also celebrates adventure, living in harmony with nature and environmental stewardship – themes that are deeply rooted in the story of AVATAR."

A little more details please? But alas, more information on that front will not be coming any time soon. 

Not everyone is excited about the new addition, Stephanie says: "With all due respect, I think this is a bad idea. Avatar has hardly proven it’s staying power the way Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or even James Bond have. I think your money would be better spent on something that is more likely to still hold the publics interest in 10+ years.

I hope this doesn’t wind up being a very expensive version of the now defunct Who Wants to be a Millionaire-Play It attraction!"

Avatar 2 will be in theaters in December 2014, and Avatar 3 will come out in December 2015. Both films will come out before the opening of Pandora, it is expected to open in 2016 -2017. It appears that Disney wants to continue Avatars trend, the trend of taking years to complete.