Disney surprises some fans by doing what it said it would do

WOW! This is an an impressive list. These are "humungous ball".

@Robert - I think having Avatar included in the graphic was a bit of a smackdown to critics that had been pushing a narrative that there was some hesitancy in brining the IP to California. I believe that Disney has solid plans in place to bring the Battle of the Sunken Treasure ride system to DCA, but while the earnings graphic doubled down on Avatar to DCA, the fact that the addition is categorized as an "experience" brings some doubt into the equation and leads to the possibility that the addition may be limited to a walkthrough, meet and greet, or some other downsized mini-land that does not include a ride. Villains, Cars, and Monsters Inc are all labeled as "areas" and will be anchored by e-ticket rides, but Avatar in California is just an "experience", which suggests something less - Coco is described as an "attraction", while Avengers is getting an "expansion" with 2 known rides that have already started going vertical. If Avatar was indeed going to get the Shanghai PotC ride system, why is even a small area anchored by one of WDI's most dynamic ride systems being called an "experience" instead of a "land" or "attraction"?

I'm guessing the D23 parks panel will confirm or refute all of the rumors swirling on this and other projects currently in progress (as well as timing), but while this graphic shows Disney still committed to Avatar in California, it doesn't necessarily mean they're as enthusiastic as they were about the IP when it was initially announced as part of the resort's expansion plan back in 2021.

When it comes to Abu Dhabi, Disney has no reason to call off the new Middle East resort at this point. Sure, they could easily walk away from the project citing the turmoil in the region that is significantly impacting tourism and development However, with so little skin in the game, Disney can play the long game and let Miral take all the heat for not being able to make significant progress on the project, regardless of the reasons. The project could conceivably get pushed to 2040, and it wouldn't hurt Disney very much, if at all. In fact, it's likely that Disney abandoning the project now, even though there's a reasonable rationale for it given the lack of stability in the region, would hurt the company more than just letting the project fade into the background, letting Miral continue slowly moving it forward.

Do we have dates confirmed for any of these yet?

@Timbo - Tropical Americas has been targeted for a 2027 debut, but I would likely put that opening close to the end of the year given current progress (maybe the land opens, but the rides lag behind or open in phases).

Lakeshore Lodge (DVC) was just announced as a summer 2027 opening.

However, Disney hasn't provided any other confirmed opening dates for the remainder of the additions shown in the graphic. I think the Avengers expansion in DCA might be ready by 2028 with the Kuka arm attraction opening a year or more ahead of Infinity Defense.

People still use and get ripped off by Timeshares?

I looked up DVC:

Or, take advantage of convenient financing of the purchase price starting at $316 per month (15.013% APR) for a 15-year loan with a 10% down payment.

SO minimum $316 per month Plus 15% APR PLUS 10% down?

What the Monkey?

$316 * 12 * 15 = $57K + 10% down (10% of what number) then maint yearly fees...

@Brain - And all that for something that you never actually own because DVC contracts have terms. It's certainly not something I would invest in, but there are plenty of folks, including some very smart and savvy ones, who have done the math and find value in owing DVC because ultimately it's a hedge against inflation and rising travel/vacation costs, especially if you prefer more spacious/luxurious accommodations while traveling (larger families or group travel). Also, DVC is one of the easiest travel products to transfer if you're unable to use your allocation in a given year, and also has enough flexibility to allow owners to rotate annual trips to locations around the world. Again, it's not something I would invest in given the way my family typically travels, but for many it's a very sound and valuable investment, and is obviously very advantageous to Disney as exemplified by an overwhelming majority of new rooms added to WDW over the past 20 years being linked to DVC.

I think the idea that Avatar coming to DL just because it sold a lot of tickets is everything wrong with current Disney. I mean, did it even really have a cultural impact? A diehard fanbase? I know not everything can be Harry Potter or Star Wars, but to this day I haven't met someone who has any Avatar merchandise, knows anything but the director's name, or has watched the movie more than once or twice.

It's not like I'm saying this ride is going to be bad by any means, but the fact that they expect it to succeed just because the IP sold a bunch of tickets one time is a little corporate-feeling to me.

V-Coaster: "I think the idea that Avatar coming to DL just because it sold a lot of tickets is everything wrong with current Disney."

Me: I think the reason they are pursuing the IP at DL is because it has been a successful addition to DAK. Also because its stories are rooted in other worldly environments -- a circumstance that lends itself to themed entertainment productions. You don't need to be a "diehard" fan of the James Cameron films to appreciate the grandeur of the Joe Rohde designed Valley of Mo'ara.

By the way, it seems like people are putting a lot of faith in theme park "graphics". There's a hot and heavy rumor flying around about a new attraction at Epic Universe's 'Dark Universe'. The rumor claimed it would be themed for the Creature From "The Black Lagoon" -- a really boring movie but a cool looking monster. Then someone noticed a graphic somewhere on the Universal property that featured the CFTBL "Gill Man" and the Bride of Frankenstein. This led some to conclude the new attraction might be a combo ride featuring both characters.

This despite the fact that the Gill Man has never been to Bavaria.

The rumor mill never stops milling.

@TH - Yes, rumor mills will never stop, but I do think there's some validity to the Creature from the Black Lagoon anchoring the new attraction reportedly associated with the recently filed permits for the following reasons beyond what you've already pointed out.

1. The Creature was featured at Monsters Cafe in USF and also makes a brief appearance in Monsters Unchained. While he's undoubtedly a peripheral character in the Dark Universe IP, he has a decent amount of history, and those of us of a certain age will never forget going to the local convenience stores to pick up 3-D glasses (red/green style) to watch the rerelease of the movie in 3D on broadcast TV.
2. There were confirmed reports from inside UC that they were developing a boat-based attraction for Epic that was cancelled due to budget cuts.
3. While Fyre Drill is a water-based attraction, it's not the water-based dark ride that is rumored here, so this rumored concept would compliment the existing park lineup.
4. While the Creature has never appeared in a Bavarian setting on film, he's clearly present in Monsters Unchained. Dark Universe itself, while architecturally distinctly consistent with Frank's, Dracula's, and the Wolfman's origins in Central Europe, it also features other characters beyond those top 3 guys like the Phantom of the Opera, Invisible Man, and The Mummy that hail from other regions with very different architectural styles.

Yeah, I think there's actually something to the Creature/Bride rumor... but I do not think it will be a boat ride, which was the original rumor.

@Russell: I'm not saying they won't make a Gill Man attraction. I'm saying the claim that it will be a Gill Man, Bride of Frankenstein mash-up because of a piece of promotional graphic art seems like a stretch.

@Russell thanks! Do you think Avengers, Coco, and Avatar will all be opened by the LA Summer Olympics? Or at least 1 or 2 of them?

Unless Avatar becomes a very small, simple retheme of existing space/buildings, I highly doubt anything associated with that IP would be ready by Summer 2028. Coco has just started ground work with the moving of the perimeter road and backstage spaces to make room for the attraction. It sounds like the attraction is relatively simple and straight forward (and reportedly very short a la Na'Vi River Journey), so it's plausible that might be done in time for summer 2028 assuming an aggressive approach to the project timeline - I think if you're planning a trip to LA for the Olympics, you should not get your hopes up for Coco so that you can be pleasantly surprised if Disney can get it open by July 2028. I was in the park in mid June, and they were starting to close in the building on what will house the Stark Flight Lab (Kuka Arm attraction). Given the progress there, I think it's possible that attraction might open sometime in mid/late 2027. Also, given the description and drawings of the attraction, it's based on existing technology in a setting that should be relatively straight forward to test and calibrate. However, Infinity Defense is another story, and given that Disney has indicated it will be a motion base attraction, it could take a lot longer to come online. That attraction footprint is further back in the construction zone behind the Stark Flight Lab, so it's hard to see what the progress is on that portion of the project. When the Avengers expansion was announced, Infinity Defense was spoken about more vaguely than the Stark Flight Lab, so I think it's reasonable to assume that it will open a bit later, unless Disney absolutely feels that both attractions need to open together to complete Avengers CAMPUS. I think they're probably shooting for both attractions to be open by the end of 2027 and early 2028 at the latest.

However, I don't think there's necessarily any kind of advantage or push for Disney to adjust their project timelines for the Olympics. They didn't do anything special for the World Cup, which is arguably just as big of an event, though spread across the entire continent and not primarily focused in the city. I think while Disney might lean a bit into the Olympics for some cross-promotion, I don't see a major push or demand for Disney to accelerate project timelines for the event.

I agree with @Russell -- an "experience" could be anything. Although, if I recall I think from the moment Bob Iger made an announcement after the success of Way of Water, they've always called it an "experience."

I think the Zootopia rumors have more credibility than the average blade on the rumor mill, since as far as I can tell they are coming from a former Imagineer. Is it possible Avatar still happens, but in a new area? Maybe. Does Zootopia (if it happens) get fast-tracked? Ehhh.

All in all I am happy the Avatar experience is still on the map for DCA, but am curious how it's implemented.

I never bought the rumor that Avatar had been outright canceled for DLR. However, I do think it's very possible that plans have shifted from what they originally were, which could be anything from simply pushing back the timeline to significantly redesigning the area (as reportedly happened to the Villains Land project). I'm also not convinced this is everything Disney is working on, so I would by no means say this rules out the possibility of Zootopia also being in the pipeline for DCA. I suspect we'll learn more at D23 later this month about both the reconfirmed projects and new projects that have yet to be announced, which may or may not line up with the speculation of the fans.

TH- Your response sums up exactly what I was saying. Pandora was a success because it was incredible artistically, not because of the movie Avatar. And the positive guest response is probably the leading reason it's coming to DCA.

But if Disney, with Pandora, has proved that they can make a successful land off of an IP that nobody cares about, then why should they use Avatar again as opposed to an IP that actually fits in DCA? Why not use something California-related?

V-Coaster: "Why not use something California-related?"

Me: Like what, exactly?

Ideally: An original IP, obviously

Realistically: An IP that could theoretically take place in California or a version of it (like how Avengers Campus is themed to an avengers base in California)

Actually: An IP that takes place on Pandora, which if you didn't know is nowhere near California.

V-Coaster: "(Avatar) ... takes place on Pandora, which if you didn't know is nowhere near California."

Me: Why wouldn't I know that?

@Russell, thank you for that information and response! Much appreciated! So if you had to guess, do you foresee both Avenger rides to be finished by Olympics, 2028?

TH- I said that for comedic effect, but whatever.

Now that I think about it, Up might be a good ride candidate for DCA, especially the first scene where you drift through the city. . . could be a relaxing way to get out of the heat. And a lot more Californian than Pandora.

I get it, Californians might want their own Avatar land, but honestly I wouldn't mind it too much in adventureland if it was tucked off to the side. No idea how they make space for it, but still an idea.

@AJHummel, when do you think the Avengers rides will open?