The oft-rumored and mentioned Avatar project coming to California Adventure became clearer at the D23 Expo. In this post, we’ll share the news from the Expo as well as our reaction and commentary!

As Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, guests will venture further into Pandora with a new destination at Disney California Adventure. While Pandora—The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is based on Oscar-winner James Cameron’s “Avatar” film, this new destination draws inspiration from “Avatar: The Way of Water” and upcoming Avatar films to bring Pandora to life in a brand-new way.

Ali Rubinstein joined Josh on stage to dive deeper into the new space including how guests will go on the adventure of a lifetime in search of majestic natural wonders that can only be found on Pandora and the beauty – and danger – that come along with the journey. This new and thrilling excursion will bring all the action, excitement, and wonder of Avatar, taking guests all the way to the wide-open seas of Pandora. 

This is going to be a dynamic, intense and emotional experience on a grand scale. Ready to explore this breathtaking experience worthy of these epic stories? 

Sivako!

Commentary

Of all the D23 Expo announcements, the Avatar project was one of the least surprising. Bob Iger mentioned an experience nearly 2 years ago and then this has been hinted at numerous times since then. With the passing of DisneylandForward in Anaheim City Council a few months ago, this announcement was more of a formality than mystery.

But what was included in this DCA expansion (I’m leaning towards calling it the Disney California Avatar of Adventure in honor jest, borrowing from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball team) didn’t clear many things up to me. For the record, that’s fine with me. These announcements are like movie trailers, if it shows too much or sets expectations somewhere else then it might spoil the project years before it’s actually revealed.

There are several rumors linked to this Avatar project, including where it might reside. The most prominent is in the current Hollywood Land. Soundstage 17 is cleared out and there is room to expand into the Disneyland Resort bus loop. That are of the park is in desperate need of an overhaul. With that said, I’m not sure that I’d like Avatar there. It’s in (Tony) stark contrast to the Hollywood streets and Marvel land right next to it. Part of the reason Pandora in Animal Kingdom works so wonderfully is because of the thoughtful transitions, giving the land room to breathe.

I’m hopeful that this expansion is in one of the new zones that DisneylandForward pushed through. Of course, that would mean that the debut would be years away but we’re used to that when it comes to Avatar projects in theme parks 😉

The other, shall we say, substantial rumor when it comes to this expansion is that the attraction will use the Shanghai Pirates of the Caribbean ride system. Frankly, I buy that. If Pandora in Animal Kingdom showed us anything it’s that Disney and James Cameron are committed to making these lands beautiful and state-of-the-art. The unique and imaginative ride system fits that bill. It’s only a matter of time before that innovation is copied over to a stateside park and using it here makes sense.

Turning away from rumors and to what was actually announced, there’s not as much to discuss. Having two unique Avatar is exciting in that I’ll always cheer for unique experiences over copies. I don’t care much about the Avatar movie franchise but was one of the people that contributed to the billion plus dollar box office for both films. Avatar: Way of Water is a gorgeous movie. I think the franchise is unique in how it can be conceived into a theme park.

Will it end up fitting into California Adventure? To be honest, I’m not sure what does fit in there anymore. The last 8 years have made DCA into a hodgepodge of different lands. Some of it works thematically but some of it really doesn’t. I doubt adding Avatar will help that in any meaningful way but it probably won’t hurt much either. As I mentioned, I have some questions about transitions but we’re way too early in the process to think about that.

In the coming months and years, the Avatar expansion will become much clearer. While the few details and concept art we’ve been given are exciting, there’s plenty of questions left. But I am excited and bullish on the project. Imagineering, Iger and Cameron have earned that with the success of Pandora. It’s exciting to see what they’ll come up with this time around!

Are you excited for Avatar coming to California Adventure? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Disneyland? Check out our Planning Guide here. Looking for discount tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!