On November 13, Disney officials attended the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo. The IAAPA expo is the largest expo held for the theme park industry. And it’s not just traditional theme parks like Disneyland or Universal Studios. Owners and CEOs of aquariums, zoos, and more travel to Orlando, Florida, for the massive event.
During the Expo, it was shared on social media that Disney had announced a location for the new Avatar experience that they are planning on bringing to Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. They said that the experience would be located in Disney California Adventure Park.
NEWS: During the Walt Disney Imagineering Lunch & Learn at IAAPA Expo, it was revealed that the Avatar “experience” will be located at Disney California Adventure Park.
NEWS: During the Walt Disney Imagineering Lunch & Learn at IAAPA Expo, it was revealed that the Avatar “experience” will be located at Disney California Adventure Park. pic.twitter.com/zfyPays9lH
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) November 13, 2023
The new Avatar experience was announced by Disney CEO Bob Iger back in February during an earnings call. Iger gave no details, but said that some type of Avatar-themed attraction would be coming to The Happiest Place on Earth.
Fans were thrilled when they thought more information was finally coming out involving the expansion of the Avatar universe. Unfortunately, we are now learning that the information shared on social media is not true.
Theme park reporter Scott Gustin — who also shared the news of the experience coming to DCA — said that a Disneyland official reached out and said that the information shared earlier today was untrue.
Update: A Disneyland official reached out earlier today to say there was no announcement made on behalf of Disneyland Resort regarding the location of the Avatar experience. It’s unclear exactly what was said during the panel – or if someone misspoke or someone misheard.
Update: A Disneyland official reached out earlier today to say there was no announcement made on behalf of Disneyland Resort regarding the location of the Avatar experience. It's unclear exactly what was said during the panel – or if someone misspoke or someone misheard. https://t.co/u30FDrbduM
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) November 13, 2023
So, as of right now, we are back to square one. We do not know what the Avatar experience will be or if Disneyland Resort will get its own version of Pandora. We also do not know if the “experience” will be a ride, a show, or something else. It is unknown which park the experience will be in — Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure.
It is even possible that Disney is planning on making the Avatar experience a part of its DisneylandForward expansion.
DisneylandForward is a massive expansion that Disney Imagineers are hoping to start work on in the next few years. There are still a lot of steps to be taken before work can begin, but Disney has shared more on what they hope to create in the biggest expansion since the opening of DCA in 2002.
According to Disney, if everything goes as they hope it will, there will be a total of sixteen new attractions — yes, 16 NEW ATTRACTIONS! Disney said that there will be five thrill rides, nine family attractions, two round rides, and an outdoor show. There was also paperwork submitted that indicated Disney may be planning to bring a Skyliner-type mode of transportation to the Southern California Resort.
Disney Fanatic will continue to keep readers updated if and when we learn more about the new Avatar experience, when it will start construction, when it will open, and where it will be located.
