There has been a lot of online chatter about the future of the area currently surrounding Monsters, Inc. – Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! at Disney California Adventure. Much of this came after Disney announced that it was pushing back the closure of this attraction by a year. After this announcement was made, speculation ran rampant about why this was.
The Backstory
Several members of the Disney media were invited to be a part of a meeting with Disneyland Resort leadership where this news came from. This included then-President of the Disneyland Resort Thomas Mazloum. In this meeting (more about this meeting here), it was revealed that the thought process behind this change was the recognition that Disney California Adventure needs as many things for young families to do as possible and that the closure of Monsters, Inc. could be pushed back by a year without having to change their ultimate internal timelines for the new Avatar land. This comes as Disney is trying to focus on making the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort accessible for young families. This could be seen in both resorts’ summer promotional campaigns, Cool KIDS’ Summer and Kids Rule Summer.
The Speculation
Despite the thought process behind this change in the closure date for Monsters, Inc. being shared, fans continued to guess at what might be the “real” reason behind this change. One of the most popular theories was that the upcoming Avatar land would be replaced by something like Zootopia at Shanghai Disneyland. This has not been officially substantiated by Disney in any way. Instead, the Disney Parks Blog and Disney Experiences website continue to show Avatar coming to Disney California Adventure.
Doubling Down
This week, Disney seemed to double down on the future of Avatar at the Disneyland Resort. In an earnings call hosted by Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, it was again shown that Avatar is included in the plans for the future of The Happiest Place on Earth. It was listed among other new experiences coming to the Disney Parks & Resorts. For the Disneyland Resort, this also included the Avengers Campus expansion and future Coco attraction. As can be seen in the graphic above, the Avatar addition is being referred to as an “Avatar Experience.”
The Avatar Experience
Ultimately, when it is completed, this Avatar Experience will include a water ride. After the attraction was described at the 2024 D23 – The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Imagineer Ali Rubinstein shared on the Disney Parks Blog that 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 will be an attraction that will be a “dynamic, intense and emotional experience on a grand scale,” Rubinstein shared.
The question about if Avatar will be coming to the Disneyland Resort will ultimately be put to rest next week at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. It would be unsurprising if news was shared during Horizons: Disney Experience Showcase about the future of this area of Disney California Adventure.
What do you think of this doubling down on the Avatar Experience coming to Disney California Adventure? Do you think this puts this issue to rest? Do you think Disney will release more details about this area of the Disneyland Resort next week during Horizons: Disney Experience Showcase? If so, what do you think will be announced? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
