Disney theme park experiences are all about immersion and bringing guests into a another world, but I’m not sure they have ever gone this far before…
An internal casting call for “proprietors” (basically the leaders of each land in Disney theme parks) has gone out at Walt Disney World for Pandora: The World of AVATAR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
“Pandora: The World of Avatar is committed to becoming the most immersive and engaging land in the history of The Walt Disney Company. Through unparalleled storytelling, place-making and attention to detail, this role will be critical in leading and inspiring our Cast as they set the standard by which all other experiences are measured.”
The more interesting part is the basic job qualifications for the role, which include a proficiency in a new language…
“Ability to understand, articulate and teach Na’vi and Pandora culture and its connection to the Disney’s Animal Kingdom brand”
“Willingness to learn a new language: learnnavi.org”
“Inspire, educate and hold Leaders and Cast accountable to be an active participant in an immersive experience”
“Develop and deliver a plan to premier Pandora: The World of Avatar as the most immersive experience ever accomplished”
Now, I’m not the biggest fan in the world of the AVATAR film, but this even sounds exciting to me. Could you imagine a theme park land that requires every cast member “living” in it to actually know and be a curator of the history and culture of the mythical realm they work in? Seems like the kind of storytelling you always hope for as a guest.
Regardless, the fact that this casting call has gone out also means that Pandora: The World of AVATAR can’t be that far way from finally being completed and that we are very likely well under a year away from the grand opening (or maybe even soft openings) for this new theme park land.
Fi’u lu fitxan nihek!
Even though it will definitely be beautiful when finished i am not even a bit interested in Avatar.
I wonder if there is a hugh Avatar fanbase among Disney fans?
Well they’ll have about 45 years to learn it so no problems there.
So they like a fictional culture more than real ones? Do Cast Members from “It’s a Small World” greet you in different languages? Do they greet you in Danish when you go to the Little Mermaid, Ariel’d Grotto of Frozen Ever After? Do they greet you in French when you go to Enchanted Tales with Belle?
But ah, we should protect the invented gurgles from that boring movie. Just make it pretty and stop with the nonsense.
Nonsense is right. Makes you wonder if this will be the built in excuse for when the attraction does not to open when predicted, again. Think about it, Disney has a long history of over promising and underestimating when it comes to new attractions and refurbishments. A more recent example is Rivers of Light which was supposed to open in March then April then “late summer” but here we are one day short of October and the thing still isn’t open, come on, it’s not even a ride and it’s already 6 months past due! So, this language/culture thing is a perfect set up for when Avatar is late, and it will be, because all they’ll do is fall back on something like “sorry for the delay which is caused by cast members not being able to learn a new synthesized language quickly enough, thank you for your patience”.
Have you ever been to Animal Kingdom? Well, I’ve worked there so I’ll tell you, CMs in Africa and Asia are required to greet in appropriate languages and highly, highly encouraged to use other small phrases, as well. ALSO CMs at the Beauty and the Beast portion of New Fantasyland DO greet in French. And of course not to mention World Showcase at Epcot. So don’t judge something you don’t even know about. Disney actually does a really great job portraying other real-world cultures and engaging and education guests about those cultures. (And also, the Little Mermaid is never canonically said to be set in Denmark, people just assume it is because that’s where the original tale is from but the Disney movie has no canonically specific locale.)
Well said Brenna .
Ummm, not true Brenna. Disney exploits cheap labor from Asia and Africa to come work in these areas, not that they ‘hire the best’ and teach them languages. They’ll hire you at Epcot world showcase, and slap a badge on your with a different country than where you’re from. I can’t tell you how many Puerto Rican friends of mine work in all the different countries, which ever ‘looks closest’ to their skin color. Disney couldn’t give a rats ass about culture. Only about the PERCEPTION of it, which you obviously buy into. They treat many of their interns from other countries less than kindly, requiring 60-80 hour/week and mandatory over time. A good way to get very young and very cheap labor, and require them to stay in Vista Way which is a total dump.
This is good news for it’s opening in the 1st half of next year.
I love the ones who come on these sites and have negative posts. I usually have a wait a see attitude. Most who post are Universal losers anyway. All they have is Harry Rotter..
And I love people that come on here that criticize anyone saying anything less than absolutely positive and accusing them of being “Universal Losers.” You must be some pathetic Disney lackey that trolls Disney fan pages because they know people are less than excited for Avatar. Go back to your rat boss Dick Dauphinais.
These Disney employees like Richard need to get out of the office to work to improve the parks. If Disney have a hundredth concern about their failing product as they do their image online and in media, there wouldn’t be so many comments you find disfavorable (but honest)
Fìfmawn anawm lu! Tìkangkemìri, Zene fko tsun pivlltxe sì kivar lìʼfya leNaʼvi! (This is great news! To work, one must be able to speak and teach the Naʼvi language!)