When Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom launched Pandora – The World of Avatar, we knew we needed to make a visit all the way down to Orlando to test it out. After watching the “making of” movies on the finish of the Avatar film, I used to be unusually excited for an individual that doesn’t spend plenty of time in theme parks.
Since I’m not an enormous fan of rides, I hadn’t anticipated a theme park go to this a lot since our first time on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Common Orlando. However the theming and craftmanship appeared so intensive that I had excessive expectations.
Effectively, these expectations have been met and exceeded! Fingers down, we thought Avatar Flight of Passage was the very best journey at Animal Kingdom — heck, it’s positively the very best journey at Walt Disney World! It’s no shock this made it to the highest of the checklist for our greatest rides at Disney for teenagers too! (Though we haven’t had an opportunity to go to Galaxy’s Edge but.)
Pandora – The World of Avatar
However first, let’s look inside Pandora – The World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom — or Avatar land or Pandora land as some may name it. Opened in Might 2017, Pandora raised the bar and expectations for all future “lands”.
Once you enter Animal Kingdom and get to the central “Tree of Life”, cling a left and observe the crowds to Pandora – The World of Avatar. You’ll first encounter the Valley of Mo’ara and shall be instantly entranced by the floating islands and the eye to element given all through this part of the park.
It positively helps to have lately seen the film in order that every little thing has a little bit of a well-recognized look.
You’ll want to make a beeline for Avatar Flight of Passage as a result of that’s the place the strains are the longest. However don’t fear, it’s completely well worth the wait (I did inform you it’s the greatest journey in Disney World proper?)
Avatar Flight of Passage Experience Information
Every thing about Avatar Flight of Passage is superb from begin to end. Once we joined the queue (at 7:30 am earlier than the park was even formally open), we have been instructed to anticipate a 1.5 to 2-hour wait. I don’t suppose we stood nonetheless for longer than a minute or two the whole time and we completed the journey earlier than 9:00 am.
On a return go to, we purchased particular occasion tickets to Animal Kingdom After Darkish and we have been in a position to journey Flight of Passage a number of occasions in a row with zero wait — it was so well worth the ticket value! See this information for find out how to journey Avatar Flight of Passage with out the wait.
All all through the primary a part of the queue you’re busy wanting left and proper taking within the elaborate environment and the floating islands of Pandora.
As soon as you progress contained in the constructing, you’re greeted by the glowing vegetation of Pandora as you wind your approach by means of the obstacles of the road.
Quickly, you enter the lab and are launched to the scientific research of the world of Pandora. It helps to have seen the film right here as a result of it’s going to make much more sense.
Once more, the extent of element is gorgeous. Every thing seems like actual scientific samples and gear — particularly all the way down to the Na’vi “Avatar” floating in its tank.
In case you haven’t seen the film, the premise of the journey is that you’ll be linked to a Na’vi Avatar, similar to what occurred within the film. So you’ll be mentally linked with a Na’vi, taking up their physique as your individual. As soon as linked, you’ll participate within the coming-of-age ritual of using a banshee (a dragon-like creature.)
You’re taken into particular person rooms in teams and assigned a spot to face. You’re then “scanned” and matched with an Avatar. It’s a very cool expertise that’s just like a Kinect the place you see the define of your physique and also you see if you’re a “match.”
Subsequent, you’re shuttled into the subsequent room to see your Avatar match and given directions about using a banshee. If you end up entered the journey room, you first retailer your belongings in a cubby after which mount the journey car the identical approach you’d get on a bike.
In actual fact, in some methods it’s just like using a bike simulator arcade recreation that leans back and forth.
You lean ahead into the journey car and put in your flight “goggles” (3D glasses.) Nearly instantly, you’re immersed on this planet of Pandora. You simply neglect that you’re on a simulator journey as a result of the world offered in entrance of you is so actual.
In your flight, you dip and lean and “fly” throughout the attractive world of Pandora. The graphics are gorgeous and the journey engages almost your whole senses. As you fly previous water, you are feeling the spray of the mist.
As you cease within the nighttime forest, you may odor the air round you. However essentially the most superb impact is that once you pause, you are feeling the banshee respiratory beneath of you as you are feeling the stress pushing out and in in opposition to your legs. I’ve by no means skilled something prefer it.
As we exited the journey, all let’s imagine was “WOW!”
The one draw back was that I did get a bit of little bit of movement illness throughout a number of the flying scenes and wish to shut my eyes occasionally. It wasn’t that dangerous although as a result of I nonetheless rode the journey a number of occasions in a row once we did Animal Kingdom After Darkish.
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Satu’li Canteen
You could need to seize a meal on the Satu’li Canteen, positioned simply exterior of the Avatar Flight of Passage journey exit. I seen that they observe an identical expediting course of that I noticed in Common’s Volcano Bay.
First they’ve greeters handy you a menu and as soon as you decide, you’re directed to a cashier to put your order after which a station to select up your meals. It wasn’t crowded in any respect once we have been there however I think about this course of turns out to be useful at lunch and dinner when it’s crowded. Additionally they supply cellular ordering by means of the My Disney Expertise app.
We’ve got eaten each breakfast and dinner on the Satu’li Canteen and thought each have been excellent for theme park meals. A wholesome and attention-grabbing collection of choices with very beneficiant parts.
After fueling up, we headed out to check out the second journey in Pandora — The World of Avatar.
Na’vi River Journey
Sadly, the road on the Na’vi River Journey journey doesn’t transfer as shortly or is almost as entertaining as Avatar Flight of Passage. Fortunately, most of it’s shaded and often, the road isn’t as lengthy both, however you’ll want to keep watch over the My Disney Expertise app to examine for wait occasions.
This can be a quite simple journey and appropriate for all ages, however nonetheless a tremendous expertise. You’ll board a ship for a sluggish and peaceable cruise by means of the Na’vi River, the place you will note the glowing vegetation and creatures of the rainforest.
Then you’ll be entertained by the track of the animatronic Na’vi Shaman of Songs. The journey is over fairly shortly however it’s nonetheless a lot extra immersive than different Disney rides.
Afterward I heard some folks complaining concerning the journey not being well worth the wait however I used to be nonetheless impressed. You could not need to wait hours, however positively give it a strive.
Have a look for your self:
Ensure you give your self time to benefit from the different points of the Valley of Mo’ara, just like the Na’vi-built drum circle and totems that may be discovered all through the land.
And even should you come early to beat the crowds, you’ll want to discover time to return at evening to see the bioluminescent vegetation gentle up.
Suggestions for Visiting Pandora at Animal Kingdom
- Arrive early. Even when the park opens at 8 am, you’ll need to arrive by 7:30 am. Likelihood is, they are going to allow you to by means of the gates and you’ll be within the queue earlier than the park opens.
- Head straight to Avatar Flight of Passage — strains close to the opening will be as much as 270 minutes so you’ll want to hit this primary.
- Keep at a Walt Disney World Resort — it will get you the “Further Magic Hours” so you may have time in Pandora with fewer crowds. Though, proper now these further magic hours are from 11pm to 1am so it could not work as properly when you’ve got youthful youngsters.
- Buy a Lightning Lane move for Flight of Passage to shorten your wait.
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Word: We got one-day media passes to expertise the Disney Parks and facilitate this assessment. All opinions are my very own.
