Avatar Way of Water Additions at Disney World & Flight of Passage Update Rumor
In celebration of Avatar: The Way of Water making its theatrical debut on December 16, Walt Disney World is getting new entertainment, food, and merchandise. Those aren’t the only additions that might be on the horizon for the Avatar sequels, as James Cameron wants to see updates to Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom. This post covers the (official) news as well as Cameron’s pitch to Bob Iger about the future of Pandora (which I guess is best filed under “rumor”).
First, there’s going to be a bunch of Avatar: The Way of Water merchandise making its way to Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, and shopDisney. Everything from books to LEGOs to Spirit Jerseys will be sold in the parks & resorts…and, judging by some of the items, will be available at the Disney Character Warehouse Outlet in early 2023!
Second, there are a few new food items inspired by “Avatar: The Way of Water” making their way to Satu’li Canteen in Disney’s Animal Kingdom on December 16, 2022. The Metkayina Mousse is a flourless chocolate cake with chocolate mousse, decorated with raspberry gelee, mango coulis, boba pearls and finished off with a milk and white chocolate garnish.
Continuing with other new Satu’li Canteen cuisine, there’s the colorful Ocean Moon Bowl is made with tuna, blue noodles, watermelon radish, pickled daikon, rainbow carrots, avocado, cucumbers and red cabbage with a miso and sweet soy drizzle.
Wash it all down with the new Ilu Splash Margarita which is a mix of kiwi Monin syrup with lime juice, sour mix, Corazon Tequila Blanco, and a floating slice of Kiwi.
Saving the best for last, there’s going to be a Tree of Life Awakening with an all-new experience inspired by Pandora – The World of Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water. Produced by Lightstorm Entertainment in collaboration with Disney Live Entertainment, this new story sequence illuminates the park’s iconic Tree of Life with the magic of nature.
If you have enjoyed walking through the Valley of Mo’ara and other experiences at Pandora – The World of Avatar in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, you’ll want to check this new Tree of Life Awakening out once the sun sets. This Avatar: The Way of Water inspired offering runs for a limited time beginning December 12, 2022.
Above is a sneak peek of this Tree of Life Awakening inspired by Avatar: The Way of Water.
No word on what happens with the Tree of Life Winter Awakenings once this starts. Our guess is that this joins the rotation–rather than replacing those Christmas-time additions–with all running simultaneously. Of course, that’s just a guess, and we could be wrong.
As a general matter, it’s nice to see Walt Disney World getting some of that sweet, sweet studio marketing budget. This is common at Disneyland, and has been happening a lot in Avengers Campus, recently. For a variety of reasons, Walt Disney World management often declines “free” (to them) promotional pushes, but they probably didn’t have much of a choice here since Animal Kingdom is the “Avatar park.”
Beyond that, I’m really excited to see Avatar: The Way of Water in theaters. It seems like we’re the only 2 Americans who didn’t see the original in theaters, and it definitely didn’t hit quite the same way on our television at home. Sarah isn’t looking forward to it as much as I am, but I’ve learned better than second-guessing James Cameron and am thus giving the benefit of the doubt and assuming this is going to be an awesome cinematic experience.
Finally, in an interview with Variety while doing the usual press tour to promote Avatar: The Way of Water, the magazine asked director James Cameron about Pandora – World of Avatar in Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Specifically, they asked whether the land might get a water ride to tie-in with the sequel.
The director didn’t answer that directly, probably because no future physical expansion of Pandora is contemplated at this time. However, Cameron did proactively state that “When Bob Iger came back a couple weeks ago, I did send him an email and say, ‘You know, we can do Avatar 2 and 3 motifs and put them into the physical hardware of Avatar Flight of Passage.”
Cameron indicated that Bob Iger “liked that idea” but also that nothing has been decided. “We would like to carry that along and update [Avatar Flight of Passage] from time to time with things that flow back out of the new movies. Because I think there’s a good synergy between the physical base where you can go and just kind of meditate and be on Pandora and how the movies progress the story and bring in new imagery,” explained Cameron.
For those of you who are newer to the Walt Disney World fandom (or for anyone who might’ve forgotten), here’s a quick refresher about the “saga” of Pandora – World of Avatar being built at Animal Kingdom. Way back in September 2011, there was a surprise press conference at Walt Disney Imagineering and accompanying announcement by Bob Iger of a long-term creative partnership with James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment to bring the fantasy world of AVATAR to life in the Disney Parks (plural), beginning at Animal Kingdom.
This announcement was almost certainly made prematurely due to rumors and reports hitting the mainstream media that such a relationship was being formed. For two years after that, there were persistent rumors that the so-called AVATAR Land would never actually be built, had been scaled back, or would be a single attraction. Much of this was predicated upon James Cameron’s “perfectionism” and difficulty between the parties in agreeing on the scope and scale of the land and its attractions.
From the beginning, we were on board with Avatar coming to Animal Kingdom–despite it being absolutely vilified as off-theme among the park’s purists. Our rationale for this was simple: James Cameron is a perfectionist, and if the rumors were to be believed, he would hold Disney to its own high standards and ensure that Imagineering had the budget to do the land justice.
Keep in mind, these rumors pre-date the opening of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Cars Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and so much more. At the time, it had been a ‘dark decade’ for expansion at Walt Disney World. Very different circumstances as compared to today. (I was also excited because I felt Avatar provided a beautiful ‘universe’ to explore, offering a great canvas for Imagineering to build an incredible land, even if the movie itself was forgettable.)
All of this is mentioned because if there’s anyone who could muscle through an update to a relatively new attraction that’s still incredibly popular–and thus would not receive changes otherwise–it’s James Cameron. There were rumors at the time that he had a lot of creative control and power over Pandora–and that’s more or less been confirmed since. Pretty much nothing happens involving Avatar at Animal Kingdom without the approval or involvement of Lightstorm. This extends right down to marketing material, merchandising, and food & beverage.
While I don’t think there’s any possibility of Pandora expansion right now, I do think that Avatar Flight of Passage updates are a different story. I’d still put the chances at under 50%, but they’d be around 0% in the absence of James Cameron.
With that said, I absolutely do not think this should happen. For one thing, budgets are finite. An update to Avatar Flight of Passage is well beyond the scope of normal studio marketing budgets for a new movie–even a blockbuster one like Avatar: The Way of Water. (That explains the new Tree of Life Awakening and everything else coming to Animal Kingdom, but not a new attraction video.)
Animal Kingdom is further removed from its last expansion phase than any other park, and it’s now becoming clear that the park needs more help. If you don’t like the Moana and Zootopia concepts that were floated at D23 Expo, fine. But it needs something–that’s both a practical and business reality. Allocating budget to an Avatar Flight of Passage update is a waste of money–the ride is still recent and popular, and doesn’t seem dated. Outside of diehard fans, a new ride video will not move the needle on vacation bookings or time spent in the park.
Beyond that, I would be concerned about any attempts to ‘enhance’ or otherwise change Pandora – World of Avatar, and that includes Flight of Passage. Part of the land’s “surprising” success stems from the collaborative efforts of Cameron’s team with Joe Rohde’s team. The latter is now gone, and I’m highly skeptical that anyone at Imagineering can thread the needle in quite the same way, making Avatar such a seamless fit in Animal Kingdom.
Beyond that, Avatar Flight of Passage is one of those attractions that captures lightning in a bottle. On paper, the ride concept is only okay–essentially Soarin’ on steroids. A crowd-pleasing attraction type, to be sure, but not one that is this good or well-received. A huge part of its success goes beyond the visuals, and comes down to the pacing of Flight of Passage. This might sound ridiculous, but the cadence of the ride is pitch-perfect, mixing mild thrills with breathtaking scenery and moments of quiet reflection. It’s a majestic flight, and resonates so well with guests because of that.
With all of that said, if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s never bet against James Cameron. Time and time again, he has proven the critics wrong, and has done the seeming impossible. That’s true when it comes to the Pandora land at Animal Kingdom, and could be with both a Flight of Passage ‘sequel’ and with Avatar: The Way of Water. To that latter point, I’ll leave you with the following words of wisdom:
Friendly reminder to stock up on diapers before the Avatar-induced shortage next week, fam. pic.twitter.com/nqGHjIyO5n
— Tom Bricker (@Tom_Bricker) December 7, 2022
Yes, that’s a real quote. As we’ve said time and time again, never bet against James Cameron. If anyone can make you defecate your pants in a movie theater (while your mouth is open, for some reason), it is him. Consider yourself warned.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited to see Avatar: The Way of Water in theaters this Christmas? Will you wait until it’s released on Disney+ or do you not care at all about all things Avatar? Happy to see promotional tie-ins in Animal Kingdom with the new movie? What about the possibility that Avatar Flight of Passage will be updated with tie-ins to this and other upcoming Avatar sequels? Do you agree or disagree with my assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Hey Tom! Longtime fan and Figment Fan here! I was wild about Flights of Passage, but was only able to ride it once because we can usually only afford a trip every 5 years or so.
Here’s my question, and you may have answered it before (apologies if I missed it!) With the “motorcycle” style rides getting more popular (for good reason!), my mom has some pretty severe hip/arthritis/sciatica problems. When we rode it shortly after the ride’s debut, she was barely able to swing her leg over to get on the cycle. With Tron coming soon, and since it’s been quite a few years, her problems have gotten worse. She’s barely able to lift one leg more than a foot (on a good day), and she said that while she enjoyed the ride, it was too painful to get on and off. Do you know how WDW handles situations like this? I didn’t notice if riders in wheelchairs or scooters were able to participate. But surely Disney has come up with a way for everyone, even those with limited mobility, to enjoy these rides! We don’t plan on visiting again for some time (just got off the Carnival Mardi Gras — and you’re right — it was COLD down there! But there’s always a chance she’ll surprise me with a trip to my favorite place in the world! Any advice or info on this issue would be amazing. Keep in mind, she is able to walk and is too proud to use a scooter, so she chooses to drink her pain away at Epcot/DHS/AK. Thanks I’m advance, and I’m rooting for an awesome new Figment ride right there with you — I think Seth Roger has matured enough to really make it a winner again.
Not a fan of Avatar or the rides. The land is pretty at night if you like oil slick colors but is dull during the day. I always rather liked Dinoland when it first opened. I remember those old roadside carnivals and think of it as a playful place.
Knowing you’re a larger than average sized person, wouldn’t one check to see if they fit on the ride first? They have a replica of the seat/ride in front for people to test out.
Man, Tom, I super respect your blog and you are my number one visit for Disney Park content- like, I go to DW once (a minimum) or twice/thrice (a maximum) yearly (chaperoning school trips not withstanding), and read your blog daily.
I am now a HUGE fan of Flight of Passage, and let me tell you why: I also, as recent critics have said, “never bet against Cameron,” but I was always nonplussed by _AVATAR_.
However, this last year (June 2022), when I rode FOP (more so than River Journey, which I originally appreciated and enjoyed more than FOP because of technical achievement), I all of a sudden appreciated _AVATAR_ more than ever before: as a discussion of the interaction between environment and population, and I had even done the attraction quite a few times before. This year’s FOP ride literally helped me appreciate _AVATAR_ in this fashion, far more so than the movie did; I rewatched the movie in theatres during its rerelease this year because of this appreciation and loved it far more than I did a decade ago (I tried multiple times to rewatch it since, but until this June’s FOP revelation, I always turned it off.).
I still haven’t eaten at the Canteen, but, man, I am looking forward to the new movie, and also welcome whatever WDW does with it.
Always appreciative of your blog, which I always use to plan vacations from attractions to lodging to food.
Yes, Avatar the land is more memorable and impressive than Avatar the movie. That being said, yes I have tickets to see it in IMAX 3D. Like you, one should never underestimate James Cameron’s ability to deliver something new in the way of cinema.
Must say that I went on Flight for the first time this summer and found it blurry and a bit boring – Soaring has much more emotional connection for me. (Something about the Soaring soundtrack and seeing the California version first after a trip thru the state).
As for that Cameron quote – I was desperate for a pee whilst on FOP as it went tech for ages at the last stages of the queue – i very nearly needed those diapers.
I recommend seeing Avatar 2 in 3D and on the best screen you can (IMAX, Dolby, etc.). You’re not going for the movie, you’re going for the experience.
We didn’t see the first Avatar in theaters either. And I actually didn’t even see the end until last night (less than a week before the new one comes out). I’d previously only made it through the first two hours. As far as the ride, we love FOP and it’s the only ride we are willing to wait that long for (an argument might be made for Guardians when real lines start). I do not think it needs a refresh at all, but it has been blurry lately. I thought it was me. I didn’t realize others had experienced that.
As far as DinoLand, I am a HUGE fan of Moana and I would love to see it there, but why hasn’t anyone suggested Black Panther? Wasn’t the first one post-merger? I could definitely see that drumming up some new business for Animal Kingdom. Just saw part 2 last night so it was on my mind.
Black Panther is a non-starter in FL due to the Marvel theme park rights issue, unfortunately. Very, very few properties can be used in WDW because of Universal owning them east of the Mississippi, that’s why Guardians gets flogged to death here (it’s one of the only ones they can use in FL).
Most of my family were close to vomiting after riding Flight of Passage, so I guess in a literal sense pooping our pants would be a “next level” experience.
Also, while I highly doubt I’ll self-defecate, at over 3 hours of runtime and with all that onscreen splishing and splashing there’s a decent chance a little pee will come out at some point. But I’ll keep my mouth closed so nobody suspects. (shhhh)
“Most of my family were close to vomiting after riding Flight of Passage, so I guess in a literal sense pooping our pants would be a “next level” experience.
Also, while I highly doubt I’ll self-defecate, at over 3 hours of runtime and with all that onscreen splishing and splashing there’s a decent chance a little pee will come out at some point. But I’ll keep my mouth closed so nobody suspects. (shhhh)”
I am dying laughing at this comment. Thanks !!!! LOLOL I’ll be there in 26 days, and can’t wait for the same experience. LOL
We love Flight of Passage so much! I agree is could certainly use some updating. It seems that the last few times we have ridden it, that is is blurry. I pray they get that resolved. Our two sons were saying how awesome it would be if each rider had some VR goggles. That would be amazing for sure! We love Pandora and love FOP! God bless!
I completely agree. I was on it for the first time in August and was very disappointed in the quality of the video. Completely detracted from what could be a good ride. Maybe it was a combination of old glasses and poor video but it made me wonder why people love it so much. I went on it a second time to make sure what I saw was correct and it was just as bad.
An update to Flight of Passage is warranted to make is more accessible – ESPECIALLY given the movie plot!!
Isn’t it pretty accessible at this point? I thought all of the original issues for larger-sized guests occurred during soft openings/previews and the restraints were subsequently modified. Are there still major issues?
Agree, I saw a message board post just a couple weeks ago of a family that waited in a 2 hour line only to find out one person’s size was not compatible with the restraints.
As for the broader question, 100% agree a video update is ridiculous. Nobody walks off Flight of Passage feeling it needs a refresh. However even my 10 year refuses to set foot in DinoLand because it is an embarrassment.
I’m assuming Heather was referring to accessibility for those with mobility issues (like Avatar’s wheelchair-bound main character Jake Sully) vs. accommodating larger-sized guests. But I have no idea what measures are in place to assist those who can’t clamber onto the back of the “Banshee” ride vehicle.
I’d say it’s on brand considering the original movie featured the disabled main character magically getting a abled body. Pandora-the-Land is better off continuing to ignore the questionable storylines of the film franchise, imo.
I would say that Flight of Passage already is Avatar 2 themed. There are a lot of sequences in the ocean, that was nowhere to be seen in the first film. When I saw the trailer I thought they were already at work on the second film when FoP was being built and they already had added synergy between the two.
I don’t see the need to update it already.
That’s also what I thought.
It would seem that James Cameron either disagrees…or it’s been so long since he’s been on it that he forgot. I’m going to go with the former since he proactively brought it up in the interview–and to Bob Iger.
Speaking of Soarin, that’s the movie that should be replaced.
Completely agree! I miss the OG Soarin’ around California. So much better than Around the World!
Seeing all those pictures with Tom Staggs with James and Joe. What could have been if he wasn’t ousted…
we didn’t see avatar in theaters either, any of the 6 times it was in the theaters.
my husband just wants True Lies put out on blu-ray.
That tweet. So good.
I don’t think Flight of Passage needs any help. The video need attention though the quality is a bit off now in parts. I’d like a third attraction in the area, but I know that is out of question with other matters needing attending to in DAK. We have our diapers ready for Thursday.
I agree with your budget thoughts, Id rather the money be put towards diorama or an expansion. As for the movie, Im actually looking forward to seeing the movie. I saw the original at home and not in the theater (though we have a nice home theater), but this might be worth the 3d experience.