Pandora – World of Avatar Spoiler-Free Review
Pandora – World of Avatar is the newest land in Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, and the largest addition in over a decade. In this review, we’ll take a spoiler-free (meaning no photos or pivotal attraction plot points) look at Pandora – World of Avatar, and whether it lives up to the hype.
Hype is actually an interesting word to use here. Is there really any? While no official cost has been released, Pandora’s price tag is in the hundreds of millions of dollars, easily north of $500 million. Disney has engaged in a marketing blitz for Pandora and some fans are quite enthused about the addition, but it does not seem to be garnering the same level of buzz as other recent additions.
This is at least somewhat surprising to me, as I’d hazard a guess that the only larger investments Disney has made stateside since the opening of Animal Kingdom are the Disney California Adventure overhaul and the NextGen initiative. I’d be surprised if Cars Land alone or New Fantasyland cost more, yet both generated more fanfare. It’s possible Pandora is overshadowed by the upcoming Toy Story and Star Wars Lands, perhaps people don’t care as much about the movie, or maybe, after almost 6 years of development, people are a bit burned out…
One thing still boggles my mind about Pandora, and that’s the dismissive attitudes I’ve seen from those who don’t like or don’t care about Avatar. Prior to the announcement of this land, it never would’ve crossed my mind that the source material for something in the facts could detract from enjoyment of the theme park experience.
When the original announcement of an “Avatar Land” was made in September 2011, like most people, I was puzzled. Even at that point, it appeared unlikely that Avatar had longevity. However, I felt it was pretty comparable to Splash Mountain–few guests have seen Song of the South, yet the attraction is beloved as a standalone experience. (Edit: others disagree, and I think the way Steve put it in the comments is a very fair point.)
Over time, I figured people would come around on this Avatar Land, much the same way. Seeing what and how Imagineering would integrate the environments of the movie into Animal Kingdom would convert people. To their credit, this has occurred with many Disney fans. It also has not occurred with a lot of others.
It’s as if many are entrenched in their initial hot takes from 2011 or are uninterested because they didn’t like or remember the movie Avatar. Think of it this way: would you enjoy Haunted Mansion less if someone made a long-forgotten movie about it? Because if you think you would enjoy it less in such a scenario, I’ve got some news for you…
If it would make you enjoy Pandora – World of Avatar more, just forget about the movie. Most people have. I cannot name a single character from it nor do I remember the plot. Aside from knowing that the characters in it looked sort of like “blue alien smurf kittens” (and I only know that because it’s become a running joke), I have no interest in Avatar.
Likewise, I have no interest in Harry Potter or Cars. Well, beyond Mater’s Tall Tales, but we can all agree that’s a national treasure and that the fact that it doesn’t have a showcase of awards basically invalidates the whole concept of awards.
I will say that I think the lingering question of “why Avatar?” remains one worth asking. I do have mixed feelings on this too, though. On the one hand, choosing a franchise with emotional resonance for some visitors undoubtedly makes for a more powerful experience.
Choosing one without relevance also makes for some potentially awkward connections in the land–places where you can sense a tie-in to something, but you’re not sure what or why. Thankfully, the instances of this in Pandora are fairly minimal. (It’s also worth noting that Avatar does have upcoming sequels planned, and while that’s become a bit of a running joke, I’d never underestimate James Cameron. It’s still within the realm of possibility that Avatar will become a huge franchise.)
On the other hand, I question whether choosing a popular franchise as the basis for a land presents the opportunity for theme park designers to rest on the IP’s laurels. With emotional attachment already established for some visitors, does the land have to be as good to be labeled a “success” in the eyes of those fans? The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the obvious example here, but I’d argue that it never even gets near this question, because its lands are so good.
If anything, Star Wars Launch Bay and its associated entertainment are more telling. Despite being total garbage, fans continue to eat that up for the chance to meet characters from the films and see Star Wars experiences. (To its credit, it appears that Star Wars Land will make Launch Bay, etc., look like that amateur-hour temporary entertainment that it is.)
Still, Launch Bay is an imperfect example because it’s not a land. As with the Wizarding Worlds, Cars Land is also a poor test because it’s actually good. I don’t think we’ll have a true test of this theory until Toy Story Land opens. The future of theme parks is clearly in lands of this type, but addressing these ‘theories’ head-on is probably well beyond the scope of this post. I’d better cut this tangent off now unless this review is going to broach 10,000 words…
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With way-too-much prefacing out of the way (have I lost you all yet?), we’ll start the review with the land of Pandora itself. I approached Pandora – World of Avatar with a blank slate, just as I’ve approached virtually every theme park area ever (unless you count the American Adventure, as I had visited America before visiting Epcot).
From that perspective, I really enjoyed Pandora – World of Avatar. By and large, the environments speak for themselves. There are some details that (I assume?) are lifted from the movie, but they also work in the land and add layers of detail and depth to it. Without any context, you can deduce the meaning behind these things, and I think they help add to the land’s mythos.
I do think that Pandora works well within the archetype of Animal Kingdom. When you think about it, the park is not primarily about animals. They are the MacGuffins or perhaps motifs–the impetus behind most attractions–but they are not the defining themes. Those are the culture and similar ideas of conflict, exploration, etc., addressed above.
All of those same themes are found in Pandora. It’s certainly not just a glorified commercial for the upcoming Avatar sequels, and it’s not even just a pretty place with floating mountains and blue aliens. There is an underlying culture and other themes to explore and almost all of this is not reliant upon the movie.
There’s a lot of subtext, and it can be gleaned mostly from paying attention to what you see throughout Pandora, not any familiarity with the movie. In fact, the spots where Pandora alludes to elements of the film actually resonate less with the guest, I think.
The places where Pandora – World of Avatar loses me are almost exclusively when RDA comes into the picture. Perhaps this is personal, but I’d like seeing that minimized even further, and more focus paid to Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE) and the Pandora Conservation Initiative. After all, the latter two better reflect the overarching message of Animal Kingdom itself.
There’s also just a lot of flat-out beauty. The Valley of Mo’ara is absolutely breathtaking and there is so much to see. It would appear that careful consideration has gone into crafting a faux ecosystem, and building that as it would appear in the natural world.
I guess you could say it’s a form of biomimicry, but with the design also being ‘natural.’ I don’t know if there’s a term for that, but Rohde and co. should coin one if not, as the environment they’ve created here is truly special. I’m not one for overwrought backstory, but I’d love to read something about what went into the design of Pandora’s ecosystem.
Suffice to say, Pandora is very good and works well within the context of Animal Kingdom. It really doesn’t have any analogue at Walt Disney World. For that type of comparison, I think it makes most sense to compare Pandora to stylistically-similar lands in other Disney Parks around the world. If there’s any “unique” perspective I can offer on Pandora, it’s probably this.
The lands I’d consider its closest counterparts are Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, Mysterious Island at Tokyo DisneySea, and Treasure Cove at Shanghai Disneyland. Really, Treasure Cove and Cars Land are the best comparisons, but everyone seems to love hearing whether something is “Tokyo DisneySea-quality” so I threw that last one in there to give the people what they want.
Setting aside the attractions in each land, there’s no question in my mind that Pandora is better than Cars Land and Treasure Cove. Pandora – World of Avatar has a level of 360-degree immersiveness and design that you just cannot find in the more linear styles of Cars Land and Treasure Cove.
This is not necessarily a knock on either of those lands–they’re both modeled after towns/villages and thus walking down a street makes sense in both. By contrast, Pandora is alien-nature, and embraces open-world exploration. There are paths criss-crossing the land, giving it a real choose your own adventure vibe. (It never becomes disorienting or confusing–the layout is great.)
The question about whether Pandora is DisneySea-quality is trickier. That park is a scenario where the whole is more than the sum of its parts, and cherrypicking elements of other parks and asking whether they are DisneySea-quality sort of misses the point. After all, Tokyo DisneySea has Mermaid Lagoon, which is a land full of dressed-up off-the-shelf amusement park rides for kids, and no one really bats an eye at that. If the bar is Mermaid Lagoon, a lot of stuff could technically qualify as DisneySea-quality.
With that caveat out of the way, I think Pandora has a level of detail on par with Tokyo DisneySea, and by that, I mean its better lands. Pandora reminds me a decent amount of Mysterious Island. I’m sure that is going to lose serious DisneySea fans, but stick with me…
Both lands chronicle humankind’s exploitation of land and the struggle between humans and nature. Both feature a large, iconic centerpiece. Both use largely mythical creatures and also illustrate themes of conflict and exploration. Both are based upon intellectual property with which their primary audiences are unfamiliar. 😉 Heck, both lands lack background music and instead use sound effects.
This is not to say I think Pandora is Mysterious Island’s equal. I don’t and it isn’t. Mysterious Island has a timelessness to it, sense of place, and quality that Pandora does not match. Mysterious Island is a pinnacle of Imagineering; one of the top 5 lands Disney has created anywhere in the world. With that said, I think Pandora is in the same league, and just the fact that this is a conversation says a lot about its quality.
The visual depth and beauty of the Valley of Mo’ara cannot be overstated. For practical purposes, this is the best “attraction” in Pandora – World of Avatar (and I mean attraction as a synonym for draw–I’m not trying to suggest Pandora “actually” has 3 attractions). It transports visitors to an alien planet for them to freely explore, offering a visual feast with many surprises along the way. (This is my take even before having seen Pandora at night.) On Page 2, we’ll review Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey…
I have tried about 3 times in past years but never get links for signing up????
Please send money saving tips for Disney and Pandora link to see the pictures.
Thanks so much for this! I was wondering — my husband and I are planning a weekend, 2-Day trip to Disney World before our first baby is born. We skipped the park-hoppers to stay on budget, and I’m having a hard time picking the park to visit (especially because I have to skip all the thrill rides)! Day 1 will Magic Kingdom. Do you think Animal Kingdom is preferable to Epcot because of Avatar Land? I love the World Showcase, but basically the only ride I can ride is Soarin’! Will Animal Kingdom have enough now to fill a whole day?
We book our fast passes soon and I’m trying to decide between the two pandora rides. I’m wondering if flight of passage will be too scary for my six year old. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks
I cannot think of anything that would be scary in Flight of Passage. It’s a majestic flight–slightly thrilling, but still fairly mild. Na’vi River Journey is peaceful, but in the dark (if that makes a difference).
The height requirement of Flight of Passage might be an issue, though.
I count myself among those who has never been able to generate excitement for Pandora: World of Avatar. I still refer to it as Bob and Jimmy’s Pandora-rama.
To you point about Haunted Mansion — I think there is a difference akin to the one highlighted by Steve on the topic of Splash Mountain. An old Haunted Mansion movie wouldn’t detract from the attraction now, but I think that is because the plot of the bride in the Haunted Mansion isn’t why people enjoy it. I think (and please disagree if you do!) Haunted Mansion resonates because the idea of ghost stories and haunted houses are so ingrained in the American imagination. And therein lies the difference with Pandora. I think you can enjoy the rides for their mechanics and detail, but forming a stronger connection with the land and rides necessitates an understanding and emotional connection with the story and characters. I take your point about Harry Potter and Cars, but I would argue the financial success of these lands and franchises is built on that emotional connection, not those who appreciate the mechanics without the veneer.
So, for me at least, what Disney has done is built a land around third-party IP instead of its own IP or some sense of Americana. That disappointment itself may be what dampens Avatar for me. That and, whether rational or true, it is all too easy for me to look at Universal and Harry Potter and imagine Disney execs opening up IMDB, seeing the Avatar receipts, and saying “sold!”
I will also fully admit that my knowledge of Avatar’s plot is largely lifted from a joke Julianne Moore tells in her guest spot on 30 Rock. However, I am curious if there is a colonization narrative at play. In a park with cultural focus, one that could be considered “closer to nature” (indigenous, perhaps?), I am curious how Avatar fits.
I went to the Pandora preview on May 20. I hate the movie Avatar, and I still enjoyed the land. I largely didn’t remember the movie at all since seeing the movie in the theater, aside from thinking it was a FernGully ripoff. I forced myself to watch the movie again before our trip. (it took me three sittings!) and it was, by and large, painful to get through. I think there’s still immense enjoyment to obtain from the land. It’s not very large, but it’s beautiful. I think the theming is well done.
I rode both attractions three times during our 2 hour preview. I thought Na’vi River Journey was quite boring the first time I rode it, and became progressively more boring with subsequent rides, so much so that I was falling asleep during the third time (my boyfriend wanted to film it!) The bioluminescence within the ride is pretty, but that does not change the fact that nothing is especially exciting within the attraction.
Flight of Passage is nothing short of a state-of-the-art, next-generation attraction. The technology involved is mind-blowing. I also felt that it takes Soarin’ limitations (which is my second favorite ride at WDW) and eliminates them. It adds in further elements that touch ALL the senses to make you feel as though you are actually immersed in the world of Pandora. I don’t want to give too much away, but you can see, smell, and FEEL as though you are in this world. It’s so cool, and I would also says it’s one of my favorite rides at WDW. (Nothing will ever top Tower of Terror for me!) Tom, I’m with you. I DESPISED the pre-show to the attraction. The videos and narrator are TERRIBLE. And it is WAY too long. It would make the actual ride not worth it if Flight of Passage wasn’t so spectacularly done. The queue is neat, but FOREVER long. I could easily see how it would take 5+ hours to get through the line if it is filled all the way to the entrance. It took 10 minutes just straight walking to get to the front of the queue to get on the ride with no wait. No way I would ever wait that long to get on an attraction, but it’s definitely worth a FastPass!
Avatar is one of the highest grossing movies of all time worldwide you shouldn’t dismiss it as not memorable so quickly
Look it up
Hi Tom, any chance of a top 10 lands (worldwide) list? I’m sure that’ll start some ‘friendly’ discussion​!
Thank you for the review! I found the announced addition of Pandora to be… puzzling.. but I’ve been more excited recently thanks to your posts. I’m sure it’s beautiful – I mostly don’t understand all the money spent to get just two attractions. Size-wise, is it similar to say MK lands, just more open space?
“I mostly don’t understand all the money spent to get just two attractions”
I have similar feelings about this, but it is becoming the ‘new normal’ for theme park additions. Cars Land and the Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter started this trend, and I don’t see it ending any time soon.
This might be kind of a moot point, but looking at a lot of the “Nav’i artifacts” I realized that a lot of them looked really similar to real Native American artifacts from the US and Canada. I understand that this is by design, as a part of the metaphorical storytelling of the Avatar movie. But it made me sad and made me think how much better it would be if this were a land that represented North America. Imagine a land that had attractions, rides, and landscaping themed on North American national parks (everglades, grand canyon, yellowstone, Denali…) and told real stories with real artifacts of the various native peoples from this continent. There could have been endangered animals from various parts of North America and it would make more sense and fit better with the existing Africa and Asia lands. Why did they go with a fake thing when the real thing would have been so cool?
Well, of course, the answer is that it would have been a political minefield and it probably would have been much more expensive to try to get rights to and show many different, real cultures, rather than just buy in one lump, a giant fake one. And, I suppose an entirely fake eco-system looks cooler, and brings in some of the fantasy-element Disney is famous for. Despite my comment on what I would have preferred to have seen, I’m still excited to see what Pandora is. I’m just not nearly as into it as I would be if it were something else.
Now, who do we call to get Disney to acquire the rights to LOTR and Narnia? If they’re going to be making totally fake ecosystems, we could at least get some cooler stories to go with them.
This plot of land at Animal Kingdom was always devoted to mythical creatures, probably because the team behind the park felt it would provide needed balance that could not be accomplished by another land based on an existing place (be it Australia or North America). I’d tend to agree with that.
Rumors have swirled about the theme park rights to Lord of the Rings for years, but to my knowledge, no one has been able to acquire them. From what I understand, there are multiple parties (including the Tolkein estate) that would have to sign off, and it just has not happened.
Just out of curiosity, is there space for another attraction or show & another restaurant if Pandora’s popularity justifies the build-up?
It’s at the perimeter of the park, so theoretically yes, but I highly doubt this will ever be expanded.
Great post! (as always) I am going to WDW the last week in August and the reviews have been making me a little nervous, but this has helped a lot. I remember Avatar is being very pretty, but kind of a meh movie. I also remember seeing it just because everyone else was seeing it. But something new at Disney is going to excite me and I am also looking forward to there being night time experiances
I LOVE HP, but I just can’t spend my Disney time at other parks as much as I would love to see it now (I went the month after the original opening). And my BF wouldn’t enjoy it so we are all Dicney on this trip
I have always loved AK, and never really considered it a 1/2 day park, but because of the hours it wasn’t a place you could leave and come back to. While I would be happy to just stay all day, the people I have gone with in the past (and who I am going with in the next trip) need to take a break in the middle of the day. Now I get a little more time to look at animals and the rest of the visuals in AK and still get to do everything. This trip we are going to get in around noon, so planning on going to AK 3-3:30 seeing Lion King, exploring Pandora I should be able to get FP+ for FoP then seeing Rol. Going back the next morning (early bf) and doing the rest of the park so we can leave around 2 – then if we wanted to go back again at night we could.
Also my it’s worth noting with my previously posted opinion that I am a huge Harry Potter nerd and will always feel Harry Potter is superior. ti answer your haunted mansion question as well the difference for me is that disney made that movie based on the ride. Ride came first. Avatar came before pandora so I feel my opinion of the movie should play a factor because that is my initial entrance to avatar. I also was one of the few who wasn’t especially impressed with the world in the movie to begin with so my previously stated opinion didn’t even have that to yep (I will give you the cinematography and the special effects were good but I still don’t want to see those creatures forever in Disney). The flight of passage sounds like a cool ride as does the boat ride but I can’t see myself wanting to waste a fast pass or wait hours for them. I did that for Harry Potter but that was Harry Potter.
Personally I am one of the people who dislikes this land because I dislike the movie. Frankly I think it is a very overrated film that will not stand the test of time (and don’t get me started on the notion that Hollywood believes avatar needs several sequels). To spend this kind of money on a project based on such a fickle film is just plain stupid. I for one don’t believe Avatarland would exist at all if they had been able to announce star wars land a few years earlier. What I’ve heard about the stuff at the land seems to feed the fact that Avatarland is part of the most overhyped film in cinematic history.
Visited during a preview time slot and experienced land and both rides. Never saw, nor wanted to see, Avatar (have caught parts on cable, not impressed and changed channel). Went in thinking that it would essentially be, for me, the same as if Imagineering randomly created the story and environment. That meant that I was conservatively optimistic. I saw conservatively because I was very unimpressed and disappointed with recent work in Orlando specifically. Test Track was better before, re-do made everything inside boring, Norway’s Frozen a total fail, even Little Mermaid had poor lighting design. I’m not against change. I like the tweaks from the movies made to Pirates. I’m just against downgrades and Disney efforts falling short of what they used to be able to do. All that said, Pandora was definitely a disappointment. Was the environment beautiful and lush? Yep. Any more beautiful than the rest of the park? Not really. I think AK overall is a beautiful park. ADA friendly? Nope. I can transfer, but I visit in a wheelchair. The old fashioned kind that has to be manually pushed/wheeled up hills. AK has a lot of them. Pandora? A land based on a movie whose main character is in a wheelchair. ADA friendly? Nope. No doubt it’s compliant (FlOP’s queue could be argued as borderline compliant), but AK’s design team has obviously always treated compliancy as a requirement not to be considered until the end of the design period, and then only to meet the minimum requirements. Overall, Disney is pretty good, as is Universal and SeaWorld. But they all have designers who, when they are in charge, make it obvious that compliancy was not embraced earlier in the design. And sometimes, it’s not the designers but operations. But that’s a different rant. For Pandora, just know going in that if you have mobility issues, it’s not a friendly space. At least for previews, both rides required you to transfer. Hopefully they have a wheelchair boat for the River ride hidden off somewhere for those that need it.
As for the two rides, B and C/D tickets. FlOP is not an E. Queue looks like they hired some folks from Universal to design it. Elaborate, detailed, probably means something if you saw the movie, incredibly long whether there is a line or not (and there wasn’t for preview, all walk ons). And pretty much all up hill. Try wheeling yourself up. Pre-show, uh, its, uh, how should I put it, uh, irritating. When I went to fill out the survey Disney sent, didn’t even remember that there had been a 2nd room. That’s how memorable it was. “Ride” itself felt like I was at an arcade. For the first minute or so, as the different physical sensory do-dads did their thing, there was brief “oh, that’s kinda cool” moments, but then it just sort of dragged on. I was on an arcade motorcycle watching a screen. And uh, is it over yet? Definitely not worth wheeling myself up the queue again for. I will say it was nice to go thru a Disney gift shop that did not have Star Wars merchandise.
River ride up next. I’m all for slow boat rides. It’s a Small World is my phone’s ring tone. River ride is air conditioned. And pretty. One nifty animatronic and what I guess is suppose to be the climax. But mostly it’s air conditioned.
Jeez. Are you always so negative? You sure would be fun to go to with to WDW.
I would like to suggest that WDW guests try to ignore their preconceptions based on the Avatar film. How many Disney guests, ever, have seen “Song of the South”? It was released 71 years ago, in 1946. I am 62 years old, and I have never seen it. Keep in mind that this is a film for which there are legitimate reasons to dislike. (There are reasons why it is the only Disney animated film not included on the “Disney Animated” app). And yet I, and millions of other people who have never seen (or even heard of) the movie love the theme and ride experience of Splash Mountain. And then there are all the attractions that (originally), such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Expedition Everest, Space Mountain, etc., etc., etc. Does not knowing the convoluted back stories developed by Disney make these attractions less enjoyable? What percentage of guests who love these attractions even know of these back stories? Also, this is not the first Disney attraction based on non-Disney IP (Tower of Terror, anyone? Any Aerosmith fans out there?), and many of those are guest favorites.
Unless you know that you will be creeped out by giant blue aliens, Pandora deserves to be judged on its own merits. Not relative to the film experience, not relative to Harry Potter, not relative to anything. I think that Tom has done a good job of reviewing the Pandora attractions in this manner.
OOPS! I meant to say “… all the attractions that (originally) had no film tie-ins…”
I was and still am creeped out by those aliens lol! Personally I am not a fan of avatar. As much as I want to like pandora I just can’t get myself to that point. I really wish they had used there money in other places that need it more
The problem is that A LOT of people have already seen Avatar and have opinions about it; it’s sold more tickets in US theaters than Return of the Jedi. Hopefully, Pandora: The Land of Avatar will be good enough that all the people who don’t like the movie will think that the attractions and area in general are that much better.
Not seeing a movie that is super old and still liking the RIDE is waaaaaayyyyyy different than hating a relatively recent movie not liking the LAND. The land looks like the movie Avatar, they have a similar lame story and they both have repulsive blue aliens. I have seen parts of Song of the South. It has great animation, cute characters and classic songs. I didn’t watch most of it and so didn’t see the racist parts but there were at least some good things about the movie that are in the attraction – whether people saw it or not. Good grief. Maybe it is accepted as “common knowledge” that Avatar was a beautiful movie- yeah, NO! I saw the commercials when it debuted and without knowing what the story/plot was, I had zero interest in seeing it. Why? because aesthetically, I didn’t like it. Eventually I did see it on tv a few weeks ago and I was right, that movie is lame every way you judge it and of course having a very negative view of the movie is going to influence how much one likes the land. People have emotions and aren’t robots, at least most aren’t.
I think you have a point about there being a difference between Song of the South and Avatar, but I wouldn’t be so quick to present your take on Avatar as common sentiment (and maybe that was not your intent?). With a 83% score from critics and 82% score from audiences, most people who saw Avatar liked it.
The issue, in my estimation, was that people liked it in theaters but Avatar has not really shown it has longevity as a franchise. It has a higher box office gross than any Star Wars film, but is nowhere near as “popular” in the mainstream.
My intent was to suggest that Avatar was thought of as a movie that was good to look at but that I thought the opposite. I did not like how the movie looked/looks. Visiting Disney and enjoying it, is much about how the lands look, at least it is for me. The land of Pandora looks like the movie, therefore I don’t think I will enjoy it much. You seem to equate detail with beauty, I do not. I prefer much more graphic design, that is why I think Future World in Epcot is the most beautiful part of WDW. That is not to say that I don’t enjoy more detailed lands, but the look of the land of Pandora just doesn’t excite me. It seems TOO detailed, too garish, way too fake, no authenticity or roots in something familiar….. I tend to think my tastes are not generally shared with many people, but maybe my tastes are shared by more people than I thought when it comes to Avatar.
To put my views succinctly, I strongly did not like the animation, look, or world of the movie Avatar and don’t see how a land based on that movie would be all that awesome. For me it would only be a novelty to see Pandora land and can’t imagine that I would want to spend much time there soaking in the atmosphere. That said, I will probably think the ride experience of Flight of Passage awesome if I ever get to try it out, but I am sure it will not because of the theme, but because of the technology, which they could have applied to something much better looking (IMO) and more engaging.
Thank you Tom & Sarah for your suffering for this post 🙂
Its sounds like it will be a very good immersive experience and I am glad of that due to the length of time its taken, and frankly the amount of disappointments (I feel) WDW regulars have had. (Throw a restaurant in – that will please them).
I look forward to seeing it in August – on a trip where we may not necessarily have gone to AK (I see what you did there Disney :-))
However my overriding thought with anything I read about Pandora is… imagine what Beastly Kingdom could have been.
I guess the reason I have been most mystified by the choice of Avatar for Animal Kingdom is the number of actual Disney movies that would fit “ANIMAL” kingdom perfectly. Here’s to you Lion King! Does anyone remember The Jungle book? Tarzan(how about a ride like Spider-Man swooping through a jungle? Hello Disney!)? Pocahontas(what a great river ride that would make!) would even fit well! Moana has the same type message but hasn’t stood the “test of time” yet….
I don’t know….I just think there was a lot they passed up to choose Avatar. Am I excited to see it when we go in September? Sure, because I’m sure it’s very well done. Am I as excited as I would be if they went another route? Nah.
For the Jungle Book, you’ve already got that in Asia. They could certainly theme Kali River Rapids to have Jungle Book references and it would work , or the Maharajah Jungle Trek. And you can meet King Louie & Baloo there. And for the Lion King, you have Africa with the Festival of the Lion King show. And Tarzan is there to meet also (although we couldn’t find him last time we were there). I actually like that Animal Kingdom’s themes are more about the PLACE of the movies rather than the characters. A North American national park land could have worked – tying in Pocahontas and maybe Russel from Up , but you’ve already got a lot of that with Frontierland, Fort Wilderness, Wilderness Lodge, not to mention a whole section of California Adventure Park. This Pandora idea is totally unique .
Zootopia land is the first that comes to mind. now THAT would have been fun to experience!!!! I wish they had realized they wanted to make stars wars land sooner, they probably would have never wasted time on avatar and we could have gotten something way better!
We were able to preview it twice (once as passholders and once as DVC members). We rode Flight of Passage a total of 4 times. Each time blew us away! As we walked away from the attraction, we could not stop smiling. It’s an incredible feeling that even Soarin’ doesn’t provide. Our family of 6 – dad, mom (me), 18, 16, 13 and 8 year old, all enjoyed the queue and actual ride. The pre-show seemed terribly long and fragmented. I tend to experience motion sickness and was very anxious about another simulator, but I’m happy to say I never felt sick. The same can not be said for my experience with Star Tours yesterday. 🙂 While waiting to ride for the 4th time, the ride broke down. We were in the room right before being taken to the actual ride. We were given fastpasses and were actually allowed to walk through the fastpass queue. It was nice to take a more direct line “up” the mountain but still had to experience the preshow. We also noticed a single rider sign with its own path. The overall effect of Pandora is just breathtaking. We tried to see something from the rest of the park from many different angles, but never found a spot where that happened. It’s an immersive experience and one I can’t wait to experience again.
For those who intend to visit Pandora, I highly recommend that you see the movie first. When it first came out, and seeing the trailers for it, thought there would be no way I would ever watch it, just wasn’t the type of alien movie that I would ever consider. After a few years past and not many movies of interest to watch, thought I’d give it a try. It wasn’t all weird looking creatures, it had a great story line and message about how plants, animals and being are all connected. It is really a great movie, so much so, bought it in 3D and enjoyed it all the more. I’ll be there next week and from what videos I’ve seen of it, can’t wait to marvel at the amazing job Disney has done creating this. To those going to see it….Enjoy it’s beauty!
Thanks for the review. I will be there next week and I’m very excited for Pandora. I have not seen Avatar and have never had a desire to do so, but I am still excited about a new land and rides. I can’t imagine that I will like it better than the Harry Potter lands. I LOVE the Harry Potter books and everything related to them and thus have a very strong connection to the lands. I just get this amazing feeling when I enter them.
I do agree with you about Mater’s Tall Tales. That is my daughter’s favorite movie to watch when we are on road trips and we both quote it constantly. Some of the best pop cultural references ever! If I’m lyin’ I’m cryin!