When the animal kingdom of Walt Disney World introduced Pandora – the world of Avatar, we knew that we had to make a trip to Orlando to check it. After watching the “making of” videos at the end of the film Avatar, I was strangely excited for a person who does not spend much time in the themed parks.
As I am not a big fan of rides, I had not anticipated a theme park to visit as much since our first time at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Orlando. But the theme and crafts seemed so extensive that I had great expectations.
Well, these expectations were met and overwhelmed! From a distance, we thought that Avatar Flight of Passage was the best stroll to Animal Kingdom!
Pandora – The world of avatar
But first, let’s look inside Pandora – the world of avatar in the animal kingdom – or Avatar lands or Pandora lands as some might call it. Opened in May 2017, Pandora raised the bar and expectations of all future “lands” (and Galaxy’s Edge has certainly been up to these expectations!)
When you enter the animal kingdom and arrive at the central “tree of life”, hang a left and follow the crowd in Pandora – the world of avatar. You will first meet the Mo’ara valley and will be immediately fascinated by the floating islands and the attention to the details granted in this section of the park.
This certainly helps to have recently seen the film so that everything has a familiar look.
You will want to drive for the avatar passage flight, because this is where the lines are the longest. But don’t worry, it’s really worth waiting.
Avatar Flight of Passage driving guide
Everything about Avatar Flight of Passage is incredible from start to finish. When we joined the queue (at 7:30 am before the park is even officially opened), we were told to expect a wait from 1.5 to 2 hours. I do not think we were motionless for more than a minute or two all the time and we finished the journey before 9:00 am.
During a return visit, we bought special event tickets for animal Kingdom after nightfall and we were able to go up on Flight of Passage several times in a row with Zero Waiting – it was so worth the price of the ticket! See this guide for how to ride Avatar Flight of Passage without waiting.
Throughout the first part of the queue, you are busy looking left and right in the elaborate environment and the floating islands of Pandora.
Once you move inside the building, you are greeted by the shiny plants of Pandora while you make your way through the barriers of the line.
Soon you enter the laboratory and you are initiated into the scientific study of the Pandora world. It is useful to have seen the film here because it will make sense.
Again, the level of detail is magnificent. Everything looks like real samples and scientific equipment – in particular until the “avatar” is floating in its tank.
In case you have not seen the film, the premise of the ride is that you will be linked to an avatar na’vi, just like what happened in the film. You will therefore be mentally linked to a NA’VI, taking control of their bodies like yours. Once linked, you will participate in the ritual of maturity of the conduct of a banshee (a creature in the shape of a dragon.)
You are taken to individual groups in groups and attribute a place to stand up. You are then “scanned” and accompanied by an avatar. It is a very cool technology that is similar to a kinect where you see your body outline and you see if you are a “match”.
Then you are sunk into the next room to see your Avatar match and the instructions on the driving of a Banshee. When you have entered the driving room, you first store your personal effects in a cubby, then mount the driving vehicle in the same way as you get a motorcycle.
In fact, in some respects, it is similar to the conduct of a motorcycle simulator arcade game which leans from one side to the other.
You look forward in the driving vehicle and put your “glasses” flight (3D glasses) almost immediately, you are immersed in the world of Pandora. You easily forget that you take a simulator tour because the world presented in front of you is so real.
On your flight, you immerse and lean and “fly” through the magnificent world of Pandora. The graphics are superb and driving engages almost all your senses. As you pass in front of the water, you feel the spray of the mist.
When you stop in the night forest, you can feel the air around you. But the most amazing effect is that when you take a break, you feel the banshee breathing below you while you feel the pressure pushing and getting out of your legs. I have never experienced anything like this.
While we got out of the ride, everything we could say was “Wow!”
The only drawback was that I had a little trouble from transport during certain flight scenes and that I need to close my eyes from time to time. It was not so bad, however, because I was still doing the ride several times in a row when we made an animal kingdom after nightfall.
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Satu’li canteen
You may want to have a meal at the Satu’li canteen, located just outside the outlet of the driving flight avatar. I noticed that they follow a similar acceleration process that I saw in the universal volcano bay.
They first have greetings to give you a menu and once you have made a decision, you are directed to a cashier to place your order, then a station to make your food. He was not crowded at all when we were there, but I imagine that this process is useful for lunch and dinner when it is crowded. They also offer a mobile command via the My Disney Experience application.
We ate both breakfast and dinner at the Satu’li canteen and we thought that the two were exceptional for the themed park food. A healthy and interesting selection of options with very generous games.
After fueling, we left to try the second trip to Pandora – the world of Avatar.
Na’vi River Journey
Unfortunately, the Na’vi River Journey Ride line does not move as quickly or is almost as entertaining as the Avatar passage flight. Fortunately, most are shaded and generally, the line is not so long either, but you will want to keep an eye on the My Disney Experience application to check the waiting times.
It is a very simple driving and adapted to all ages, but always an incredible experience. You will get on a boat for a slow and peaceful cruise through the NA’VI river, where you will see the brilliant plants and creatures of the tropical forest.
Then you will be entertained by the song of the animatronic shaman of the songs. The journey is finished fairly quickly, but it is still so much more immersive than the other Disney rides.
Subsequently, I heard that some people complain about driving were not worth waiting but I have always been impressed. You may not want to wait until the hours, but certainly try.
Take a look by yourself:
Make sure you give you time to take advantage of the other aspects of the Mo’ara valley, such as the drum circle and totems built by Na’vi which can be found throughout the country.
And even if you come early to beat the crowd, you will want to find time to come back at night to see the bioluminescent plants light up.
Advice for visiting Pandora to Animal Kingdom
- Arrive early. Even if the park opens at 8 a.m., you will want to arrive at 7:30 am. There is a good chance that they will let you cross the doors and you can be in the queue before the park is opened.
- Head directly to Avatar Flight of Passage – The lines near the opening can last up to 270 minutes, so you will want to hit this first.
- Stay in a Walt Disney World Resort – This will give you the “additional magical hours” so that you can have time in Pandora with fewer crowds. Although, at the moment, these additional magical hours are from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., so it may not work as well if you have younger children.
- Buy a LightNing Lane allowance for the passage flight to shorten your expectations.
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Note: We were given a day’s media passes to discover the Disney parks and facilitate this review. All opinions are mine.
Tamara Gruber is the founder and publisher of We3Travel. Former director of marketing and travel advisor, Tamara is a award -winning and expert travel writer recognized in family trips. Tamara is a member of Satw, Natja, Ifwtwa and Adventure Travel Trade Association, and headquarters to the Board of Directors of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimeTofly.com and the co-host of the Mavens Travel Podcast Podcast.