Disney’s Animal Kingdom has recently welcomed a new addition to the park, the long anticipated Pandora – the World of Avatar.
Replacing Camp Minnie-Mickey, Pandora – the World of Avatar is a $500m (€446m, £386m) immersive land inspired by James Cameron’s 2009 Academy Award-winning blockbuster.
The new land is a standalone experience, separate from the story of the films, and set a generation after the events of Avatar. The Na’vi (Pandora’s indigenous humanoid species) have achieved peace with humans – thanks to the film’s protagonist, Jake Sully – and have reclaimed their land from the RDA mining company. They have also developed a partnership with travel agency Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE) to showcase Pandora as a conservation site, research facility and spectacular eco-tourist destination, dedicated to the study and preservation of the native flora and fauna.
The theming, in typical Disney style, is breathtaking, with the Pandora experience starting the moment guests set foot on the bridge that connects it to Discovery Island. From the first step, you’re in the world of Cameron’s imagination; a world originally achieved through CGI technology, now flawlessly rendered in real life.
Magical planet
It’s easy to believe that you’ve arrived on a lush and beautiful planet, that is both alien and familiar. With its floating mountains, interesting and beautiful plant life, stunning water features and the sounds of exotic and unknown animals filling the air, Pandora is captivating.
On entry, guests are welcomed with a sign briefly explaining the Na’vi partnership with ACE and are greeted by a gigantic alien plant, a purple and green pod known as a Flaksa Reclinata, that interacts with guests by spouting steam and water when touched.
I spent my first 15 minutes in Pandora taking in the spectacle, before heading straight for Avatar Flight of Passage ride, stopping only to look on in awe at the floating mountains. Accomplished with a combination of steel rods, forced perspective and the magic of Disney’s Imagineers, it’s these mountains, more than anything, I think, that make you believe you’re on another planet.
Technical issues
I was brought back down to Earth with a bump, however, when I arrived at Avatar Flight of Passage to find it was closed, alongside Pandora’s other major attraction, the Na’vi River Journey. The Na’vi River Journey was shut due to technical difficulties and Avatar Flight of Passage due to an emergency that was never fully explained, but was rumoured to be a fire.
Having opened only two weeks previously, hiccups were to be expected, but I couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Anticipating huge crowds, I’d headed early to Pandora in an attempt to avoid the long lines. Now it seemed queues would be inevitable.
The Cast Members at this time were courteous and professional, but not particularly helpful. It wasn’t made clear why we were being evacuated.
Queue quandry
Once the technical issues had been resolved, I headed back to Pandora. Queue times were in excess of three hours and unfortunately there were no single-rider queues and fast passes for the day for both rides had long since sold out, and I’d been unable to get them through the app. Realising that I was facing a three hour wait by myself – an unthinkably tedious task – the Cast Member felt sorry for me and gave me fast pass access, becoming my favourite person in the process.
The only downside to the fast pass queue was missing out on the extensive theming throughout the queue line. I have since heard that the staging is incredible, reminiscent of a film set, with meticulous attention to detail and a floating avatar in an incubation tank serving as a spectacular focal point, but when on a short trip as I was, I just couldn’t justify the time.
Flight of Passage
Avatar Flight of Passage is a 3D augmented reality flying simulator ride. Riders are taken on a spectacular journey across the Pandoran landscape, on the back of a banshee (a large bird-like predator native to Pandora).
Riders sit astride the body of a bike and are clamped into place, before they are neurologically connected to their avatar. It essentially provides the rider with the same experience that Jake would have had in the film. It is one of the best rides I have ever experienced. It was completely immersive and multi-sensory, with bursts of wind whipping my hair, sea spray splashing my face and a sweet, earthy scent permeating the air when flying through the rainforest. There was even an incredible moment where the seat mimicked the panted breathing of the banshee. It was truly incredible and emotional. I left the ride feeling elated and a little bit tearful.
Retailing
After riding Flight of Passage I spent some time in Windtraders, Pandora’s gift shop. The first thing that struck me about Windtraders was the total absence of general Disney merchandise, which has been eschewed for a wide variety of souvenirs, including t-shirts, mugs, plush, action figures, clothing and collectible items, themed around the Avatar universe, ensuring the guest is totally immersed in Pandora, where the inclusion of Mickey and others would shatter the illusion.
Windtraders has three in-store experiences exclusive to Pandora. The first involves a small, mechanical banshee, that was very popular with guests. The banshees perch on their owner’s shoulder, via a cross body shoulder strap, and are controlled by a handheld device that allows them to move their heads and flap their wings. Guests are guided through an official ceremony, bonding the banshee to its new owner once it has been purchased.
With a reservation, guests can create a custom Na’vi action figure in their own likeness. A facial scan is carried out and guests can then choose their figure’s facial features and body type, as well as additional extras including clothes and accessories. While sorely tempted to drop $70 (£54, €60) on a Na’vi in my own image, I resisted and settled for a Vein Pod Krispy Treat instead.
The third experience was an interactive station where guests could create their very own, authentic Na’vi necklaces.
Na’vi River Journey
I headed for the Na’vi River Ride. With queue times over three-and-a-half hours, I decided to head out of Pandora, stopping to ask a Cast Member when to return for reduced queue times. I was told that late afternoon was my best bet, as Pandora gets really busy at night with guests queuing to see the bioluminescent wonderland that Pandora transforms into after dark.
A few hours later, the waiting time for the Na’vi River Journey had reduced by more than half. The time went quickly, thanks to the stellar staging throughout the queue line, which meant that there was always something interesting to see and interact with, and Disney providing free Wi-Fi. Before I knew it, I was heading into the ride.
The Na’vi River Journey is a traditional river ride, in a similar vein to Disney classics like the Pirates of the Caribbean and It’s a Small World attractions. Guests are taken on an tour down the Kasvapan River, through gorgeous, bioluminescent rainforest, in search of the Shaman of Songs. Riders are treated to animal sightings and rare glimpses of the Na’vi, before coming face to face with the Shaman, an impossibly real-looking audio-animatronic – and Disney’s most sophisticated to date. The ride is executed beautifully. I only wish I’d experienced it first so I could fully appreciate it for the work of art it is. However, for me, its brilliance is overshadowed by that of Flight of Passage.
Pandora – the World of Avatar is a stunning new attraction, and its placement at Disney’s Animal Kingdom has breathed life back into this park, making it a new priority for visitors as a result of this tactical investment
