Big Disappointment in Navi River Journey

[tnolan]

On Monday, we went to Animal Kingdom with one of my big anticipations to ride Navi River Journey. Even when my husband objected to the sign that said there was a 90 minute wait, I talked him into it. 3 hours later, we finally got on the ride. About 5 minutes later, it was done, and I never felt so bad for putting my husband (and me) through 3 hours of standing on line for a ride that lasted only 5 minutes. Just wanted to warn everyone to not always believe the wait signs.

 

[ArwenMarie]

That's terrible especially because it's NRJ. Did it break down or something?

 

[skyblue17]

If there's one thing I would recommend to people going to AK, it would be to not wait for this ride if you can avoid it. It's nice, it's pretty, it's relaxing but unless you really, really want to experience it and have a group that is all on board with waiting, I don't see how it's worth the wait at all. I was so glad we had a FastPass.

On the other hand, most rides only last a few minutes at most, so... going in, that should always be kept in mind.

 

[auntfrannie]

I don't get the excitement over this ride. I think it's more boring than It's a Small World.

 

[Farro]

I don't get the excitement over this ride. I think it's more boring than It's a Small World.

We loved it. Thought it was beautiful and a great example of a Disney dark ride.

would I wait 3 hours for it? No way.

 

[bladiator]

I don't get the excitement over this ride. I think it's more boring than It's a Small World.

Well of course you do because IASW is AWESOME

 

[robinb]

The ride is very beautiful and better the second time through. That being said, I would not wait more than 20-30 minutes for it. I can see why you were disappointed.

 

[rwdavis2]

The longest we've ever waited for anything was an hour for Forbidden Journey at IoA. Never more than 20 or so for anything at WDW.

 

[huntconn]

I wouldn't wait 3 hours for any ride in WDW, or anywhere else for that matter. I enjoy this attraction quite a bit but wouldn't wait more than 20 minutes tops for it personally. But I knew that going in with just a little bit of research on youtube and other internet resources, including these disboards.

 

[holden]

IMHO No ride is worth more than 30 minutes wait.

 

[thornton0511]

Could not agree more. It would be a waste of time for anything over a 20 min wait in my opinion and if you chose your FP on this instead of FoP that would be just as unsettling IMO. I love Disney dark rides, both new and old, but this one is a snooze fest for sure. We kept waiting for the build up to something and then the ride was over lol.

 

[biondagirl]

We used a FP for this last summer. Thank goodness I didn't have to wait for it. The only one that enjoyed it was my 11 year old. I think it's my least favorite ride at WDW.

 

[thornton0511]

I feel like if Disney had added some sort of element like a small drop or a waterfall, or something I dunno, maybe it would be better? I can't put my finger on it. It was just meh.

 

[Texans_loyal]

I wouldn't wait 5 minutes for that ride, it would have to be a walk on.

 

[DSNYFRK4EVR]

Totally agree, this ride is a total letdown.

 

[fbarker]

The ride is very beautiful and better the second time through. That being said, I would not wait more than 20-30 minutes for it. I can see why you were disappointed.

Oh come on!!! You waited over 100 years for a World Series what's a 90 min wait for a ride for you!!

 

[DisDreaming4116]

While it is certainly not worth waiting 90 minutes, let alone 3 hours for, I really enjoyed this attraction. After watching Youtube videos, I knew when to expect the Shaman(sp?) and after making that turn to see her, thought she was breathtaking. Is it Splash Mountain with incredible story telling, thrills and great music? No, but as long as you know what to expect when getting in line and onto the ride, it won't be disappointing. I am looking forward to this attraction more than any other on my next trip.

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

We had a similar issue in July, the sign said 45 minutes and we waited over 90 minutes. We would have walked out like a lot of other people were doing but it was raining and our next FP wasn't until another 2 hours so we figured at least we are dry. So far the only one & done ride/attraction for me in Disney has been Tiki Room and I'm adding this ride to the list.

 

[tobikaye]

My current plan for NRJ is to only ride it again if I am with someone that has not done the attraction and wants to try it. Even then, I will only do so if we have FP or the wait is listed at 10 minutes or less.

I did find it visually stunning, but quite boring. It probably has to do with the fact I have no interest in the background of the attraction.

 

[buzzrelly]

We waitedabout 30 minutes for this and when we got off I was thankful that we didn't wait any longer than that. I had high hopes for it too and had my camera out, ready to take a
(Non-flash) photo of anything interesting. I got to the end of the ride and was like, "huh." Totally underwhelmed, and I never need to do that again.