DAK: Tree of Life Awakenings/Pandora/Rivers of Light Questions?

[Elias1901]

Hey all. So, just a couple questions about the nighttime offerings at Animal Kingdom. For the Tree of Life Awakenings... when do they officially begin for the evening? How many shows are there? Can you catch the first show and see them all by standing there for a short period of time... can they all play out in a reasonable time? Also tips on where best to view the projections would be helpful (Discovery Island??).

The bioluminescence of Pandora... when does that all start to glow? Is it like Cars Land in California where it just starts to light up at “dusk”? Or is there a particular time??

Lastly, for Rivers of Light standby... is it a show that demands getting there early to get a decent seat? Or is it something that can be walked up to 15-20 minutes in advance of and be just fine??

Thanks!

 

[Elias1901]

I read on the WDW website that the Awakenings begin at 6:50 PM... is that about right? Is it pretty precise timing?? I’d still like to know how soon all four shows play in sequence so I know if we can stand and view all four in one go...

 

[glocon]

I had no idea there were four different shows! From the website it looks like the tree “awakens” every 10 minutes. We did not find anywhere in particular to sit and watch, it kind of seemed just in the middle of a path with people walking by. I guess if you don’t mind to find a place to wait, you should see all 4 different “awakenings” in about 45 minutes.

 

[yorkieteacher]

I also have not heard that there are different shows for the Tree of Life Awakenings-I knew it happened about every 10 minutes and lasted about 5. I have never watched it, but could it happening almost continuously from other areas in the park. I guess the starting timing would depend on when it is dark enough. Pandora does gradually begin to glow as it darkens. We could see the sidewalks begin to glow before sunset. When we attended Rivers of Light, the stadium didn't begin to really fill up until 10-15 minutes before showtime. I would think your arrival time would depend on park crowd levels that day, but I can't imagine waiting more than 20 minutes. While it is a nice show, there really is no "Wow" factor.

 

[georgina]

Hey all. So, just a couple questions about the nighttime offerings at Animal Kingdom. For the Tree of Life Awakenings... when do they officially begin for the evening? How many shows are there? Can you catch the first show and see them all by standing there for a short period of time... can they all play out in a reasonable time? Also tips on where best to view the projections would be helpful (Discovery Island??).
Thanks!

As far as where to view Awakenings, I usually sit right in the area where they take photos in front of the tree as you enter. They can be seen partially from some of the sides but I think front is best view. It does seem to take a long time between shows, I have never wanted to hang around long enough to see all 4.

 

[MarkS2112]

The awakening typically starts once it gets dark and like other said seems to run every so many minutes through the time after it starts.

Pandora starts to go into nigh time mode around dusk or just a little before. Can't really see anything until then. After sunset is when it gets the WOW factor going.

ROL used to be crowded but now it seems that 30 minutes before will get you a seat. It can all change based on crowd levels etc. However, this is a meh show and nothing like Fantasmic.

 

[gharter]

The awakening typically starts once it gets dark and like other said seems to run every so many minutes through the time after it starts.

Pandora starts to go into nigh time mode around dusk or just a little before. Can't really see anything until then. After sunset is when it gets the WOW factor going.

ROL used to be crowded but now it seems that 30 minutes before will get you a seat. It can all change based on crowd levels etc. However, this is a meh show and nothing like Fantasmic.

Agree.
We watch awakenings in the area between the 2 gift shops near the Oasis. You need to find an area where you don't get run over by the exiting masses.
I've never watched all the shows but have seen several on different nights and all are fun.
The darker the better to really see Pandora, not great at dusk.
I've seen the old RoL and the newer verison. While better, it still was a one and done for us. Rarely is it near capacity (unlike Fantasmic).

 

[Anna131517]

When we were there in January, we watched rivers of light then walked around the park through Asia, avoiding the crowds on Discovery Island. We caught the Tree of Life Awakening, walked through Pandora, then caught the Tree of Life awakening again as we exited the park. It seemed to “Awaken” pretty often, and it only lasts a few minutes.