***Official*** Pandora: The World of Avatar Information Thread

[FastPasser.]

This is promising to me since I am 6'4". Thanks for the info! I'm still worried for my Dad who is 6'7".

It's been posted many times that height alone does not rule someone out. As the sign at FoP reads, it's "certain body shapes or sizes". I know of taller people that have had no problem.

I was there from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Wow, five hours, that may be a record.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I waited almost an hour for FEA FP last April (2016).

It'll depend of course but from start to finish for us was something like 30 minutes. If the posted wait times are what they are expecting it could be that high. Of course it could be 30ish minutes but we'll see. FP usually should take 30 minutes or less but at first I could definitely say plan for an hour and be happy if it is less then that. Especially if you are planning for this summer.

Not saying it isn't possible... just saying that in 20+ trips over 12+ years, including when rides were pretty new, we can't remember waiting over maybe 30min or so. Hoping we won't this time either!

And I have to wonder whether FEA didn't break down for a little while to account for that, this long after it opened. But, who knows?!

 

[CAS239]

I think the FP lines are going to somewhat coincide with standby. If standby is 30 min, probably looking at a 5-10 min FP. But if lines are insane at say 3-4 hours, then I could easily see FP being 1-1.5 hours.

FoP is going to be drawing A LOT of people both to its standby and it's FP. We also don't know how many FP's they give out per time slot.

I think the FP line will remain on the manageable side, but I wouldn't be surprised to see someone say they waited an hour in line with FP

 

[mom2rtk]

I think the FP lines are going to somewhat coincide with standby. If standby is 30 min, probably looking at a 5-10 min FP. But if lines are insane at say 3-4 hours, then I could easily see FP being 1-1.5 hours.

FoP is going to be drawing A LOT of people both to its standby and it's FP. We also don't know how many FP's they give out per time slot.

I think the FP line will remain on the manageable side, but I wouldn't be surprised to see someone say they waited an hour in line with FP

I wouldn't either, if they have had technical issues with the ride. But if all is running smoothly? I'd be really surprised to see the FP line go that long.

 

[yulilin3]

Saw Zoe Saldana at Brown Derby at DHS last night, she probably visited Pandora. I forsee a DPB post about it

 

[Pawpsicle]

The leg restraints push up and forward in the same motion as the back restraint. Leg position (and thus hip/knee flexibility) is almost as important as leg size.

Thanks for this! About how much do you have to bend your knees? I can usually get my bad one to at least 90 degrees.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Saw Zoe Saldana at Brown Derby at DHS last night, she probably visited Pandora. I forsee a DPB post about it

or a ramp up in rumors of a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction coming

 

[yulilin3]

or a ramp up in rumors of a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction coming

She also went to meet Starlord and Baby Groot, so who knows.

 

[CAS239]

I wouldn't either, if they have had technical issues with the ride. But if all is running smoothly? I'd be really surprised to see the FP line go that long.

I wouldn't. It's the longest queue at all of Disney, and the FP line isn't short either. If they do get insane standby lines of say 2-4 (their prepared for longer than that) hours, i just can't see FP remain short.

If there's mechanical issues I could just see it skyrocket

 

[beesly]

??

FEA opened June 2016.

Oops! I apparently shouldn't post while sleepy - trips get mixed up. It was the first weekend in October when that happened - I'll go back and edit my original post. Thanks!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I wouldn't. It's the longest queue at all of Disney, and the FP line isn't short either. If they do get insane standby lines of say 2-4 (their prepared for longer than that) hours, i just can't see FP remain short.

If there's mechanical issues I could just see it skyrocket

The fast past slots are set in hour intervals so it seems odd if it would be structured for the FP line to ever take more than an hour outside of mechanical issues - otherwise you get multiple groups in line and it just compounds itself

So I think FP would be kept to under an hour but that would cause the standby line to be many hours long

 

[CarolynFH]

I have read through almost all of the thread. But I still am confused about what I think I have seen conflicting reports on. I know I read that you couldn't use an ECV in line. But I also thought I saw a more recent report that you could. Does anyone know which is correct?
I have severe COPD and can not walk far and not at all uphill/inclines. I will not actually be riding FoP but I would like to accompany my family in the line & then exit without riding. If I had to transfer to a wheelchair there wouldn't be anyone to help me once my DH & DS went to ride
Thoughts?

@Hopefully, I hope you're still reading along, because we rode FoP twice on Friday evening (6-8 AP preview) and four times yesterday (9-11 DVC preview) and can answer your questions.

Yes, you in your ECV can go with your family all the way to loading and can then exit without riding. When you get to the "grouping area" you'll see there is a wide up ramp and a smaller down ramp, each one divided into several lanes. ECVs and wheelchairs are directed to a lane on the down ramp (the bottom of the lane is level). The two people we saw riding ECVs got out and walked into the preshow, and the CM drove their ECVs around to the exit. DH and I disagree on what happened with the nice lady whose daughter was pushing her in a wheelchair (we had a lovely conversation with them in the 20-minute line); he says she too walked into the preshow area, and I think she rode in, but we were in a different lane, were talking with another family by then, and not paying attention.

Anyway, the show rooms on that level exit directly onto the exit walkway (no stairs), so if you weren't riding you would be able to accompany your family all the way through the line. Then when your family enters the preshow the CM will take you around to the exit and show you where to meet your family.

 

[Hopefully]

Thank you so much for this report!!
Now I am even more excited

 

[yulilin3]

The fast past slots are set in hour intervals so it seems odd if it would be structured for the FP line to ever take more than an hour outside of mechanical issues - otherwise you get multiple groups in line and it just compounds itself

So I think FP would be kept to under an hour but that would cause the standby line to be many hours long

it will be interesting to see the criteria for fp vs standby loading.
Will they have a dedicated fp room?
I know for a fact (ex husband used to work at TSMM) that before the 3rd track was added, they loaded 10 people from fp for every 1 person in standby. (at least during the time he worked there)
I can totally see fp line to be around 45 minutes long from entering to loading and riding

 

[twebber55]

or a ramp up in rumors of a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction coming

my guess she s in town for the big reveal for Pandora. I m sure all the big wigs from Avatar will be there

 

[CAS239]

21
May 2017
PHOTOS: Special Wheelchair & Other Accommodations Allow Guests with Disabilities to Ride Flight of Passage in Pandora – The World of AVATAR
By Tom Corless -- Posted in: Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney World Resort-- No comments -- Leave comment
This post may contain affiliate links; please read the disclosure for more info.



For the last few days, the internet has been abuzz with talk about how “unaccommodating” the attractions in Pandora: The World of AVATAR are for guests in wheelchairs. Well, after doing some research during our last visit to the planet, it appears that they are just as accommodating as other rides at Walt Disney World.

After reading more than enough pieces about these issues, I decided I wanted to see what was actually going on at the attraction, rather than speculation without first-hand experience. We spoke to cast members at the attractions to get all of the following information, so it should be as accurate as possible.


The link chair vehicles for the AVATAR Flight of Passage attraction in Pandora

The AVATAR Flight of Passage ride system is unique and simply could not accommodate a wheelchair, but wheelchair guests can transfer to ride. Transferring to ride a thrill ride at Walt Disney World is far from uncommon, as less-intense thrill rides such as Soarin’, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Test Track all require such practices. Mind you, these are not decades-old attractions, but all rides that have opened since 1999, in a more modern age where theme parks often have guests requiring accommodation in mind.

At Flight of Passage, guests in a manual wheelchair can stay in their chair until they get to the ride vehicle, as the queue and pre-show experiences are fully accessible. The wheelchair can then pull right beside the Flight of Passage “link chair” seat and transferring will require 1-2 steps.

Those who need additional assistance transferring can also make use of a special wheelchair that is available. This wheelchair has the ability to elevate the guest in the seat via manual foot pump, similar to a barber’s chair. Cast members we spoke to at the attraction said they were able to load guests from this wheelchair effectively with little problem.


Special wheelchair to aid guests in transferring onto the Flight of Passage attraction in Pandora


Special wheelchair to aid guests in transferring onto the Flight of Passage attraction in Pandora

As with other attractions, guests needing to transfer are brought in before other guests are loaded so that they can take their time and have privacy as they move from their chair into the ride vehicle.

Guests in ECVs or motorized scooters will leave their ECVs before the pre-show areas and have the option of walking the rest of the way or using a manual wheelchair (or again, the special one pictured above, if need be). The distance from the door of the first pre-show room to the ride vehicle is about 50 steps, but also requires several minutes of standing.

Meanwhile, at the Na’vi River Journey ride, while there are no “wheelchair boats” that such a device could simply roll right onto, they do have a multi-tiered set of steps that allow guests to more easily descend into the boat. The rows on the boat are quite large as well, making it easier to assist a guest who must transfer into the vehicle. It’s not perfect, but it isn’t terribly complicated either. Transferring from a wheelchair is a necessity at many slow-moving Walt Disney World attractions, including The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Spaceship Earth.

We hope this helps to clarify the process with factual information rather than vague, broad statements about the process at either attraction. As for concerns about guests with larger dimensions fitting on AVATAR Flight of Passage, we will address those in a separate story later this week.

 

[CAS239]

Another pic of the night time at Pandora

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

She also went to meet Starlord and Baby Groot, so who knows.

Do we know of any end date for this M&G, btw??

 

[wilkeliza]

Thanks for this! About how much do you have to bend your knees? I can usually get my bad one to at least 90 degrees.

90 degrees should be sufficient. Really 80-85 or less could be fine on most people depening on if they are big wasted or not.

 

[rteetz]

I'll save the full play-by-play for my trip report, but I wanted to share my overall thoughts on Pandora after spending 5 hours there today. For some small perspective, I saw "Avatar" once in theaters and haven't seen it since, so it's definitely not among my favorite movies, but I didn't dislike it either. That said, it's very clear that Disney has built a land that doesn't rely on a love of the movie to appreciate.

From the moment you cross the bridge into Pandora, you truly feel like you're in another world. The normal Disney touches you see at all the other theme park areas just aren't there -- and that goes a long way toward supporting the suspension of disbelief necessary to convince yourself you're on another planet (the fact that castmembers will often drop phrases such as "returning to Earth" or "back on Earth" helps too). Visually, the entire land is just stunning. I walked around multiple times and kept spotting things I missed on my first, second or even third pass. I highly recommend looking down just as often as you look up, as there are plenty of little touches built into the groundwork that are easy to miss.

I rode Na'vi River Journey more times than I could count (I want to say it was 6, but it easily could've been 7 or 8), and it might be my new favorite slow boat ride. It's a lot shorter than "It's a Small World" or "Pirates of the Caribbean" -- it's probably the same length as "Frozen Ever After", but I think the only thing FEA has going for it over NRJ is the drop. The visuals on NRJ are mind-blowing. They had us going through the standby queue, though with a fair amount of it roped off for quicker movement through the line. It seemed long enough with all the doublebacks that it could accommodate a multi-hour standby wait if necessary. There are fans every 15-20 feet, so the line won't be too bad to wait in, even in the summer heat (almost all of it is in shade too).

As I mentioned upthread, I couldn't ride on FoP, but I did go through the queue, which is probably the most detailed at WDW. It was hilarious/amazing to see people who were cruising through the queue as fast as possible get to the room with the avatar body floating in the tube and just come to a dead stop and go "whoa!" I honestly hung around in that room for a little bit just to see that happen over and over again. It was incredibly cool.

Because I was there from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., I was able to try both breakfast and lunch. For breakfast I had the Cinnamon Swirl French Toast topped with Blueberry Cream Cheese Dollop, Passion Fruit Anglaise and Pork Sausage. The french toast itself was just okay -- not great, but not terrible -- but the blueberry cream cheese really gave it a kick. The pork sausage was somehow among the best I've ever had at WDW. It was thick, spicy, and really made the meal worthwhile. I also got the Pandoran Sunrise beverage, which was solid, though not as good as the complimentary juice I had at the Tusker House breakfast the day before.

For lunch, I had the cheeseburger steamed pods, which I was honestly skeptical about. So many people had said they taste just like a McDonald's cheeseburger, but I didn't believe that was possible. I was wrong. It literally tastes EXACTLY like a McDonald's cheeseburger. I have no idea how they pulled that off, but honestly I was kind of impressed. I also had both desserts (for testing reasons, obviously) and I much preferred the Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse over the Chocolate Cake, though YMMV on that. The dad eating at the table next to me took one bite of his Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse and acted like he'd just bitten into the inside of his shoe. He then apologized to me for potentially ruining the dessert before I'd even had a chance to try mine. I laughed it off, took a bite, and said "I like it."

In between I had a Mo'ara Margarita from Pongu Pongu, and I liked it a lot, though the boba balls took some getting used to.

Last, but not least, I had to buy a banshee from Windtraders. If you're going to get one of these, or honestly anything at Windtraders, give yourself plenty of time. The place was packed today, and I was in there at 10 a.m. I can't imagine how crowded it'll be when the place is open to the public. While I'm on the topic of Windtraders, this might be something that only mattered to me but their cooler had Seagram's Ginger Ale available for purchase. I love ginger ale more than any other soda, but it's usually only at the stores at the hotels and even then it's not even cold, so this was a nice bonus.

Basically, Pandora gets an A+ from me and I hope everyone gets to enjoy it at some point (and I can't wait to check it out at night at some point).

Thanks for the review!