Pandora AM EMH Report

[BuenaVistaBound]

Did the Monday morning EMH at Animal Kingdom yesterday with the sole intention of riding FoP.

The night before (Sunday) we got on line for FoP just after 8:30 pm. We waited in line for 48 minutes.

Arrived for EMH yesterday at 7:30, and we were walking with the hoards to Pandora at rope drop. We reached the end of the queue by 7:55, which was right at the spot where they separate the crowd to let people walk to the food area.

Total wait time from that spot to boarding was 95 minutes. So, given the choice between EMH rope drop or last ride of the night, I would recommend the last ride.

If you're super aggressive about getting there to line up before EMH, you'd probably do better, but exiting through a largely empty Pandora in the dark was a cool experience in itself.

Was it worth it to spend a total of 140 minutes in line to ride twice? Yes! Awesome ride, well worth whatever you have to go through to experience it.

 

[mdsouth]

Thanks for sharing your experience with both times of the day. I have found that often the big rides are less busy later in the evening.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

Thanks for posting. We've always found it to be a more efficient use of time to hit the headliners later in the evening when the lines get short. It sounds like FoP is no exception. I just can't imagine fighting through the morning EMH crowds when there are much better options available.

 

[tsme]

So am understanding that everyone has to wait in a line just to get into the land of Pandora? And if so, is it like that all day?

 

[OB1]

So am understanding that everyone has to wait in a line just to get into the land of Pandora? And if so, is it like that all day?

For a good portion of the day, the queue line extends out and across the walk way. To allow people to cross Pandora and move towards the Cantina, Disney is basically using crossing guards. They will stop the cross traffic to let people cross to the ride queue, the block the ride line to allow normal flow of traffic. Hard to believe because the queue is REALLY long, but it is that popular right now. I'm sure Robo will show us a map of where it backs up!!

 

[rteetz]

Can I add your report to the Pandora thread?

 

[CarrieR]

For contrast - we had a speedy experience on 8/12 (9AM opening, 8AM EMH)

-At Pop Century bus stop 6:30
-Bus 6:59
-Arrived AK 7:18 or so.
-In "Guests w No Bags" line at 7:22... it was all the way back to the tram
-Opened bag check 7:32ish
-Plaza filled back to ticket booths just with "no bag" people
-7:40 open announcement
-Across bridge to Pandora and stopped briefly at rope at 7:47
-Entered line (went under standby entrance sign) 7:54
-At link chamber hallway at 8:00
-Moved from LC1 to LC2 at 8:09
-Waited *forever* for restraints to close
-Off ride 8:22

(Please note, no bags was really key.)

HTH!

 

[CarolynFH]

For a good portion of the day, the queue line extends out and across the walk way. To allow people to cross Pandora and move towards the Cantina, Disney is basically using crossing guards. They will stop the cross traffic to let people cross to the ride queue, the block the ride line to allow normal flow of traffic. Hard to believe because the queue is REALLY long, but it is that popular right now. I'm sure Robo will show us a map of where it backs up!!

@OB1, can you clarify please? Are you talking about the queue line for FoP extending out from the entrance to FoP and thus blocking the walkway that people would take from NRJ to Satu'li Canteen? Or are you talking about a queue line extending out from the entrance to the land of Pandora, past Tiffins, toward Discovery Island?

So am understanding that everyone has to wait in a line just to get into the land of Pandora? And if so, is it like that all day?

@tsme, we visited Pandora on 8/8 and 8/10. We didn't arrive until the evening (6 PM or later) but there was no line to enter the land of Pandora either day. I'm not sure what it's like in the morning though!

 

[tsme]

Thx for the replies

 

[OB1]

@OB1, can you clarify please? Are you talking about the queue line for FoP extending out from the entrance to FoP and thus blocking the walkway that people would take from NRJ to Satu'li Canteen? Or are you talking about a queue line extending out from the entrance to the land of Pandora, past Tiffins, toward Discovery Island?

Your first option - extending out of the ride, and blocking the cross way from NRJ to the Canteen. The line will actually extend back towards the entrance, but then turn and extend down the walk way to Africa. Early in the morning, it will actually extend almost to the Lion King, then wrap back on itself. AK has just released a notice that this walkway is not open to normal traffic until the line has moved enough to not wrap back on itself. This normally happens between 11-noon.

More amazing, I think this queue is as long as Space Mtn. Just ore of an uphill climb to get into the attraction.