Buzz Litebeer
Not a Flying Toy
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2007
- Messages
- 2,151
Hi, fellow Galactic Rangers! Buzz Litebeer here (remember me?), sending a long-range hyperspace message directly from Pandora!
I’ve long been of the opinion that the Avatar franchise is an ill fit for Animal Kingdom park, with it’s emphasis on actual, REAL animals from our past and present. The film itself currently stands as a one-hit wonder; while sequels are currently in the works, they won’t arrive for years. The film was also a baffling choice from a fan perspective: it simply doesn’t have much of a fan following, at least, not one that is well-represented at SF/Fantasy Conventions. Now that I’ve visited Disney's Animal Kingdom’s newest land (replacing Camp Minnie-Mickey, which was originally intended to be a placeholder for Disney’s salute to mythical creatures, Beastly Kingdom; a wonderful idea we will, sadly, never see realized), I can honestly say my opinion hasn’t changed; Pandora would be more at home at Hollywood Studios, Disney’s home for cinematic magic. So the question remains: how is Pandora?
In a word, it’s astounding.
The level of detail in the outdoor areas is astonishing, with the alien flora from James Cameron’s film “Avatar” faithfully reproduced. I had the opportunity to preview this new “land” for only a few brief hours in the late afternoon, which is a shame, because it’s really apparent that this world is going to be utterly spectacular at night, with UV lighting illuminating the plants (and yes, animals) of this new area. It’s easily as immersive as Universal’s award-winning Wizarding World areas, a neat trick in and of itself. How good is it? Folks, this is Disneyland-level good. This is Tokyo DisneySeas good. It raises the bar for theme parks, and promises that the Star Wars area coming to Hollywood Studios is going to be an experience even more astounding.
The land hosts two new attractions: Avatar: Flight of Passage and the Na’vi River Journey. There are two new Food and Beverage restaurants: Pongu Pongu (window beverage sales) and the Satu’li Canteen (a counter service restaurant). Avatar: Flight of Passage exits into a gift shop (because of course it does), Windtraders, and a smaller merchandise cart, Colors of Mo’ara (near the Na’vi River Journey), offers Na’vi role-play accessories and face painting.
Avatar: Flight of Passage is a 3-D simulator style thrill ride which has a feel very much like Soarin’ on steroids. I can honestly say that it’s unlike any other attraction I’ve been on; the closest is Universal’s Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, but even that is a poor comparison — the two are fundamentally very different attractions. The idea is that, as in the film Avatar, you will be neurally linked to a Na’vi Avatar, and experience a breathtaking flight across the surface of Pandora on the back of an Ikran (known to humans as a Mountain Banshee); a four-winged dragon-like reptile native to Pandora. The ride vehicle looks very much like a wheel-less motorcycle, but the experience is completely unlike that. While you’re riding, you can feel the flanks of your Ikran breathing underneath you, and feel the wind and spray in your face. This is a thrilling, not-to-be-missed E-Ticket attraction that is one of Disney’s best. A word of warning: riders smaller than 44” in height may not experience the attraction, and I’m told the ride vehicle may not be able to accommodate all riders.
Na’vi River Journey is a family-friendly dark ride, where guests board a slow-moving boat (think Pirates of the Caribbean or “it’s a small world”) that sails down a dark Pandoran river. Along the way, guests can observe native, bioluminous flora and fauna, including the film’s signature Atokirina’ (or Woodsprites, luminous jellyfish-like seedlings) and two friendly Na’vi natives — the Na’vi shaman singing at the end of the attraction is one of Disney’s latest-generation audio-animatronic figures and moves with a smooth, fluid grace. This is a wonderfully immersive attraction that all members of the family (even the smallest) can enjoy; it’s dark, cool, and promises to provide a welcome respite from the Florida heat.
The area’s signature counter service restaurant, Satu’li Canteen, is absolutely delicious, and hands-down the finest counter-service restaurant Walt Disney World has to offer, with wood-fired beef and chicken, chili-spiced tofu, fish, and steamed cheeseburger or vegetable “pods” (read: bao). We tried chopped, grilled chicken, served on a bed of sweet and red potato hash, with a creamy herb sauce, and found it absolutely delicious and filling. That it was served in a themed ceramic bowl with actual, metal cutlery was a touch not seen in most WDW counter-service restaurants. It’s worth noting that the soda fountain here offers unlimited refills. Entrees are under $14.99.
The window service beverage stop Pongu Pongu sits next door, and is easy to identify by the abandoned Amplified Mobility Platform (AMP) mech sitting outside. Next to that is Windtraders, which also serves as the exit point for Avatar: Flight of Passage. Inside, guests will find the expected t-shirts and coffee mugs, alongside Na’vi role-playing gear and toy Banshees, Direhorses, Prolemuris, and Thanators. Of particular note are the premium collectibles, which include lamps designed to look like the bioluminous plants, a chunk of Unobtanium that floats via magnets, and terrestrial carnivorous plants that inspired the flora of Avatar (like Pitcher Plants and Venus Flytraps). Of note is the Banshee Rookery, where guests can purchase toy Banshee puppets that, like most of the souvenirs of Pandora, will glow in UV light.
Pandora: The World of Avatar is a grand-slam triumph of design and imagineering, and absolutely not-to-be-missed during a visit to Animal Kingdom. Disney has truly raised the bar when it comes to immersive themed attractions.
I’ve long been of the opinion that the Avatar franchise is an ill fit for Animal Kingdom park, with it’s emphasis on actual, REAL animals from our past and present. The film itself currently stands as a one-hit wonder; while sequels are currently in the works, they won’t arrive for years. The film was also a baffling choice from a fan perspective: it simply doesn’t have much of a fan following, at least, not one that is well-represented at SF/Fantasy Conventions. Now that I’ve visited Disney's Animal Kingdom’s newest land (replacing Camp Minnie-Mickey, which was originally intended to be a placeholder for Disney’s salute to mythical creatures, Beastly Kingdom; a wonderful idea we will, sadly, never see realized), I can honestly say my opinion hasn’t changed; Pandora would be more at home at Hollywood Studios, Disney’s home for cinematic magic. So the question remains: how is Pandora?
In a word, it’s astounding.
The level of detail in the outdoor areas is astonishing, with the alien flora from James Cameron’s film “Avatar” faithfully reproduced. I had the opportunity to preview this new “land” for only a few brief hours in the late afternoon, which is a shame, because it’s really apparent that this world is going to be utterly spectacular at night, with UV lighting illuminating the plants (and yes, animals) of this new area. It’s easily as immersive as Universal’s award-winning Wizarding World areas, a neat trick in and of itself. How good is it? Folks, this is Disneyland-level good. This is Tokyo DisneySeas good. It raises the bar for theme parks, and promises that the Star Wars area coming to Hollywood Studios is going to be an experience even more astounding.
The land hosts two new attractions: Avatar: Flight of Passage and the Na’vi River Journey. There are two new Food and Beverage restaurants: Pongu Pongu (window beverage sales) and the Satu’li Canteen (a counter service restaurant). Avatar: Flight of Passage exits into a gift shop (because of course it does), Windtraders, and a smaller merchandise cart, Colors of Mo’ara (near the Na’vi River Journey), offers Na’vi role-play accessories and face painting.
Avatar: Flight of Passage is a 3-D simulator style thrill ride which has a feel very much like Soarin’ on steroids. I can honestly say that it’s unlike any other attraction I’ve been on; the closest is Universal’s Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, but even that is a poor comparison — the two are fundamentally very different attractions. The idea is that, as in the film Avatar, you will be neurally linked to a Na’vi Avatar, and experience a breathtaking flight across the surface of Pandora on the back of an Ikran (known to humans as a Mountain Banshee); a four-winged dragon-like reptile native to Pandora. The ride vehicle looks very much like a wheel-less motorcycle, but the experience is completely unlike that. While you’re riding, you can feel the flanks of your Ikran breathing underneath you, and feel the wind and spray in your face. This is a thrilling, not-to-be-missed E-Ticket attraction that is one of Disney’s best. A word of warning: riders smaller than 44” in height may not experience the attraction, and I’m told the ride vehicle may not be able to accommodate all riders.
Na’vi River Journey is a family-friendly dark ride, where guests board a slow-moving boat (think Pirates of the Caribbean or “it’s a small world”) that sails down a dark Pandoran river. Along the way, guests can observe native, bioluminous flora and fauna, including the film’s signature Atokirina’ (or Woodsprites, luminous jellyfish-like seedlings) and two friendly Na’vi natives — the Na’vi shaman singing at the end of the attraction is one of Disney’s latest-generation audio-animatronic figures and moves with a smooth, fluid grace. This is a wonderfully immersive attraction that all members of the family (even the smallest) can enjoy; it’s dark, cool, and promises to provide a welcome respite from the Florida heat.
The area’s signature counter service restaurant, Satu’li Canteen, is absolutely delicious, and hands-down the finest counter-service restaurant Walt Disney World has to offer, with wood-fired beef and chicken, chili-spiced tofu, fish, and steamed cheeseburger or vegetable “pods” (read: bao). We tried chopped, grilled chicken, served on a bed of sweet and red potato hash, with a creamy herb sauce, and found it absolutely delicious and filling. That it was served in a themed ceramic bowl with actual, metal cutlery was a touch not seen in most WDW counter-service restaurants. It’s worth noting that the soda fountain here offers unlimited refills. Entrees are under $14.99.
The window service beverage stop Pongu Pongu sits next door, and is easy to identify by the abandoned Amplified Mobility Platform (AMP) mech sitting outside. Next to that is Windtraders, which also serves as the exit point for Avatar: Flight of Passage. Inside, guests will find the expected t-shirts and coffee mugs, alongside Na’vi role-playing gear and toy Banshees, Direhorses, Prolemuris, and Thanators. Of particular note are the premium collectibles, which include lamps designed to look like the bioluminous plants, a chunk of Unobtanium that floats via magnets, and terrestrial carnivorous plants that inspired the flora of Avatar (like Pitcher Plants and Venus Flytraps). Of note is the Banshee Rookery, where guests can purchase toy Banshee puppets that, like most of the souvenirs of Pandora, will glow in UV light.
Pandora: The World of Avatar is a grand-slam triumph of design and imagineering, and absolutely not-to-be-missed during a visit to Animal Kingdom. Disney has truly raised the bar when it comes to immersive themed attractions.
