The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pandora dazzles at Disney
Attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom brings guests into a new reality.
Animal Kingdom attraction is about more than re-creating “Avatar” movie experience,
Filmmaker James Cameron has described the digital world of Avatar as dreaming with your eyes wide open. At Pandora, The World of Avatar, Walt Disney World’s newest attraction, those dreams come true in fantastical living color.
Pandora, inspired by the blockbuster 2009 movie “Avatar,” opened last month just in time for Memorial Day weekend. It took more than five years to bring this mystical universe to life.
Oddly, five years seems like hardly enough time to create a world that feels hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. The perfectly imperfect towering trees, the floating mountains with streams of gushing water, vivid pastels of foliage, lush green brush and bronze rocks and stones are all mesmerizing.
Disney Imagineers hope that visitors will experience Pandora in two ways: by making a cultural connection to Avatar’s indigenous Na’vi people, who live in the Valley of Mo’ara, and by experiencing the calming adventure of the Na’vi River Journey and the thrilling Avatar Flight of Passage through realistic virtual storytelling.
“If you enjoyed the movie, know the movie and remember all the things about it — well, we don’t have all those characters or those plots, but this is going to be a recognizable place for you,” said Mark LaVine, an executive story developer at Walt Disney Imagineering. “We want you to come to a Pandora that’s at peace, there’s no more conflict. … We wanted it to be a place that is welcoming to you so we put ourselves past the movie. We are a generation or so later.”
That’s good news for those who might think Pandora’s alien world can only be enjoyed by fans of the movie.
“You’re not going to the places in the movie Avatar,” Levine said. “You’re going to the world of Pandora to have your own adventures. So you’re not there to experience the stories of the movie or future movies. You’re really going to (experience) what it’s like in a national park in an alien world.”
With that said, here’s a quick guide on making the most of those experiences:
The Valley of Mo’ara
From the moment you step into Animal Kingdom’s newest world, the Valley of Mo’ara, the dream becomes your reality; your reality becomes the dream. But keep your mind open because it’s not just about seeing. In fact, it’s the authentic sounds of nature that usher you into this alien land. Listen for the rhythmic clicks, chirps and chatter of bugs, birds and other beings unknown.
But this Pandora valley isn’t a scary expedition. It’s a world that invites your curiosity to explore the foggy corners of the rain forest. In the daytime, you’ll walk around in awe of flora, trees and streams of water. If you’re smart, you’ll stop to play the magnificent steel drums in the set of tree stumps near the River Journey entrance. But do stick around for the nighttime when Mo’ara transforms into a bioluminescent heaven. The visual spectacle of the day gives way to a deeper imaginary experience under the dark skies illuminated by Pandoran plants in deep hues of emerald, violet and coral.
The Na’vi River Journey
Pandora has two “ride” experiences for visitors. The River Journey offers a mellow excursion via reed boats through beautiful dark caves where striking creatures roam as they go about their daily lives. It’s like watching a movie that you’re actually in. For sure you’ll want to ride at least twice to fully experience the wonder of the life-like animals, glowing plants and the Na’vi people, including the Shaman of Song, an animatronic figure who sings and chants to her own rhythm. You only realize she’s not an actual real person when you grasp just how substantial her presence is.
Avatar Flight of Passage
It is indisputable that the Flight of Passage is the highlight of the Pandora experience. Here you’ll get to ride the back of a mythological winged banshee that you’ve been assigned to after undergoing intricate DNA matching. After donning special goggles and straddling a secured chair, prepare for a mind-blowing, panoramic simulation that will send you soaring over narrow valleys and dipping through steep cliffs. You’ll nearly crash into a heard of rhinos and disturb a banshee lair. You’ll feel the fierce wind on your face and delicate droplets of mist as you glide over roaring oceans.
This ride will awaken every part of your sensory system and then leave you speechless as you’re jolted back to your now dull reality. One word. Wow.
At the pre-opening, there were no massive crowds or extra long lines, so attendees were able to take back-to-back flights. Lines are several hours long now with ever growing summer crowds. Is it worth the wait, you ask? Most definitely.