Pandora The World Of Avatar: Here's What You Need To Know

What doesn't Disney own at this point?

So here's the story...

Recently, me and my squad of Disney enthusiasts made the treacherous journey across the US to the fabled land of Florida, where deep in the fog filled swaps of the peninsula, the sacred grounds of Walt Disney World lay. Nestled in it's own vast forest of thick, cluttered trees, one area in particular captured my imagination from the time I was a young child well until now, my 25th year of existence. That place, was the Animal Kingdom.

Disney / Via en.wikipedia.org

All joking aside, as a kid I was entranced with the idea of Animal Kingdom and it was the place I was most excited to go to when we planned this trip. With the new addition of Pandora, it was the perfect time to go and explore the park. While I wasn't a huge fan of the movie, I am a Disney fan, so I knew that whatever they created would be a spectacular experience. Well, I was half right.

The day started bright and early, at 8 am.

We were lucky enough to get an extra magic hour in the park, getting in at 8 instead of 9 am like the rest of the Guests. With that in mind the three of us split up with me powering walking like an Olympian to get in line for Pandora and the others getting some desperately needed caffeine.

DIsney / Via wdpromedia.disney.go.com

The ride I went to was Flight of Passage, and by the time I got in line, around 8:14 am, the line was already two hours long. Having survived the opening of Carsland back in 2012, the wait time didn't bother me or my crew at all. We had our Starbucks and a few nice families to chat with. We were ready for the long haul.

The line was beautiful.

This might be a weird thing to hear to a normal, sane person, but to a Disney Fanatic like me, I look at EVERYTHING the parks have to offer. I have to hand it to the Imaginneers on this one: y'all did a wonderful job making that line interesting to look at. That two hour wait flew by.

Via upload.wikimedia.org

Walking under the floating mountains was a treat for the eyes as the line weaved around the landscape. There was always something new to look at.

Once inside, we were treated to more set pieces as the story began to unfold around us. True to Disney form, we were immersed in the world of Avatar. From the ground at out feet to the sounds echoing above us, the world outside faded away. Then, we came to the actual ride.

DIsney / Via wdwthemeparks.com

I can confidently say that there is nothing in the world like this experience. It was thrilling, beautiful, and such an incredible blend of technology and artistry that went well above and beyond my expectations. The wait to get on this ride was so, incredibly, worth it.

Disney / Via chipandco.com

While I was skeptical at first, having 3D glasses handed to me and straddling the seat like a bicycle, I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this experience. It was truly Disney magic at work.

If only that crossed over to the other ride that inhabited Pandora.

Na'vi River Journey.

Riding high on the adrenaline Flight of Passage gave us, we grabbed some food and decided to hit up the other ride in Pandora: Na'vi River Journey.

Now, I knew a few things about this ride going in. I knew that it was a dark ride, similar to Pirates of the Caribbean or It's a Small World. I knew that compared to Flight of Passage, it was going to be a completely different experience. I just didn't realize how different.

Via easywdw.com

The line led us all into one massive area. Almost like a hut with a large woven map above you and thick plants visible at every turn. While it was very cool, that was where we spent all of our two hour wait.

Unlike Flight of Passage where we traveled up and down the mountains outside and then inside to multiple rooms with vastly different themes, this was all we saw while we waited and that just made our wait drag on.

There was no story.

As far as we could tell, there was no build up to the ride. No reason why we were there or a show element telling us about the journey we were about to embark on. Simple plaques sat on some of the rails, like info cards at a zoo, giving a basic descriptions of the creatures on Pandora. That was it.

One of the thing I love about Disney is that their rides are experiences. They take you on a journey. Whether it be a expedition to the top of a yeti filled mountain or exploring the depths of a haunted mansion, there is always a story that threads the ride together. It's something Disney is known for, something we all expected, and something we did not get.

DIsney / Via thrillgeek.com

Once we climbed aboard our little rafts, I was ready to be smacked in the face with more Disney magic. I was ready to be immersed in this vibrant world even more and rest my feet as the wonders of Pandora floated by me.

That relaxation only lasted about five minutes.

It felt like we had just sat down and then suddenly, we were being guided back to the dock.

Disney / Via secure.parksandresorts.wdpromedia.com

The ride was, as expected, beautiful. The lush, fictional world of Pandora flourished around us. The flora and fauna glowed in the dim light, creating a sense of awe for the passengers. And, while that is all good, that was it.

It felt like we were being led somewhere. That at one point, we would turn the corner and be in the middle of a village, surrounded by the Na'vi people or maybe staring one of their strange banshees in the face. But it never happened.

Well, that's not completely true.

Via d3bo0mk5kk7egf.cloudfront.net

Near the end of the ride, we were greeted by the Shaman of Songs. The most advanced, most fluid animatronic Disney has ever created.

I'm going to take a moment to geek out here, because this animatronic was so incredibly beautiful I had to remind myself that she in fact, was not a real person. Her actions were so smooth and precise, and her clothing and jewelry flowed wonderfully, and her lips moved rapidly as if she was actually chanting. She was amazing, and she was the only thing I liked about this ride.

Via cp24.com!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen

Right after your encounter with the Shaman, the ride was over. Me and my crew left wanting, eager to see more of that fabulous technology that brought the Shaman to life and disappointed that there was nothing else to see.

The ride wasn't bad, but to be honest, it wasn't really worth it.

Looking at the other dark rides Disney has to offer, there is a certain formula they seem to follow. I'll used Ariel's Undersea Adventure as an example:

Via insidethemagic.net

This map shows the track route. As you can see there are multiple smaller rooms that lead you into the large open area where the big, opulent show is. You are surrounded by different set pieces and small animatronics, it's hard not to lean out of your seat to get a better look around.

After the big scene, you are still treated with interesting things to see as you wind your way around back to the beginning. In Na'vi River Journey, you just didn't get the same experience. It was also so short that it felt like it was over in the blink of an eye.

Using Small World as another example, that ride doesn't have an over arching story to follow or one big show stopping scene, but at least it has some length to it. At least the wait is (somewhat) worth it so that you can sit in an air conditioned building for fifteen minutes.

Yes, I know that this is different from your traditional dark ride and yes, I might be over analyzing all this. I am fully aware of my insanity and so are the rest of my friends and family. But let me tell you, after we got off this ride, the rest of day at Animal Kingdom was laced with tension. We were all in such a bad mood after this disappointment that we actually had to split up and go our separate ways for a while. It was that bad.

It just felt like we were being led to something. Something fun and immersive and just... just something more. There was no story for us to follow. No feeling of wonder. After the amazing experience that was Fight of Passage, Na'vi River Journey was a big let down.

So that's my story,

Via lumiere-a.akamaihd.net

in far too many words. Pandora is truly a sight to behold, but if I were you, I'd skip out on the river ride and head straight for Flight of Passage. The wait may be long, but it is so worth it.