Being a Disney annual passholder offers different perks throughout the year, with the most recent being a limited-time preview of the new Pandora: World of Avatar land at Animal Kingdom.
The land officially opens on May 27, 2017 – Memorial Day weekend – and thousands are expected to flock to the park to check out the latest expansion to the Disney universe.
My friends and I were able to explore the land in about a 3-hour time window (we were there from about 5:30-8:30 pm on Saturday, May 13) and we were able to see and experience everything!
As I had only seen the Avatar film once in theaters and was not a huge fan, I had low expectations. What I saw and experienced completely blew me away! We were given fast passes for Avatar Flight of Passage – a 3D motion simulator experience – and were able to walk right on the Na’Vi River Journey – a slow-moving boat ride similar to Pirates of the Caribbean.
I honestly have nothing bad to say about this new land; everything was incredible from the rides to the food to the astonishingly immersive surroundings. You will find that signage in the area is kept to a minimum; there are no large signs over either ride to signal their location, and very minimal signage pointing guests to other areas of the park. The iconic Tree of Life isn’t even visible from Pandora. This is all in an effort to keep guests further immersed in the land.
I wouldn’t really worry about getting lost, though, because overall the land isn’t very large. With only two attractions, two eateries, and one gift shop, you’ll learn your way around pretty easily.
The area you’re going to explore is called the Valley of Mo’ara, which features incredible fauna and flora (some real, some with a little added “Disney magic”), floating mountains, waterfalls, and just overall one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever see. If you stay in the park after dark, you’ll also get to witness the floor come to life with bioluminescent “pollen” that has fallen from the trees.
*Tip – Animal Kingdom will be staying open until 11 pm throughout the summer, giving guests a chance to spread out their visitation time, especially when viewing the park at night. Hotel guests can look forward to extra magic hours which extend to 1 am, too!
Pandora is easily the most photographable land at any Disney park, and luckily there are a few Photopass stops available already. One of the stops includes a magic photo option which has you pointing at a Banshee flying through the air.
Pandora features one quick-service restaurant – Satu’li Canteen – and one walk-up drink and snack lounge – Pongu Pongu. Because of the limited crowds, we were able to test out some food and drink from both of these establishments!
When I previewed the menu for Satu’li Canteen, I’ll admit I was a bit put off. The adult meals offer customizable bowls featuring a protein, base, and sauce. I went with the sustainable fish bowl, sweet potato hash, and creamy herb sauce. It was fantastic!
The flavors were excellent, but not too adventurous for picky eaters (me). The vegetable slaw was nothing special, and the portion isn’t huge, but I’ll take this over a $15 cheeseburger and fries any day. I also tried the cheeseburger steamed pod bao buns, which are served with vegetable slaw and vegetable chips.
There isn’t much meat inside, and for $10.99 (passholder discounts don’t apply here) I would rather get one of the bowls which range from $11.49 to $12.99. If you’re looking for a lighter snack, the bao buns might be for you. Vegetarian options are also available with a crispy fried tofu bowl and vegetable steamed curry pod bao buns.
From Pongu Pongu, the boys tested out some of the new specialty drinks. The Mo’ara Margarita (red drink) is a strawberry and blood orange tequila-infused treat for $9.25, and the Night Blossom (purple and green drink) is a non-alcoholic slushy comprised of limeade, apple, and desert pear flavors at $4.99. Each were delicious, but the Night Blossom was surprisingly tasty.
I also tried the Pongu Lumpia, which are pineapple and cream cheese spring rolls. Again – surprisingly tasty! I’m not a fan of pineapple chunks but this snack was the perfect combination of sweet and savory. And relatively cheap, too – $4.59 for two decent-sized rolls (my mom and I each had one).
But enough about the food – let’s talk about the rides! Na’Vi River Journey was a peaceful, beautiful boat ride that highlights the bioluminescent side of Pandora. Some have complained that it’s boring – and I’ll admit there is little to no story line – but overall it’s a ride that the entire family can go on and enjoy. Keep an eye out for the amazing audio-animatronic!
Avatar Flight of Passage was the most incredible theme park ride I have ever experienced – a spot that Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey previously held. You mount a seat similar to a motorcycle, and are gently locked into place behind your back and legs while leaning forward holding the handlebars.
You’re in a line amongst five other riders, and when the ride starts the wall in front of you is lifted (in the dark) and you’re immediately immersed in the world of Avatar. You’re flying on the back of an Ikran, or Banshee, with wind blowing in your face and water spritzing you as you soar past waterfalls. I’m not prone to motion sickness, but given the near-virtual reality experience of this ride, I don’t anticipate that folks should have too many problems. The movements of the actual vehicle are slight, and are paired perfectly with the visuals allowing allowing your body and mind to accept the simulated experience.
We were given the opportunity to ride a second time, during which I took the opportunity to look around the area to see how the ride worked. It’s similar to Soarin’, with other theaters on multiple levels facing toward the large screen.
The Windtraders gift shop offers fun souvenirs for the film fans, including Na’Vi headbands and tails, but if you want a fancier (read: much more expensive) keepsake, they’ve got you covered there, too.
You can take home an Avatar version of yourself, which includes having your face and body features scanned, computerized, and repurposed into a tall blue doll for around $75. You can also be matched with your very own tiny Banshee that will sit on your shoulder and interact with you for $50. The adoption of a Banshee is somewhat of its own attraction, with wait times at around 30 minutes just during preview. If you want to take one of these little guys home, be prepared to wait for it.
Final review: I can’t wait to go back (which will actually be May 29 – wish me luck!!). If you can only visit during the summer rush, it’s definitely worth braving the crowds for. If you can wait until the fall when things begin to settle down – or even better in late January to February – your experience will be much more enjoyable.
Have you had a chance to visit Pandora yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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