I can’t tell you how excited I was when I learned that I would be getting a chance to experience Pandora the World of Avatar, located inside of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. So many thoughts raced through my mind – would I be able to get the full experience visiting during the day until nightfall? (When it gets dark Pandora transforms into a land of plants that illuminate everywhere you turn.) It’s such a beautiful sight to see, both during the day and when the sun sets. The legendary floating mountains are a sight you have to experience for yourself.
When you walk into Pandora you are immediately immersed into another land. It almost feels like teleportation or traveling through time because you walk right into a whole new world. There is a huge Flaska Reclinata plant off to the right when you enter Pandora. This plant is said to absorb condensation and purifies atmospheric toxins on Pandora. There are so many different plants throughout Pandora called “Pandora Floraâ€. They come in all different shapes, sizes and colors with specific purposes for the land.
As you continue to walk deeper into Pandora you are met with floating mountains, a bioluminescent rainforest with Pandoran Plants and Pandoran animals that captivate your attention. The Na’Vi people live in the valley of Mo’ara in Pandora. The Na’Vi have a special connection with their land and are open to sharing their culture and values with anyone who is visiting and willing to learn. There are signs to help you navigate your way through Pandora for your convenience. Use your Pandora field guide to get familiar with the World of Avatar.
Outside of the scenery, my favorite part of visiting Pandora was the rides! I went on the Flight of Passage and the Na’Vi River Journey. They are both excellent rides. I can’t even say one is better than the other because you get an amazing Pandoran experience from both. I absolutely enjoyed being linked to my Avatar before enjoying the Avatar Flight of Passage. Pay attention to your screen as you connect, it’s really cool to watch with brain wave activity and your percentage to completion. You get to fly on the back of a banshee which represents an important rite of passage for the Na’Vi people.
The Flight of Passage is surreal. You experience motion, wind, speed, mist and scents during your flight. It’s one of the best 3D simulator rides I have ever been on. Tip: If you have a fast pass you bypass some really cool visuals including a lab with scientific experiments and life sized avatar floating in a chamber. I went on more than once for this very reason and it was awesome each time. The Na’Vi River Journey was more laid back as you board a reed boat and sail down a mystical Pandoran River hidden within the bioluminescent rainforest.
On the Na’Vi River Journey you see lots of glowing plants, Pandoran Animals like the Viperwolf and the Na’Vi Shaman of songs. Seeing all the animals, creatures and plants illuminating while listening to the songs as we sailed was relaxing. I couldn’t help but sail down the Na’Vi River a few more times. All of this excitement stirred up an appetite. We headed over to the Satu’li Canteen for some dinner. I decided to create my own Satu’li Bowl with Slow Roasted Sliced Grilled Beef, Red & Sweet Potato Hash and Charred Onion Chimichurri. I opted for chocolate cake for dessert because you know… Chocolate!
Everything was delicious! Thanks to Theresa from Being Reese because (A) she hung out with me ALL day along with Samantha as we took on the adventure of Pandora and (B) treated me to a Night Blossom from the Pongu Pongu Lounge. It’s such a cool drink! It’s a frozen fruity like boba tea drink where the colors swirl together and you have a boba topping mixed with a cute bulb illuminating light. It looks really mystical after sun down when you can see the bulb changing colors. Overall, I had a BLAST visiting Pandora: World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom Disney World. I can’t wait to do it all over again!
Visit the Disney website for more information on Pandora World of Avatar and start planning your next Walt Disney World adventure. Also, download the My Experience Disney App to see park maps, attractions and wait times for rides among many other useful tools for convenience.
