So, one of the perks of being a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder is apparently being invited to see new amazing lands before they open to the general public! I received an email back in April sometime telling me that I could sign up for a two hour time slot during the two weeks before Pandora was supposed to open. Of course I jumped right on it and signed us up. Boy am I glad I did!
First, Disney was very smart in letting only a few reservations in at a time. Upon entering, we were given a map and a Field Guide that included info on the Nav'i language, culture, as well as Pandora plant and animal life. The first sights and sounds were so amazing that we literally stopped to slow down to take it all in.
There are two rides in Pandora, and we did not have to wait at all for either one. First up was Flights of Passage, which can best be described as something that feels like more than a rollercoaster without actually being one. It simulates flying on the back of a banshee in Pandora, to the point where you can literally feel the animal breathing. You sit on a seat non unlike how you would sit on a motorcycle and the seat closes in around you to provide touch sensations. There are various smells piped in during different parts of the ride as well, corresponding to where you are in the ride. The visuals are amazing, and you're wearing special goggles to see with. There is also of course audio too so you're experiencing utter thrill in sight, sound, touch, smell, and proprioception as well. You really do feel like you're flying on the back of a mean ole banshee. It's incredible. Personally I had a bit of motion sickness because I'm quite sensitive to that, so I only rode once. Next time I'm totally taking some dramimine, but I'll definitely do it again.
The other ride in Pandora is the Nav'i River Journey. This is a boat ride through a forest river scene and oh my it is incredible. The sound effects and music are amazing, and it is visually stunning. I had to ride it twice just to take it all in, plus I shot a video of the ride for posterity. No drops or scary thrills, but definitely something I'll want to experience each time I go to Pandora. Unfortunately you can only fastpass one of these rides at a time when you're planning your day at Animal Kingdom, so I'd pick Flights of Passage if I were your. The que line for that ride looks like it can hold several hours worth of people waiting. Of course there is a lot to look at while you wait but no one likes standing for so long.
There is a very nice quick service restaurant called the Satu'li Canteen which had an excellent menu available for people with food intolerances such as myself. I basically ordered straight off the menu with no substitutions necessary and the food is, no joke, out of this world. I will absolutely eat there again. I already like it more than Yak and Yeti and that's saying a lot. You can view the menu from the My Disney Experience App. Right next door is Pongu Pongu, a walk up bar where you can get cool frozen alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks in a souvenir glass with a light up "pod" ice cube. The one pictured above is the non-alcoholic version. It was sugary deliciousness and the cold icy texture felt good since it was 92 degrees outside!
The Flights of Passage ride dumps you out into a gift shop (would you be at Disney if it weren't like this?) where of course I succumbed and bought the cool passholder tee shirt for Pandora's opening. And the pin. And maybe a couple other things too with my 20% passholder discount.
There's at least two sets of bathrooms in Pandora as well and an additional merch stand. There appeared to be a staging area for live music and entertainment and another area devoted to creating music by beating on electronic drums that look more like rocks. People were having a blast just with that set up. The floating mountains are truly spectacular, in a "how'd they do that" kind of way, and there are a few waterfalls that look really cool. The vegetation clearly was a botanist challenge from the get-go and seems like it required several years worth of planning and growth. There are some interesting grafting experiments that will delight gardeners everywhere. There are also some bioilluminescent plants (or props that look like native pandora plants) that supposedly will glow at night. If you have seen the movie you know that a big part of the special effects is the nighttime glow on everything. So, I can't wait to see it all lit up at night. Also worth a mention is the super cool background noises you hear while walking through the land, especially the banshee screeches. You feel surrounded by a lot of animal and plant life just over the horizon, and I was really looking for maybe an album for sale in the gift shop of all the "music" I heard in Pandora. In total, we spent about three and a half hours there, and felt like we saw it all. Because Disney planned so well in not overbooking the time slots, they didn't have to kick anyone out. It was well worth the very short weekend trip down there and back.
You MUST explore Pandora: The Land of Avatar as soon as you can! But don't go without giving the movie another run through first. It will enhance your experience if the movie is fresh in your memory!
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