Def Top 3 - Easy to say best screen-based ride, but IDK if I'm ready to say best ride with screens. Gotta ride it a few more times.
Pandora: World of Avatar Photos, Videos, & Reviews
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Def Top 3 - Easy to say best screen-based ride, but IDK if I'm ready to say best ride with screens. Gotta ride it a few more times.
well someone has to combat the incredulous behavior here@twebber55 all those years of stanning have finally paid off
I won't put any photos in the general photography forum yet, so here's the first one of way too many that I took yesterday.
- May 5, 2012
- 1,800
- 2,975
Your photography is amazingI won't put any photos in the general photography forum yet, so here's the first one of way too many that I took yesterday.
- Apr 12, 2016
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After 1 minute in, really shows how much up and down motion there is, even during parts when you wouldn't think there would be.
Here's my video from the first day of passholder previews. I explore Mo'ara, both ride queues, Pongu Pongu, Satu'li, and Windtraders in some detail.
My thoughts so far on the new land:
The land is completely immersive, in that you cannot see the rest of Animal Kingdom while in it. There's no sign of Mickey Mouse anywhere, (not even the FP+ touch pole.) And the food is very different from your usual theme park fare. The land feels like Animal Kingdom. It feels like it has always been there. AK is my favorite park to visit alone and this new area will just help solidify that. It's just the right mix of nature and sci-fi for my tastes. If it weren't for all the people, it'd be a relaxing place to hang out at (like so many areas of AK already.) I loved exploring and finding cool stuff, like the squirting creatures with a warning sign. The land lends itself to exploring more than most theme park lands.
The two rides are technically incredible. The boat ride utilizes multi-plane screens, which I have never seen before in an attraction, that create a sense of depth without the need of 3D glasses. Of course we all know the AA shaman is amazing, but honestly it was the moments leading up to that that I enjoyed the most. Could've used 3-5 more minutes, and maybe a little bit of storyline. Like, we see Na'vi and animals all heading towards the same direction, to where the shaman is, the whole ride. And at the beginning there's a pepper's ghost Na'vi guy just standing there. If he had said just one phrase like "Come, join us today for the celebration. The shaman is awaiting your arrival." It would've made the whole thing feel a little more complete.
Flight of Passage is a marvel of simulator tech. The screen melts away. The ride vehicle lets you experience the ride in a new way. I stopped holding on halfway through to truly experience the weightlessness of flying, the way I do on negative G moments on coasters. The ride film has more detail and visual information in 5 minutes than all other 3D rides in history combined. If only it had a little more story. A section where you're being chased by the leonopteryx (big red banshee) was my favorite part, because it was suspenseful, (guess I'm used to the Universal playbook of "then something goes wrong.") The preshow is terribly acted by what I can only assume is a real scientist pretending to be an actor, because if they hired an actor pretending to be a scientist it might have been somewhat entertaining (like the wonderful Seeker guy on Dinosaur.) The first line in the Avatar film includes the phrase "...I started having these dreams of flying. I was free." This ride is you flying. It's your dreams about flying realized.
The standby queue for FoP has the best theming of the land. It has caves, bioluminescent plants, cool stuff in the science lab, and it feels massive. The FP queue is neat that you get to climb up the outside of the mountainside, like the Na'vi do for their rite of passage, but not nearly as cool as that avatar in the tank in the standby line!
Lumpia was the best food we tried, followed by the dessert formally known as blueberry cheesecake. Chocolate mousse cake was too bitter, especially after eating the other dessert. The bowls are a lot of food for the price. Cheeseburger pods taste exactly like McDonalds regular hamburgers, which is a good thing if you like that (like I do.) I love hearing the Avatar movie theme integrated into the land (by the incredible James Horner, RIP.) It's on the rides, playing in the restaurant, and there's even a fun and lively version at Pongu Pongu that reminds me of the fun version of the Jurassic Park theme for Camp Jurassic at IOA.
I can't wait to get back and eat some more food, enjoy the area, and buy some more unique souvenirs... especially before Disney replaces menu items with generic ones, plasters characters all over the land, and puts a blue Mickey Mouse plush in the store. For now, it's untouched and true to the source material, I just hope it stays that way.
And say what you will, but I love my mini banshee with all my heart!
My thoughts so far on the new land:
The land is completely immersive, in that you cannot see the rest of Animal Kingdom while in it. There's no sign of Mickey Mouse anywhere, (not even the FP+ touch pole.) And the food is very different from your usual theme park fare. The land feels like Animal Kingdom. It feels like it has always been there. AK is my favorite park to visit alone and this new area will just help solidify that. It's just the right mix of nature and sci-fi for my tastes. If it weren't for all the people, it'd be a relaxing place to hang out at (like so many areas of AK already.) I loved exploring and finding cool stuff, like the squirting creatures with a warning sign. The land lends itself to exploring more than most theme park lands.
The two rides are technically incredible. The boat ride utilizes multi-plane screens, which I have never seen before in an attraction, that create a sense of depth without the need of 3D glasses. Of course we all know the AA shaman is amazing, but honestly it was the moments leading up to that that I enjoyed the most. Could've used 3-5 more minutes, and maybe a little bit of storyline. Like, we see Na'vi and animals all heading towards the same direction, to where the shaman is, the whole ride. And at the beginning there's a pepper's ghost Na'vi guy just standing there. If he had said just one phrase like "Come, join us today for the celebration. The shaman is awaiting your arrival." It would've made the whole thing feel a little more complete.
Flight of Passage is a marvel of simulator tech. The screen melts away. The ride vehicle lets you experience the ride in a new way. I stopped holding on halfway through to truly experience the weightlessness of flying, the way I do on negative G moments on coasters. The ride film has more detail and visual information in 5 minutes than all other 3D rides in history combined. If only it had a little more story. A section where you're being chased by the leonopteryx (big red banshee) was my favorite part, because it was suspenseful, (guess I'm used to the Universal playbook of "then something goes wrong.") The preshow is terribly acted by what I can only assume is a real scientist pretending to be an actor, because if they hired an actor pretending to be a scientist it might have been somewhat entertaining (like the wonderful Seeker guy on Dinosaur.) The first line in the Avatar film includes the phrase "...I started having these dreams of flying. I was free." This ride is you flying. It's your dreams about flying realized.
The standby queue for FoP has the best theming of the land. It has caves, bioluminescent plants, cool stuff in the science lab, and it feels massive. The FP queue is neat that you get to climb up the outside of the mountainside, like the Na'vi do for their rite of passage, but not nearly as cool as that avatar in the tank in the standby line!
Lumpia was the best food we tried, followed by the dessert formally known as blueberry cheesecake. Chocolate mousse cake was too bitter, especially after eating the other dessert. The bowls are a lot of food for the price. Cheeseburger pods taste exactly like McDonalds regular hamburgers, which is a good thing if you like that (like I do.) I love hearing the Avatar movie theme integrated into the land (by the incredible James Horner, RIP.) It's on the rides, playing in the restaurant, and there's even a fun and lively version at Pongu Pongu that reminds me of the fun version of the Jurassic Park theme for Camp Jurassic at IOA.
I can't wait to get back and eat some more food, enjoy the area, and buy some more unique souvenirs... especially before Disney replaces menu items with generic ones, plasters characters all over the land, and puts a blue Mickey Mouse plush in the store. For now, it's untouched and true to the source material, I just hope it stays that way.
And say what you will, but I love my mini banshee with all my heart!
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Here's my video from the first day of passholder previews. I explore Mo'ara, both ride queues, Pongu Pongu, Satu'li, and Windtraders in some detail.
My thoughts so far on the new land:
The land is completely immersive, in that you cannot see the rest of Animal Kingdom while in it. There's no sign of Mickey Mouse anywhere, (not even the FP+ touch pole.) And the food is very different from your usual theme park fare. The land feels like Animal Kingdom. It feels like it has always been there. AK is my favorite park to visit alone and this new area will just help solidify that. It's just the right mix of nature and sci-fi for my tastes. If it weren't for all the people, it'd be a relaxing place to hang out at (like so many areas of AK already.) I loved exploring and finding cool stuff, like the squirting creatures with a warning sign. The land lends itself to exploring more than most theme park lands.
The two rides are technically incredible. The boat ride utilizes multi-plane screens, which I have never seen before in an attraction, that create a sense of depth without the need of 3D glasses. Of course we all know the AA shaman is amazing, but honestly it was the moments leading up to that that I enjoyed the most. Could've used 3-5 more minutes, and maybe a little bit of storyline. Like, we see Na'vi and animals all heading towards the same direction, to where the shaman is, the whole ride. And at the beginning there's a pepper's ghost Na'vi guy just standing there. If he had said just one phrase like "Come, join us today for the celebration. The shaman is awaiting your arrival." It would've made the whole thing feel a little more complete.
Flight of Passage is a marvel of simulator tech. The screen melts away. The ride vehicle lets you experience the ride in a new way. I stopped holding on halfway through to truly experience the weightlessness of flying, the way I do on negative G moments on coasters. The ride film has more detail and visual information in 5 minutes than all other 3D rides in history combined. If only it had a little more story. A section where you're being chased by the leonopteryx (big red banshee) was my favorite part, because it was suspenseful, (guess I'm used to the Universal playbook of "then something goes wrong.") The preshow is terribly acted by what I can only assume is a real scientist pretending to be an actor, because if they hired an actor pretending to be a scientist it might have been somewhat entertaining (like the wonderful Seeker guy on Dinosaur.) The first line in the Avatar film includes the phrase "...I started having these dreams of flying. I was free." This ride is you flying. It's your dreams about flying realized.
The standby queue for FoP has the best theming of the land. It has caves, bioluminescent plants, cool stuff in the science lab, and it feels massive. The FP queue is neat that you get to climb up the outside of the mountainside, like the Na'vi do for their rite of passage, but not nearly as cool as that avatar in the tank in the standby line!
Lumpia was the best food we tried, followed by the dessert formally known as blueberry cheesecake. Chocolate mousse cake was too bitter, especially after eating the other dessert. The bowls are a lot of food for the price. Cheeseburger pods taste exactly like McDonalds regular hamburgers, which is a good thing if you like that (like I do.) I love hearing the Avatar movie theme integrated into the land (by the incredible James Horner, RIP.) It's on the rides, playing in the restaurant, and there's even a fun and lively version at Pongu Pongu that reminds me of the fun version of the Jurassic Park theme for Camp Jurassic at IOA.
I can't wait to get back and eat some more food, enjoy the area, and buy some more unique souvenirs... especially before Disney replaces menu items with generic ones, plasters characters all over the land, and puts a blue Mickey Mouse plush in the store. For now, it's untouched and true to the source material, I just hope it stays that way.
And say what you will, but I love my mini banshee with all my heart!
Nice thoughts. :thumbsup:The land seems to be really beautiful, as is all of Animal Kingdom (except Dino Land). I love what Rhode does to create these zones. The boat dock area around the new Lion King show building is so beautiful and immersive. I find myself standing there for long periods of time trying to take it all in. Pity is, though, that just about everyone rushes by and doesn't even look at the great handiwork. I hope that doesn't happen with the Pandora landscape once the initial rush wears off. It's almost a sin that people miss this great stuff rushing off to do rides. I've always thought this land would fit well into the Animal Kingdom, and it sounds like it does. I can't really imagine Pandora working as well in any of the other three parks. Perfect fit here at AK.
- May 5, 2012
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That's a lot of pound signs for a sidewalk photo
- Mar 16, 2010
- 11,087
- 2,883
Had the opportunity to check out Pandora: World of Avatar yesterday and figured I'd share a quick review, some comparisons, and overall thoughts about this amazing expansion at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Gonna break the review down by category and give it 1 to 5 score with 5 being the highest. Also want to reiterate this review isn't complete and will surely evolve over time just like with any other land or ride that opens. Also trying to make sure I don't let the "newness" of it affect my review which I think many including myself have been guilty of before with new attractions. Just cause its new, doesn't mean its good. Jimmy Fallon I'm looking at you. Anyways categories, LETS GO!!
The Theming
From the moment you make your light year journey (crossing an open bridge #Lame) from Animal Kingdom to the Valley of Mo'ara you immediately realize your in a foreign environment. The alien plant life is beautiful and extremely well done. It doesn't appear like anything in Pandora is fake. The entire area looks like its been here for centuries. Its such an organic and beautiful landscape its really hard to describe how realistic and breathtaking it is. I mean they nailed it when it comes to theme authenticity and realism. Did I say how real everything looked? The water features add a great kinetic energy to the land thats also very natural and authentic to the story of Pandora. No matter where you walk in Pandora you will hard pressed to find anything that breaks the theme and story. There are no show buildings to see, no thunderous rollercoasters to ruin the ambiance, no unthemed elements that even for a split second take you out of the story they're portraying. In terms of theming its darn near flawless. Which leads me to my one gripe, the floating mountains. Listen no one was envious of WDI for having to create floating mountains but there were a few of the smaller ones that did appear forced. In all reality though you really gotta be digging to find these and I mean you can't give them crap about it, They're floating mountains lol. Overall IMO Pandora is the most authentic and natural theme park land / attraction ever created. Score 5 out of 5
The Rides
If you were to ask me about 6 months ago about the rides on Pandora I would of told you I was more excited for Na'vi River Journey than Flight of Passage without hesitation. Not knocking FOP but I at the time was expecting nothing more than Soarin over Pandora. Fast forward to 2 weeks ago and media reviews started pouring in and the Na'vi River Journey through the eyes of lens looked lazy and uninspired and quickly dropped from my list of anticipation to my list of well... I have to do it at least once. My point being walking into Pandora, the rides weren't something I was racing to experience they were just something that I was going to do while exploring the land. At the end of my journey to Pandora I realized I had made a huge error.
The Na'vi River Journey is a wonderful family friendly journey through the environment of Pandora. The entire time I was on the ride i was amazed by the amount of detail they put into it. Some of the tech they use you really have to ride it multiple times to even see it let alone actually sit back and appreciate it. For example there are multiple scenes that are layered extremely well. For example you see a scene in the foreground and it has a creature just chilling out. Then behind that there is another insect crawling around. Then beyond that its moving plant life, then beyond that animals in the trees, and then beyond that Na'vi swinging from the tree's all with seamless execution and interaction. The other thing I noticed about this ride during the 4 spins we took on it was how well Disney did with blending scenes with live sets. Also Disney has mastered projection mapping technology and how to use it within their attractions. Some of the projection mapping tech within this ride is so good I thought a few things were actually AA's crawling around. Finally the best AA I've ever seen is also on this ride and yes by now many have seen the videos of it but to see it in person is nothing short of jaw dropping. Its fluid movements are one thing but I don't think enough people are appreciating its facial expressions and ultra realism. The AA is flawless and even if they did build the ride around it, at least they built around one of the greatest theme park achievements we've ever seen.
Flight of Passage was something I wasn't sure what to expect. I mean I was expecting Soarin 2.0 so I wasn't expecting that much but at the same time I was expecting quite a bit because its the main attraction of a billion dollar land. What I ended up getting was indeed Soarin 2.0 and I couldn't be any happier about it. First off the queue was an attraction in itself that from what I'm told is capable of holding a 6 hour queue at 100% capacity. The queue starts outside giving you some of the most amazing views of Pandora you'll find before entering into the floating mountains themselves. Once inside the caves of these goliath mountains you begin your journey through former military sites, into glowing forests, through laboratories and into the linking chambers themselves. The queue is filled with amazing easter eggs, one of the most amazing AA's your ever gonna see outside of the Na'vi River Journey, and loads upon loads of heavily themed rooms that prepare you for one of the most realistic and intimate pre shows to date. The preshow does drag a bit but I could see that being addressed down the road once they resolve some of the loading issues they're having. Yes the loading process is a bit of stretch for most that lack basic intelligence. I was able to easily... VERY easily get into my chair, slide forward, and allow the back and leg restraints engage without issue. In fact everyone in our group did it easily while we waited for almost ten minutes for others to figure it out. There will be issues for some that have large dimensions but to me it seemed to be just fine. I had plenty of room and had play in the restraint and never felt squished like I do on FJ, Gringotts, and Manta. If your nervous about whether or not your gonna fit just remember to slide all the way forward and stay there until the restraints lock, you'll be fine. The ride itself features some of the greatest simulation ever done on a theme park ride. The reviews of "it really feels like your flying at points" are extremely accurate. There were numerous times where I couldn't help but say wee followed by giddy laughter. Its extremely fun and at points are a little intense which is a welcome feeling to a simulator. Couple things that really stood out to me on my lone voyage. I was sitting on the bottom left of the entire theater and never at one time did I feel like I was off in the corner. It wasn't until near the end when I looked over and noticed where i was positioned. This in itself is a huge win!! Another thing I noticed was the incredible media quality. Disney has always played second fiddle to Universals ARMY of media based attractions but FOP may have the best media quality for a media based attraction ever. The wind was an amazing feeling. The breathing of the banshee while riding is an amazing touch and finally... YES FINALLY we have a ride that actually uses water effects without getting it in my glasses or making my clothes wet while still achieving the effect. One thing that also stood out to me was the complete lack of any dialogue. Its not a bad thing at all, and it follows the story perfectly much like this entire land does.
Pandora offers two incredible attractions that are must rerides and also offer something for everyone. From the thrill seekers to one year olds Pandora delivers powerful story based rides that follow the cohesive theme spread throughout the world of Pandora. Score 5 out of 5
Part 2 Down Below
The Theming
From the moment you make your light year journey (crossing an open bridge #Lame) from Animal Kingdom to the Valley of Mo'ara you immediately realize your in a foreign environment. The alien plant life is beautiful and extremely well done. It doesn't appear like anything in Pandora is fake. The entire area looks like its been here for centuries. Its such an organic and beautiful landscape its really hard to describe how realistic and breathtaking it is. I mean they nailed it when it comes to theme authenticity and realism. Did I say how real everything looked? The water features add a great kinetic energy to the land thats also very natural and authentic to the story of Pandora. No matter where you walk in Pandora you will hard pressed to find anything that breaks the theme and story. There are no show buildings to see, no thunderous rollercoasters to ruin the ambiance, no unthemed elements that even for a split second take you out of the story they're portraying. In terms of theming its darn near flawless. Which leads me to my one gripe, the floating mountains. Listen no one was envious of WDI for having to create floating mountains but there were a few of the smaller ones that did appear forced. In all reality though you really gotta be digging to find these and I mean you can't give them crap about it, They're floating mountains lol. Overall IMO Pandora is the most authentic and natural theme park land / attraction ever created. Score 5 out of 5
The Rides
If you were to ask me about 6 months ago about the rides on Pandora I would of told you I was more excited for Na'vi River Journey than Flight of Passage without hesitation. Not knocking FOP but I at the time was expecting nothing more than Soarin over Pandora. Fast forward to 2 weeks ago and media reviews started pouring in and the Na'vi River Journey through the eyes of lens looked lazy and uninspired and quickly dropped from my list of anticipation to my list of well... I have to do it at least once. My point being walking into Pandora, the rides weren't something I was racing to experience they were just something that I was going to do while exploring the land. At the end of my journey to Pandora I realized I had made a huge error.
The Na'vi River Journey is a wonderful family friendly journey through the environment of Pandora. The entire time I was on the ride i was amazed by the amount of detail they put into it. Some of the tech they use you really have to ride it multiple times to even see it let alone actually sit back and appreciate it. For example there are multiple scenes that are layered extremely well. For example you see a scene in the foreground and it has a creature just chilling out. Then behind that there is another insect crawling around. Then beyond that its moving plant life, then beyond that animals in the trees, and then beyond that Na'vi swinging from the tree's all with seamless execution and interaction. The other thing I noticed about this ride during the 4 spins we took on it was how well Disney did with blending scenes with live sets. Also Disney has mastered projection mapping technology and how to use it within their attractions. Some of the projection mapping tech within this ride is so good I thought a few things were actually AA's crawling around. Finally the best AA I've ever seen is also on this ride and yes by now many have seen the videos of it but to see it in person is nothing short of jaw dropping. Its fluid movements are one thing but I don't think enough people are appreciating its facial expressions and ultra realism. The AA is flawless and even if they did build the ride around it, at least they built around one of the greatest theme park achievements we've ever seen.
Flight of Passage was something I wasn't sure what to expect. I mean I was expecting Soarin 2.0 so I wasn't expecting that much but at the same time I was expecting quite a bit because its the main attraction of a billion dollar land. What I ended up getting was indeed Soarin 2.0 and I couldn't be any happier about it. First off the queue was an attraction in itself that from what I'm told is capable of holding a 6 hour queue at 100% capacity. The queue starts outside giving you some of the most amazing views of Pandora you'll find before entering into the floating mountains themselves. Once inside the caves of these goliath mountains you begin your journey through former military sites, into glowing forests, through laboratories and into the linking chambers themselves. The queue is filled with amazing easter eggs, one of the most amazing AA's your ever gonna see outside of the Na'vi River Journey, and loads upon loads of heavily themed rooms that prepare you for one of the most realistic and intimate pre shows to date. The preshow does drag a bit but I could see that being addressed down the road once they resolve some of the loading issues they're having. Yes the loading process is a bit of stretch for most that lack basic intelligence. I was able to easily... VERY easily get into my chair, slide forward, and allow the back and leg restraints engage without issue. In fact everyone in our group did it easily while we waited for almost ten minutes for others to figure it out. There will be issues for some that have large dimensions but to me it seemed to be just fine. I had plenty of room and had play in the restraint and never felt squished like I do on FJ, Gringotts, and Manta. If your nervous about whether or not your gonna fit just remember to slide all the way forward and stay there until the restraints lock, you'll be fine. The ride itself features some of the greatest simulation ever done on a theme park ride. The reviews of "it really feels like your flying at points" are extremely accurate. There were numerous times where I couldn't help but say wee followed by giddy laughter. Its extremely fun and at points are a little intense which is a welcome feeling to a simulator. Couple things that really stood out to me on my lone voyage. I was sitting on the bottom left of the entire theater and never at one time did I feel like I was off in the corner. It wasn't until near the end when I looked over and noticed where i was positioned. This in itself is a huge win!! Another thing I noticed was the incredible media quality. Disney has always played second fiddle to Universals ARMY of media based attractions but FOP may have the best media quality for a media based attraction ever. The wind was an amazing feeling. The breathing of the banshee while riding is an amazing touch and finally... YES FINALLY we have a ride that actually uses water effects without getting it in my glasses or making my clothes wet while still achieving the effect. One thing that also stood out to me was the complete lack of any dialogue. Its not a bad thing at all, and it follows the story perfectly much like this entire land does.
Pandora offers two incredible attractions that are must rerides and also offer something for everyone. From the thrill seekers to one year olds Pandora delivers powerful story based rides that follow the cohesive theme spread throughout the world of Pandora. Score 5 out of 5
Part 2 Down Below
- Mar 16, 2010
- 11,087
- 2,883
Food and Beverage
During our stay we sampled several different items you can only purchase in Pandora. The canteen is the main dining hall for Pandora and while pretty on the inside is probably going to be too small to handle the immense crowds that will soon land on Pandora. The build your own bowls is a great idea and we found the chicken, rice, and chimichurri to be excellent when you consider your dining at a theme park quick service location. The kids menu offers traditional fair to keep the kids happy while also offering a few unique items for those that might be a little more adventurous. Mine had the cheese quesadilla and it was decent for what it was. For desert we had the blueberry cheesecake thing and it was excellent! A must get if you like cheesecake.!! For drinks we had the Moara Margarita, Banshee Chardonnay, Grogs Green Ale, Sangria, and Pandoran Sunrise. All of the drinks were very good considering all the alcoholic ones were premixed which I usually hate. The Pandoran Sunrise was like a very delicious fruit drink that the kids loved. Its also mixed with melon powerade so yeah not very creative but still tasted great. We avoided all the souvenir cups with the exception of the kids ones cause we felt they all appeared cheap. Overall though in terms of quality food and beverage is another win for Pandora. However Food and Beverage may also have one of the biggest downfalls in the land. The only 2 places to get food and beverage are right next to each other on the far side of the land. They added a temp food and beverage cart over by the main restrooms and I found that to be the one and only lapse in theming in the entire land. I know it sounds a little harsh to knock a temp F&B cart but once you step inside and see how realistic this place is I feel many will feel the same. Time will tell on that one. Hopefully overtime they will add a more permanent F&B option on the other side of Pandora that offers the unique drinks they sell instead of just a random water and powerade cart. Food Quality 5 of 5 Food Availability across the land 3 out of 5 with LIMITED crowds...
Shopping
This is where Pandora misses the boat imo. The most packed place during the ENTIRE preview was Windtraders the lands one and only store. I mean I get it, you can only sell so much Avatar related stuff but imo this land would of greatly benefitted from an additional store and F&B location on the Na'vi River Journey side of the land. During the summer I guarantee the two things people will be asking more of will be F&B and indoor stores with AC. I found the theming of Windtraders to be on par with other Animal Kingdom shops and also on par with offerings. I couldn't believe how many people were buying those banshees that sit on your shoulder. Then again kids so yeah I get it but the adults wearing those along with the Na'vi head dresses and ears was a bit strange and funny to look at. Seemed like most people who were wearing this stuff immediately took them off once leaving the land. Maybe they saw a mirror finally I'm not sure. But yeah overall shopping and its offerings are without a doubt Pandora's biggest downfall. 2 out of 5
But were not done yet..
Pandora is utterly amazing.. A spectacle to behold. If this were a real place in the world like a grand canyon or something you get the idea it would be a bucket list type destination, yes its that beautiful to see. But Pandora isn't done yet and unfortunately no one has been able to see the crown jewel of this land, its night time atmosphere. WDI's ace isn't even on display yet. The night experience is one of the main reasons they wanted to build Pandora in the first place and its something we should all be very excited about. Imagine visiting Diagon Alley for previews and then coming back and they've added a Dragon. I think you multiply that by 2 to represent the impact the night show is going to have on the overall feel and offering on Pandora.
Overall Pandora is Walt Disney Imagineering's best work stateside in decades if not ever. The overall beauty of the land is something that just cannot be fathomed until arrival. Its like nothing I've ever seen and it stays true to its story from the moment you enter to the moment you leave. I never thought I'd say this but it fits in with Animal Kingdom while also following the parks incredible roots of conservation, heritage, cultural diversity, and incredible theming. If your up in the air about whether or not to visit Pandora I feel like your taking a chance on missing out on one of theme parks crowning achievements. My entire family over the course of 6 hours never felt bored, found an issue, or thought to ourselves this could of been better. Around every turn the same words came up over and over again, "this is incredible." Pandora is one of if not the greatest "overall" theme park land I've ever experienced. Once Pandora is complete and we get the full effect I'll make my final judgement but for now on a scale of 1 to 5 Pandora is a 5 without hesitation. Its a must see when visiting Orlando!!
During our stay we sampled several different items you can only purchase in Pandora. The canteen is the main dining hall for Pandora and while pretty on the inside is probably going to be too small to handle the immense crowds that will soon land on Pandora. The build your own bowls is a great idea and we found the chicken, rice, and chimichurri to be excellent when you consider your dining at a theme park quick service location. The kids menu offers traditional fair to keep the kids happy while also offering a few unique items for those that might be a little more adventurous. Mine had the cheese quesadilla and it was decent for what it was. For desert we had the blueberry cheesecake thing and it was excellent! A must get if you like cheesecake.!! For drinks we had the Moara Margarita, Banshee Chardonnay, Grogs Green Ale, Sangria, and Pandoran Sunrise. All of the drinks were very good considering all the alcoholic ones were premixed which I usually hate. The Pandoran Sunrise was like a very delicious fruit drink that the kids loved. Its also mixed with melon powerade so yeah not very creative but still tasted great. We avoided all the souvenir cups with the exception of the kids ones cause we felt they all appeared cheap. Overall though in terms of quality food and beverage is another win for Pandora. However Food and Beverage may also have one of the biggest downfalls in the land. The only 2 places to get food and beverage are right next to each other on the far side of the land. They added a temp food and beverage cart over by the main restrooms and I found that to be the one and only lapse in theming in the entire land. I know it sounds a little harsh to knock a temp F&B cart but once you step inside and see how realistic this place is I feel many will feel the same. Time will tell on that one. Hopefully overtime they will add a more permanent F&B option on the other side of Pandora that offers the unique drinks they sell instead of just a random water and powerade cart. Food Quality 5 of 5 Food Availability across the land 3 out of 5 with LIMITED crowds...
Shopping
This is where Pandora misses the boat imo. The most packed place during the ENTIRE preview was Windtraders the lands one and only store. I mean I get it, you can only sell so much Avatar related stuff but imo this land would of greatly benefitted from an additional store and F&B location on the Na'vi River Journey side of the land. During the summer I guarantee the two things people will be asking more of will be F&B and indoor stores with AC. I found the theming of Windtraders to be on par with other Animal Kingdom shops and also on par with offerings. I couldn't believe how many people were buying those banshees that sit on your shoulder. Then again kids so yeah I get it but the adults wearing those along with the Na'vi head dresses and ears was a bit strange and funny to look at. Seemed like most people who were wearing this stuff immediately took them off once leaving the land. Maybe they saw a mirror finally I'm not sure. But yeah overall shopping and its offerings are without a doubt Pandora's biggest downfall. 2 out of 5
But were not done yet..
Pandora is utterly amazing.. A spectacle to behold. If this were a real place in the world like a grand canyon or something you get the idea it would be a bucket list type destination, yes its that beautiful to see. But Pandora isn't done yet and unfortunately no one has been able to see the crown jewel of this land, its night time atmosphere. WDI's ace isn't even on display yet. The night experience is one of the main reasons they wanted to build Pandora in the first place and its something we should all be very excited about. Imagine visiting Diagon Alley for previews and then coming back and they've added a Dragon. I think you multiply that by 2 to represent the impact the night show is going to have on the overall feel and offering on Pandora.
Overall Pandora is Walt Disney Imagineering's best work stateside in decades if not ever. The overall beauty of the land is something that just cannot be fathomed until arrival. Its like nothing I've ever seen and it stays true to its story from the moment you enter to the moment you leave. I never thought I'd say this but it fits in with Animal Kingdom while also following the parks incredible roots of conservation, heritage, cultural diversity, and incredible theming. If your up in the air about whether or not to visit Pandora I feel like your taking a chance on missing out on one of theme parks crowning achievements. My entire family over the course of 6 hours never felt bored, found an issue, or thought to ourselves this could of been better. Around every turn the same words came up over and over again, "this is incredible." Pandora is one of if not the greatest "overall" theme park land I've ever experienced. Once Pandora is complete and we get the full effect I'll make my final judgement but for now on a scale of 1 to 5 Pandora is a 5 without hesitation. Its a must see when visiting Orlando!!
First off, excellent, thorough and concise review. Enjoyed reading the whole thing!
Second,=....
You must have never gone to a Renaissance festival, have ya?
Second,=....
You must have never gone to a Renaissance festival, have ya?
