As a Disney fan, I must confess that I love to hate. In fact, we all love to hate. As a community we share joy and build ourselves as a higher power, the only group that can make decisions for the Disney company because we embody both the best choices for the fans, and in turn the company itself. Walt Disney Imagineering has become somewhat of an enemy to the community with every new addition to the park. The addition of a story to Disney Springs was met with general distaste, with many offering that the bain of WDI in this current day is the dependence on overly engineered stories and an inability to develop basic attractions without going overly into detail.
The figurehead of strong detailing on Disney attractions would be the Imagineer Joe Rohde, who seems to be the last living embodiment of the “Baxter Era” of Imagineering (Not controlled by Baxter, but he was a strong figure during this era). To many, Joe Rohde is known most prominently as the Imagineer behind the attraction Expedition Everest, currently the tallest attraction in a Disney Park and stands as one of the most impressive and immersive experiences WDW has to offer. The queue in and of itself represents the immense detail and attention that went into the development of this attraction, in which Imagineers went on excursions to the mountain regions identified in the attraction, learning about myths and stories passed on through generations in order to represent the myth of the Yeti with accuracy while blending falsehood with reality. In addition, Rohde served as a prominent designer for Animal Kingdom amongst other projects.
What matters however is that given Rohde’s track record with the company, it should be expected that any project he touches will be met with praise and glory. He is obviously a veteran of the craft, and understands the medium quite well, so shouldn’t it be assumed that he will deliver a positive finished product?
For many, including myself, that was not the case.
In 2011, Disney announced plans to develop a themed area based on the major film property Avatar in the Animal Kingdom theme park, replacing the Camp Minnie Mickey area that been home to assorted “meet-and-greets” as well as live shows. To announce a themed area for an IP that Disney didn’t own, let alone had been out of theaters (and out of mind) for nearly two years at the time made absolutely no sense. Many, including myself, ridiculed this decision as pointless and the first step to disaster. Why would they choose to make a themed area based on Avatar? At the time, it seemed like it was a nonsensical decision to devote 1/4th of a theme park to a property that nobody had seriously paid any attention to. Even James Cameron was in disbelief that Disney wanted to do an entire land over one, simple attraction.
But it seems that Bob Iger had different plans. Realizing that Cameron was planning on making four more movies in the series, he capitalized on the nearly $3 billion franchise in an attempt to beat out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Placing Joe Rohde at head of the project, construction began in 2014.
But tragedy struck, and problems arose (as they often do). Cameron had planned the first Avatar sequel to release in 2014, with the themed land opening shortly before the release of the third film. Concept art and designs flew out of WDI without a single word on the movie’s sequel from Cameron. Before construction began, the sequel of the film was pushed back to 2018 with filming beginning in 2017. This must’ve sent Iger in a frenzy. No longer could the company capitalize on another film, rather, the land now had to be the property that pushes the movie franchise and entices audiences to follow the franchise as they do Superheroes or Star Wars.
Years progressed, and pictures from construction began to surface online. Guests could see the peaks of the floating mountains from the sightline of the resort, giving them a small glimpse of what was to come. The new area became increasingly more intriguing, but I myself still held immense doubt. The film was never anything to write home about, in fact it was nothing more than an impressive visual feat rather than a quality film. What I should’ve noticed however was that something visually stunning fits perfectly in the hands of WDI.
Pandora opened to the public in May of 2017, with a concrete opening on the 27th. To say that guests have flocked to the new area would be an understatement, with wait times for both attractions at exorbitant amounts since ribbon-cutting. The hype surrounding this new development has been intense, with previous naysayers standing in strong favor of this new addition and a new faith in WDI has been secured.
From my own point of view, I still held such doubts. Following the announcement that Rohde would develop the Guardians of the Galaxy Layover for Tower of Terror in California, any trust I had was dwindled to near nothing. Anyone who would turn such an attraction into a cheap overlay could not possibly have the integrity to push for a deeply immersive theme park land that revolutionizes the parks as we know them, right?
It seems however that I could not have possibly been more incorrect.
This month I had the opportunity to fly down to Florida and check out Pandora for myself, further defining the way in which I would judge WDI as a whole. Included below is a full map of the area to better assist in the understanding of my review.
As I entered Pandora for the first time, I was met with the giant, floating mountains that left me in awe. Looking at the foliage and otherworldly formations of rock and terrain nearly brought a tear to my eye. It was quite awe inspiring to say the least, with water running down the side of the mountain as the sounds of local fauna surrounded the area. The left side of the world (entering from the central hub of the park) contains little to no music other than a drum circle placed towards the center of the area, near a waterfall that is designed in such a way that it both stands as an artificial nuance and a natural beauty.
The drum circle is completely dependent on the actions of park guests, with each individual playing a part in the band that develops the tribal motif Pandora is attempting to create. Occasionally, tribe leaders will lead the pack and create a system that pushes the sounds of the area into a new level of creativity. Tribal music matched with sounds of the natural world perfectly matches the theming they’re developing. But I can’t help but comment that if you told me the drum circle was a music loop, I’d believe you. It matches the world building so perfectly that I genuinely believe that there is a population of non-earthly creatures that don’t exist in reality.
Continuing on, the first attraction in the area is the Na’vi River Journey, a themed adventure through the world of the Na’vi, embodying the flora and fauna of a fictional world.
Piling through the queue, guests first peruse the natural outside world of Pandora surrounded by bodies of water and plants that, while not large in stature, identify subtleties in the world that both show similarities and differences to ours. Following the outside world is a covered section, topped with an awning that must’ve been hand developed and spun like a wicker basket. The design here is absolutely incredible, and the religious shrine found not far after represents deep theology in the world of the Na’vi.
The ride itself is nothing more than a simple boat ride, short in duration but deep in theming. The use of screens for animal life and the first sight of a Na’vi can be quite disappointing, but the intense animatronic used for the Na’vi shaman makes up for such shortcomings. As the most impressive and technologically sound animatronic that Disney has ever created, the Na’vi shaman is the cornerstone of the attraction, with little more justifying the wait time. Other than the animatronic only one other effect comes to mind, that being a projected waterfall about halfway through the ride. On the left, one can see a waterfall that looks real until further inspection, where the flowing water is fake but the bubbling on the bottom is real from a machine. The effect serves no purpose, other than to reinforce what they can and can’t trick you into believing. The River Journey garners wait times of nearly an hour at some points, which seems preposterous. A short, low capacity boat ride with little more to do than sit and gaze at the surroundings. It’s not Pirates of the Caribbean, but it offers as a short introduction to the world of the Na’vi.
If I could offer one point of advice, I would ask that any new guests go on this attraction first before exploring the land any further. I myself never had any memory of the film before entering, so this boat ride slowly brought me into the world and prepared me for what was to come. In my mind, forcing guests to get on this boat ride to enter the land in the first place, exiting the attraction and being shown the floating mountains would’ve been the experience Rohde was going for, but that would hamper crowd flow (similar to him placing no signs in AK when it opened to simulate wilderness exploration).
On the opposite side of Pandora is the human base, in which the RDA live and coexist with the Na’vi. The center of the Human base is at the Satu’li Canteen, where researchers eat the food of the Na’vi and live in one culture. Outside the Canteen one can see the handprints of both humans and Na’vi, showing that both cultures can coexist together in a fashion that respects the wildlife of Pandora while opening to study from the RDA.
I had the pleasure of trying food at the Satu’li Canteen during both Breakfast and Lunch, and can vouch for both meals as one of the best quick service options in a Disney Park, especially at WDW.
During breakfast I had the opportunity of trying the French Toast with Blueberry Cream Cheese, the Oatmeal, and the Egg/Bacon/Spinach pods. The Oatmeal was quite good, tasting natural and fresh, filling for the price. The French Toast was a simple theme park french toast, but the Blueberry Cream Cheese was truly something special. Creamy and thick, the Blueberry matched the French Toast perfectly and served as a somewhat healthy alternative to caking of powdered sugar. The pods however were absolutely disgusting, with little to nothing inside each pod, making the experience nothing more than eating tasteless bread. In addition I tried the Pandoran Sunrise, a mix of Powerade and Melon juices, which was overtly sweet and synthetic. Similar to the Night Blossom at Pongu Pongu, the sweetness of the drink left too much to be desired and exposed too much sweet to satisfy.
Lunch however was absolutely phenomenal, albeit interesting. This, I could tell, was a Joe Rohde idea (or a culinary Joe Rohde shadow). Similar to Rohde asking that there not a be a single Mickey Mouse in Pandora (The Fastpass Return touch sensors were in fact changed based on his request), the food at Satu’li canteen during Lunch and Dinner consists of natural and healthy options, in which guests can build their own dishes based on their own liking. Customizable options include the protein (Beef, Chicken or Tofu), the base (Rice, Quinoa), or the sauce (Creamy Herb, Chimichurri). I myself sprung for the Grilled Beef bowl with Rice base and Creamy Herb Dressing, which was filling and worth it for the price. After a few days of eating unhealthy at the Disney Parks, this was a delightful change. The Creamy Herb dressing left much to be desired as it was sour in nature, but delightful nonetheless. One member in my party however tried the cheeseburger pods, which, if I didn’t mention here, I wouldn’t be doing my job as an investigative reporter, my duty to report what I see and what I hear. This important, profound, and spectacular conclusion that changes the world as we know it.
They were McDonald’s Cheeseburgers.
The way I see it, an executive at Disney saw the menu at Satu’li Canteen and said “No kid is ever going to want this, it’s too ‘foreign.’” Of course the kids who grow up on Chicken Tenders and Apple Slices wouldn’t want Asian infusion, so Disney had to come up with the safest opportunity possible to balance the menu. Which begs the question, what could possibly be safer than a McDonald’s Cheeseburger?
Despite the fact that they directly mimic an establishment that is known for its poor quality food, the pods are still pretty decent, closing off lunch for most guests.
For myself however, I had to try the two desserts that Satu’li Canteen has to offer, those being the Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse and the Chocolate Cake.
The real winner was the Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse offering a fruity yet smooth cheesecake-esque experience, one that perfectly matches the mango sauce that adorns the plate. Designwise it looks beautiful, a cheap work of food art. It looks nothing like the modern cheesecake but captures the taste that many try to. The Chocolate Cake however didn’t really hit it off with me personally, tasting a bit too rich to the point where it is inedible. Still, a chocoholic may enjoy it.
All in all, the food offerings at the Satu’li Canteen are truly something special, selections I never would’ve expected from a Disney Theme Park.
This leads into the final aspect of Pandora: The World of Avatar. Just writing about this makes it all feel new again. Every emotion, sight, wonder, astonishment, and thrill I felt on my experience on the Na’vi Flight of Passage
Prefacing this summary should be a warning; a FastPass is a necessity on this attraction. Often, the wait will get as high as 150 minutes during the day and stay there until about 10, where it rarely drops below 120. The posted wait time rarely matches the actual wait, but to be safe this should be one of your FastPass choices.
In addition, if you enter through the FastPass entrance, you skip the entire queue and go through a back route, missing nearly everything. In fact the back route looks like a service hallway with little to nothing on the walls, it’s a simple passageway. Thus, if you are truly looking to see the queue (which you should), make two voyages to Pandora, with your first preferably being a FastPass journey.
As guests enter the line, it becomes increasingly apparent that Disney expects this attraction to maintain such exorbitant wait times for a while, seeing as the line twists and turns, with multiple areas of scenery ranging from natural forests, caves, and human research labs. (Tip: Halfway through the line, right where the Human and Na’vi word blend, there exists a water bottle filling station with water fountains for guests waiting in the hot summers of Florida. Respectful guests will likely hold your spot in line for you, so no worries).
The queue begins in the forested land of Pandora, slowly ascending the mountains, seeing the tourists walk below you. Slowly snaking the ascent, guests have the opportunity to take a glimpse upon the wildlife of the area as they enter a cave of the Na’vi. Paintings of mythology and the livelihood of the Na’vi surround you as you pass through their claustrophobic cave, pushing further behind the barrier of rock that surrounds the Valley of Mo’ara. Through Disney Magic, water spots on the rock blend the natural lighting with non-natural sources, and touching said water spots only feels weird given the lack of a moist response. Everything feels very similar to the claustrophobic nature of the Indiana Jones attraction in California, but much more natural.
Eventually guests come upon a door, symbolizing a bridge between two worlds. Two vastly different cultures that have come together to live in a symbiosis of sorts. No longer are guests in the open air but inside a giant building of research. Following the doorway is a bioluminescent room that nearly mirrors the sights seen on the Na’vi River Journey (lacking water of course). Pandoran birds and assorted wildlife make noises during this part, with a crashed vessel (not sure whether it was a boat or a plane) serves as a passageway to direct guests into the next part of the queue.
As a quick side note, I hold one general complaint about the Valley of Mo’ara, and Pandora as a whole. While the flora may be bountiful and the sounds of fauna are present, no actual animals are to be found. I’ve seen a picture of a spider monster around the floating mountains, but during my day there, no matter how hard I tried, I for the life of me could not see it in the slightest. The River Journey itself had videos of animals, and the Flight of Passage did too, but no physical animals were present in all of Pandora.
See, what makes places like the Rainforest Cafe special and immersive are the animatronic animals, placing you into an ecosystem that seems real (or at least, as real as it can be). It’s odd that a themed area in a park based on animals has no actual physical embodiments of animals in it. Any small animatronic in numerous places would suffice, but in its current state the plants do not suffice as a working ecosystem.
After the last bioluminescent forest, guests are funneled into the research facility in which scientists are performing tests on the wildlife and climate of Pandora. Guests walk around a circular work desk, peeking into the developments of RDA scientists. This spans from measuring the effect of wind on the climate to small organisms that are not present on Earth. Further into the research lab guests can see one of the Avatars that guests will inhabit on the ride.
The next room is the final one in the queue, similar to the wide room in which Sallah debriefs guests on Indiana Jones. In here guests can analyze their flight pattern and direction on a large screen, and can compare their height to that of a Na’vi. Guests also learn that the Banshee is the keystone species in the Pandoran ecosystem further into the pre-show, drawing connections with human effects on the Earth ecosystem and how it affects animals. From here it becomes apparent that Rohde and company used this attraction and the anti-corporation basis of the film Avatar to comment on adverse human effects in nature based on mining and other selfish business practices.
One of the coolest parts of the queue however was the lack of music throughout the entire thing. Entering the caves and forests only yields the sound of animals from the environment, and the inside of the research facility the only ambient noise is that of computer screens and industrial fans. Music and narration only serve to remind you that this is not in fact a real experience, but one that exists within the boundaries of a theme park. (Compare the experience of Dinosaur to FOP and you’ll see what I mean).
From here, you’re on your own. I in good conscience cannot divulge any more details about the pre-show nor the attraction itself.
Every emotion I myself had was based on the surprise and wonder I felt when I first experienced the attraction. Not knowing what would happen next or how anything would go made the experience a true adventure. My eyes filled with wonder and tears as I rode on the back of my Banshee, feeling the wind in my hair and a smile on my face was the experience of a lifetime.
As a Disney purist I wanted to get on the attraction and find everything wrong with WDI, and complain online about how “Disney isn’t the same” or “they have no integrity”, but this attraction was so magnificent that it may indeed stand as my favorite attraction in a Disney Park. The experience was so immersive, so special, that I wholeheartedly recommend a trip based solely on this attraction.
Animal Kingdom has always been some sort of a testing ground for WDI ever since its conception. At its heart, the park represents a symbiosis of nature, animals, and people. What the park has lacked however was an immersive way to place people in the spot of a citizen or denizen of an ecosystem, rather than a third party watcher. The Kilimanjaro Safari’s represent watching animals, Expedition Everest is the watching of the mythical yeti, Dinosaur is the watching of prehistoric beasts and a perusal through their place of being.
Pandora however places guests into the roles of explorers. In the Valley of Mo’ara, you feel as if you are one of the Na’vi. Engaging in tribal dances, exploring their deepest cultural crevices, eating the food that their culture thrives upon, and engaging upon one of their most sacred rituals of Na’vi life.
Pandora: The World of Avatar is one of the most immersive and intricate themed areas in a Disney Park. Each of the attractions are beautiful, changing the playing field for both boat rides and simulator attractions, raising the bar for any following attraction from any theme park. The food opportunities are unique, straying from the norms of theme park food in favor of cuisine that both matches the theming of the area while offering a healthy and high class option for guests tired of quick service. Visually the day and night at Pandora are stunning, both existing separately with two different experiences that perfectly encapsulate Pandora as a completely different entity from the rest of Animal Kingdom.
It seems that Joe Rohde and Walt Disney Imagineering have outdone themselves this time. From the second I walked into the valley, to the moment the park closed and I was forced to leave, I was immersed in the realm of Pandora and the belief that a real ecosystem had sprung up in Orlando, Florida. Immersion hit a paramount after experiencing this feat of design perfection, one I do not expect to see succeeded by anything in the near future.
I can only close by recommending you visit Pandora as soon as possible. Do not deprive yourself of such an experience, one that will stick with you for the rest of your life.
Ryan Dorman is a Columnist for the Boardwalk Times.
