A Resorts Gal Guide to Pandora, World of Avatar (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
Pandora, the World of Avatar, is a land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World themed after James Cameron’s Avatar. The land opened in 2017 with two attractions: Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey. Flight of Passage quickly became one of the most sought-after attractions among the theme parks and remains so to this day.
Below, we’ll return to Pandora, the World of Avatar, for an updated look at the land. We’ll discuss both attractions, dining, shopping, and when you might be able to tour the land after dark. Unfortunately, Animal Kingdom isn’t always open late enough to explore Pandora at night, which is a detriment to those traveling during those times. The land takes on an entirely different glow at night, which we’ll also preview below.
Pandora, the World of Avatar, is a gorgeous land. Most guests stand around in awe as they take in their surroundings. As someone who visits the parks frequently, I always enjoy seeing guests experiencing the area for the first time. This inspires me to work tirelessly on these articles to improve them over time. (We’ve come a long way.)
When you enter the park, you’ll take a left at the Tree of Life to head to Pandora. After that, you’ll take another left just before Pizzafari to head across the bridge to the land’s formal entrance. If you’re visiting first thing at rope drop, you can just stick with the crowd. The majority of guests head straight to Flight of Passage as soon as the park opens. When you reach the land, you’ll see a sign welcoming you to the Valley of Mo’ara in Pandora.
The sign reads: “Oel Ngati Kameie,” which means “I See You” in Na’vi. The indigenous Na’vi people, in partnership with Alpha Centauri Expeditions, welcome you to Pandora, a world similar to Earth but unique in so many ways. Enjoy and Explore! Visitor Information reminds guests not to feed the wild animals and to stay on well-established trails. It also mentions no fires because of the bioluminescence and not to run from large animals. (No worries, this is all fictitious.)
Ahead, you’ll run into a large plant nicknamed the Baja Tickler, also known as the Flaska Reclinata. It mists water every so often and plays an important role in detoxifying the atmosphere of the planet.
Attractions
Pandora has two attractions that most guests will want to experience during their visit. Guests will also want to tour the land, take a couple of family photographs, and possibly shop and dine. We’ll first look at the attractions and what you can expect.
Avatar Flight of Passage
Avatar Flight of Passage is a priority for anyone who meets the height requirement and enjoys moderate to thrill-ride attractions. If at all possible, you won’t want to miss it. Guests have the option of purchasing a Lightning Lane Single Pass to experience Flight of Passage and/or riding via the standby queue. We recommend that guests secure a Lightning Lane for this ride and also experience it through standby. The Flight of Passage queue has several elements, including the giant avatar, that you bypass when you use the Lightning Lane.
Related: Avatar, Flight of Passage
if you get to the park for early entry (resort guests only), you should be able to experience Flight of Passage with a minimal wait. If you don’t visit early, we recommend joining the standby line about five to ten minutes before the park closes. When the park closes, the Lightning Lane closes with it, which makes the standby line move much faster.
Expect long lines, sometimes up to 2-3 hours, during the majority of the day. It is one of the most popular rides at Disney World. Since Animal Kingdom is not an attraction heavy park, we always try to ride Flight of Passage, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Expedition Everest twice on our visits. You should be able to do the same with the help of a Lightning Lane Single Pass.
As mentioned above, the queue has some fun features. Here is the avatar in containment.
When you get to the linking chambers, you’ll run into this guy, Dr. Stevens. He coined the phrase Disney fans know as “Uh Fly.”
He’ll have everyone stand on a circle and move around while you’re synced with an avatar. After that, you’ll visit a second chamber where you’ll be greeted by Dr. Ogden as she explains a little more about the Na’ vi people and banshees.
Before you know it, you’ll be on a banshee as you take off on your Flight of Passage!
A few reminders:
- Flight of Passage has a 44″ or taller height requirement.
- Available for Lightning Lane (a la carte)
- This attraction uses 3D technology with glasses.
As far as heights go, you will get the “real feel” of riding on a banshee (a large Na’ vi spirit animal with wings). This feeling might be somewhat similar to Soarin’ but more intense. Children who haven’t ridden before might get intimidated by the process leading up to the ride. Before the ride begins, the screen ahead tells you that it’s going to link you with an Avatar. I’ve seen a couple of children take that literally and panic. So you might want to explain the process to them ahead of time.
Make sure to enjoy it! Flight of Passage is the kind of ride that will be discussed long after your Disney vacation is over. It’s truly remarkable.
Na’vi River Journey
Na’vi River Journey, Pandora’s secondary attraction, is a slow-moving, dark boat ride through a bioluminescent rainforest. The entrance is to the front left of the land. On busy days, the wait is often about 55 minutes.
The Na’vi River Journey is visually stunning in a bioluminescent way. Along the way, you’ll encounter the Na’vi Shaman of Songs. She is an incredible audio-animatronic and much larger than she looks in the photo below.
Here are a few need-to-knows about the Na’vi River Journey:
- No Height Requirements
- You might be seated on a row of a boat with another party.
- Available with Lightning Lane via Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
Related: Na’vi River Journey
Dining Options
Pandora, the World of Avatar, has one quick-service restaurant and a walk-up kiosk with drinks and snacks. Satu’li Canteen, the former RDA Mess Hall, has a full menu with popular bowl-style items. It’s also an excellent place to order a kids’ meal.
Satu’li Canteen
You’ll find Satu’li Canteen toward the back of the Valley of Mo’ara near Windtraders and Flight of Passage. To save time, you can place a mobile order. Additionally, you might place that order early in the morning if you know your family will want to dine there. You can select a time frame when you anticipate you’ll eat lunch and then just hit the button later on during your arrival window. This can be done on the bus on the way to the park or while you’re standing outside the park waiting for rope drop. Below is an order of crispy fried tofu with noodles and vegetables.
Satu’li Canteen offers build-your-own-bowl-style meals. You choose a base, protein, and sauce. Here is another example of a bowl with beef.
It’s also nice to be able to choose different items, and one can be health-conscious with those choices if desired. You could just as easily make a salad with crispy fried tofu or order a potato hash base with steak or grilled chicken.
Here is a photo of the menu from our last visit.
After picking up your food, you can choose whether to dine inside or out. If the weather is nice, you might opt for the outside seating area. We’ve tried almost everything on the menu. You can check our Satu’li Canteen Review to see photos of other bowls and several kids’ meals, including the cheeseburger pods, which are basically bao buns stuffed with seasoned hamburger meat.
Pongu Pongu
Pongu Pongu means party party in Na’vi. This is where you can order a very popular dessert and several specialty drinks.
Menu items include a Na’vi-sized pretzel, Pongu Lumpia (a pineapple cream cheese spring roll), the Night Blossom, Rum Blossom, and Mo’ara Margarita. Several Draft Beers, including the Hawkes’ Grog Ale, are also available.
Shopping
It wouldn’t be a true Disney World vacation without a little shopping, and Windtraders is the perfect place to find something unique. This gift shop is part of the ride exit for Flight of Passage. The shop’s main entrance is near Satu’li Canteen.
Inside, you’ll find extensive theming and merchandise inspired by the Na’vi people.
You can even have a custom avatar made.
This is also where one can pick up a pet, I mean, a banshee, to take home with them. They are exceptionally popular and perfectly marketed. It’s like you exit this jaw-dropping ride, and everyone is excited. The ride’s exit dumps you straight into the gift shop. You’re completely enthralled, and the next thing you know, your child wants a banshee, and now you have a new pet for life.
But honestly, I think the baby banshees are even cuter. If you buy more than one, they sync together and come in a cool eggshell case.
Pandora World of Avatar at Night
When possible, we always recommend visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Pandora, the World of Avatar at night. Unfortunately, it’s quite rare to be able to linger in the park after dark. We’ve been lucky enough to experience a few evenings in the park this last year. If you visit after the time change in November through early March, make sure to check the park’s hours. You can plan to visit on an evening when the park is open until at least 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m.
The land is covered in bioluminescence and glows in a way much prettier in person than in pictures.
Here are a few more photos.
The faux florals glow, and the floating mountains do an excellent job of transporting you to the look and feel of another planet.
Here are a few more pictures of Pandora, the World of Avatar.
Final Thoughts
Pandora, the World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is a truly immersive land. The work completed here to bring this land to life is awe-inspiring.
It’s really like nothing you have ever seen.
I often come here for a break and try to take in the surroundings. That’s one of the things that makes Animal Kingdom so special for visitors. It’s a park that promotes a relaxing undertone.
For more information, try our planning guide for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, or you might enjoy the following:
- Discovery Island Trails
- Tour the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
- Tigers on the Maharajah Jungle Trek at Disney
- The Animation Experience at Animal Kingdom
Are you planning a visit to Walt Disney World? You might enjoy browsing the list of resorts at Walt Disney World. Some of our favorite hotels are:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Review
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Review
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review
- Disney’s Polynesian Resort Review
In the Comments
Are you looking forward to visiting Pandora, the World of Avatar? Have you ever visited? Leave us a comment below with your thoughts or questions. We’ll be happy to answer anything based on our experiences.
