Walt Disney World recently announced the construction of a new addition to Animal Kingdom. Pandora—The World of Avatar will bring to life the world of James Cameron’s film. Even if you aren’t a fan, you can’t help but be curious at how the amusement park will be able to capture an environment known for grand scale and vivacious colors. Before its doors open in 2017, we have some time to speculate about what will be included in the park. At the top of our most wanted list are these five features.
Bioluminescent Plants
When people went to see Avatar, it wasn’t for a complex plot or rich characters. What hooked viewers was the beautiful scenery, much of which hinged upon the glowing plants and animals throughout the mystical forest. One guaranteed aspect of Disney’s Pandora is that the new park area will be blindingly colorful. You might not be surprised by bioluminescence thanks to fireflies and anglerfish, but nothing will prepare visitors for the sheer size of this glowing land. There will be trees and moss aglow, making this attraction a must-see experience.
Floating Mountains
Through the magic of special effects, Pandora showed us enormous floating mountains throughout Avatar. One way or another, the Disney park is bound to try to tackle the same feat. Guests will be able to enjoy the waterfalls that turn into mist because they are so far off the ground. If done to scale, as the park claims to be shooting for, these would be some of the largest rocks you’ve seen suspended above your head. It's sure to be both exciting and terrifying.
Blue People
What’s Pandora without the Na’vi? Soon, along with Snow White and Jasmine, children will able to collect Neytiri’s autograph while they are at Disney World. Na’vi will be wandering around, probably lurking in the shadows because they are unsure about these new human intruders. With their tall stature and huge eyes, the blue natives of Pandora were practically begging to be made into Disney cast members. Let’s just hope that they are friendly.
Flying Mountain Banshee Rides
There are many interesting creatures on Pandora, but possibly the most intriguing are the mountain banshees, the flying predators used by the Na’vi to aid in hunting and transportation. If Disney World knows its audience (and they have a pretty good track record so far), the Pandora area will have rides where guests can soar through the air on the back of a banshee. In the movie, it is a rite of passage to be able to tame these creatures, so Disney Imagineers may work in something to that effect. Though, it would be awful to wait in line for an hour only to find out that you aren’t worthy to experience the ride.
Water Rides
Some of the best views of Pandora come from its rivers. There is a huge likelihood that Disney will have a water ride which takes guest through the enchanting land, allowing them to enjoy all of the lights of the surrounding forest. Also, from the safety of the raft, you will probably be able to see many of the exotic creatures that call the planet home.
