The Incredible Pandora - World of Avatar: Disney's Most Ambitious Land
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- Pandora: The World of Avatar is… amazing. It’s not just a land that’s incredibly well-themed, but aims to really impress and “wow” its audience through atmosphere. I know that I’ve offered quite a bit of criticism of the leadership of Bob Iger and Bob Chapek, ultimately concluding that their additions to the parks have been at best, mediocre. At worst, insulting. If Disney’s new additions to its parks don’t really do anything for you, then I do recommend checking out one of my more recent videos where I break down why this is the case: • The Creative Bankruptc...
But why is Pandora the exception to this rule? I’ve seen a lot of people criticize Flight of Passage as a Soarin’ clone, but I don’t agree. There’s also the consensus that Na'vi River Journey might leave you feeling a bit… unsatisfied. I would agree, but it’s not for a lack of effort. So today, we’re going to be breaking down what I feel is easily the best addition to the Disney parks over the last few decades, and why it works when so many other Disney additions have not.
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One of my favorite theme park memories is sitting in Satu'li's with a hot drink and watching a storm outside. I love lands that you can just sit down in and feel like you have been transported to a different, livable world.
I think the atmosphere in both the land and Satu'li is quite exceptional. I've also made the observation that rain is an element that definitely adds to the atmosphere.
Climbing up the queue at night during a tropical depression really felt like an adventure. The "floating" rocks all turned into waterfalls and really made it feel like a rainforest.
Your analysis is very high-level. If more guests thought and saw things as you did, we wouldn't have such abominations as Pixar Pier because they'd demand more from Disney.
Well said
I never experienced the original Paradise Pier, but when I was at Pixar Pier... I was turned off to that part of the park. I understand the argument that Paradise Pier felt cheap and tacky, but it definitely was not improved. Pixar Pier clearly has no effort put into it and is a baffling decision. If something like that happened in Disney World, I would understand because there isn't the same level of dedicated fan base, but it's a terrible decision for California.
The only thing that has saved paradise pier, and Pixar pier is California Screamin/incredicoaster. It's just a fun roller coaster regardless of themeing. I really think if it weren't for that roller coaster they would have ripped out the whole section along time ago it's the only redeeming feature over there
@@PoseidonEntertainment Paradise Pier was nothing to cry home about either per se, but at least there was some bare minimum thought that went into it. Pixar Pier is just the laziest thing I've ever seen Disney do. The only reason I'm so passionate about these topics is because if you look at something like Tokyo DisneySea, you see what the Imagineers are capable of if only given the chance to be creative, and given respectable budgets as well. Also, side note, the fact that your subscriber count isn't much higher is an absolute travesty, especially when there's content about the parks out there that seems to enable such lazy decision-making on Disney's part. I guess as long as they can put their new churro review out there, everyone wins...
@@raegangarlitz5313 Fair point. I think Paradise Pier in general was just poorly designed from the beginning. It was never irredeemable, though. If given the Tokyo DisneySea treatment, it might’ve even been truly great.
I think everyone was like 'wtf Disney' when this was announced. But they knocked it out of the 'park.' I never fully appreciated it until I sat and ate outside. Its a great environment to hang out in
I prefer being there in the rain. It adds a lot to the atmosphere of the area.
@@PoseidonEntertainment that does sound cool, hopefully I'll be in the parks around 3pm someday for Orlando's daily rain
As AK was about to open, I had the pleasure of being at the same table with Joe Rohde at a Marketing team dinner. One of the things he talked about was how, in his estimation, Main St. USA and World Showcase succeeded even at the level of simply providing "a great place to be." His hope was that AK would deliver the same. I think we can agree that he delivered.
My family thought it was cool when we heard, so it’s not entirely universal
My friend just went to WDW for the first time. She HATES sci-fi, but Pandora was her favorite part of the parks just on it's own merits.
I always felt that Animal Kingdom was highly underrated as a park before the premier of Pandora, but the land is incredibly strong to me just on its own. I'm not a huge fan of the film, but part of what I enjoy so much about the land is how devolved it seems from the source material. Were it not based on an IP, I still feel it would be impressive on its own.
One thing I really love about Animal Kingdom is the 2 "zoo" trails. I love walking through the forests and seeing the animals. Although there are no animals in pandora, there are wonderful trails where I can wander through the alien environment. A bonus is going back at night and seeing the displays lit up.
Are you talking about Africa and Asia? I consider the trails around Discovery Island to be worthy of exploration as well.
You're right, I forgot about those. Yep, those too.
Joe is legendary, he is the reason AK is my favorite park. After been so many times to Asia, and back to AK one can notice The realism is superb.
I agree, and it certainly helps that they purchased a large number of items to bring back for the park. It often feels authentic... because it is.
@@PoseidonEntertainment one of those items that sticks with me is a blue LPG container in the queue line at (iirc) Kali. That is such a fixture in my country and seeing it at the ride was such a pleasant surprise
When I visited Pandora for the first time, I was blown away! I loved how the whole land felt so peaceful. As I went to the other lands in AK, I kept wanting to go back to Pandora and just be present in it. My mom and I ate dinner at Satuli’i Canteen then sat under the floating mountains at sunset and watched everything slowly start to glow as the sun went down. It was an experience I’ll never forget.
I went to Pandora with my friend just after it opened. I was just about to graduate with a bachelor's degree in Coastal Environmental Science, so I had a higher-than-the-average-guest understanding of real-world conservation science. I was so impressed by the themeing and design of the ecosystem, I was explaining why certain things were the way they were based on real-world conservation science to my friend. And FoP blew us away. I'm a Florida native, so I grew up going to all of the Florida parks; FoP was the greatest ride experience of my life to date.
Every Florida native I know ( including me) thinks that same thought. It's next level. As it should be
Flight of passage is probably my favorite ride Disney has ever produced, and Pandora is one of the most well-themed, immersive spaces I've ever been to, but I feel like in discussing this land and this ride you have to mention the sheer irony of it all. The Avatar movie is all about how bad corporate greed is, and how the Na'vi want humans off of their planet. It feels very strange that there are no Na'vi to be found anywhere in the land, and the main ride revolves around humans participating in a very important Na'vi coming-of-age ritual. It all feels a bit eerie and dystopian to me when you really consider it. I'd like to imagine the humans took over Pandora to use as a tourist destination, and are keeping up this front of "being one with nature" and "great adventure" to hide the true atrocity of what they've done.
Again, I love the sophistication and deep thought your videos provide. Another great video essay.
I was just at Disney World and wasn't scheduled to go to Animal Kingdom but through missteps events I ended up there and I realized how much I love Pandora waaaaaay more than Star Wars Land. Star Wars land is seriously missing that certain something, and I think you hit it on the head. I think the Disney leadership will realize their mistake of letting Joe Rohde go. He truly understood that themed areas need a "why" behind them. "People don't buy 'what' you do, they buy 'why' you do it."
Thanks, I appreciate the feedback!
I feel that I've been a bit more negative than I really intended, but I do want to say, despite its flaws, I do like Galaxy's Edge. I just don't think that it's designed to the same level of Pandora. It's not something I really mentioned in this video here, but despite being a lot of landscaping and rockwork, there's a lot of intent behind even that. For example, I noticed that there's clusters of alien plants and maybe around 10 feet down the way, smaller clusters of that same plant as if the seeds were dispersed by the wind or by an animal. It's a fascinating design choice that obviously won't be noticed by the majority of guests, but that's part of the art of it I think. I went opening day and had hours to take in all the detail and what it conveyed about the world.
Galaxy’s Edge. “Star Wars land” sounds borderline retarded.
I thought Joe Rhode retired?
You’re right about that! If I didn’t know the land was Galaxy’s edge,I would mistake it for a frontier land thing 😂
Mr. Rhode is just a legendary kinda guy. Really like a mordern day anthropologist. Knows man. Such orverlooked talent. Not everybody can do that or are as willing to put such deep thought behind their work. It shows . Thank u Joe❤
Flight of Passage is the best ride I've ever been on. It's easily the best one at the Disney parks.
Calling it a Soarin' clone is an insult to the people who engineered it. I've been on both versions of Soarin' and it's completely incomparable.
I was so immersed in Flight of Passage that I reached out and tried to touch the little jellyfish in the cave before remembering "Wait, it's a projection."
Everything, from the way you can smell the planet, to feeling the gusts of wind, even to the little lean forward when you first link to the avatar, it all makes the experience feel real. I couldn't help but get immersed. You can literally *feel* the banshee breathing, as well as its muscles flexing and moving as it turns.
It's all perfect. I just wish it was about double the length, even though I know that isn't practical.
Oh, and also it just made me want a motorcycle even more than I already did, just to get a *little* bit of that experience fairly regularly lol.
I feel that the one thing that many people forget when talking about Avatar is the tie-ins with the movies. The land itself did not begin construction until 2014 and took three years to construct. When it started, the land was planned to be open just after or just before Avatar 2 was released, a 2016 release by the end of 2014. But with the land now being five years old and avatar two hopefully being released by the end of this year, the marketing integration for the land and the movie won’t work.
If the land is supposed to be a generation removed from the first movie, and Avatar two has Jake and Neytiri’s children, then the Navi that we see in the land may as well be their children.
The land was an immense undertaking, one even Universal even did not think to attempt with HP. Having new media possibly tying into the land, going forward is a task that no one could have ever imagined would work. IF it took Cameron so long to get the movies out, because he wanted to make sure the land and the movies are synchronized, then that would have made sense why it took so long for Avatar 2 to come out. I wouldn’t be surprised in the negotiations of Disney’s take over of Fox included Cameron, and making sure the films will be made and will tie into the land and any future lands Disney, at the time, may have been thinking about.
It’s estimated that this land cost Disney a half-billion dollars to make, whereas Galaxies Edge cost a Billion each. I think Disney looked at the land and cut it, resulting in River Journey being disappointing, because of the prospect of a new movie not coming within five years of opening. From an IP that is not well known by the public.
This had a lot of effort put into it, but I don't know how well off I'd put it. Seeing as without the interactive elements and street shows, this land feels barren and dead. Where a good land could stand on its atmosphere and attractions alone, and all of those extras just enhance the area. But this is the curse of our modern times.
I definitely agree. I've offered a lot of criticism towards Galaxy's Edge for its lack of interactivity and how scanning barcodes on your phone is a laughable replacement for everything that was cut. However, Pandora definitely does lack that interactivity as well. I briefly discussed the flaska reclinata, and there is of course the interactive drums for whatever show would normally be there, but otherwise it could have definitely benefited from more kinetic and interactive elements. Without said show, and the person who comes out in the RDA walker, it's definitely missing something, but the land still under-delivers in that aspect regardless.
Agree. Flight of Passage definitely is one of Disney’s best rides and still one of my favorites!
the one best thing at Disney atm imo
Definitely my favourite Disney themed land! I’m a huge pandora nerd so I love the details and backstory
What do you think about the new films being produced? The first film doesn't do much for me, but there's definitely some interesting concept art coming out for the new films.
Having Avatar at Animal Kingdom makes more sense than, lets say, Guardians of Galaxy at Epcot center.
I agree with you, but I still think the success of the land is a fluke.
Awesome video! Good to hear another person appreciates Flight of Passage for what it actually is. Personally is one of my favourite rides throughout all theme parks in the world
Thanks, I'm glad that you enjoyed and I appreciate the feedback lol
hands down the best ride experience I have been on
So basically Disney took an IP that nobody cared about, made a massive expensive addition to an iconic land with said IP as theming, everyone braced for impact and...realized Disney made something highly immersive and honestly kinda really beautiful?
I honestly hope this makes them realize that they should add another e-ticket attraction to the land regardless of the performance of the sequels. People love Pandora not because of their affection for the actual movies, but simply because it's an amazing land!
it was really interesting to hear what you had to say about flight of passage, a lot of the time you tend to hear praise about river journey and people simply discredit flight of passage due to it being screen-based so it was nice hearing another perspective and being able to really appreciate what went into that attraction. it's a bit of a shame that avatar didn't end up with a huge fanbase in a way because maybe a bigger draw to pandora would mean disney would put more effort into detailing other areas in a similar way, but then again if it had a huge fandom that drew people in by name alone the company would probably just try to cut corners and use that as the main appeal
Definitely fair points. I'm interested to see how James Cameron chooses to evolve his films into a franchise and how the land will evolve with it. It's my understanding that the land has an expansion plot, so I'd definitely be interested to see where that goes.
Unfortunately the only opportunity I had to ride this I was recovering from a broken spine(not sarcasm) and I couldn’t ride but my family said it was awesome and super immersive. The area built for avatar looks great especially at night. The care and attention to detail was definitely present and worth the effort by the designers and imagineers. I’ll have to revisit this once I get back from my trip this month. It’s funny you mention the frozen ride so much here as it was my wife’s counsins first ride he did as an imagineer. The pressure to just slap a sticker on an old ride made it an abomination in comparison to what he said he could have built from scratch.
I have a couple of creative friend who freelance at Wdw for big projects...it's exactly what they said. They still call the "creatives" in....they just don't listen to them..they can kinda be bullies😢
If Animal Kingdom gets one more expansion, I want it to be Wakanda, Animal Kingdom has the most expansion room and I feel like Wakanda fits, it can hopefully pay homage to Chadwick Boesman, and offer great rides as well as a great atmosphere, Black Panther is one of the biggest Marvel IP’s that Disney can use in Orlando, because there are Spider-Man , Fantastic 4, X Men, and Avengers attractions in IOA, such meander the 3 biggest Marvel properties Disney can use are Guardians, Strange, and Black Panthers. They got a Guardians ride, I think a Doctor Strange dark ride is inevitable at Hollywood Studio’s, and Black Panther is the one that can have a whole land themed around him, and Wakanda can be great, but if they botch it, I don’t know if they can recover in the eyes of many people, especially with Chadwick’s tragic passing.
Joe Rohde is the reason why I gave the Avatar franchise a second chance and came to appreciate and love it. I've never been to America, but Animal Kingdom has become the one theme park I decided I must visit once before I die. I thought I had watched every quality video on CZcams about Pandora World of Avatar before discovering I missed yours. Thank you so much for sharing this creative wonder of imagineering with people around the globe who cannot afford to travel to America! Your video is brilliant ✨💙🍃🌺🌱
Joe rules. Point well taken on 'if they just added some physical animatronics to Na'ive River Journey. Thinking how much just seeing a few basic animatronics per scene on 'Spaceship Earth' make it VERY memorable and enjoyable.
It's interesting to me that they put this much thought into a land centered around a movie that I just don't care about (as evidenced by the fact that I have never seen it). But to tell the truth, I'd have been much more thrilled if they put that time and energy into the original plan and finally gave us Beastly Kingdom with all the fantastical creatures that we've grown up with through myths and legends. I think of what good dinosaur animatronics are out there today and I can't help but wish someone would use them to make a gloriously beautiful dragon. How I would love to see a unicorn and a pegasus and a griffin or a centaur. A lifelike mermaid. Pixies. Fairies. The Loch Ness monster...
I just don't care enough about some alien sci-fi world that I have no emotional connection with to go to the one Disney park where you have to get up super early and it's not a quick ride on the monorail or the skytram to get there from one of the other parks. I think they would have done better to go the mythological route because we are ALL familiar with those creatures, and I think it would have given the land a broader appeal.
Imagine if the simulator ride was based around flying on a roc, or better yet, a dragon, and you were seeing herds of centaurs running across the land and Nessie and family frolicking in the water while mermaids performed jumps like dolphins out of the water and a flock of pegasi (pegasuses?) could be seen ahead. Imagine coming across a phoenix during your flight, then swooping down into the forest to take in the sight of a fairy city or catching goblins at some mischief.
But maybe I'm just a big nerd, idk.
I also would have been more interested in that theme but that's difficult to pitch to corporate.
You'd have to make a ton of somewhat original designs, then find an original way to tie in all of those disparate creatures and areas, and then sell the guests on that theme and narrative as they arrive. There also hasn't been a recent media release based on those elements which makes it difficult to project profits, which is ultimately the whole point of operating a theme park, so they'd prefer to pick a theme that is based on a license that they can look at recent revenue figures.
Yes!! I completely agree
I’m glad to hear you discussing Pandora. I don’t handle the hot weather in Animal Kingdom well, so I didn’t get to enjoy Pandora as much as I wanted. On top of that, the long wait times and the Genie fast lane made it impossible for me to go on these attractions. Even through my exhaustion, entering and wandering Pandora was amazing, and I wish they’d expand to have a sort of garden maze or walk-through. Sort of like the animal trails AK already has, but with fantasy creatures of course. I walked around the areas not in the queues and wanted to see more! Overall, Pandora was a highlight of my visit this summer if only because it’s such a great blend of sci fi and fantasy that it’s magical to be in.
Great video. Great analysis of the Navi river journey. I'm not sure why the strong dislike of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge still. The concept is pretty simple and I think it works: First Order is there searching for rebels hiding throughout the land; which is why Rey act like they are on the run, and the lightsaber shop is disguised as a workshop. I enjoyed Flight of Passage, even though it's a glorified 3D CGI version of Soarin'. I don't understand the argument that Rise of the Resistance is an unoriginal "creatively bankrupt" ride. I thought it was an incredibly well thought out plot from beginning to end, not to mention used so many physical props vs relying all on CGI. I respectfully think SWGE deserves some reconsideration. It's not perfect, but I think its way more thought out than people give it credit for.
Thanks, I appreciate the feedback!
If you still disagree with me, I definitely respect your opinion. To clarify though, part of the issue I have with GE is that it feels like an emulation of many of the design choices of Animal Kingdom mixed in with The Wizarding World, not understanding what makes those iterations work. For example, DinoLand USA tells so much story through subtle details and reveals the personality of the fictional people who inhabit the place through the intent of their design choices. You can also see how a story has played out over time and how the environment has expanded and adapted to that intent. However, if we're going to compare it to, say, the droid depot, what's the story? We can see that there's droids in front of the shop and inside of it, but nothing about their presence reveals a larger narrative other than "droids are sold here". What about Dok-Ondar? We know he sells "antiquities" but why? Animal Kingdom would tell us, but here we don't know anything more than that initial premise. We also don't know why the First Order or the Resistance are on the planet. Perhaps I've missed some of the story, but is the First Order occupying the planet to find the Resistance, or are they looking for something and the Resistance followed them there? We know the initial premise, but not much more. Galaxy's Edge lacks the storytelling details of all the lands of Animal Kingdom, acting as a poor emulation of the design there.
If we look at it from the perspective of emulating The Wizarding World, it also fails to understand what people find so appealing about it. Forbidden Journey was quite innovative for its time, and Hagrid's is easily one of the most complex attractions to ever exist. It contains 7 launches, 3 switch tracks, 2 drop tracks and runs completely automated with (I believe?) 12 trains at maximum capacity. All of these components must be running perfectly. Sure, Rise of the Resistance is also technically complicated, but it's not as impressive as the attractions that inspired it. I always make the comparison that the elevator and drop sequences are adaptations of the Tower of Terror technology, which uses it to a far more effective degree. Transformers employs this type of technology as well, despite the attraction being tracked. In one of my earlier videos, I also discussed in depth how Rise and Runaway Railway use the trackless ride tech poorly compared to its counterparts in Tokyo, and even Mystic Manor and Empire of the Penguin: czcams.com/video/BxQnv4zSxJQ/video.html
Galaxy's Edge also fails to understand the lands and world building of The Wizarding World. For example, if you purchase a wand, you can still continue to interact with the Hogsmeade and Diagon again and again. If you purchase a lightsaber or a droid, those are one and done experiences. They're not bad in and of themselves, but the land lacks a reason for guests to keep coming back other than the attractions, and I don't think that Smuggler's Run has any staying power. I remember first riding it and thinking I'd rather be on Star Tours, which is very much miss-able for me to begin with. Tying this into how I broke down Animal Kingdom, the various shops in Galaxy's Edge only provide enough detail to give a premise about what each shop is selling. There's no larger story other than the cynical idea that you'll purchase something if a superficial justification is given for those items to exist there. You can buy a small metal bust of Count Dooku because Dok-Ondar is a collector. Pandora certainly sells merch like this, but it's relegated to just one shop and shopping isn't the focus of the land. Instead, it's the environment and the attractions. I don't blame Disney for wanting to make money on selling merch, but Galaxy's Edge shows that it clearly takes precedent over the actual quality of the experience. Iger and Chapek think that the appeal of Potter is the IP, not understanding how the lands themselves take precedence and the merchandise comes next.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Yes, you have a lot of great points. Perhaps I was not expecting much depth out of Star Wars after their sequel trilogy. Haha! I agree Smugglers Run was pretty lame; however, the concept of actually steering and effecting the ride in real-time is groundbreaking, though poorly executed. I do give it points for bringing back Hondo Ohnaka! I have not been to Wizarding World, so I can't compare; but I imagine it is easier to let a guest wield a wand in the park vs. swinging a lightsaber. I also agree Pandora, the land is a masterpiece, and some of the things you mentioned really gave me a new appreciation for it. Regarding ROTR vs. FOP, I'd rather have physical props, animatronics, and physical sets than CGI screens any day. Thanks again, keep the videos coming!
@@PoseidonEntertainment One thing that I agree with some people about the wands is the price of them. I get the fact that it's a theme park but sometimes certain merchandise either should never have seen the light of day or shelved. To me, the interactive wands while nice at first glance, is over priced and the numbers don't fully justify it. Like you mentioned with the lightsaber at Disneyland, the parks really did price gouging but the biggest irony and issue (coming from an average Star Wars fan) is that they were pushing identity politics (focusing on the superficial, being misandrist, and making boring characters) and frankly they are like you said in your previous video creatively bankrupt. The reason most people don't care is that the corporate side of things, nobody higher up and below knows anything about entertainment, and a laundry list of other things that you covered in your recent video essay. Rey could have been an interesting character except for the cruel fact that female bullies not only destroyed women but men as well. In short, they're dragging people down to misery hell. Some of what I bring up is not entirely opinion, it's fact. Something social media and the dumb Big Tech companies absolutely hates. Self insertion because of ego is destruction of the self. I am not saying that just because of creativity sake, but it is a harsh cruel and truthful fact of life that is ignored. It is in comics, entertainment in general and being pushed elsewhere. Many things have lost their purpose. Theme parks are one of them. Most people working at these places fail to understand at a fundamental level that corporations have no idea what the public wants because the public itself is clueless about what they want. What's worse is that they try to appease all which is a fools errand. The current generation knows nothing about quality among other things and it's sad. Overall, I find your video essays interesting because it gives a certain familiar point of view that others may lack.
@@skyhound2889 The wands are $50. for the amount you get to play around with around the park using them, I'm happy to pay it. Its a great addition to the experience.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Super late reply bc I'm binging all your content but thank you for this! I still really enjoy Galaxy's Edge but I see the points you're making. It definitely doesn't have the attention to detail the same way. A lot of the most fun comes from the actors as they roam and interact with guests, and that's not going to be ever-present. On the other hand, I also really enjoy the sequel trilogy, so I REALLY wonder if that helps me enjoy the specific characters and storylines that are involved lol
Just found your channel recently and am loving all of the videos so far. I really love theming at the parks but I have not really gone in so long, so it's nice to view the parks through your eyes and with your thoughts.
Flight of passage is hands down the best screen based attraction at any theme park
(an argument can be made for the hogwarts forbidden journey and in terms of full on immersion with the queue and land as a hole I agree. But I personally prefer avatar.)
Unfortunate everything they’ve done afterwards has been meh. I remember when pandora opened and after the awe had settled down being more excited for what could be done for Star Wars land, and then being disappointed by the finished project even tho I enjoyed smugglers run, the references, and rise of the resistance. It always felt like something was missing
I definitely agree with you about Galaxy's Edge. The land relies far too much on shopping and dining and less on detail and interactivity. That's one issue I didn't speak about with Pandora, but despite the Flaska Reclinata and the drums, there isn't much interactivity. At least not compared to The Wizarding World and Super Nintendo World.
I will disagree with FJ though. It does rely heavily on screen portions, but it's use of bubble screens and how they transition with the physical sets and animatronics is still impressive to me. While a bit more screen heavy than I would like, the attraction seems to be a good split between screens and practical effects, not really allowing it to be something I would categorize in with Flight of Passage, Star Tours, or even Gringotts.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Thats why i think Forbidden journey could have an argument for best screen-based attraction. because the queue is phenomenal and the real set pieces are amazing.
but as a purley screen attraction i think flight of passage takes the cake.
Your vids are so amazingly high quality. Keep up the great work!
Thanks, I appreciate the feedback!
I was fortunate enough to visit Pandora for the first time during a cast member only night as a plus-one. It was absolutely phenomenal to see the land virtually empty, and the color/lighting effects at night were wonderful. My only complaint is that we walked straight onto Flight of Passage - I didn't get to appreciate the little details in the queue!
I’m a huge fan of Avatar and can’t wait to go to this land next month it flows so well with Animal Kingdom being a more mysterious environment with “alien like” features!
I really enjoyed the points you made here. Pandora is easily one of the most immersive Disney lands I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting, and I feel that galaxy’s edge (which I believe can be easily improved by simply putting more thought into its story and theming), and the embarrassment that is avengers campus should learn from. It’s the land I never knew I wanted.
Indeed, the land itself got me excited for Disney's newer offerings, all of which managed to disappoint in comparison. If Galaxy's Edge was built like Pandora, I wouldn't be so concerned about the future of Disney parks.
Such an incredible video. Yet another informative, insightful and captivating review! Thank you so much for sharing your perspectives - all of which I agree with! What’s next? Perhaps your perspectives on EPCOT and the future of that park? Or something about Disney’s Nighttime Spectaculars like Wishes, Illuminations and *cough* Rivers of Light?? :-) James E-G
Those are among many other things I want to eventually discuss. I'm quite cynical about the future of Epcot, but I feel that I've been quite negative in my discussion of Disney recently, so I'd like to trend away from that for a while and discuss something in a more positive light.
@@PoseidonEntertainment completely understand. Disney’s events like MNSHP and MVMCP continue to be highlights for me, along with the incredible theming of their resort hotels. Really looking forward to your next video!
Excellent video with in-depth analysis. I hadn't thought of FoP as a similar experience to Pirates, but it makes a lot of sense. Animal Kingdom is my favorite park, so I was hesitant when they announced Avatar would be introduced. Thankfully, my fears were proven to be unfounded, as I love the land, especially at night, and FoP is my favorite ride in any park, not just Disney.
I'm thankful that Avatar as a property was able to be folded into the park thematically. It was the right direction for the park but made for the wrong reasons. It's a shame that Rohde is now gone though. I fear for the future of the park.
I'm totally in agreement with this video. River Journey is so close to being great and I enjoy my time with it but I could never justify waiting in the queue for any more than 15 minutes, which is sad. Flight of Passage is by far my favorite attraction of all time. Pandora as a place is just excellent to be in. Satu'li is the best quick service restaurant on property. During my most recent trip in July, we spent a pretty decent chunk of time there and I just didn't want to leave.
I also got my first taste of Galaxy's Edge, and the whole time I was thinking, "what's the hype about? This is just a B tier Pandora." The shops were fine, the food was fine, the rides were fine. I enjoy Smuggler's Run as a video game, and the queue and pre-show are pretty fun, but something about the lighting and perspective doesn't quite sell it for me. I'd rather have it at home as a VR game or even just a console game, while I would never say that about Flight of Passage -- the movement and sensory aspects are too integral to the experience. And when I rode Rise of the Resistance I thought, "okay that was pretty cool but it seems just like an expensive version of Tower of Terror," and how sad is it that I'd actually RATHER ride ToT than RotR? The land just seemed empty too. There's a lot of stuff, but no story or substance, and it feels very physically shallow. I could stare that the floating mountains of Pandora forever, but there isn't much to look at on Batuu. I will say that I loved the lightsaber building. I'll never forget that. But overall I'm not dying to go back to DHS, while I could legitimately take a trip to WDW and just do DAK and be satisfied because of how excellent Pandora is.
Came to this park when this area and rides just opened. Waited 2 hours for Flight of passage, completely worth it.
Pandora: World of Avatar isn't really an area that excites me, but I feel that it was an essential addition to a park that needed additional E-tickets, and while it isn't a perfect fit to the park, it somewhat works and is a cohesive land with phenomenal theming.
As a zoo enthusiast, it's interesting to see what theme park enthusiasts have to say about Animal Kingdom because the park has received criticism from both the zoo and theme park worlds. Many theme park people claim Animal Kingdom is essentially just a zoo, but for many zoo enthusiasts, Animal Kingdom "fails" as a zoo. It's certainly a good theme park, but doesn't work from a zoo perspective. Commonly criticized elements from the zoo world are the lack of focus on Animal lands (no new animal attractions in over 20 years), and the limited viewing opportunities on Kilimanjaro Safaris (for it to work as a "zoo attraction" all animals would be viewable from a walking trail as well). For many zoo enthusiasts, the number one thing wanted for Animal Kingdom is a South America themed section, with a new animal trail and possibly a new attraction or two.
this is such a good video! I'll be giving pandora more thought next time I go to DAK. Maybe i'll find a new appreciation for Flight Of Passage.
Ha ha thanks!
Keep up the awesome work, man. Great production quality, and the content of your vids stands right up there with all the other big theme park channels on here. Keep on truckin with the great vids and your numbers will definitely grow up to those levels!
Thanks, I appreciate the support!
Actually, if you saw the re-release of Avatar in IMAX 3D when it came out a few weeks ago, you'd see that the remaster of the movie aged extremely well...
Flight of Passage is fantastic. Beyond that, Navi River Journey is lackluster until the final 30 seconds, and the land doesn't feel immersive in the daytime. It's better when the lights come on at night, but the best immersive experience in Orlando is hands down the Wizarding World areas at Universal. When is the next Avatar movie due again? So many delays, and no guarantees of box office success. Many visitors to AK have no idea what Avatar is.
I agree with pretty much everything you say. I went to Disney World back in 2019 with my siblings and by far my favorite park was Animal Kingdom, which my brother and sister were surprised about. At the time, I didn't really know how to explain why but the points you've made really back up what I experienced. Its just the most well thought out and immersive experience overall.
You can feel the ❤. I get it. Hard to X-Plane. Lol but that's what it is.
When the detail among the design and theme’ing is immersive and enveloping enough to become the main character of the story well aside from the movie franchise, it becomes a winner.
Unfortunately, this will be the last project by WDI that’s successful, against all odds, due to Joe being forced to retire. Just another axe dropped by Chapek. I fear that, in the remainder of my lifetime, there won’t be anything as effective and as surprising as I know WDI is capable of. I’ve had to constantly turn to Tokyo to see and feel what they can really accomplish.
When details to support the story and theme is deployed in a manner that, at first, seems absolutely unnecessary, that’s when inspiration unassumingly strikes the guest in a good way! I see and feel that quite a bit in Pandora and really enjoy it as a compliment to, imho, Disney’s best domestic park amongst a litany of confused parks struggling to hang onto its identity.
I haven't been to the Tokyo parks but I'm itching to go because of how ridiculous they look. It's disappointing to me that an outside company upholds and adheres to the Disney standard far better than Disney itself can.
Your insight is exceptional! Pandora Flight of Passage is my favorite ride now. It’s like a spiritual experience and Aww inspiring! Exactly what I have come to expect from Disney! The only reason I would ever return to Disney!
I think a other aspect of the success is how many of the creatures themselves have an interesting, semi realistic design from Wayne Barlowe, one of my favorite artists ever. For exam, if you pay attention, almost every animal on Pandora is hexipedal, suggesting they had a hexipedal common ancestor in the same way all mammals and reptiles on Earth are quadropedal due to their common ancestor.
I'll be visiting WDW in February for my first time since 2001. I cannot wait to immerse myself in this new land!
I actually never noticed there’s no music in pandora because it feels so immersive; but it’s always been something off putting to me in galaxy’s edge. I feel like they could’ve added marketplace chatter or SOMETHING in galaxy’s edge to make it so much better. It always feels so quiet there when it’s supposed to be a bustling atmosphere
Love it ❤ Love the video. Thank you!!
When I went to Disney after I graduated college, we went to animal Kingdom.
The lines were we're long in the world of Avatar but just walking around the place caught me in aw, the mountains looked out of this world in the theming was like I was in another world,
I felt like Navi River journey was neat but I felt it was not as good as the other two boat rides Disney has ( pirates and splash mountain)
But flight of passage was something different that I have an experience before it is more immersive than Soren.
I feel like Pandora is probably one of the best themed areas in Disney
Interesting analysis man. Well done.
I was able to get in back when it first opened, as I had an annual pass at the time. It is stunningly beautiful, especially the mountains. The plants are well done (some real, some fake), and the Rite of Passage was amazing. But I never got to do Rite again because everytime I went thereafter, the lines were 2+ hours and it wasn't worth that much time out of the day, spectacular thought it is. As a picky eater, I'm not touching anything in that canteen - gross. I will say that I always felt the entire park was missing something, except the Rite ride. It felt like some element was missing somehow, and I've never been able to put my finger on it. This video gave me a better idea of what it might be - budget gone astray and ambitious plans set aside. Also, there were no 10-ft-tall blue people unless you want to wait for Rite, and that was DEEPLY disappointing to me. I wanted to stand next to a Naavi and see how I compared height-wise, even if it was just an immobile statue. I"m still not a huge fan of moving Animal Kingdom over to mythology and fiction, but I agree it meshes fine with the theming of the park.
When I first started to go to Disney World, Animal Kingdom was my least favorite land. With the addition of Pandora and Expedition Everest. It has become my favorite. I just hope the addition of Genie will not spoil it for me. I guess I will find out in February or March! I do agree with you about Flight of Passage but disagree about River Journey I find it very beautiful and relaxing. I have never had to wait over 10 minutes to ride it since I always go in the off season.
Avatar is my favorite area! We walked out of Avatar: Flight of Passage as humans who were changed! It was a life changing experience! I have never seen Avatar and I do not know hardly anything about Avatar movies.
I do agree that Disney needs to get their act together!
Joe Rohde is the reason for such a amazing outcome to the land of Pandora. I do wonder what it would of looked like without his vision. I know Rohde supposedly retired from Disney but what if he is secretly working on Epic Universe for Universal studios and felt too restricted by Disney leadership and Universal offered him a better deal. I mean he isn't that old.
I wish it got dark quicker in Florida, we went to Animal Kingdom on the Fourth of July and I was hoping to see Pandora glow but the park closed way before the sun even started setting. I also hated how few shaded areas there were as someone going to Florida for the first time but aside from that this was for sure the highlight of the park, along with Dinosaur and Kilimanjaro Safari. I’m a fan of Avatar (but still critical of the series in some ways) so some of the details and the canonical setting were cool but there are probably even more people who love Pandora: World of Avatar solely off of its own merits and not because they thought the films were all that.
You’re wrong Avatar is one of if not the greatest movies ever. The visuals are amazing and still are unrivaled today and the story is outstanding.
This video literally made Pandora 10x better for me thanks😁
I'm glad that I was able to do that for you! I'm usually the cynic when it comes to Iger and Chapek, but I feel Pandora being an exception to the rule is often lost among the negativity.
Great video as always, and I agree, but Disney needs to step their game up now because I saw footage of the new velocacoaster and I don't know how Disney is gonna compete
I was fortunate enough to ride the Velocicoaster and it's quite the experience. I'm working on a video for it now because it's such an interesting attraction.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Cool in the video u should mention how Disney’s new rides compare
@@zeddieperryiv799 Maybe, but it's such a fundamentally different experience from anything that I would expect Disney to offer. From my script right now, I'm focused more on breaking down the coaster and seeing how it compares to the Hulk and Rock-It
You should check out Disney Sea in Tokyo, that's impressive, they had carte blanche with the budget.
In the Imagineering Story it feels like they tried to play down Disney Sea because they don't own it. And Disney Sea is what Imagineering is capable of when they are given a proper budget.
The first episode of The Imagineering Story was great, but it definitely went quite downhill from there. I agree that they did downplay TDR and it's especially irksome with how they portrayed the Eisner era, as if Iger swooped in to "save the day" after having sat and provided zero investment in the parks for a decade.
13:39. When the Yeti squats, he sits right on that branch that's sticking up. No wonder why he pops right back up and jumps off the main branch. 🤣
Unfortunately, now that Joe is gone we can kiss any additions of this quality goodbye.
I was so hopeful about Star Wars land when I visited Pandora for the first time, then reality happened…
I went to WDW for the first time in like 30 years recently, and my takeaway was how much I enjoyed Pandora, when I was expecting Galaxy’s Edge to be the crown jewel.
Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to visit Pandora, or Galaxy's Edge, so I'll have to take your word for what makes one work when the other doesn't, but even without having been there, I completely agree that the reason Pandora worked is because of Joe. He's a "younger" Imagineer, but was brought up in the old style of storytelling needing to come first. Then, if you have a good, clear story to convey, the other elements, like technology and guest engagement, are more naturally integrated into the attractions, creating a more immersive guest experience overall. It's disappointing that Joe left. It's speculation, but his departure likely was due to him fighting for the old ways while leadership probably wanted things cheaper, faster and lazier, which Joe was not willing to do.
Also, now that Avatar: The Way of Water has come out, I wonder if it will promote any changes to be made to Pandora?
I do love the theming! And the river boat ride is fun. But another video ride… I hate that Disney adopted the mindset of its competitors with their 3-D experiences, and now it seems like their competitors have learned a lesson and are building practical sets for actual experiences instead of video rides.
This really seems like the kind of thing where the leadership thought an Avatar themed park was a really stupid idea, and therefore put their all into making it as great as possible on its own.
How do you feel about Avatar now, after the success of The Way of Water?
It's funny that you mention that Pandora is the spiritual successor to Beastly Kingdom, because the way I see it, the foundation is there for Disney to easily retheme the land to Beastly Kingdom if they so choose. Flight of Passage can be rethemed to a journey of dragons and Na'vi River can be rethemed to Fantasia. Floating mountains can remain as mythical elements, being held up by beast magic. I feel Joe Rohde and his team designed Pandora the way he did because they wanted that to be a future possibility.
Great video. I disagree that the CGI effects in Avatar haven't aged well! It still looks better than nearly all of the CGI onscreen today.
Before I produced this video, I re-watched Avatar just for context and I found myself thinking the CGI often looked a bit cartoony, rather than the photorealism that it was going for. Certainly not bad and not enough to detract from the overall film experience, but I felt that it quickly showed it's age, especially as CGI continues to make leaps every year in what it's capable of presenting. If you disagree, then by all means but I wanted to provide more context to how I perceived it.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I'm not sure what you are referring to when you say "cartoony". But of course that CG is not going to look as good as current CG. Just like a cell phone from 2009 isn't as good as one now. It doesn't mean it's bad, it's just the technology that was available at the time. Plus, those effects look incredible compared to some nowadays anyway. You have a right to your opinion, but they really aren't as bad as you make them sound.
@@pearodox they aren’t that bad yes, but what your missing is that because technology improves our perception of good and bad changes. Good becomes exceedingly well and bad also becomes the good of the past.
I genuinely wish they would do Beastly Kingdom mythic animals is tied so deeply to our history it feels wrong they never did it.
I enthusiastically agree with the observation that to enjoy this land it isn't necessary to have enjoyed the movie "Avatar." I know a young woman who, somehow, didn't even realize that this was based on a movie at all, and yet was greatly impressed with this land. (Except, for reasons you point out, the food.)
What? Without watching the video, I don't recall making any negative comments about the food. I think that Satu'li Canteen is one of Disney's best quickservice locations.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Apologies for misrepresenting your position. I was referring to your comment at 11:48, which echoed what my friend said.
I don't even care for the movie Avatar, but I ADORE Flight of Passage. I have motion sickness issues, but the use of wind and water spray effects really help to mitigate them, and the "breathing" effects are just adorable. I doooooo get a little icky about the ride's premise of "The natives have allowed you, a foreigner, to come in and pretend to take their coming-of-age ceremony" LOL
Literally possessing the lifeless body of a Navi and riding on the backs of the banshee like a theme park ride 😂
What Disney executives need to do with new lands is not put the land in the park but dising the land around the park let it fit in and integrate well
Toy story and Star Wars are…. Off in Hollywood studios it dosent fit with the theme or just vibe i feel when i think of that park but pandora fits so well
I think Disney needs to think about growing off what was there instead of place in something new just for “wow look popular IP”
Pandora is my biggest hope for WDW, please Disney executives listen to the fans, make idk a land that fits well with a park maybe even add more stuff to something like adventure and or anything for that matter. tron and guardians I’m not that exited for, tron fits into tommrow land but guardians dosent fit into Epcot at all, maybe theres something i dont see but i feel like there isent, it being in Hollywood studios would fit better with that park being about movies and stuff (at least now a days)
Sorry this is really rambley i just had a lot of thoughts I wanted to share
I'm still shocked on how well it blends with AK
Do you go and film some of the video clips? For example, the first clip of the video
Most B-roll is mine, unless I cite a source. Some videos are heavily cited, but usually most Disney and Universal clips are mine.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Wow! They all look really good
I could not agree more with this entire video! Pandora works like no other Disney themed land with its perfect intent and integration into what Animal Kingdom is all about. My only fear is what will become of Animal Kingdom without Joe Rhode calling the shots. Fingers crossed that someone there has the same vision....
What’s the music at 12:30?
Great video. I’m not a fan of the Avatar movie. When Disney said they were doing this land, I said same thing, whoops we need something to compete with Harry. But with that said, flight of passage is my favorite ride of all time. When you get to the final scene of the ride, I will almost say bye to the characters. You really feel like you are there. Again, I’m not a fan of avatar. I do not like Harry, but I can appreciate the quality of these areas. Im a huge Star Wars fan and outside of seeing the full size falcon, the rest of the land is just meh!? Avatar was created with people that bought into the story of avatar at all levels. Star Wars was rushed. Bigger is not better. You have been spot on with your analysis of the two lands. I was shocked at how much I enjoy avatar.
James Cameron park :) best part of Animal Kingdom for me, since I have a whole thing about speculative evolution and all that crazy stuff. Very late to comment, but I like the thoughts you have, mirrors my own very well.
I'm sorry for sounding negative. The river right is pretty but again there's no story to it. Imagine going into small world or Norway or any of those kind of boat rides and turn everything off. Just have some lights. That's the river ride. I thought the other one was cool, but it reminded me a lot of the Aladdin carpet virtual reality that they used to do in Disney quest. So I didn't think it was that new a property and I see people get sick on it from the smells that they shoot right in your face instead of like a general kind of thing with soarin. If they had spent less money on it, gave me a story with the River Ride, gave me seeming that it enveloped me in that from right away, I would think more of it. But go compare it to the Everest area; it's nothing in comparison. Everest is a Disney area in all facets of what that means. Pandora is like they opened it before it was finished. And for 2 billion dollars, that's criminal. And for that we lost beastly Kingdom. What a crime
River Journey is most definitely lacking, but a narrative isn't necessary for an attraction to be good. Before Jack Sparrow was added, there was no clear narrative to be found on Pirates. It was a series of scenes depicting a single event. The same with Small World. It's a series of scenes displaying an overall theme, but there's no story to be found. I do acknowledge that River Journey suffers because the rest of the land went so overbudget, but I'll give it a pass because everything else delivers so well. The attractions could have definitely benefited from being longer and included more practical effects and animatronics, so hopefully we'll see a more fulfilling update in the future.
I think Pandora is exceptional because it submerges guests into a land that is less familiar just spectacular. Galaxies Edge is well themed but contains no surprises- it is what fans expected it to be. Flight of Passage is the superior ride experience & Santulli Canteens food offerings are also better! Perhaps it is a testament to Joe Rohde's genius as much as anything else.
In December 2022 a new film will be release "Avatar: The Way of Water".
The Sequel film might use the same concept from Disney Animal Kingdom.
for example the in flight of passage we encountered our first look at the "Ilu" the plesiosaurs of Pandora
Disagreed with a lot of what you said in this video… Been going to WDW for 30 years straight and I think they hit it out of the park. Joe Rohde is one of a kind.
I think there is great effort put into attractions. The theming of Disney is second to none. Only thing that I don’t like is the length of some attractions.. for example Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It’s beautiful but ridiculously short.
Universal is bland… yeah you’ll get more thrill rides but I’d take riding through a beautifully designed mountain over just hopping on a big steel structure any day. Aside from Harry Potter there’s not much going on over there in my opinion.
I just want to say thank you for your criticism of the Disney. I grew up with Disneyland and now my grandchildren will be experiencing in about a year, but it’s embarrassing. Disneyland is the bastard child, to me because they really aren’t doing anything there. Look at Tomorrowland. They should be ashamed. Look at Toontown that should have not been put in Disneyland. Lets not talk about California Adventure. It’s just a glorified fair. The sad thing about it is my grandchildren not having the same experience I had, my children had, and my grandchildrens children will have. That’s absolutely sad.
I do like the Navi River journey. I dream of a day you could just lazy river on an inner tube through all of that. And Galaxy's Edge looks horrible. They should have set it in Naboo or the lava planet or Hoth.
Pandora is an amazing themed land, but in my unpopular opinion FOP is severely overrated. No matter how fancy people make it out to be, it is just a screen ride with no kinetic elements (tilting forward/back/side to side doesn't count) and no phyiscal props/use of space, therefore no true immersion no matter how well the visuals and smells are done. When I'm on FOP I can't help but look to my left or right sometimes and notice rows of people sitting with 3D glasses on (immersion ruined), captivated by what they are seeing on an oversized 8K television. Overall, despite the many legit criticisms of Rise of the Resistance, at least that attraction is closer in design, intent and practice to the traditional Walt Disney dark rides. Screen attractions are a cheap way out to satisfy the masses. Rise = physically taking you somewhere (in multiple show stages); FOP = takes you nowhere.
Great video
I think pandora is the best new land in disney world, it’s such an amazing beautiful land that is just awesome and nice to hang out in, as well as fitting into its park surprisingly well
I’d like to see a video comparing universals Portafino Hotel to Disney’s Riviera
I'm not sure if there's much to say. They're both kind of terrible.
The Pandora park made me like the movie more and not the other way around. The park's team all need to be in charge of Disney parks.
Like many I thought Using Avatar was an odd choice. The film is not part of the public consciousness, and still isn’t. And who knows when the sequels will come out or if they’ll even be hits. BUT by god Pandora was a hit, it was IP yes but it doesn’t rely on a fan base. It works by its own merits making it a must see attaction
Definitely agree. If Avatar as a film didn't exist, this land would still be a great fit for Animal Kingdom and I think that's a testament to its strength.
they need to build beastly kingdom actually. Would be counter balance some of todays IP reliance.
I agree. Pandora’s my favorite.
6:29 (and before the events of "The Way of Water").
I’ve only ridden flight of passage once and it was very disappointing. My banshee didn’t breathe at all (I know!) my screen felt blurry, I didn’t get any water or scents blown on me…I felt so cheated lol
I think you're a bit off when saying the reason NRJ seems short to many guests is because it's relatively sparse. The main reason it feels short is because it is! You shouldn't compare it to such a different ride like FoP, but to Pirates, which is over three times as long.
I totally agree with you.
Amazing and incredible Pandora is. 👏
Navi river journey needs a few drops. More animatronics and a story.
New video!!!
I'm glad that people get excited for my videos lol
Two years late, but I'm gonna have to hard disagree on the first Avatar not aging well at all. It still looks better than a lot of modern CGI, imo. Not the top notch stuff, obviously, but still. On a recent rewatch, nothing really jumped out at me as "that's DEFINITELY not real" so I think for a 14 year old movie it still looks pretty damn good.