The Avatar is a movie that debuted in 2009, written, produced, and directed by James Cameron. When interviewed he said that the whole concept of the movies came to him in a “fever dream”.
Now more than 20 years later, a second movie dropped reawakening the whole series! Fans can’t get enough of the planet Pandora. Fortunately for you, Walt Disney World has a whole land devoted to the Avatar movies loaded with easter eggs and actual props that would make any Avatar fan geek out!
What is Avatar?
The original Avatar movie introduced us to the planet Pandora which is inhabited by a large blue semi-humanistic species known as the Na’vi. In order for the scientists to interact with the Na’vi, they had to “look” like them. The scientists create “avatars” of themselves to look like the Na’vi. They build a trust in each other until a war breaks out over Pandora’s resources.
That’s all we’re giving you! No spoilers!
How Many Avatar Movies Are There?
Currently, there are two movies available. The first is Avatar and it was released in 2009. The second movie is called Avatar: The Way of Water, and was released in 2022.
Break out the popcorn, Avatar fans because there are 3 more movies in the contract! The next movie is expected to release in 2024, then the following movies are expected in 2026 and 2028. At least we don’t have to wait 10 years between each time!
What Order Should You Watch the Avatar Movies?
The proper order to watch the Avatar series is Avatar followed by Avatar: The Way of Water.
You can watch BOTH movies right now on Disney+!
Is Avatar Ok For Kids to Watch?
Every family is different and follows their own set of rules. We consulted with www.CommonSenseMedia.com to get their take on both Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water for their opinions.
www.CommonSenseMedia.com is a fantastic go-to site for parents to read about the appropriateness of movies, television shows, and other forms of entertainment. They discuss language, nudity, and similar questionable material and gauge the true appropriate age. We really like how they incorporate the reviews of both the parents and kids as a factor.
Avatar
Common Sense Media says 13+
Avatar rated well for Positive Role Models and Diverse Representations, and didn’t have a bad score on Positive Messages, but parents should take note on the scores for the Sex, Nudity, Drugs, and Alcohol categories.
You can read their full breakdown here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/avatar
Avatar: The Way of Water
Common Sense Media says 13+
The sequel to the original Avatar received stellar scores on Positive Messages, Positive Role Models, and had no drug or alcohol-related scenes to score on. This movie even received Common Sense Media’s Teen Common Sense Selection badge, meaning that it is a good movie to show to teens.
See the full breakdown on Avatar: The Way of Water here.
Avatar in Disney World
So, you’re super pumped about the new Avatar movie and now you’re heading to Disney World - It’s time to go hang out with the Na’vi yourself! Walt Disney World has a full immersive land devoted to the Avatar movies!
Disney’s Pandora is loaded with details, sights, sounds, smells, and adventure! Plus, there are actual props and details from the movies sprinkled around for you to find…
FUN FACT: You can see the actual Avatar head prop used in the original Avatar film for Sigourney Weaver’s character inside of the Pandora gift shop, Wind Traders!
Where is Pandora in Disney World?
The land of Pandora is located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom where Camp Minnie-Mickey used to be. It is the land to the left of Animal Kingdom’s entrance.
Pandora opened in 2017 as a response to the competition from Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter. While the Avatar series may not have the cult following of Harry Potter, the Imagineers really outdid themselves by creating a land loved by people who had never even seen the film.
What Rides are in Pandora in Disney World?
Pandora features 2 rides that are must-dos for any fan of the Avatar films.
Avatar Flight of Passage
The first and most popular ride not only in Pandora, but also all of Animal Kingdom is Avatar Flight of Passage. This ride has a 44” height requirement and is a 3D simulator style attraction.
On this ride, you meet with the scientists and create your very own avatar and are about to embark on a journey to bond with your Banshee, a flying beast that you are to be connected with.
Avatar Flight of Passage is one of THE BEST rides in Walt Disney World, and any fan of Avatar needs to run, skip, jump, walk, and crawl to get to it!
Wait Times & Individual Lightning Lane
With popularity comes higher than typical wait times. The best way to beat the line for Avatar Flight of Passage is to either Rope Drop it or purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for it through Genie+.
Rope Drop
Rope Drop is a term used in Disney lingo to mean that you show up to the park before it officially opens. You can walk through the turnstiles about 30 minutes before the park opens and wait at the lands where a Cast Member is holding a little rope that they will “drop” right as the park officially opens.
Remember, this is Disney World, the most magical place on earth, not Target on black friday where TVs are on sale!
Individual Lightning Lanes
Individual Lightning Lanes are available for the most popular attraction in Walt Disney World so guests can pay to skip the line. This is NOT the same as the regular Genie+ service. ILLs purchases are for one attraction only.
Prices are based on the demand for the day, but Avatar Flight of Passage averages around $11 per person.
That might seem a lot since it is per person, but consider how much you paid for your ticket into Disney World and consider if you spent up to 2 hours waiting in line. If Avatar Flight of Passage is on your must-do list (and it should be), purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane would totally be worth it.
The second ride in Pandora is a family friendly boat ride with the same ride system as “it’s a small world”. Don’t worry, there is no song or creepy unblinking dolls to haunt your dreams.
Just the opposite, actually.
Na’vi River Journey takes you on a boat ride through Pandora at night where you can see all of the beauty of the bioluminescence, and hear the sounds of nature on their planet.
This is a very serene attraction with no height requirement, and at the end there is what is said to be Disney’s best animatronic ever. At the end of the ride you will float past a Na’vi Shaman that you won’t believe is not an actual person.
The motions are fluid and natural. And unlike the dolls from “it’s a small world”, the shaman animatronic blinks.
Wait Times & Lightning Lanes
Despite being less popular than the star attraction Avatar Flight of Passage, Na’vi River Journey can have wait times that are just as long, if not longer! This is because the ride cannot turn over rider capacity at a speed to keep up with the crowds.
Guests have to enter and exit boats, and that takes up a great deal of time. Plus, each boat has the capacity of 20 people and there are only so many boats.
The best way to beat the wait times for Na’vi River Journey are Rope Drop and Lightning Lanes with Genie+.
Rope Drop
Just like Avatar Flight of Passage, you can choose to Rope Drop Na’vi River Journey to beat the crowds. HOWEVER, as much as we enjoy this relaxing boat ride, we don’t recommend “wasting” your Rope Drop time on it.
Lightning Lane
If you purchased Genie+, good news! Na’vi River Journey is included in the list of attractions that offer Lightning Lanes to skip the lines!
All guests can make their first Lightning Lane selection at 7:00 AM EST, and we highly suggest that you select Na’vi River Journey during this time. This attraction often runs out of Lightning Lanes throughout the day.
Food in Pandora in Disney World
When Disney does immersion, they go all the way and even include food into the story! The land of Pandora offers 2 quick service locations to try the food of the Na’vi!
Pongu Pongu
Pongu Pongu is a walk up drink and snack stand that was started by an American expat that fell in love with Pandora and just couldn’t leave.
Keep an keen eye, there are details and pieces from the movie all over this small, unassuming drink stand! More on those details later…
Avatar Drinks
Pongu Pongu means “Party Party” is Navi, so get the party started with some unique cocktails. Cocktails include the Rum Blossom, which is a layered fruity slushie with a rum floater and boba balls, (which can also be served non-alcoholic), and the Hawkes’ Grog Ale, which is a notorious green beer exclusive to Pongu Pongu!
Avatar Food
Pongu Pongu is known for 2 very iconic snacks. First, is the absolutely ginormous Na’vi Pretzel served with beer cheese. This large carbholoic’s dream is firmer than your standard Mickey pretzel and is served warm. The Na’vi pretzel is easily shared with 3-4 people.
The second snack claims the title of being the most devising snack in all of Walt Disney World history. It is none other than the Pongu Lumpia.
Read more: about how divisive the Pongu Lumpia is here.
Pongu Lumpia is warm cream cheese mixed with pineapple, wrapped in a lumpia and served with cinnamon and sugar on top. Our team is divided, to say the least.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? PONGU LUMPIA #YUM OR #YUCK?
LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!
Satu’li Canteen
The scientists who stayed behind in Pandora took the mess hall from the Resources Development Administration (RDA), AKA the bad guys, who created a wonderful human / Na’vi mash up for guests to enjoy!
Satu’li Canteen features unique food and desserts, but don’t let that worry you because it is easily one of the top quick-service restaurants on Disney property. We recommend that you use the Mobile Order feature on your My Disney Experience app to place your order so you can avoid the lines.