How Pandora – The World of Avatar Will Continue the Values of Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Original article by Jennifer Fickley-Baker

Pandora -­ The World of Avatar, which is set to open at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in summer 2017, will transport guests to a visually stunning world complete with floating mountains, bioluminescent plants and all kinds of immersive adventure.

Walt Disney Imagineering just shared the first in a series of videos in which Portfolio Creative Executive Joe Rohde (who played a major part in the original development for Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the 1990s) explains the overall design philosophy of Pandora – The World of Avatar and how that fits into the theming of the rest of the park.

According to Joe, the themes in both the film AVATAR and the values the designers of Disney’s Animal Kingdom had in mind when planning the park are the same: Emphasizing the intrinsic value of nature; Exploring the idea that guests can be transformed through adventure; And inspiring guests to understand and respect the nature that exists in our world.

Check out the video to learn more about what to expect when Pandora – The World of Avatar comes to life in just a few months.

Take a Behind-The-Scenes Look at Pandora – The World of Avatar

article by Jennifer Fickley-Baker

If you caught the “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration” on ABC earlier this week, you may have seen this amazing sneak peek into one of Walt Disney World’s most exciting expansions: the construction of Pandora – The World of Avatar, which will open at Disney’s Animal Kingdom this summer.

As you can see, Pandora – The World of Avatar will transport guests to a visually stunning world complete with floating mountains and bioluminescent plants. Here, guests will be able to experience two expeditions that will truly push adventure to the next level. The family friendly Na’vi River Journey will send guests down a sacred river hidden within a bioluminescent rainforest. Their journey will end in an unforgettable encounter with a Na’vi shaman, a figure who has a deep connection to the life force of Pandora. And second, the Avatar Flight of Passage excursion will offer the jaw-dropping experience of riding on a Banshee over the world of Pandora.

Check out the video above, in which the project team shares how this new land has already exceeded even their own imaginations.

AVATAR-Inspired Land At Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Construction Begins For AVATAR-Inspired Land At Disney’s Animal Kingdom

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Earlier this week, leaders from Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Lightstorm Entertainment kicked off the largest expansion in Disney’s Animal Kingdom history with a ceremonial groundbreaking for the park’s new AVATAR-inspired land with blue, Na’vi-inspired shovels.

The area, which is being designed by Walt Disney Imagineering in partnership with “AVATAR” creator James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment, will be unlike anything ever experienced at a Disney park. Guests will experience the wonders of Pandora when they fly with banshees and explore a rich natural environment with mountains that float and interactive plants that glow at night.

“Disney’s Animal Kingdom is already home to some of our Guests’ favorite attractions,” said Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.  “With AVATAR, we are adding a spectacular new world and an exciting set of attractions unlike any our guests have experienced.  The expansion now under way will make the park a true full-day, must-see experience.”

This week’s milestone is just the first step in a larger expansion for the park that will also include the debut of a new evening spectacular, as well as a nighttime version of Kilimanjaro Safaris.