This week we are doing something new, we are covering an entire land!  It’s not every day that Disney opens an entire new section within one of the four theme parks, so I’m very excited to share with you Pandora – The World of Avatar.

Let’s get started with our…

Know Before You Go Essential Facts

• The land is located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom


• There are 2 Rides, 1 Quick Service Restaurant, 1 Quick Service Drink Stand, and 2 Merchandise locations


• The land is open during Animal Kingdom Hours of Operation, plus Extra Magic Hours when applicable


• The land opened on May 27, 2017.

Those are the facts, now time to journey 4 million light years away!

Kaltxi, and welcome to Pandora – The World of Avatar!  You are now entering a hyper detailed alien landscape, designed to wow you at every turn.  The film Avatar serves as the inspiration for this place, but the true aim of the Imagineers is to celebrate the magic of nature.  They do so by bombarding your senses with the sights, sounds, and smells of Pandora.  As with everything Disney does, there is a rich back story that accompanies this place.  Today we will discuss that story, and see how it comes to life in the landscape, the rides, and the food of Pandora – The World of Avatar.

On September 20, 2011, Disney announced their partnership with Avatar creator and director James Cameron, and his company Lightstorm Entertainment.  This news sent shock waves through the Disney fan community as it confused some and surprised all.  Rather than show extreme excitement about a new land at Walt Disney World, many responded with questions.  “Why Avatar and why the Animal Kingdom?” was the question many asked when plans for an Avatar themed land were revealed.  While Avatar is the highest grossing film of all time, it is not a Disney movie.  It is also a science fiction film with 10 foot tall blue people.  Many wondered how the fictional land created by James Cameron related in any way to the true life adventure of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  Well, the answer to all of those questions lies in the original announcement made:

“We believe Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a great fit for this project because it was created to give guests the opportunity to experience the worlds of animals and nature – real and mythical – in new ways. Disney’s Animal Kingdom also celebrates adventure, living in harmony with nature and environmental stewardship – themes that are deeply rooted in the story of AVATAR.”

• Thomas Smith, Editorial Content Director, Disney Parks

With Pandora – The World of Avatar now open, this statement from 2011 makes so much sense.  Rather than focusing on the alien aspects of the film, Disney clearly made a decision to focus on the natural elements and themes found in the movie.  There is also a bit of an easter egg in this statement, referring to the “real and mythical” animals and nature.  The original plans for Disney’s Animal Kingdom included a second phase called “Beastly Kingdom.”  This land was planned for the same piece of real estate that is now occupied by Pandora.  Had the “Beastly Kingdom” come to life, this area of the park would have paid tribute to all sorts of mythical animals.  Traces of this plan can still be seen in parts of the Animal Kingdom today.  Keep a close eye out for a dragon on signs leading into the park.  Dragons would have served as the main mythical animal on the planned headliner attraction.

There is a lovely rabbit hole that I would love to go down, explaining why “Beastly Kingdom” was never built, but we just don’t have time for that full story today.  If you would like to learn more about “Beastly Kingdom” watch the video below.

What is too fascinating not to share is the influence Universal Orlando had on this little section of Walt Disney World.  Had Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park been more successful when it opened in 1999, there is a good chance “Beastly Kingdom” would have been built shortly after in Walt Disney World.  However, Islands of Adventure did not do well when it first opened and the threat of another theme park drawing visitors away from Disney did not materialize.  At least not until Harry Potter World came along a decade later.  When the boy wizard took the theme park world by storm in 2010, Universal’s Islands of Adventure was now a threat that Disney couldn’t ignore.  Disney revisited the space for “Beastly Kingdom”, but thanks to Harry Potter, Disney knew they needed more than just a land of mythical animals.  They needed a well known franchise to power their ideas.  Thanks to Universal Islands of Adventure, the idea for “Beastly Kingdom” was never realized, but a new idea known as Pandora was thrust into the Disney spotlight.

Hopefully that very brief overview of park history will help you understand why Disney chose Avatar, and why Pandora looks the way it does today.  While it was important to have a recognizable franchise like Avatar, the Imagineering team has worked very hard to highlight the connection to nature in Pandora.  That connection in turn fits into the large theme of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  The importance of nature and animal conservation has always been the central theme to this park.  That has been represented in the prehistoric land of Dinoland U.S.A. and the current landscape of today through rides like Kilimanjaro Safaris.  While Pandora now represents the realm of fantasy, it still functions to promote conservation and natural beauty.  Like the movie Avatar, this land tells the story of the struggle between man and nature.  What is different from the movie is the timeframe in which that story takes place.  Now that we have a backdrop for the park history, let’s talk about the backstory of Pandora itself.

Pandora – The World of Avatar brings visitors to a time far removed from the first film of Avatar.  In the first Avatar film, a greedy corporation known as the Resources Development Administration (RDA) is mining the natural resource of unobtanium at all costs.  This puts them in direct conflict with the indigenous species of the planet, a people called the Na’vi.  As the movie progresses, the inevitable conflict culminates in an all out war between the two sides.  At the film’s conclusion, the Na’vi have successfully defended their home and the RDA is sent packing.  Obviously relations between the two species are not very cordial at that moment in time so setting Pandora in that era would be problematic.

So, the Disney Imagineers decided to fast forward the story a full generation ahead.  After more conflict, which will be explored in the sequels to Avatar, a time of peace comes to Pandora.  The Na’vi and humans have learned to live together, and even welcome human visitors to their home.  Travelers can visit Pandora through a company called Alpha Centauri Expeditions or A.C.E for short.  A.C.E. has partnered with the Na’vi to make Pandora a place for ecotourism and scientific research.  In addition to bringing visitors to the moon of Pandora, A.C.E. has created the Pandora Conservation Initiative to study native Pandoran species.  This initiative is what allows guests to fly on the back of a banshee in Avatar – Flight of Passage; more on that in just a bit.  Throughout the land there are clues to the time frame you are experiencing.  Remnants of the RDA remain, but are now covered in years of growth from the native plants.  The one place this is most evident is the main restaurant, called the Satu’li Canteen.

Satu’li Canteen is a quick service restaurant that serves as the main dining option in Pandora.  The theme of the land is on full display here, as this was a former RDA mess hall, but is now covered with Na’vi artifacts and art.  There is a distinctive juxtaposition of aesthetics at Satu’li Canteen. The exterior and the main dining room are full of organic shapes and natural colors.  Quite the opposite, the far interior, where you place your order, is compromised of metallic walls and ceilings. The colors are blues and grays, the lines of the structure hard and straight. This dichotomy helps tell the story of what came before and what lives here now.

As for the food, the flavors of Satu’li Canteen are designed to seem somewhat alien, while not too alienating.  Travelers can create their own bowl from a variety of options.  First, you choose your base.  Options include a quinoa and vegetable salad, a red and sweet potato hash, mixed whole grain rice, or a kale and romaine salad.  Next you choose your protein.  This can be wood-grilled chicken, slow-roasted beef, fish, or chili-spiced fried tofu.  Finally, add a sauce of either charred onion chimichurri, black bean vinaigrette, or creamy herb dressing.  The creation of your choosing is topped with boba balls.

If a bowl doesn’t have your mouth watering you can opt for the steamed pods of bao buns.  Here you can choose between the cheeseburger or vegetable steamed curry pods.  Both are served with a side of roo