So... Can anyone explain Flight Of Passage to me?

[Clover Bailey]

I understand how Disney opened up Pandora early and some YouTube channels have done videos of the queue, but can anyone specifically explain to me the ride system of Flight Of Passage?

All I know so far is that it is a 3D simulator. I have seen the ride vehicles (the connected bench-bike thing) and understand how they work but they are in front of a wall. Does the wall open up to a screen? Do you leave the loading area or do you just watch the screen from there?

Also from what it looks, at the last minute they dropped a bomb and scrapped the "Banshee vehicles" concept, just to simplify it down to a simulation of a Banshee. So can anyone, if you've been on the ride, explain how the ride system works?

 

[PortOrleans]

Sure!
It is an 'active flight-simulator' meaning that it has some motion. Using, from what I have gathered, virtual reality, riders are "flown" around Pandora on a virtual banshee. Here's information https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/animal-kingdom/avatar-flight-of-passage/
Hope that helps!

 

[Clover Bailey]

Sure!
It is an 'active flight-simulator' meaning that it has some motion. Using, from what I have gathered, virtual reality, riders are "flown" around Pandora on a virtual banshee. Here's information https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/animal-kingdom/avatar-flight-of-passage/
Hope that helps!

Yeah. I've watched the pre-show online, apparently the whole thing is that when you get on your supposed to be "linked" to an Avatar on a Banshee, and that will be the reason you fly around Pandora. The concept is okay, I would've preferred if Disney had found some way that let's people ride actual Banshees. A lot of people are saying that it's the same as Soarin', but I'm not sure as Soarin' has a 40" height requirement and Flight Of Passage has 44". However, the height difference could just be related to the ride vehicles differences.

 

[PortOrleans]

Yeah. I've watched the pre-show online, apparently the whole thing is that when you get on your supposed to be "linked" to an Avatar on a Banshee, and that will be the reason you fly around Pandora. The concept is okay, I would've preferred if Disney had found some way that let's people ride actual Banshees. A lot of people are saying that it's the same as Soarin', but I'm not sure as Soarin' has a 40" height requirement and Flight Of Passage has 44". However, the height difference could just be related to the ride vehicles differences.

I assume this was a modification made for budget reasons. Nobody wants another Shanghai budget disaster.

 

[danlb_2000]

I understand how Disney opened up Pandora early and some YouTube channels have done videos of the queue, but can anyone specifically explain to me the ride system of Flight Of Passage?

All I know so far is that it is a 3D simulator. I have seen the ride vehicles (the connected bench-bike thing) and understand how they work but they are in front of a wall. Does the wall open up to a screen? Do you leave the loading area or do you just watch the screen from there?

Also from what it looks, at the last minute they dropped a bomb and scrapped the "Banshee vehicles" concept, just to simplify it down to a simulation of a Banshee. So can anyone, if you've been on the ride, explain how the ride system works?

The wall in front opens up to reveal a large screen. My understanding is that the vehicles do not move out, but they do have simulator type movement. They also have an effect built into so you feel the Banshee's breathing. The dropping of he Banshee's was not last minute, the Banshee ride vehicle was an early concept.

 

[disneygeek90]

I've currently been in the AP line for an hour and 20 mins. We have been at a standstill for 35 mins. We've only had one person come over the radio announcing our wait "may be longer than normal."

 

[disney4life2008]

I've currently been in the AP line for an hour and 20 mins. We have been at a standstill for 35 mins. We've only had one person come over the radio announcing our wait "may be longer than normal."

Smh

 

[disneygeek90]

Smh

From getting into the line to getting off, it took two hours. That's not even including the initial confusion that we were never given a "FP" time because when we entered it was pouring rain and apparently they wanted to cover the tickets without telling us about them.

But I digress. The ride overall was fantastic and it was well worth the wait to see. Think soarin on steroids. Like 100x. The visualizations and ability to submerge yourself into the land was fantastic.

 

[Bob Harlem]

I'll take a stab. I'd say more like Simpsons (back to the Future) combined with a floor that moves up and down more (rather than just once (but it is mostly just once).

But it's closer to Simpsons than Soarin, just a lot more "4-d" type of effects. It's probably the best non-tracked simulator in town right now. (I would not call it the best ride though)

If you aren't familiar with the Simpsons ride the vehicle raises up at the beginning through the ceiling to the large shared screen the lowers back down in the end. FoP does something similar.

 

[wdwmagic]

My understanding is that the vehicles do not move out, but they do have simulator type movement. They also have an effect built into so you feel the Banshee's breathing.

Both of those are correct.

 

[wdwmagic]

So... a Soarin and Tower Of Terror combination?

No, it doesn't do an significant amount of dropping.

 

[danlb_2000]

No, it doesn't do an significant amount of dropping.

Yeah, based on the picture we have seen of the ride system during construction there isn't enough height between the levels to allow for a large drop.

 

[graphite1326]

So I have heard that there is 3D affect. Do you wear glasses?

 

[wdwmagic]

So I have heard that there is 3D affect. Do you wear glasses?

Yes

 

[graphite1326]

Yes

So now I am a little worried. It looks similar to the one ride/attraction at Disneyquest. I don't remember the name but I got on a vehicle that looked similar to this one or what seemed like a motorcycle and put on headgear to get the 3D affect. It's been a while but I believe you had to search for jewels and the person next to you appeared to be a monkey it you looked at them. I got motion sickness on this and had to close my eyes. I do not get motion sickness on any other ride at WDW including Mission Space.

 

[donsullivan]

As described above, the premise of the ride is that you are 'linked' to an individual Avatar, just the way the main characters were in the movie. That Avatar is then already riding on the back of the banshee and thus providing your perspective of the flight. The difference from the movie is that instead of the human being in a bedchamber during the link, you are in a more advanced version where you can physically experience what the Avatar experiences.

When you board the ride vehicle there is indeed a wall directly directly in front of you. Once you get seated on your ride vehicle a set of paddle like restraints come in behind your calfs and another comes up behind your back moreso to constrain you in space vs actually holding you there. The ride vehicle does not leave the platform you boarded from. The floor doesn't drop out or anything like that. Each individual ride vehicle acts like it's on it's own motion base platform with the ability to lean forward and back and side to side synchronized with the motion in the movie. When you start, the wall moves away and your already immersed in the huge domed screen, you don't have to 'move' up or forward into the space.

With the motion synchronized between ride vehicles and movie, you don't actually need to 'drop'. To get the effect the 'camera' in the movie moves down in a scene and you are tilted forward and then when it goes from side to side you're titled accordingly. Trust me when I say this, within seconds you are completely oblivious to the ride vehicle and totally absorbed by what's happening on that screen. It's pretty amazing how immersive it becomes very, very quickly. Along the way there are some '4D' effects integrated as well to add some more realism to the experience.

For those describing it as Soarin' on steroids, I'm not sure that's fair. While you are on a ride vehicle aimed at a large shared screen, this is a totally and completely different experience and all in a very, very good way.

 

[wdwmagic]

So now I am a little worried. It looks similar to the one ride/attraction at Disneyquest. I don't remember the name but I got on a vehicle that looked similar to this one or what seemed like a motorcycle and put on headgear to get the 3D affect. It's been a while but I believe you had to search for jewels and the person next to you appeared to be a monkey it you looked at them. I got motion sickness on this and had to close my eyes. I do not get motion sickness on any other ride at WDW including Mission Space.

The motion is extremely well synced to the film, and the designers worked hard on the motion sickness issue. It is far more motion-sickness friendly than Mission Space. The majority of people will be fine on this. Don't worry.

 

[donsullivan]

So now I am a little worried. It looks similar to the one ride/attraction at Disneyquest. I don't remember the name but I got on a vehicle that looked similar to this one or what seemed like a motorcycle and put on headgear to get the 3D affect. It's been a while but I believe you had to search for jewels and the person next to you appeared to be a monkey it you looked at them. I got motion sickness on this and had to close my eyes. I do not get motion sickness on any other ride at WDW including Mission Space.

Having experienced both including what you described at Disney Quest I don't think you have anything to worry about at all. On the DQ attraction, you had a VR headgear on that was 'sort of' synchronized with your motion but didn't do all that good a job. When your body doesn't feel the same thing your eyes are seeing at precisely the same time, that's what can trigger the motion sickness. With FoP there is nothing on your head but some lightweight 3D glasses and you're in an open air space and the motion and the movie a very tightly and accurately synchronized so you don't get that weird situation where the motion your eyes see doesn't exactly match what your body is experiencing.

 

[rufio]

Really curious to see if anyone has gotten sick on this. I get motion sickness on pretty much every simulator (sometimes I even have to look at the wall on Soarin) and I somehow totally missed that Flight of Passage was a simulator. :/ I'm going to a preview tomorrow and now I'm not sure I want to spend my entire 2 hours in line. Anyone?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Smh

No, not "smh." These previews are essentially a beta test. They're not supposed to be up to "live" standards yet.