Avatar Flight of Passage reviews, comments and questions

[ozzel1]

Question for those who have ridden - my 7 year old niece likes to know what she's getting into before she rides. I understand the seat configuration but I have 2 questions (without major spoilers, please):

1) Are there substantial simulated 'drops'? Approx. when do they happen?
2) What is the range of motion on the 'chair'? 'Star Tours' throw you around, or 'Soarin' small movements?

Thanks.

 

[Eckert]

Question for those who have ridden - my 7 year old niece likes to know what she's getting into before she rides. I understand the seat configuration but I have 2 questions (without major spoilers, please):

1) Are there substantial simulated 'drops'? Approx. when do they happen?
2) What is the range of motion on the 'chair'? 'Star Tours' throw you around, or 'Soarin' small movements?

Thanks.

Soarin' is about a 2/10 on the intensity scale, this is about a 6. The 'drops' are more like controlled dips that aren't more than 6-10ft...which considering the size of the bench isn't very much. You're strapped in there pretty well so your butt isn't going to fly off the seat or anything.

Now that I think about it, the vehicle doesn't move very much apart from up and down, so small Soarin' movements is the best comparison.

Why I think people describe the ride as intense is because Flight of Passage's show, vehicles, and effects (sensory overload on this ride!) work together better than any other theater based ride in Orlando.

 

[TyTrap]

Soarin' is about a 2/10 on the intensity scale, this is about a 6. The 'drops' are more like controlled dips that aren't more than 6-10ft...which considering the size of the bench isn't very much. You're strapped in there pretty well so your butt isn't going to fly off the seat or anything.

Now that I think about it, the vehicle doesn't move very much apart from up and down, so small Soarin' movements is the best comparison.

Why I think people describe the ride as intense is because Flight of Passage's show, vehicles, and effects (sensory overload on this ride!) work together better than any other theater based ride in Orlando.

I'm trying to comprehend how the drops work. Are all 3 levels dropped vertically like tower of terror? I too like to know what I'm in for on rides lol.

 

[Eckert]

I'm trying to comprehend how the drops work. Are all 3 levels dropped vertically like tower of terror? I too like to know what I'm in for on rides lol.

So: imagine you're in the show position for Soarin, where everyone is stacked vertically in 3 tiers. Instead of the swinging motions, which are the main movements of that particular ride, it is instead controlled rises and falls.

When I first sat down and strapped in I was a little nervous. It's such a strange position that you're sitting in that isn't comparable to any other ride in the parks, and all the talks about this ride freefalling had me worried about experiencing drops in such a vulnerable position. But trust me, once the ride starts it all makes sense and you're not even thinking about it.

 

[TyTrap]

So: imagine you're in the show position for Soarin, where everyone is stacked vertically in 3 tiers. Instead of the swinging motions, which are the main movements of that particular ride, it is instead controlled rises and falls.

When I first sat down and strapped in I was a little nervous. It's such a strange position that you're sitting in that isn't comparable to any other ride in the parks, and all the talks about this ride freefalling had me worried about experiencing drops in such a vulnerable position. But trust me, once the ride starts it all makes sense and you're not even thinking about it.

I've heard people say you feel it in your stomach so that concerns me because that sensation is not something I enjoy which is why I avoid tower of terror or any dropshaft type attractions.

 

[Eckert]

I've heard people say you feel it in your stomach so that concerns me because that sensation is not something I enjoy which is why I avoid tower of terror or any dropshaft type attractions.

It's nothing like Tower of Terror. If you want specifics (and spoilers), the most intense sensation I felt was a moment before the ride ends. It's at 3:53 of this video. Even then, it was just a quick dip that lasted 2 seconds and we were right back to the standard motions of the ride.

The dips in the ride are less intense than the "big drop" on Seven Dwarves!

 

[wdwmagic]

I've heard people say you feel it in your stomach so that concerns me because that sensation is not something I enjoy which is why I avoid tower of terror or any dropshaft type attractions.

No there isn't a stomach dropping feeling. The drops are nowhere near big enough. The sensation of dropping is a combination of relatively small movement and a lot of visual immersion.

 

[Eckert]

No there isn't a stomach dropping feeling. The drops are nowhere near big enough. The sensation of dropping is a combination of relatively small movement and a lot of visual immersion.

Exactly. The effects and visuals are what really sell this. An amazing ride that shouldn't be missed. Period!

 

[RSoxNo1]

That's going to be the big question. I'm pretty sure that "around 8" is their target number. They didn't get anywhere close to that during the time I was there. I know of at least 3 significant breakdowns during Saturday's previews, and I heard of more on Sunday.

More than one person I spoke to called the whole ride system "over-engineered."

Even if 8 is the target that's only 1440 an hour. FYI, I predicted just that 4 1/2 years ago:

Written 10/24/2012:

E-Ticket attraction: This will be a 3D simulator housed in a gigantic show building. The building will have multiple levels and guests will enter the building on level 3. The attraction will have four separate theaters with three rows of seating in each theater. Each row will load on a separate level. The nature of the simulator itself is unclear but capacity would be comparable to Soarin’ assuming an 8 minute cycle time. The attraction will be housed in a building by itself, with the exception of a portion of the C-Ticket attraction that will enter the Northeast corner of the building.

So with the setup of the building, the pre-show rooms are basically centered in the building. I spoke with @Tom about this, and we came up with the following configuration for one or two new theaters.

The path of least resistance is South of the current building. The straight corridor in blue would be similar to the grouping of four pathways that guests are sent to from the FP/Standby merge. This would be another direction from the FP/Standby merge area, and require a very long exit path. The issue is the area in Red can't really be moved easily. It's the Na'vi River Journey ride and new cooling towers.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Some more numbers

Original Soarin' (two theaters) appeared to have a goal of 7 cycles per hour (1218 total capacity, approximately 8:35 second cycle time). Ride time for both Soarin' and Flight of Passage are pretty darn close (within 5-10 seconds of one another).

If it falls in the 8-9 minute range (likely) we're looking at capacity that would be slightly better than original Soarin' (1280-1440). The problem is it sounds like it's been 10 minutes plus.

 

[twebber55]

lets revisit this in 6 months and not during softs

 

[phi2134]

The video that was posted online of the full ride from the bag storage area showed what looked like the whole room moving separately from the storage area. When the seats move up and down, where does it separate from the rest of the showroom ( ie the walkway in, the storage area, and the seats)? And it looks like something else drops down behind the rider, looks like fans for wind simulation. It would make sense to me if the whole row had the same vertical axis and each seat tilted right, left, down and up as well. So I'm guessing not every seat is on an individual arm, but at leats on its own axis of the arm? Does that make sense to anyone?

 

[RSoxNo1]

lets revisit this in 6 months and not during softs

It's a fair point, but when I identified the capacity 5 years ago (self high five) and Disney has since adjusted similar "lower capacity" e-tickets, it's a reasonable enough debate. @wdwmagic also said that the target is 8 minutes FWIW.

Another hurdle is motion sickness, they are needing to sanitize rooms after "protein spills". Add in the unique/new to most guest restraint system and the size constraints and there are a lot of hurdles to get this out of the "operational nightmare" category.

 

[twebber55]

It's a fair point, but when I identified the capacity 5 years ago (self high five) and Disney has since adjusted similar "lower capacity" e-tickets, it's a reasonable enough debate. @wdwmagic also said that the target is 8 minutes FWIW.

Another hurdle is motion sickness, they are needing to sanitize rooms after "protein spills". Add in the unique/new to most guest restraint system and the size constraints and there are a lot of hurdles to get this out of the "operational nightmare" category.

oh i definitely think its a great topic and important!

 

[iubigman]

Sooooooooooooooo, the article today on wdwinfo has me really worried about fitting on this ride. More than worried, I am angry at Disney if they have made this like so many other rides at other Theme Parks. I fit on every Disney ride they have made (in the US anyway), but I do not fit on any hanging coaster or anything like that. I have a very bad combination of being tall, VERY long in the torso, very broad across the back of the shoulder, and of course, fat. (sorry if using that word offends some here, but I'm, well, fat) Anyway, I am making a trip down with my son in December for Very Merry and then a day at AK, and very much looking forward to this. The article on wdwinfo was by a short woman, so not exactly sure what the real issues are, can anybody elaborate?

Bottom line, Disney has always been the gold standard at building every ride that can accommodate nearly everyone, if this is the first step towards abandoning that principle, it would be a shame.

 

[dolphinforces]

can anybody elaborate?

It's all about where you hold your weight. I'm 6'3" and about 210lbs. That means I have long legs, but not as wide a torso as everyone else. The issue, I believe, is that the front "bar"/pad is right where most adults stomachs sit. This means that when the restraint sits on your lower back, it's roughly the same height on your body as just above your navel. The real issue here is what is the maximum width that the restraints will allow to lock in.

 

[iubigman]

It's all about where you hold your weight. I'm 6'3" and about 210lbs. That means I have long legs, but not as wide a torso as everyone else. The issue, I believe, is that the front "bar"/pad is right where most adults stomachs sit. This means that when the restraint sits on your lower back, it's roughly the same height on your body as just above your navel. The real issue here is what is the maximum width that the restraints will allow to lock in.

Grumble Grumble Grumble. So even if I lose some weight by December, my long torso and broad shoulders may screw me over. If the numbers I am reading (20% of riders!) are true and stay consistent, they will have to figure something out. 1 out of every 5 guests being turned away may be OK for the pimple faced minimum wagers at Six Flags, but I have a feeling Guest Relations will be pretty angry with WDI if they have to deal with that. (Apologies to those with Acne and those on minimum wage)

 

[Magic Feather]

Sooooooooooooooo, the article today on wdwinfo has me really worried about fitting on this ride. More than worried, I am angry at Disney if they have made this like so many other rides at other Theme Parks. I fit on every Disney ride they have made (in the US anyway), but I do not fit on any hanging coaster or anything like that. I have a very bad combination of being tall, VERY long in the torso, very broad across the back of the shoulder, and of course, fat. (sorry if using that word offends some here, but I'm, well, fat) Anyway, I am making a trip down with my son in December for Very Merry and then a day at AK, and very much looking forward to this. The article on wdwinfo was by a short woman, so not exactly sure what the real issues are, can anybody elaborate?

Bottom line, Disney has always been the gold standard at building every ride that can accommodate nearly everyone, if this is the first step towards abandoning that principle, it would be a shame.

It's all about where you hold your weight. I'm 6'3" and about 210lbs. That means I have long legs, but not as wide a torso as everyone else. The issue, I believe, is that the front "bar"/pad is right where most adults stomachs sit. This means that when the restraint sits on your lower back, it's roughly the same height on your body as just above your navel. The real issue here is what is the maximum width that the restraints will allow to lock in.

I would, actually, say a greater concern lies with the legs. For the back restraint, you are leaning forward at an angle, and for the back to safely lock in, I believe the system is that it must be at a lower than 90 degree angle. The real concern lies with the legs, as the legs restraints have proven to prohibit the most people from riding. This is the first, and last for the forseeable future, ride that is not all that accomadating, and Star Wars will reverse that trend.

EDIT: By this I mean all further restrains will be accommodating. This is the exception, not the rule.

 

[dolphinforces]

I would, actually, say a greater concern lies with the legs. For the back restraint, you are leaning forward at an angle, and for the back to safely lock in, I believe the system is that it must be at a lower than 90 degree angle. The real concern lies with the legs, as the legs restraints have proven to prohibit the most people from riding. This is the first, and last for the forseeable future, ride that is not all that accomadating, and Star Wars will reverse that trend.

EDIT: By this I mean all further restrains will be accommodating. This is the exception, not the rule.

I've been on a few times and never saw anyone have issues with the legs. I know Banks said he did at some point, but that hasn't been an issue since, even for him. Maybe it's tough for some to get their knees under, but the leg/calf pads are pretty close to a non-issue since it's been adjusted.

I've seen a much greater issue with the lower back restraint. Cast Members basically doing a standing pushup against the restraint (after very politely checking with the seated guest) to get it to lock.

 

[iubigman]

I mean listen, I need to lose weight, and this may be a good kick in the rear, but still. Grumble (have I grumbled enough?)