Avatar Flight of Passage reviews, comments and questions

Marlins1

Well-Known Member
I absolutely disagree. The Simpsons is a nausea-invoking ride that doesn't even touch this. And I was completely swept up on the Pandora ride. There were moments that I completely forgot that I was on a simulator. And the queue is the best I have ever had the pleasure of walking through - and I have been to both Potter rides. This one beats both for me, as well as almost any other ride in WDW. I would still keep the safari up with this one though.
I think Simpsons is horrible - hopefully I will agree with you on FOP too!
 

TalkingHead

Well-Known Member
I absolutely disagree. The Simpsons is a nausea-invoking ride that doesn't even touch this. And I was completely swept up on the Pandora ride. There were moments that I completely forgot that I was on a simulator. And the queue is the best I have ever had the pleasure of walking through - and I have been to both Potter rides. This one beats both for me, as well as almost any other ride in WDW. I would still keep the safari up with this one though.

I agree Simpsons is far jerkier and more nauseating than Flight. My point is Flight makes a big point about riding a banshee, but you never see the banshee. There's no attempt to create the illusion that you're "on" a banshee.

And the queue is good, but there's no "wow" moment like the massive banking hall in Gingotts with the goblins or an interactive component like the Gringotts elevator. I can see why people really like the Flight queue, though. It has a bunch of different environments and that gives it more variety.
 

BuddyThomas

Well-Known Member
Here is our in-depth look at Avatar - Flight of Passage.

REVIEW - Avatar Flight of Passage
I love this review. Incredibly detailed and exceptionally well-written. The person who wrote this should be given a book deal, or should at least be offered a position as a professional critic somewhere. Or the key to the city. Or at least an ice cream sundae. Please someone at least buy the person who wrote this review an ice cream sundae! ;) Thanks for such a thoughtful review.
 

TalkingHead

Well-Known Member
Yet a major story component of the movie explains why you're not on an actual banshee. Story wise, this is 100% on point.

You mean in the movie your avatar isn't actually riding a banshee? I thought that was the whole point of the flight ritual (or that's what I gathered from the preshow).

Finally listening to the Len Testa and Jim Hill review podcast, and I think they give a very fair assessment of the two rides.
 

DisneyJayL

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Animal Kingdom is the most impressive theme park in the country. Unless you're only going to DisneySea, how can it not "overly impress" you?
Just doesn't overwhelm like I want it too. I'm not it's bad. I guess I don't have as much fun as others. I still love the park.
 

Jon81uk

Well-Known Member
You mean in the movie your avatar isn't actually riding a banshee?

In the film Avatar, Jake Sully is inside the bed thing where his mind is connected to his Avatar which is riding the Banshee. His human body is still in the base but his Avatar is on the Banshee.
On the ride Flight of Passage, your human body is on the ride vehicle, making a mental connection to your Avatar which is riding on a Bashee somewhere else on Pandora. You experience everything your Avatar experiences, but never actually climb on the back of a Banshee. Besides humans are the wrong size to ride Banshees, Na'vi are much taller than us.
 

twebber55

Well-Known Member
all i know is my wife who is not a big rider when it comes to rides got off the ride and said i cant stop smiling can we ride it again? i ve never heard her say that. of course ive been excited for this land for 5 years so take my opinion with a grian of salt just like some who have bashed this idea for five years and then say this place is underwelming also taking with a grain of salt. People who say its like soarin i just dont get it IMO. Its nothing close to soarin its much more thrilling, the music is incredible along with the visuals plus the ride vehicle make it far superior to soarin. I like @lentesta a lot but he's flat out wrong on this and not because of what im saying but the general public, probably 98% who ride it will say the same thing. This experience really doesnt even need to be compared to soarin.
 

Kman101

Well-Known Member
What is Len and Hills take on it? I know I could listen but if anyone could give me the gist of it? It's like some are upset it's been well received so far.
 

flyerjab

Well-Known Member
I agree Simpsons is far jerkier and more nauseating than Flight. My point is Flight makes a big point about riding a banshee, but you never see the banshee. There's no attempt to create the illusion that you're "on" a banshee.

And the queue is good, but there's no "wow" moment like the massive banking hall in Gingotts with the goblins or an interactive component like the Gringotts elevator. I can see why people really like the Flight queue, though. It has a bunch of different environments and that gives it more variety.

Well, in the end we'll just have to strongly disagree on some points. But that's fine, neither of our opinions are any less valid than the other.
 

Incomudro

Well-Known Member
@WDWFigment has an excellent "spoiler free" review of Pandora and the two rides. I agree with it almost entirely. He's often very fair and balanced with his take on things. It's worth a read. http://www.disneytouristblog.com/pandora-world-avatar-spoiler-free-review/

Very nice review - thank you for providing the link.
We visited the Potter Lands last year, and as none of the family has ever seen the movies - we didn't know what we were looking at.
Diagon Alley was extremely well done, but hard to relate to.
I am a nature fan, as are my kids (to a lesser extent my wife) and I can tell that Pandora will work better for our family.
There's a sense of wonder, beauty and awe there.
When I look at the images, I marvel at what they created.
 

Oddysey

Well-Known Member
I will admit that I went into FoP with low expectations. This is a result of being a passholder for 13 years, and being underwhelmed by previous new offerings..."cough cough New Fantasyland." This is also likely a result of screen fatigue and the fact that I am not particularly fond of Soarin. Soarin is a nice attraction, but it has never been a must do for me or an attraction that I feel the need to ride more than once.

That said, words cannot adequately describe the exhilaration I felt while experiencing FoP. I experienced the attraction 2 times. Both times as the ride hit about the two minute mark I could literally feel the endorphins flooding my brain. This is the type of feeling that makes a person want to experience an attraction again and again. It has been years since I have left an attraction with a feeling of slight euphoria, and FoP managed to provide that.

FoP is a highly immersive attraction that attacks all of the senses at once. There is so much going on (in a good way) that I missed many of the details that make the attraction so immersive on the first ride through. For example, on the first ride through I missed the amazing score, I missed feeling the pattern of the Banshee struggling to breath as things got hectic, and then the feeling of the breathing slowing when the action became less frenetic. I missed the sound of the Banshee struggling to regain its breath upon landings, and I didn't notice that the wind in my hair was not just the constant blowing of a fan, but crosswinds that are actually synchronized to various movements and objects appearing on the screen. Even before the ride begins, the transition from sitting on the simulator, being synched to an Avatar, and moving into actual flight was so engrossing and well done that I was not sure exactly what happened on the first go round. In other words, I actually felt as though I was flying on a Banshee on the first ride through, but it was not until the second ride through that I was able to start piecing together why.

I have seen some comparisons to Soarin throughout this thread, and realize that they are inevitable because they both use large screens (Although FoP's screen is much larger). As I insinuated in the opening of my comments, I expected a Soarin clone before riding. However, in my opinion, while both attractions offer big screens and flight, they offer two distincly different experiences. Soarin is a choppy flying simulation that feels like a simulation throughout the entire experience. FoP is a cohesive flying simulation that offers the experience of actually flying. Another guest on an adjacent Banshee made a statement that stuck with me as we were exiting the ride. His statement was simple, direct, and to the point. He said "bye bye Soarin."

In Summation, I am a rather jaded Disney fan who is highly skeptical of any changes or additions coming to the parks. But this attraction has instantly entered my top 3 favorite attractions in all of Orlando.
 
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