Avatar Flight of Passage reviews, comments and questions

[Coaster Lover]

I'm assuming this ride is a no-go for someone 12 weeks pregnant?

My wife rode at 21 weeks without issue (we had actually talked to the OBGYN about it in advance and he had given us his blessing). The forward/backward/left/right movement is pretty limited (and very smooth in transitions). The actual up/down movement is no more extreme than the Gs you feel on a regular elevator or maybe similar to what you would feel just jumping up and down (again, it moves up and down, but the changes in speed/direction are all pretty gradual). You probably might not realize you were moving up and down unless you looked backwards. Obviously, you cannot say with 100% certainty that there would be no risk and all of the ride signs will warn against pregnant women riding, but the risk is likely pretty low (certainly lower [in my opinion] than most of the other E-tickets at Animal Kingdom including Everest, Dinosaurs, and possibly even Kilimanjaro Safari)

 

[Coaster Lover]

And with FOP, there is a downside right now — both of those early-morning rides bypassed the inside portions of the standby queue.

Did they send you in through the FastPass line? Having been through both the Stand-By line and the FastPass line, I struggle to see how you could avoid most of the indoor queue unless you went through the FastPass Line. I was even commenting to my wife while waiting in the Stand-By line that (based on the frequent changes in elevation in the Stand-By queue), there were very (VERY) few ways that they could chain off portions of the stand-by queue to shorten the line by any significant amount. If they sent you through the FastPass line, there's not a lot of room for queuing in that line and I'd be surprised to see them use that option for any significant period of time. Possibly you were within the first 100-200 people or so? I could possibly seem them counting off the first 100-200 people or so to get them directly into the ride/pre-show/ramps to the pre-show areas without having to walk the whole line then immediately sending everyone else behind that initial count to walk the full queue (it is quite a long queue!)

 

[doctornick]

Okay, well here's my situation... we're staying on property (so we have EMH access). I have two days planned for DAK. One we were planning to go for the evening and I have FP+ for FoP then -- but we'll miss the queue. Another was for the daytime/whole day and I have FP+ for NRJ. So, riding FoP isn't an issue since I have a FP+. We also might go at least one evening to DAK for EMH but that will just be a few adults in my party -- there are a bunch of young kids who aren't going to last to beyond 10pm.

So, my real question is this: what is the best way for a party with young children (so going past 10pm for EMH is not an option) to ride FoP and get to enjoy the queue? But without a 2 hour or more wait. Even going for rope drop sounds like an issue since it sounds like they send early groups through the FP+ line to get to the ride quicker.

We may just end up bagging it in terms of the kids doing the queue and having any adults who want to experience it to go for EMH in the evening.

Anyone have suggestions for my circumstance?

 

[becca_]

Okay, well here's my situation... we're staying on property (so we have EMH access). I have two days planned for DAK. One we were planning to go for the evening and I have FP+ for FoP then -- but we'll miss the queue. Another was for the daytime/whole day and I have FP+ for NRJ. So, riding FoP isn't an issue since I have a FP+. We also might go at least one evening to DAK for EMH but that will just be a few adults in my party -- there are a bunch of young kids who aren't going to last to beyond 10pm.

So, my real question is this: what is the best way for a party with young children (so going past 10pm for EMH is not an option) to ride FoP and get to enjoy the queue? But without a 2 hour or more wait. Even going for rope drop sounds like an issue since it sounds like they send early groups through the FP+ line to get to the ride quicker.

We may just end up bagging it in terms of the kids doing the queue and having any adults who want to experience it to go for EMH in the evening.

Anyone have suggestions for my circumstance?

I have heard that either after a rain storm, or in the afternoon, times lessen to 90ish minutes, which is still long but more do-able than 2 or 3 hours. I'd try to just check on wait times all day to be able to see the queue/ride standby.

 

[Fizban257]

Did they send you in through the FastPass line? Having been through both the Stand-By line and the FastPass line, I struggle to see how you could avoid most of the indoor queue unless you went through the FastPass Line. I was even commenting to my wife while waiting in the Stand-By line that (based on the frequent changes in elevation in the Stand-By queue), there were very (VERY) few ways that they could chain off portions of the stand-by queue to shorten the line by any significant amount. If they sent you through the FastPass line, there's not a lot of room for queuing in that line and I'd be surprised to see them use that option for any significant period of time. Possibly you were within the first 100-200 people or so? I could possibly seem them counting off the first 100-200 people or so to get them directly into the ride/pre-show/ramps to the pre-show areas without having to walk the whole line then immediately sending everyone else behind that initial count to walk the full queue (it is quite a long queue!)

We walked the entire outside portion of the queue, but there is an access to the FastPass line just inside the first cave room that puts you right at the long uphill tunnels you board from. We missed all of the bioluminescent caves and the whole lab. And yes, we were in the second row of the group when they held us at the bridge and within the first 100 or so folks to board both days.

 

[disneygeek90]

Not sure if anyone else has answered this yet or not, so I will provide my input... I believe the "decontamination" element is actually a "filler" element for when the room ahead is not yet emptied or is taking longer to empty than usual (which can occur when it's taking longer than usual to load the ride). I was fortunate enough to get five rides on Flight of Passage on our recent trip (had secured two FastPasses in advance and the rest were from rides during Extra Magic Hours). During three of the rides, in the first room (refered to as the Genetic Linking Room), everything went pretty quick and "normal" (without the decontamination). However, on another ride, there was an "added" segment where it seemed like the "connection" was lost and they needed everyone to move around to help reestablish the connection (otherwise, the preshow was the same as the other three). And on the "decontamination" ride, there was both the segment with the "connection failure" AND the "decontamination" step (in addition to all the same other stuff seen the other four times). So, at least from what I can tell, if everything is moving at capacity, you won't see the "decontamination" step, but if things ahead are taking too long (maybe an oversized person that they are trying to get to fit or possibly someone with special needs that heeds longer to transfer) than you might get the decontamination step.

That's been my assumption as well. The first time or two I went, the pause was quite a while. Last time I went a week or so ago, it was barely 5 seconds and we were back and moving to the next room. It's just buying time if the next room isn't quite ready yet.

 

[Coaster Lover]

One we were planning to go for the evening and I have FP+ for FoP then -- but we'll miss the queue.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but having already ridden the ride and gone through the full queue, in hindsight, I'd rather use the FastPass and avoid the long line (and miss the queue) than wait a couple hours in standby to see the full. Don't get me wrong, it's a well done queue and looks really nice, but with the exception of the final room, everything is static and after one look, you just start thinking about what's in the next room. The last room (The lab) is pretty cool, but you move through it pretty fast and don't get a lot of time to appreciate it. I find the queue for Forbidden Journey and Gringotts to be much more engaging (and critical to the overall ride experience). If you are going to wait, try at the tail end of evening Extra Magic hours. The queue moves much faster when the ride isn't also absorbing FastPass riders and we frequently saw lines under an hour if you were willing to wait until 11 or 11:30...

 

[Horizons '83]

Am I reading the app wait times correctly, there is a 295 minute wait for this still?

 

[GrumpyFan]

Rode 1 & 3/4 times on 8/6. Went to the late EMH, not intending to ride, but we went on NRJ first, and when we finished, noticed the wait was down to 90 minutes, so decided to give it a try, and glad we did, although, we ran into a glitch, apparently. We were riding and everything was going as it should, and about 3/4 of the way thru, the screen went black, and the safety doors came down. They kept us locked in place for 5-10 minutes, and I guess tried to re-start it, but it wouldn't work. Eventually, they released the restraints and led us out to another line, where we went thru the pre-show (decon/link-up), and then on to ride completely.

Aside from the glitch, which I'm curious of, it was an incredible experience, well worth waiting 2 hours in line for!

 

[SoFlaDisneyFan]

I've just returned from a few days in WDW. This was my first time seeing Pandora. Word to the wise: skip Pandora first thing in the morning. I could not get over how insanely long the lines were for both attractions just minutes after the park opens. After attempting FoP for two mornings in a row, I finally heeded a Cast Member's advice to return between 3 pm-6 pm, when the morning/day crowds begin to leave, but just before the evening crowds start to build. He was right. My wait for FoP was less than 2 hours, which sounds long, but compared to the 3.5-4 hour wait times that commonly plague the morning rush, it was a steal.

 

[BrianLo]

Wait times for FOP have definitely gotten worse over the summer. Somewhere in the thread we had discussed an early rope drop...

The value proposition seems a bit worse now that the park is opening regularly at 9. Arriving at 7:10 for when it was an 8 opening pretty much got you on and off the ride before 8. Now you have to arrive at 7:30-7:45 at the latest to maybe be off the ride a bit after 9. They don't seem to generously shove people through as early before park opening like they were in June.

Still, very few days in July did the ride actually get below 2 hours even during the well documented afternoon reprieve.

Moral of the story is you'll wait 75-90 minutes in a sense by doing very early rope drop or 90-120 minutes if you are lucky mid afternoon. At pretty much no other time (outside of the evening magic hours) should this attraction be attempted. The worst thing you could possibly do is arrive between 8:30-9:15 and think you are rope dropping the attraction. Instead Na'vi River Journey should be your destination and then leave for the other attractions in the park.



http://www.easywdw.com/reports14/avatar_flight_pass_wait_times_july_2017.jpg

Credit to "Easy Dubs" who document all this.

 

[Marc Davis Fan]

I wonder when this crowd pattern will shift to a more normal one. Touring Plans interestingly predicts what by sometime this fall, it will turn into a pattern that has short waits from 9-10am, and then steadily climbs - much like most other attractions. I'm very curious to see if that will really happen...

 

[Marlins1]

The lines are insane. I was fortunate enough to snag four FP's 60+ days ago and rode this morning. We all loved the ride - truly amazing and incredibly immersive. My daughter said she doesn't like Avatar or simulators but she still thought that ride was great. It takes nice pauses to just soak in the scenery every time you could get close to feeling motion sickness so none of us had any issues with that.

 

[monykalyn]

What's been anyone's experience with early magic hours? is it as bad as rope drop?

Yes. Unless you want to show up as soon as bag check opens even for EMH.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but having already ridden the ride and gone through the full queue, in hindsight, I'd rather use the FastPass and avoid the long line (and miss the queue) than wait a couple hours in standby to see the full. Don't get me wrong, it's a well done queue and looks really nice, but with the exception of the final room, everything is static and after one look, you just start thinking about what's in the next room. The last room (The lab) is pretty cool, but you move through it pretty fast and don't get a lot of time to appreciate it. I find the queue for Forbidden Journey and Gringotts to be much more engaging (and critical to the overall ride experience). If you are going to wait, try at the tail end of evening Extra Magic hours. The queue moves much faster when the ride isn't also absorbing FastPass riders and we frequently saw lines under an hour if you were willing to wait until 11 or 11:30...

This!! I do not get the fascination with the queue!! My son and I waited 90 minutes during evening EMH this week- and I cannot imagine waiting hours in the open/outdoor portion in heat of day. I preferred being in the open at night as the luminescence was really neat to see vs being in the cave (boring) or labs (neat but NOT worth more than 1hour wait.). Plus as you go through fast pass line you do get a glimpse into the lab area where the avatar is in the tank.
Rode FoP 3 times this week (2 FP+ and once EMH) , NRJ twice with less than 15-20 minute wait during both am and pm EMH. It's (FoP) a great ride, but by the third time I didn't find it as thrilling and "must do again" feeling as the first time.
Expedition Everest OTOH- 5 times in 2.5 days is still not enough!

 

[Prototype82]

Finally took my girlfriend on it saturday. She couldn't believe Flight of Passage. It's her favorite Disney ride now. It still blows me away how re-ridable it is. Told off some punk who threw a penny into the bioluminescent "stream" in the FOP queue. There's so many down there now. Calking seems to be slowly helping at the lab but that outdoor set has a pile of 'em now. It's annoying...Also they did away with the rust on the metal slat lab windows...it's been done up with weathered sanding and a sturdier moss effect painted onto it...Not a bad solution. Just sucks so many people were scratching the rust off. I'm glad they bothered to do something about it.

 

[disneygeek90]

As planned, I got my family all to Pandora yesterday (9am open, no EMH). I live close, so we were leaving my apartment about 7:15 and were parking a few minutes after 7:30. I usually carry a bag but left it in the car. When we got to the main entrance around 7:40, everyone was being held at bag check. We got in line for the no bag line and after a few minutes were letting everyone through. We were behind about 5 people at the passholder entry touchpoint, and they started letting everyone through around 8:20. Got right outside Pandora where we were held until about 8:40. We were easily within the first 50-100 people in the line.

Unfortunately we did get fed through the fastpass queue but I was somewhat prepared for that. What I was not prepared for was missing the entire first show. It said “Standby” for maybe two minutes, then the second door opened. I mentioned to the castmember handing out the glasses that we didn’t see anything and she said a nonchalant “okay” and kept everyone going. I would have liked my family to see the video for their first time. I suppose the second video still does a decent job of filling you in on what you’re doing, but it was a little bummer for me. I'm not sure if this was a true glitch or error, or if they were just simply trying to get everything started sooner.

Everyone loved the ride though. My mom, who I was most worried about, was laughing and screaming the whole time. We were off probably before it was even 9am, had a 15 minute wait for NRJ, and were on and off both Pandora rides by 9:32am, no fastpass required.

 

[Fizban257]

Unfortunately we did get fed through the fastpass queue but I was somewhat prepared for that. What I was not prepared for was missing the entire first show. It said “Standby” for maybe two minutes, then the second door opened. I mentioned to the castmember handing out the glasses that we didn’t see anything and she said a nonchalant “okay” and kept everyone going. I would have liked my family to see the video for their first time. I suppose the second video still does a decent job of filling you in on what you’re doing, but it was a little bummer for me. I'm not sure if this was a true glitch or error, or if they were just simply trying to get everything started sooner.

We experienced this as well during the second of our rope-drop experiences. I think it is definitely a purposeful tactic to get the first ride of the day started as quickly as possible.

 

[Filipe Palma]

Hello everyone, fresh out the forum womb. Does general queue times go down as we get into late August? Visiting 18th-24th and wondering if I can find a way to under 2HR wait for FoP. Thanks!

 

[disneygeek90]

We experienced this as well during the second of our rope-drop experiences. I think it is definitely a purposeful tactic to get the first ride of the day started as quickly as possible.

That's kinda lame, honestly. It saves all of what, 3 minutes? Either way it'll be 240 minutes by 10am...

 

[disneygeek90]

Hello everyone, fresh out the forum womb. Does general queue times go down as we get into late August? Visiting 18th-24th and wondering if I can find a way to under 2HR wait for FoP. Thanks!

Your best bet is going to be getting there first first thing, mid day, or evening EMH if you're staying on site. Several have written their experiences if you check back a few pages on when they got to the park and what the wait is. While school is starting in may places, I don't foresee the wait times dropping too drastically.