Avatar Flight of Passage reviews, comments and questions

[Dizney Crew]

We rode FOP twice today, its a fun ride, better then I was expecting, but its Soarin 2.0 anyway you look at it, which isn't a bad thing. the 3D effect was depth more then anything, nothing jumping off the screen. The water effects were cool, but the "breathing banshee" effect I thought was minimal at best, I was expecting a lot more. Its fun, I think it gives Everest a run for its money for Best Attraction at AK, 2 different experiences,but both are fun.

 

[Kman101]

I agree on the breathing banshee part. It felt more like my phone vibrating LOL I always thought it was that.

 

[Texas84]

Four times Sunday. Not kidding, it was even better the fourth time with a grog ale and margarita in me (don't listen to me kids).

My complaint about the queue: It moved too fast! I actually wanted to explore. People were stopped, checking it out, but they were in the way. The buildup is incredible. Walking up the mountain, going through the drilled out entrance, the old base being taken over by nature, the sounds, the plants. Just amazing. They could have added a walk-through line.

I thought this was a combination of Soarin', Star Tours and ET (yeah) with a queue that matches anything at WDW or Universal. Soarin' makes me nervous because I always feel like I'm falling out of those seats but I loved the 'bike' and felt secure. Yes, the link transition is very well done. I didn't notice the breathing until the second ride. Cool effect. And the smells and the splashes of water were perfect. 10/10.

 

[tissandtully]

Depends how you feel about Soarin'. If you think Soarin' is a WDI masterpiece, you're likely to think this is a more intense version.

If, on the other hand, you've always found Soarin' a bit overrated, you're going to think this is Soarin' 2.0 - mild motion, drops that aren't nearly as intense as Tower, a ride that plays fast and loose with "story" (like the never-seen winged dragon thing you've been paired with and are supposedly riding).

Lot of APs are raving about this. The general public is going to be a lot more ambivalent, I suspect.

Dude, stop. This isn't Soarin 2.0, and I'm totally over Soarin.

 

[JCtheparrothead]

THIS!!!

I actually forgot that I was on a simulator at certain points as I couldn't help but get swept up by the experience.

Great statement about this ride. You definitely get swept away in it.

 

[JCtheparrothead]

Dude, stop. This isn't Soarin 2.0, and I'm totally over Soarin.

Yeah. This is not Soarin 2.0. The general public is gonna freak out when they ride this.

 

[SoccerMickey]

Yeah. This is not Soarin 2.0. The general public is gonna freak out when they ride this.

It's Soarin' Meets The Simpsons on a tricycle. It's nice that you really enjoyed it. I did too but I'm not going to oversell it for what it's not.

 

[ozzel1]

I heard some guests are able to do 3D/4D attractions while wearing 3D or 4D glasses over your regular glasses. Does it effect the special effects? Because I remember the 3D effects for Mickey's Philharmagic and Muppet Vision might have caused the 3D effects to look between blurry and half working. Or it could be due to the screens not being cleaned up or something. I'm just asking since my eye vision without glasses has been pretty fuzzy and usually keep my normal glasses on all day.

I have to wear my glasses or everything is blurry. Most 3D shows, I just deal that the picture is not as clear as I'd like it. On FoP, while there was some blurring around the edges, this was the Most clear 3D ride I've done.

 

[wdwmagic]

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

REVIEW - Avatar Flight of Passage

 

[dan8302]

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

REVIEW - Avatar Flight of Passage

Great review and I agree whole heartly. I was able to ride during the DVC preview and I wish they didn't take us though the FP line so I could have been able to explore more. Even as a walk right on expereince during the preview it still took almost 15 miniutes of walking, preshow, ride and walk out. Overall a very satisfying expereince.

 

[WDF]

Anyone experience any nauseating symptoms during the ride? I tend to get a weak stomach on 3D motion sims like Star Tours and Forbidden Journey and the countless other Universal 3D motion sim rides, but do fine on Soarin, which I realize isn't 3D, but people are comparing it to FoP.

I rode this three times during my preview and was fine after the first two. They were separated by more than an hour and that hour included the river ride and a meal. However, ride 3 was immediately after 2 with only a very quick walk through the queue separating the two rides and I did feel queasy after that and ended up with a terrible headache about an hour later. For reference, I am fine with Star Tours, but multiple rides on that will also get me and trying to read in moving vehicles (even airplanes sometimes) will get me. I have never ridden the rides at Universal. Soarin has always been fine, but I have never ridden it multiple times. The 3D on FOP is better/clearer than any other ride at WDW.

 

[Kman101]

So if we like it, we're "overselling" it. Got it. LOL

 

[TalkingHead]

We rode FOP twice today, its a fun ride, better then I was expecting, but its Soarin 2.0 anyway you look at it, which isn't a bad thing. the 3D effect was depth more then anything, nothing jumping off the screen. The water effects were cool, but the "breathing banshee" effect I thought was minimal at best, I was expecting a lot more. Its fun, I think it gives Everest a run for its money for Best Attraction at AK, 2 different experiences,but both are fun.

As you said, the 3D element presumably adds some depth to the image, but it's quite minor in person. The YouTube videos even bear this out - they're hardly distorted as genuine 3D would be. Actually makes me wonder if the same effect could be accomplished without glasses.

 

[TalkingHead]

Dude, stop. This isn't Soarin 2.0, and I'm totally over Soarin.

Sorry you can't cope with a different opinion. But plenty of people are going to call this Soarin' redux. You don't have to agree, but it's a valid opinion.

 

[SoccerMickey]

So if we like it, we're "overselling" it. Got it. LOL

No not at all. I like it too. It's just not as unique as everyone is making out to be. When Marty Sklar was here last week at the D23 event he said that this is the best cutting edge attraction in Orlando, I wish I could agree with that. I want to agree with that, I was routing for it to be a grand slam, but it's just borrowed elements from other screen-based attractions, so to me, it's just a run batted in. I get the same feeling coming off this attraction as I do coming off Reign of Kong or as I'm sure I did Mission: Space when it was new. I appreciate the work in the details but the overall experience seems flat. I wish they would have used more of the techniques they've used with Tron, Pirates Sunken Treasure, or Mystic Manor. Those are attractions I definitely didn't feel like flat experiences after I got off those!!

 

[TalkingHead]

It's Soarin' Meets The Simpsons on a tricycle. It's nice that you really enjoyed it. I did too but I'm not going to oversell it for what it's not.

And BTTF/Simpsons actually carries through on the conceit that you're in a Delorean/coaster vehicle. You never come close to believing you're on a Banshee in this attraction.

 

[SoccerMickey]

And BTTF/Simpsons actually carries through on the conceit that you're in a Delorean/coaster vehicle. You never come close to believing you're on a Banshee in this attraction.

Yea! I agree. And I kept waiting for that initial "take off moment" where the vehicle would at least raise a little bit to put us closer to the action on the screen but the movements were more wobble wobble than soaring (not soarin')

 

[TalkingHead]

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

REVIEW - Avatar Flight of Passage

I appreciate the review though I clearly disagree with several parts of it. I am curious that the reviews of the queue are so glowing. It has a strange static quality to it. I'm surprised there aren't more animated pieces in the black-lit forest. The lab has several inventive elements (creepy or not), but there is an abandoned, lifeless feeling to the queue.

 

[Kman101]

I think that's the point of the queue for FOP.

And to SoccerMickey, I was plenty close to the action LOL (but that's me, I was fine with the distance). As someone with a mild fear of heights, the simulation is definitely more intense for someone like me. I totally get that to some, it's "nothing new" but I think you guys are trying to undersell it as much as you may think we're overselling it and you seem like it's hard to believe anyone likes it because you don't (and I guess vice versa though I do understand why you guys aren't over the moon about it so not trying to discount how you feel at all about it). It's still a well done attraction. And I certainly don't get the same feeling on it as I did on Soarin', or Kong. It's more similar to Star Tours and Simpsons for me.

 

[flyerjab]

And BTTF/Simpsons actually carries through on the conceit that you're in a Delorean/coaster vehicle. You never come close to believing you're on a Banshee in this attraction.

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.