ChrisM
Well-Known Member
Clearly the CMs should have nets that look like they are covered in moss to throw over all strollers.
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General Pandora and Valley of Mo'ara reviews, comments and questions
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Clearly the CMs should have nets that look like they are covered in moss to throw over all strollers.
Ban them....or put them in an enclosed area - like a huge room..
And I for one can hardly wait.....
CaptainAmerica
Well-Known Member
So has anybody seen this thing at night yet, or have all the previews been during the daytime?
My preview time was 6-8 pm. I stayed until 8:30, just as the sun was setting and darkness was falling. No luminescent walkways or other effects, but other lights were coming on. It was beautiful.
Lunair
Active Member
I too went to the 6-8 pm preview, and while most of the bio-luminescent effects were off, there were a few. Below are some of the ones we got to see.
Thanks for the photos - they are lovely!. I guess I left too early....
Incomudro
Well-Known Member
I'm reminded of the series LOST.
Jones14
Well-Known Member
The area is gorgeous, but it is too dark at night. There either need to be more plants that glow on the left (if you're walking towards River Journey) side of the path, or there need to be more paths that light up throughout. I'm wondering if we'll see more as time goes on. That sort of installation seems like the kind of thing that would get dumped first if they were crunched for time.
It's not unfixable, but it is definitely a problem on moonless nights.
It's not unfixable, but it is definitely a problem on moonless nights.
Dizney Crew
Active Member
Last night was out 1st time seeing Pandora at night, and I'll have to say it was a major disappointment. Had the nighttime experience not been so hyped before the land opened, I probably would have thought it was OK. Outside of the walkway that lights up (which even this was only in a very small section) the whole land is very dark. Honestly I thought some parts just looked like black lights in a forest. Some of the plants looked cool, but most came off as outdoor light up Christmas decorations, you could tell they're not real which was a shame. One of the CM's (I think he's a explorer guide?) was telling us about how if we touched the plant behind him it would light up/ do something, we did this and nothing happened, he tried same thing (stuff already broke?), he then walked us around the corner to the same plant and it did what it was supposed to, which wasn't anything more then changing colors a little bit.
We got one of the "Light Up" nighttime drinks, which was nothing more then the regular Night Crawler with a Glowing Plastic seed inside the cup, but at least the seed has a button to turn it off when your done, so you can use it again. The area by the rides and restaurant were lit like a typical nighttime Disney park, nothing mind blowing or anything that was must see. So after seeing the land both during the day and night I think this land honestly looks a lot better during the day, which I'm both shocked and dissapointed at. I really thought the night time experience was going to be something truly unique and its own attraction by it self, which sadly I think it falls well short of this. The Disney hype machine for night time Pandora isn't even close to providing what is advertised.
We got one of the "Light Up" nighttime drinks, which was nothing more then the regular Night Crawler with a Glowing Plastic seed inside the cup, but at least the seed has a button to turn it off when your done, so you can use it again. The area by the rides and restaurant were lit like a typical nighttime Disney park, nothing mind blowing or anything that was must see. So after seeing the land both during the day and night I think this land honestly looks a lot better during the day, which I'm both shocked and dissapointed at. I really thought the night time experience was going to be something truly unique and its own attraction by it self, which sadly I think it falls well short of this. The Disney hype machine for night time Pandora isn't even close to providing what is advertised.
Minthorne
Well-Known Member
One thing that struck me in a park about ecology was how in the story they encourage visitors to adopt a banshee and take it back to Earth. They are encouraging you to take an indigenous and possible invasive species out of its natural habitat and introduce it to a new one. Now I know the banshees aren't real - but if they were this is just bad ecology. Still, they are only available on Pandora and they can be sold for a profit. Is it possible they could be trapped and sold to extinction? Are they the new unobtainium?
Figment82
Well-Known Member
just read that all banshees are sold out and it may take weeks for new ones to arrive
can't link cause it's from the other site but just search "banshee sold out" on twitter
I can confirm they sold out yesterday. There was a long line to enter the store around 9. We entered the FoP queue a little after that, and by the time we exited the ride a couple hours later, the whole display was bare.
SSH
Well-Known Member
We just got back and loved Pandora. I mentioned this in another thread, but I do think the area would benefit greatly from some verbal storytelling vignettes that brings key aspects of the film to life for so many park visitors who won't have seen the movie. The subtle elements are beautiful - but let's fact it, most visitors don't get subtle and unless they've seen the film, it won't have any meaningful context anyway.
The small stage area with the drums is such an ideal place to host a 5 or 10 minute storytelling show - signature characters from the movie sharing the story of the people and the land. It would add so much context to the river journey attraction as well...many are probably waiting in 1-2 hour lines, then scratching their head when all they see are pretty tranquil scenes vs the more overtly narrated and/or action-oriented stories Disney dark rides typically tell.
(FOP has a lot of backstory - but that's actually the one place I thought they overdid it a bit- between the pre-show video and the fairly long pairing/bonding pre-ride sequence, this must really slow boarding and ride times.)
As I said, love the land and was excited to experience it! These are just observations - not meant as complaining
The small stage area with the drums is such an ideal place to host a 5 or 10 minute storytelling show - signature characters from the movie sharing the story of the people and the land. It would add so much context to the river journey attraction as well...many are probably waiting in 1-2 hour lines, then scratching their head when all they see are pretty tranquil scenes vs the more overtly narrated and/or action-oriented stories Disney dark rides typically tell.
(FOP has a lot of backstory - but that's actually the one place I thought they overdid it a bit- between the pre-show video and the fairly long pairing/bonding pre-ride sequence, this must really slow boarding and ride times.)
As I said, love the land and was excited to experience it! These are just observations - not meant as complaining
peter11435
Well-Known Member
Cosmic Commando
Well-Known Member
I can't remember where I heard it, but I believe that the banshees were supposed to be scale models (even in the in-story ACE reality of the land). They were never supposed to be real baby banshees. I don't know if they stuck with that, but I bet Joe Rohde would agree with you. Part of the story of the land is that ACE and PCI are trying to restore the banshee population.
Just got back home today from an Orlando trip (hence why I haven't posted in months but been posting a lot today) and have to say Pandora is absolutely brilliant. I clearly remember a moment standing outside the entrance of Animal Kingdom, off to the side near the restrooms, it was kinda dark and cloudy, looking at the floating mountains and thinking "that....that looks real....like THAT LOOKS AMAZINGLY REAL." I've been to the Zhangjiajie Park mountains in China which I think made me appreciate Pandora much more, because it so accurately depicts it both from far and up close. I stood there outside the restrooms for like 10 minutes just mesmerized by how real it looked. It's an unbelievable feat of artistry and engineering. If I didn't know I was in Orlando I would've thought I was back in China.
The line for Flight of Passage was about two hours but it wasn't too bad because of the awesome queue. When you see that animitronic of the guy in the water, its just like "how the ....." The ride, as everyone knows, was awesome as well. The ride was perfect length, exciting but emotional when it needed to be, the explanations during the pre-shows were comprehensive, and it emphasized the mission/vision of the park and the area.
After two decades or so it was so cool and so different to be able to spend so much time at Animal Kingdom and not run out of things to do. I liked the park before for its uniqueness and quirkiness, but now I can honestly say it's probably the best park at WDW. With the addition of Pandora, Rivers of Light, as well as all the small changes like the Lion King theater, tree projections, more streetmosphere, and all the things that already made it great like the trails and safari, it definitely seems like a full fleshed amazing Disney theme park to me. I've been to all the Disney Parks around the world (and fairly recently) but never felt as "satisfied" as I was when leaving DAK yesterday. Pandora and Rivers of Light really bring the park out of it's shell.
The line for Flight of Passage was about two hours but it wasn't too bad because of the awesome queue. When you see that animitronic of the guy in the water, its just like "how the ....." The ride, as everyone knows, was awesome as well. The ride was perfect length, exciting but emotional when it needed to be, the explanations during the pre-shows were comprehensive, and it emphasized the mission/vision of the park and the area.
After two decades or so it was so cool and so different to be able to spend so much time at Animal Kingdom and not run out of things to do. I liked the park before for its uniqueness and quirkiness, but now I can honestly say it's probably the best park at WDW. With the addition of Pandora, Rivers of Light, as well as all the small changes like the Lion King theater, tree projections, more streetmosphere, and all the things that already made it great like the trails and safari, it definitely seems like a full fleshed amazing Disney theme park to me. I've been to all the Disney Parks around the world (and fairly recently) but never felt as "satisfied" as I was when leaving DAK yesterday. Pandora and Rivers of Light really bring the park out of it's shell.
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