"it's a small world" vs Na'vi River Journey

Better ride?


  • Total voters
    52

DisneyAndUniversalFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
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Everything You Need to Know about Na'Vi River Journey - MickeyBlog.com


Both rides are boat rides. Which is the better ride?
 

TotallyBiased

Well-Known Member
Gawd. It’s like the Detroit Lions vs the Jacksonville Jaguars in a battle for who’s less terrible. I don’t like either of these but I’ll give Na’vi a pat on the back for the final animatronic I guess. Never liked IASW. Creeped me out as a kid.
 

DarthVader

Sith Lord
I remember going on Na'vi for the first time, we waited for like an hour for the opportunity to ride - This was within the first year of it opening up. I'm not sure what the wait times were after that. While visually stunning, I felt the ride was too short, and didn't offer anything that was commensurate with the long wait

IASW is quant, enjoyable, long and as mentioned above, iconic. The huge lines and crowds going to this ride move very quickly and you don't have a sense of waiting too long (relatively speaking). For the extended line, you have a fairly long ride, its quite enjoyable
 

JusticeDisney

Well-Known Member
I think if you removed the nostalgia (which is impossible to do) and just viewed these two attractions side by side as if they were both created last week, Na’vi would literally win every vote. That said, I voted for IASW, because like I said, you can’t remove the nostalgia!!!
 

DarthVader

Sith Lord
if they were both created last week, Na’vi would literally win every vote.
I'm not so sure, because one thing I noticed with new rides being created by Disney. They are short.

All things being equal, would you want to wait in a 45 minute line for a 5 minute ride, or a15 minutes ride? I googled the length of both, and it seems Na'vi is 5 minutes and IASW is 15
 

JusticeDisney

Well-Known Member
I'm not so sure, because one thing I noticed with new rides being created by Disney. They are short.

All things being equal, would you want to wait in a 45 minute line for a 5 minute ride, or a15 minutes ride? I googled the length of both, and it seems Na'vi is 5 minutes and IASW is 15
Very good point. But I was just comparing the actual rides themselves, without taking into account wait times.
 

DarthVader

Sith Lord
Very good point. But I was just comparing the actual rides themselves, without taking into account wait times.
No question the Na'vi ride is visually stunning, and the ISAW is dated in some respects. Nostalgia is a big draw, but I do think having the ability to sit down and enjoy a ride for 15 minutes in air conditioning is a HUGE benefit, especially for families with young kids.
 

mightynine

Well-Known Member
I would say IASW is the more complete experience compared to NRJ, which feels like something was cut.

The last time I was there though, it seems like the boats ran a little slower in NRJ and made it feel a little better paced.

Neither is a ride I would feel bad about missing during a trip.
 

JusticeDisney

Well-Known Member
No question the Na'vi ride is visually stunning, and the ISAW is dated in some respects. Nostalgia is a big draw, but I do think having the ability to sit down and enjoy a ride for 15 minutes in air conditioning is a HUGE benefit, especially for families with young kids.
Totally agree!
 

graphite1326

Well-Known Member
It was our first trip as a family back in 1996. I had been to WDW before when I was young and single. We were making our way through MK and found ourselves in front of IASW. My wife says lets get in line. I cringed. "You don't want to ride this. You will have that song stuck in your head all day." she said "we are here and doing everything." We went in. When we go off she turned to me and said "we are never getting on that ride again." Haven't been on it since then.
 

NelleBelle

Well-Known Member
I like both a lot but gave it IASW (but the DLR version--the queue for WDW is BORING)!!! I personally find the animatronic at the end of Nav'i creepy. I love the Polynesian room in IASW and the finale. Don't mind the song for IASW unless we get stuck for a while on the ride (it's happened)! I like the effects in Nav'i but ride seems short and the morons taking video and flash pictures annoy the cap out of me more on this ride than IASW.
 

Skibum1970

Well-Known Member
I like both a lot but gave it IASW (but the DLR version--the queue for WDW is BORING)!!! I personally find the animatronic at the end of Nav'i creepy. I love the Polynesian room in IASW and the finale. Don't mind the song for IASW unless we get stuck for a while on the ride (it's happened)! I like the effects in Nav'i but ride seems short and the morons taking video and flash pictures annoy the cap out of me more on this ride than IASW.

Not only is the animatronic a little creepy but I find its voice very irritating. I forgot about that until I saw your post.
 

FettFan

Well-Known Member
Small World.

I once waited 45 minutes for Navi River, and got off feeling cheated.
The boats are too small, the flume is too short, and there is nothing visually remarkable about it aside from the AA shaman…IF she’s even working and not replaced by the screen projection.
 

DfromATX

Well-Known Member
I don't think you can compare the two. One is a classic, maybe a little bit cheesy and annoying to some, but not me, and the other is much more visually stimulating. I love all the boat rides!
 

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