DAK Na'vi River Journey reviews, comments and questions

[TeriofTerror]

For Pandora as a whole, it's funny how the reviews from people who've experienced it in person are much much more positive than those from people who've only experienced it on YouTube. Hmm....
Same goes for just about every quality new ride or show at WDW. In fact there are multiple examples of people who've admitted to misjudging something before they saw it for themselves. Diagon Alley is an example of that, for me.

I simply can't put an iota of value in criticisms from those who haven't been. I think y'all should do the same.

EDIT: that doesn't mean stupidity like the post below this one doesn't drive me nuts.



Easily just your opinion. I very much disagree.

I saw it in person. The land as a whole was beyond incredible. FoP was all I hoped for and more. But River Journey, while very pretty, was a disappointment. I don't need everything to be an exciting E-ticket or thrill ride, but I think Disney should aim higher than "pretty". A compelling story would have really elevated this attraction. As it was, no one in our party of seven wanted to ride it more than once, and three of them were big Avatar fans.
We were a mix of hardcore Disney fans and first-timers. All of us wondered how Pirates and Haunted Mansion could be so immediately immersive and engaging, but NRV was just visually pleasant.

 

[SourcererMark79]

I saw it in person. The land as a whole was beyond incredible. FoP was all I hoped for and more. But River Journey, while very pretty, was a disappointment. I don't need everything to be an exciting E-ticket or thrill ride, but I think Disney should aim higher than "pretty". A compelling story would have really elevated this attraction. As it was, no one in our party of seven wanted to ride it more than once, and three of them were big Avatar fans.
We were a mix of hardcore Disney fans and first-timers. All of us wondered how Pirates and Haunted Mansion could be so immediately immersive and engaging, but NRV was just visually pleasant.

Thinking back from riding it yesterday, I'm regretting not giving it a second time around. Each time I ride HM I see something I've never noticed (and I've done it dozens of times) I said earlier it's expectations. Sure, it could use maybe a "fast mini rapids" part transitionin to a new scene, or some fog or light mist between scenes, but I'd ride it again and again, just not at a 60min wait tI'm like it will be after next weekend.

 

[Kman101]

What story do people want from a boat ride down the river? I understand some finding it boring, that's inevitable, but what would make it better? I'm honestly wondering. I thought it was fine.

 

[Kman101]

I've already seen what little you think is necessary to base your thoughts on so I am well aware of their profound lack of validity.

And they think I was rude and insulting. LOL! It's obvious we're not going to change their opinion.

 

[rkleinlein]

So there are two camps here: detractors who think this attraction is a boring disappointment and defenders who think it's successful as a scenic ride down a river, which exactly what it claims to be. That's fine; to each their own.

But I wonder what KIDS are going to think of this ride. It's one thing for adults to be satisfied with scenery but are kids going to be satisfied with that? I don't think so. I think most kids, after riding Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Jungle Cruise, etc., are going to come to the end of this and say, "Is that it?" And I think that's the real shame about this attraction.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

So there are two camps here: detractors who think this attraction is a boring disappointment and defenders who think it's successful as a scenic ride down a river, which exactly what it claims to be. That's fine; to each their own.

Exactly like every single other attraction at every Disney park. I doubt there is one attraction that every person either loves or hates. And you're absolutely right - to each his/her own.

 

[Kman101]

Kids aren't the only ones who matter. I have no doubt they'd probably be bored on it. I was next to a woman on mine train who commented that they wished it were longer. So the short rides are being noticed. River Journey is a quality immersive boat ride. It works as it is. But I can see and understand why some would be let down by it.

 

[FutureCEO]

It looks beautiful and well done. As does the rest of Pandora, but consider that this is without the unwashed masses of regular visitors. I think the charm and beauty of what was created will quickly be lost in when your surrounded by ECVs and the rest... Also, you figured all the creative genius behind Pandora and all you get is a Soarin clone and a 5 minute boat ride. With all the "action" in the Avatar movies, you figured some of it would have translated into theme park attractions.

I hardly think the Avatar's story is appropriate in a theme park setting. Animals, yes but story, no

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I was next to a woman on mine train who commented that they wished it were longer. So the short rides are being noticed.

The attraction's runtime will probably its biggest problem with the average guest. At 4 minuites, it's the shortest boat ride in WDW. Even more than Frozen.

If I got stuck in line for an hour, mostly outdoors, with no A/C, for a 4 minute scenic boat trip, I'd be disappointed.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ֊ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Warning there be ramblings below. Read at your own risk. Mobile readers be warned.

An arm-chair imagineering disappointment: Could NRJ's sense of exploration be made more engaging if we could somehow interact with the flora and fauna? After reading about this ride concept when it was first announced; I tried to imagine what the river ride would look like, the show elements, it's story, and what we as riders were likely to experience. While I'll admit "my NRJ" was ridiculously lofty compared to what we ultimately ended up with; I think Na'vi River Journey does a descent (well enough) job of showing off what one would expect in visiting a cave full of bioluminescent plantlife. Even though two of the key features I had arm-chair imagined for this attraction are absent in the actual attraction; all in all I feel like WDI did a pretty good job of showcasing Pandoran life. So... Why am I disappointed?

As stated previously one of the ideas I had envisioned for this ride was that of a tour. I thought it was a sure thang!? A bit of context. A Living with the land Pandora style ride hosted by Alpha Centauri. That VO narration/speaker element I thought would pair well with frequent periods of calming reflection to really take in the wonder of the colorful show pieces and "study" the flora and fauna. Although this aspect of the ride is null I feel like the imagineers did a good job of establishing a realistic Pandoran setting. (I've said this before right?) The glow of the plantlife and the projected animals are all done really well. The biggest key difference in how I imagined the ride and that of the actual NRJ was how WDI tackled the challenge of revealing the land's bio-luminescence. Thus my arm-chair complaint... They didn't.

Imagine! What if the plantlife could sense our presence as we approach? This was the basis of my arm-chair concept; the show-pacing and story of the ride. Instead of seeing the grotto's glow from the onset what if some or all of the bio-luminescence and wildlife were triggered via sensors in the water. The cave is darkened as we gently drift along, the music swells and the glow becomes more intense around every bend. The animals swoop down overhead near our boat, the flora blooms and glows as if being awakened from a nap. Did we disturb it? It lulls back to sleep for the next set of riders.

Hindsight: For a ride that's all visuals without a clear focus, this "slow-burn" reveal as our boats approaches could have created a more spectacular experience, IMO. I feel like this aspect particularly would have given NRJ more linear progression, an understood story element that would create for us a chain of reveals eventually culminating into a grand reveal of some kind. In the case of the actual ride; a spectacular reveal of the Na'vi shaman. Would this have worked?

This was how I envisioned the ride. Because of that, I am a bit disappointed with the final outcome. Is it fair? No not really. I'm disappointed not by what they did but in what they didn't do. In the end, those two features didn't find their way into the ride. Maybe the concepts wouldn't have worked anyway, IDK. All I can do is reflect and compare it to the end product. Although I personally think the final product might have been better with a subltle "tour" concept and triggered show scenes I can't fault it for not having them. That's what I envisioned -- The Imagineers did something else. NRJ is a good ride but I feel like it's uninspired or lacking but a C ticket nonetheless.

 

[Disney-Trains]

As a non-Avatar fan I really liked the ride and rode it 3 times during the preview. After seeing how cheaply built Voyage of Little Mermaid was, I suppose I had low expectations. I loved the creative effects, and I loved noticing new effects on each new ride.

Sure the ride could be longer, but I would rather have a shorter ride, with a full budget. I was also thrilled that it was a gentle ride that all members of the family can enjoy together.

 

[CinematicFusion]

Sounds like Disney should have made the boat ride with a story going into the human events of the past.

1.Ride could have opened with the pandora war. roaming at-ats( not sure what they are called) crushing through the forest, animals running for cover. The scene ends with an explosion and a flume drop into the next scene.

From there you could see the forest reclaiming the land from what the humans had left behind, all leading to the beautiful song at the end from the Navi.
It would have been expensive though

Ride sounds cool as a quiet family ride to escape the heat if lines aren't over 25 minutes.

 

[doctornick]

What story do people want from a boat ride down the river? I understand some finding it boring, that's inevitable, but what would make it better? I'm honestly wondering. I thought it was fine.

Some people seem to want the ride to have some sort of danger or conflict. Which, sure, could have happened but doesn't seem it was the point. Personally, I think that complaint is a non-starter since WDI was going for more of a relaxing and exploration/discovery vibe.

I think the more compelling argument in terms of "story" is that perhaps there could have been some audio explaining what one is seeing. Some people like to be told more directly what is happening versus others who prefer to just see it and imagine or learn more each ride or whatever. I don't think it's right or wrong to prefer narration versus environmental sounds, but it seems that WDI wanted folks to have a more "unspoiled" Pandora on the ride.

Of course the other big complaint is about wanting a longer ride or more physical props (e.g. AA animals). I think that's valid in terms of wishing for a "better" ride but those things could have been done without having there be a "story" and would have not satisfied the guests with the story issue being their primary complaint.

 

[MichWolv]

I rode the River Journey twice. Yes, I'd like it to have been a bit longer, but I think the larger deficiency is the "what the heck is going on" element. It could be fixed by on board audio, by signs in the queue, by a welcome message from the Navi delivered via screens in line, or even by an informational pamphlet from the PCI. As is, there's really no possible way to figure it out even if you try, until you ride the thing. And even then, it's not quite clear. The lack of story didn't bug me, but the lack of context did. The "Field Guide" provided a bit, but I'd have liked more.

That being said, I enjoyed it, and I think it's exactly the type of ride DAK needs -- friendly to all ages, no scare or thrill, interesting things to see, and indoors.

 

[MisterPenguin]

The attraction's runtime will probably its biggest problem with the average guest. At 4 minuites, it's the shortest boat ride in WDW. Even more than Frozen.

If I got stuck in line for an hour, mostly outdoors, with no A/C, for a 4 minute scenic boat trip, I'd be disappointed.

It's not at the pre-preview rumored 4 minutes. It's actually 5 minutes.

 

[Ismael Flores]

Just out of curiosity does the show building and layout of the boat ride allow for the possibility of an added show scene to be built. If the ride ends up being problematic with guests reaction for its short ride time can they maybe add to the show building and then eventually connect it to the existing flume layout

 

[DisneyJunkie]

I rode the River Journey twice. Yes, I'd like it to have been a bit longer, but I think the larger deficiency is the "what the heck is going on" element. It could be fixed by on board audio, by signs in the queue, by a welcome message from the Navi delivered via screens in line, or even by an informational pamphlet from the PCI. As is, there's really no possible way to figure it out even if you try, until you ride the thing. And even then, it's not quite clear. The lack of story didn't bug me, but the lack of context did. The "Field Guide" provided a bit, but I'd have liked more.

That being said, I enjoyed it, and I think it's exactly the type of ride DAK needs -- friendly to all ages, no scare or thrill, interesting things to see, and indoors.

I think it could go a long way in not being so disappointing with a few relatively minor changes. For instance, don't just fill up a boat with people and send it on its way giving the riders no information at all on what they're seeing around them. Make it something of a tour of the beauty of Pandora with a voice-over narration of a Na'vi guide welcoming you to Pandora and guiding you on your brief tour. You see that bright plant there? That's a......... Or you see that creature there, that is a .......... That would be far more interesting than what's in place now.

 

[danlb_2000]

Just out of curiosity does the show building and layout of the boat ride allow for the possibility of an added show scene to be built. If the ride ends up being problematic with guests reaction for its short ride time can they maybe add to the show building and then eventually connect it to the existing flume layout

I don't know if there is any free space within the show building but expanding it out would not be easy since there are things in the way on all four sides.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Im all for info in the queue, but please no more television screens explaining what will come. It was especially so overdone in the Studios. What about a Na'vi in scene one inviting us to enjoy the serene beauty of the jungle?

 

[Incomudro]

My arm chair Imagineering, and as someone who hasn't ridden the River Journey yet is this:
What would I expect to be in it, if I didn't already know what was in it - and what wasn't?
Well, I wouldn't expect excitement - because I knew very clearly, and way back that this was a gentle, night time scenic beauty thing.
I wouldn't expect narration or a story either.
But, what I would think going in was that Disney was going to wow us with some amazing animatronic animals and movable plant life.
Not just one amazing animatronic at the end of the ride.
Now, this doesn't mean I won't love the ride. I'm certain that I will. It looks beautiful, and I'm certain it's more beautiful in person.
But it does appear to me that - again - if I didn't know what I know, I'd go in expecting more.