Pandora Opening

[tmthomas52]

What time does Pandora actually open from experience? Checking the wait times at 8:30 when the park is open at 9 and the line is already an hour. I want to be there when it opens in two weeks when should I be in front of Animal Kingdom.

 

[hatbox ghost]

When we went yesterday, we arrived in Animal Kingdom by about 8:30 or so to get on Flight of Passage. They open the turnstiles early so you end up waiting at the entrance to Pandora with everyone else until the cast members organize everyone into a line. The posted wait time said 90 minutes at opening, and the cast members were all saying to expect a 2 hour wait, but in reality we only spent about an hour in line.

The crowds looked daunting at first, but once the ride opened at 9, the line moved quickly. The queue is so beautiful that the hour went by fast. We ended up going on it again at around 12-12:30, and by then the wait was about 80 minutes (although the posted wait time was 105).

Hope this helps!

 

[sudokujesus]

If you are one of the first 50 or so people in line (but don't have a FP) do you still have to wait an hour+ ? It seems like SOME people should have a less than 15 minute wait for Pandora (if they arrive at the park an hour early...)

Am I wrong?

 

[Allym146]

Following along here. I couldn't get a fast pass for it so I plan on getting to the park by 7:45 for the 8:00 extra magic hour. Hoping that is good enough to wait under an hour.

 

[mousehockey37]

There's many threads on this throughout the forums....

You want to be at the front for Pandora? Get up early, Uber to the park and wait at the gate. Take whatever time the park opens and be there like an 1-1.5 hours before that.

 

[mousehockey37]

Following along here. I couldn't get a fast pass for it so I plan on getting to the park by 7:45 for the 8:00 extra magic hour. Hoping that is good enough to wait under an hour.

If you're going for the Morning EMH there, you need to get there even earlier, esp without a FP. Set your clock for super early!

 

[hanwill]

When we went (second day of opening), the park opened at 7...we got there at about 6:40 (due to buses at hotel-which was full at 6;20 am going to AK) and we entered the park as soon as we got there, and then followed a major roped off section of the walkway all the way to the pandora area. Wait was about 40 minutes, but you were moving in the line the whole time. It was a major line, as everyone there was going to Pandora. Everyone. We got off and immediately said we would wait in that line again to ride. It's that much fun. My advice would be to get there before it opens and then just wait, you will not regret getting up early.

 

[DarthVader]

If you're going for the Morning EMH there, you need to get there even earlier, esp without a FP. Set your clock for super early!

What's super early? EMH the park opens at 8:00 so do we show up at 7:00am?

 

[Allym146]

If you're going for the Morning EMH there, you need to get there even earlier, esp without a FP. Set your clock for super early!

I am only a morning person in disney, and even then.... it's still torture hahah.

 

[disneygeek90]

If you are one of the first 50 or so people in line (but don't have a FP) do you still have to wait an hour+ ? It seems like SOME people should have a less than 15 minute wait for Pandora (if they arrive at the park an hour early...)

Am I wrong?

Yes, you're wrong. If you arrive about 60-90 mins prior to park opening (closer to 90), you will be in the first group on FoP. I was following the castmember into the queue a couple weeks ago, and the posted time was set at 60. I'm assuming it actually does hit about 60 minutes within about 15 minutes of them letting people in so they just leave it at that and adjust when the crowd actually fills the queue. But we were on and off the ride by 9:10 with a 9am open.

 

[disneygeek90]

What's super early? EMH the park opens at 8:00 so do we show up at 7:00am?

6:30 if you want to be in the first show or two. 7 if you want a minimum (30ish most likely) min wait.

 

[DarthVader]

6:30 if you want to be in the first show or two. 7 if you want a minimum (30ish most likely) min wait.

Yikes, that's crazy.

 

[Driver]

What time does Pandora actually open from experience? Checking the wait times at 8:30 when the park is open at 9 and the line is already an hour. I want to be there when it opens in two weeks when should I be in front of Animal Kingdom.

Keep in mind the crowds will be down when you expect to be there in Sept. Mid to late Sept. typically has less people, kids are back to school. I think it will be easier. But this will be a small window of time as the weeks roll on into Oct.

 

[disneygeek90]

Yikes, that's crazy.

They actually open up the park and the land before the posted wait time, so it does not feel too bad and certainly beats a 2 hours wait by 9:30am.

 

[DarthVader]

beats a 2 hours wait by 9:30am.

I don't think I'm willing to wait 2 hours for any ride. When my trip comes up, I'll try to snag some fast passes.

 

[drizgirl]

I don't think I'm willing to wait 2 hours for any ride. When my trip comes up, I'll try to snag some fast passes.

I think a lot of people in that line tried and failed to get fastpasses.

 

[sudokujesus]

Yes, you're wrong. If you arrive about 60-90 mins prior to park opening (closer to 90), you will be in the first group on FoP. I was following the castmember into the queue a couple weeks ago, and the posted time was set at 60. I'm assuming it actually does hit about 60 minutes within about 15 minutes of them letting people in so they just leave it at that and adjust when the crowd actually fills the queue. But we were on and off the ride by 9:10 with a 9am open.

That's quite the contradiction. So you are saying it actually is possible to avoid the hour long wait for the ride itself if you decide to do the waiting outside the park before rope drop.

 

[disneygeek90]

I don't think I'm willing to wait 2 hours for any ride. When my trip comes up, I'll try to snag some fast passes.

I'm usually with you there, but if it is posted at 2 hours, it is well worth the wait.

 

[drizgirl]

That's quite the contradiction. So you are saying it actually is possible to avoid the hour long wait for the ride itself if you decide to do the waiting outside the park before rope drop.

A lot of people value park time more greatly than time outside regular park hours.

 

[dreamfinder]

That's quite the contradiction. So you are saying it actually is possible to avoid the hour long wait for the ride itself if you decide to do the waiting outside the park before rope drop.

But that way you at least aren't using time in park. So I drink my morning coffee in line waiting to get in the park instead of back at the hotel. Fair trade off to have more time to do the other rides or possibly re-ride FoP.