Wait time for Na'vi River?

mike45248

Member
Original Poster
We are heading to AK Tuesday March 19. We (Family of 6) and another family of 4 (One is listed as an infant) will be there that day and I have FPs for all of us for FOP,Safaris and EE. The other mother wants to ride NA'VI since the child is too small to ride FOP. I was wondering what the stand by lines would be like at RD and not cancel the FP for FOP.
 

nickys

Premium Member
We are heading to AK Tuesday March 19. We (Family of 6) and another family of 4 (One is listed as an infant) will be there that day and I have FPs for all of us for FOP,Safaris and EE. The other mother wants to ride NA'VI since the child is too small to ride FOP. I was wondering what the stand by lines would be like at RD and not cancel the FP for FOP.

Just do it at rope drop. Everyone will be heading to FoP.

Just so you know, people will arrive for rope drop at least an hour before. They will lead them into the park probably around 30 minutes before official opening. However if heading to Navii, you should be OK to arrive about 30 minutes before. That should avoid the initial mele but still get you to the ride early enough for a short wait.
 

bunnyman

Well-Known Member
Once you use your other FP's, keep looking for a new one for Navii. Was there last week, and it popped up several times as available for later in the day.
 

VanellopeandRalph

New Member
We were there last spring, and used our FP on Flight of Passage. The standby line for Na'vi River was 60 minutes. We have noted in the past that the standby lines sometimes move faster than the listed time, so figured we would give it a shot. At first, the line was moving quite well. We noticed that the line operator would let in a bunch of fast pass people, and then let in a bunch of standby people, and all was going smoothly. When we got to the middle of the standby cue, the ride broke down... it took about 15 minutes for it to start up again. In that time, the line operator had changed. The new one was letting just fast pass people in, and then one or two standby people every 10 to 15 minutes, even if there was not a line of fast pass people. After waiting in one spot for close to 45 minutes, we called it quits and left the line. If you get a good line controller, they can manage both lines well, if not, then forget it.
In my opinion, the standby line is not one of the better themed lines for passing time. There isn't a lot to keep you occupied in line.
 
We are heading to AK Tuesday March 19. We (Family of 6) and another family of 4 (One is listed as an infant) will be there that day and I have FPs for all of us for FOP,Safaris and EE. The other mother wants to ride NA'VI since the child is too small to ride FOP. I was wondering what the stand by lines would be like at RD and not cancel the FP for FOP.
In November when we were there the wait time was 60 minutes. It actually took us 105 minutes to get on the ride. The fast pass line definitely slows down the standby line immensely. I will not ride this again without a fast pass.
 

Andy_0410

Well-Known Member
18 months ago went for RD got there 30 mins before park opening. Couldn’t believe the crowds but went straight to navi as that was the plan as seen it recommended by other posters and had a fast pass for FOP
We walked straight on 😀
 

NeedMoreMickey

Well-Known Member
Can’t you use the ride swap option (think that’s what it is called) A couof you go through FP line while a couple stay with the infant and then swap. It’s been so long since our family has had to use this I’m not sure exactly how it works now. At least everyone will be able to ride flight of passage.
 

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
I'd rope drop Na'vi. We were at AK on December 24th, a super busy day. We got there at 6:30am for 7am rope drop. The park was already open and we went straight to FOP even though we had a FP because we wanted to ride it twice. We rode FOP after a 15 minute wait and only then went to Na'vi. We waited only 30 minutes at that point. So as long as you are early, the wait shouldn't be too bad. Having ridden it now, I would agree that it isn't worth more than a 15 minute wait, but I had to try it once for myself, and you probably want to as well.
 

JohnD

Well-Known Member
Just do it at rope drop. Everyone will be heading to FoP.

Just so you know, people will arrive for rope drop at least an hour before. They will lead them into the park probably around 30 minutes before official opening. However if heading to Navii, you should be OK to arrive about 30 minutes before. That should avoid the initial mele but still get you to the ride early enough for a short wait.

This. If the wait time is more than 30 minutes (I'm being generous with another 15 minutes), it's not worth waiting for. If you wait any longer then ride it, you'll be asking yourself, "I waited XX minutes in line for this?"
 

Demarke

Have I told you lately that I 👍 you?
Premium Member
Just do it at rope drop. Everyone will be heading to FoP.

Just so you know, people will arrive for rope drop at least an hour before. They will lead them into the park probably around 30 minutes before official opening. However if heading to Navii, you should be OK to arrive about 30 minutes before. That should avoid the initial mele but still get you to the ride early enough for a short wait.

You aren't kidding! I've done rope drop twice for FoP and was part of the "there at least an hour before scheduled park open" crowd. Granted, I was in the first wave of FoP riders each time, but both times, I was then able to walk on to Navi River Journey without a fastpass. If, for example, the park is scheduled to open at 9, you could easily get there at 8:30 or 8:40 or so and walk straight to Navi with little to no wait because 98% of the huge crowd in front of you is heading to FoP. I've also had some good luck then heading straight to Safari from Navi and having a very short wait to get on for an early morning ride when the animals are all more active (even if I have a later-in-the-day fastpass). On my two trips, they have opened FoP and Navi early before official park opening (about 8:40-8:45), but opened Safari at basically the time it said on the app, but have had all three knocked out before 9:30 without using my first fastpass.
 

Trackmaster

Well-Known Member
I actually kind of see Animal Kingdom as more of a night park. EE is so much better at night for one thing. So my plan is to get FP+ for Navi for 7:30, and then immediately get in line for FoP before the park closes.
 

Trackmaster

Well-Known Member
I arrived maybe a half hour after AK opened (during Christmas season) and waited 20 minutes for the ride. Didn't agree with most of the negative reviews for the ride, it is awesome!


Pandora is also much better at night (although a bit too dark for my tastes).

Might be why you like it so much. If you had waited an hour or more for it, you may have been pretty disappointed. What exactly do you mean by "dark?" You actually think that it examines mature themes?
 

Trackmaster

Well-Known Member
I would wait an hour for the Pandora river ride no problem, loved it. I don't generally wait more than an hour for most things though so that's my limit even for big attractions.

I waited 10 mins (used FP) for Seven Dwarves Mine Train and felt that my time was wasted. My next trip I opted to not get an FP for it and skip it all together (I'm a huge fan of the movie Snow White too).

Dark as in the lighting was too dim for me in a lot of sections.

I gotcha.

Another point I wanted to mention:

What is it with Disney opening their parks at the crack of dawn and then closing them one minute after sunset? A park like AK is so much more awesome at night. Parks in general are just better at night. Rides are more surreal in the dark, you can set the lighting at night, etc. Why open at 9 AM, and close at 8 PM? Just seems insane. Would make a lot more sense to open at 11 AM and close at 10 PM if they had decided on an 11 hour day.
 

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