Disney Dining Disney Dining Tips, News, and Reviews
When it comes to the average Disney Park, Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom is in a league of its own.
However, not every venture in the Disney Park has hit the mark.
In the theme park’s Pandora – The World of Avatar section lies two attractions, Avatar Flight of Passage and the Na’vi River Journey.
Avatar Flight of Passage was an instant hit due to how immersive and revolutionary it is. However…its slow-moving counterpart, the Na’vi River Journey, is less popular with Guests.
Credit: Disney
READ MORE: Magic Kingdom Cast Members Take It to the Next Level When Classic Attraction Goes Down
For anyone who doesn’t know, the Na’vi River Journey is a slow-moving dark ride that takes Guests through the bioluminescent caves and rainforests of Pandora. Physically, it’s very similar to classic rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean, with some key differences.
These key differences are actually the fatal flaws of the ride, causing its downfall: for one, the attraction is an incredibly short boat ride. Unfortunately, it’s too late to improve this aspect, but there’s still time to improve the others!
Credit: Disney
READ MORE: Animal Kingdom’s Pandora-Themed Land Included References to ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ All Along
Another fatal flaw is the lack of a story. The Na’vi River Journey invites Guests into the world of Pandora, giving them something beautiful to look at…but Guests find themselves bored with no story to latch onto and immerse themselves in, unlike attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s not too late to fix this aspect.
The worst flaw is the lack of animatronics. While this attraction is genuinely visually stunning and immersive, much of the Pandoran wildlife Guests get to see is through the use of screens, and there’s not much of it.
Credit: Disney
READ MORE: This Magic Kingdom Attraction May Be In Danger of Closing FOREVER!
It’s worth noting that the finale of this attraction, the shaman animatronic, is a stunning work of art, often tricking Guests into believing it’s a person in costume due to how lifelike it is. That being said, it’s the only animatronic on the attraction.
If Guests could see more of the Pandoran animals and the Na’vi themselves through the use of audio-animatronics, the reactions would be very different.
Credit: Disney Weddings
READ MORE: Animal Kingdom Isn’t a Half-Day Park, Guests Are Just Missing Out on Half of the Attractions
Na’vi River Journey is beautiful to look at, it’s serene, and best of all, it’s air-conditioned. However, Guests are unwilling to stand in lines that are typically anywhere from 60 to 100 minutes long for this attraction.
If Guests were given more of a storyline and more to look at, this attraction may not be so divisive.
