Pandora — The World of Avatar at Night

Pandora — The World of Avatar is the incredible new land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The setting cuts you off from the rest of the park, making it feel like you have indeed crossed through an invisible portal and ended up on a planet that is light years away from Earth. Tours to the Valley of Mo’ara are provided by Alpha Centauri Expeditions, or ACE for short. The attention to detail in the new land is amazing, but it is even more spectacular at night.

Once the sun goes down Pandora changes. You can still experience the two rides, but you might instead want to just walk around and take everything in. There is a bioluminescent glow that takes over the land. The floating mountains are tinged with blue. Many of the plants seem to come alive with color and light. One of the best parts is looking at the ground. The patterns under your feet that looked a little bit like moss during the day are filled with color after dark. Blue is the predominant color for Pandora at night, but other colors are represented as well. In some areas of Pandora, your clothes could also start to glow.

If you want an incredible view of Pandora after dark, get into the Standby Line for Avatar Flight of Passage. Part way there is a bridge where you can see out over the valley below. It is a great view during the day, but it is even more spectacular at night.

If you are not a fan of low lighting, keep in mind that parts of Pandora are quite dark at night. Just because everything lights up does not mean that the entire area is well lit. Remember as well that crowds are expected to be quite large for the foreseeable future. Because the lighting is low keep a close eye on your kids so that they do not get lost. Have a central meeting place such as Windtraders worked out before you enter the land, so that everyone in your party will know where to go if you do get separated.

Make sure you have your camera in hand when you first see Pandora — The World of Avatar at night, but be warned. There is so much going on and the scenery is so busy that it can be hard to get pictures that will do the new land justice.

Pandora — The World of Avatar is the largest expansion in Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s history. It is about 12 acres in size, although some of that space is taken up by backstage areas. There are two new rides; the family boat ride Na’vi River Journey and the thrilling Avatar Flight of Passage. Satu’li Canteen is a quick service dining location, while you can grab a drink next door at Pongo Pongo. Windtraders is the main store, and there are surprises inside such as a station where you can make an Avatar of yourself to take home. Pandora — The World of Avatar will offer Extra Magic Hours each night through July 4, 2017, so that Disney Resort guests will have a chance to experience a new type of magic with smaller crowds.