A new attraction has just opened in disneyland, Florida. And no, the "happiest place on Earth" is not about to thrust you into another one of those worlds where the most recent Disney princess resides (although there's nothing wrong with that, too). This time it's a little different — you will be welcomed into The World of Pandora, the blue marble world that is the setting for from James Cameron's epic, "Avatar."
The World of Avatar
The attraction, called "The World of Avatar," opened last Saturday to take visitors to the fantastical yet plausibly realistic realms of Pandora.
Those who are not familiar with the film would appreciate the sights for sure, while those that are familiar would be in for a treat.
The first thing to note is that the project's manager, Tim Warzecha, said that the attraction was neither a prequel nor a sequel to the original film. Pandora in Disneyland is more like its own thing. The Imagineer — presumably the fancy Disney portmanteau for their "imagination engineers" — added that the Disneyland Pandora is always about two or three generations past any Cameron movie that had been released or will be released.
That said, visitors will not see nor relive the battles between the N'avi and the humans here. Rather, Disneyland's Pandora attraction is about the world and the lore.
People will get to experience the planet's flora and fauna, marveling at the diversity and beauty the alien world has to offer. It also focuses on the N'avi, offering insight to the native people's traditions and culture.
Definitely a whole new world
In a visit by The Hollywood Reporter's Matt Cabral, he mentioned spotting a number species native to Pandora, powered by technology that seemed to be really testing the limits of what Disneyland can do.
While he said that the start of the river journey was relatively calm and quiet, the bioluminescence that is somewhat a trademark of the planet's creature really give to the immersion in the fantasy/sci-fi atmosphere.
There is also the music which, besides being there to get visitors in the ambiance and in the right mood, was also a complement as the first stop for the trip was what's called the "Shaman of Songs." The Shaman, incidentally, is dubbed as Disney's "most advanced audioanimatronics.
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Of course, Pandora is a huge world lore-wise, and one can only wonder the amount of thought and imagination put into it. Similarly, the attraction has a lot more to offer. If you feel like you want to experience a refreshingly alien world... or just, you know, ride a banshee, then hit Disneyland and go to the World of Pandora today!
