Pandora with Kids!

I love Disney with my kids, but Disney without my kids is also incredibly fun!  I was lucky enough to sneak away with some friends last year for the opening month of the land of Pandora.  We had a great time... The last night of our trip we rode Flight of Passage four times! It's worth the crazy long waits.  My dear daughters were not as happy about my little escape as I was, so I promised I would bring them there, too.

We finally got to the Animal Kingdom in February and my girls (7, 8, and 9 at the time) were all incredibly impressed with the landscape.  They had not seen the movie before the trip, so there was no frame of reference, but they were all very enamored with the plants and the Hallelujah Mountains (the floating islands).

Na'vi River
I highly recommend you ride the Na'vi River ride before you hop on Flight of Passage.  If you ride Flight of Passage and then go straight over to the Na'vi River, you'll be underwhelmed.  BUT if you ride it first, you'll appreciate the glowing, peaceful, and overwhelming beauty of the attraction.  This ride is family friendly, so long as your kids are comfortable with dark levels similar to Peter Pan.  There are no drops or anything that pops out at you, so I'd even bring my 11-month-old nephew along on it.  My girls were absolutely enthralled with the creatures they saw and the gorgeous river scenery.  They didn't want it to end!

Flight of Passage
I first heard it described as similar to Soarin', and I'll say that the viewing screen is somewhat similar to that, but this ride is so much more intense than anything else at Disney.  The ride requires 3D goggles (which do stay on, even though the ride moves quite a lot).  You sit in a row of people and all face the same direction.  Though you may not notice it, there are 3 levels of people in 3 V-shaped rows.  The ride is more of an experience or a journey than just a ride and it does have some intense moments and movement to it, so I recommend being sure they can handle it before you force them into it.  Before you get onto the attraction, a scientist explains the linking process between humans and Avatars.  Once we stowed our belongings in the lockers behind the seats, we all got situated and settled into our seats.  They did have a momentary panic when the back support closed against them, but they were so excited that they did not care after a bout 5 seconds.  When I rode the ride on my own, I was totally mesmerized by it, but watching the girls' responses was even more thrilling!  Not only does it feel like you're truly flying, totally enchanted by the beautiful world of Pandora.  The girls were so overwhelmed by the attraction that they wanted to get back onto it as soon as it ended, even with the line length at 180 minutes!!  My kids don't stand in line for anything, so this is a HUGE endorsement.

Pongu Pongu
Once we were done shopping in the gift shop at the end of Flight of Passage (and about $150 poorer), we headed over to Pongu Pongu to use some snack credits on Night Blossoms.  These are delicious, frozen drinks that are layered with apple, pear, and passion fruit flavors and topped with delicious Boba balls.  It's a great way to keep cool while you explore Pandora.

After we finished exploring and drinking our Night Blossoms, we left Pandora and rode a few rides outside in the rest of Animal Kingdom.  We watched Rivers of Light - new to the girls, as well.  They were thrilled by it!  Then, once it was dark, we headed back to Pandora to explore it in the dark and have dinner at the Satu'li Canteen.




Satu'li Canteen was one of the first Disney locations to test mobile ordering, which saves a lot of time during peak times.  It wasn't busy when we were there, so we just ordered at the kiosk and then seated ourselves.  Everyone liked the food - even my picky, middle child!  All of the bowls can be customized and the desserts are beautiful and delicious, as well!

Check out this video of the girls after they rode Flight of Passage!

Contact me if you'd like help planning a visit to Pandora of your own at info@Wishdrawals.com !