10 Things I wish I knew before I went to Disney’s Pandora

I was lucky enough to head down to Disney in June and check out the new Pandora land and attractions in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  We had a great time and got a lot out of our visit (spoiler alert: we loved it)! But there were a few things I would have liked to have known before we went.  

Hopefully this will help all of you with your planning!

1. Both rides are worth the stand-by wait time – even if it’s long.  The Navi River Journey is gorgeous.  It’s NOT a thrill ride, so it’s safe and should be pleasant even for the tiniest voyagers.  It was somewhat dark, but there were so many luminescent plants and creatures that it never felt dark enough to scare anyone.
2. Flights of Passage is awesome! If you’re only there one day, the line tends to be longer than the Navi River Journey, so I would give Fastpass+ priority to Flights of Passage.

   

   Slow-Roasted Sliced Grilled Beef Bowl

3. If you have time, ride each of them twice – you’ll see all kinds of new things the second time.  The second time I rode the rides I noticed all kinds of moving creatures, bugs, and details on the River Journey.  Flights of Passage… well let’s just say that it was so great that people were getting off the ride and heading straight back into the line even though it had 140 minute wait time.
4. The food and drinks were awesome! Everything we ate in the Satuli Canteen was delicious.  I was lucky enough to travel with several other adults who shared tastes and photos of their food.  At Pongu Pongu, the drinks were out of this world! I highly recommend splurging on one – especially if it’s hot outside!
5. The entire land of Pandora was extremely dark after dark.  I was on an adult-only trip when I went in June, but when I go with my kiddos you can bet they will either hold my hand or sit in the stroller.  There are so many glowing, beautiful things that it’s easy to get separated and lost.  I also saw several people walk into trash cans or strollers in the dark because they were looking up or down. HA!
   
6. The entire land needs to be seen during the daylight AND after dark.  The size and glory of the land, the beautiful waterfalls, and the unique plant-life are amazing during the daytime hours. The plants interact and can spit on you.  One even has a heartbeat you can feel if you press your hand up against it!  But I thought it was even more gorgeous after the sun went down and all of those plants started glowing… even the ground was beautiful! Insider Tip: Rumor has it there's a hidden banshee in the land formation in Pandora, but it's hard to spot!
7. The unique Memory Maker Magic Shots were also worth stopping to do.  There’s even a really cool video you can do after dark! Definitely make time to stop for a Photopass Photographer and take some high-quality pictures.
8. I’m sure this will change at some point, but currently the Banshees were selling out within an hour of when a new batch arrived at the Rookery.  Based on the interactions and how cool the Banshees are, I totally get it.  They retail for about $50 and are totally worth it.
9. You absolutely don’t need to watch the movie to enjoy the land and attractions.  The only things that are relevant to both the movie and the rides are explained in the brief video before you board your Banshee. 
10. Grab an ACE team member and ask some questions!  If you don’t know much about the world of Pandora (or especially if you do), grab a Disney castmember in an ACE uniform and strike up a conversation.  They are chalk full of cool facts and information about the land formations, plants, etc. 

I highly recommend you head to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and check out this land!  I experienced it without my family and started planning a trip to take them there as soon as I saw it.  It’s hard to put into words just how gorgeous and fun this part of the park was.,.. you simply have to see it to believe it!