Post by Ryan_MYeah on May 19, 2017 23:56:55 GMT
So yeah. I'm talking about the long mocked Avatar Land that Disney was gonna be putting in its Animal Kingdom theme park, and I got to check it out during a passholder preview. And after all the build-up, all the waiting, and all the skepticism, I can say that it was an absolutely amazing time well worth the wait.
You can tell that the Disney Imagineers have been very inspired by what they saw in the movie, taking the basic concepts, environments, and the creatures of Pandora, and expanding the sights of the film into a living, breathing world. Everything about the land has been crafted and scrutinized down to the most meticulous detail, the planetary plant life blending in great with the natural plant life (the Pandoran plants are more exaggerated and feel statuesque, but they look incredible), and the space is so vast that you can get lost, with surprises and cleverly hidden details at every corner. The ambiance around you is also so strong, creating this sensory overload that transports you from the rest of the park, making you believe that you're on another planet. They really go above and beyond in theming, with so many great and original merchandise tailored to its creation (including the mini-Banshee I got), the restaurant using all organic ingredients to craft its food, and the illusion is kept up very well. I took tons of pictures and video (which I'll share soon), but none of that really does justice to actually experiencing it in person.
As for the rides, one is a gentle river journey taking you on a boat ride through the bioluminescent forest, taking in all of the sights and encountering the strange animals from the film, and it possesses this beautiful and spiritual visual quality that you can't take in all in one sitting. And of course, it features an animatronic of a Na'vi shaman, which is breathtaking to look at, and further solidifies Disney as far and away the best at crafting theme park animatronics.
Then the thrill ride was a flight simulator taking you on a Banshee ride. The set-up is very simple (you link with Avatars as part of this Banshee repopulation effort, and ride on them), but the pay-off is tremendous. The motions are fluid and exhilarating, the imagery stunning (it features new creatures from the upcoming sequels I presume), and actually gave me this strange sense of vertigo. Never experienced that with a simulator ride. Your ride vehicle is a bit of a tight fit (it's like some of those Universal rides that aren't going to be accommodating to all body types), but the thrills (and the fact that you can practically feel the Banshee's breathing between your legs) really sell the Effect.
I think even if you don't like Avatar, this is still an incredible creation. Friends of mine who hated Avatar even said so without hesitation, saying that Disney saw something in the movie that wasn't there, and brought out this untapped potential to create this enrapturing experience. I will say that I thankfully got to see this without a crowd, so I don't know how it's going to play once it finally opens to the general public, and the place is swarmed. But if you do get the chance to check it out, go! You will not regret it.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go crash and burn.
You can tell that the Disney Imagineers have been very inspired by what they saw in the movie, taking the basic concepts, environments, and the creatures of Pandora, and expanding the sights of the film into a living, breathing world. Everything about the land has been crafted and scrutinized down to the most meticulous detail, the planetary plant life blending in great with the natural plant life (the Pandoran plants are more exaggerated and feel statuesque, but they look incredible), and the space is so vast that you can get lost, with surprises and cleverly hidden details at every corner. The ambiance around you is also so strong, creating this sensory overload that transports you from the rest of the park, making you believe that you're on another planet. They really go above and beyond in theming, with so many great and original merchandise tailored to its creation (including the mini-Banshee I got), the restaurant using all organic ingredients to craft its food, and the illusion is kept up very well. I took tons of pictures and video (which I'll share soon), but none of that really does justice to actually experiencing it in person.
As for the rides, one is a gentle river journey taking you on a boat ride through the bioluminescent forest, taking in all of the sights and encountering the strange animals from the film, and it possesses this beautiful and spiritual visual quality that you can't take in all in one sitting. And of course, it features an animatronic of a Na'vi shaman, which is breathtaking to look at, and further solidifies Disney as far and away the best at crafting theme park animatronics.
Then the thrill ride was a flight simulator taking you on a Banshee ride. The set-up is very simple (you link with Avatars as part of this Banshee repopulation effort, and ride on them), but the pay-off is tremendous. The motions are fluid and exhilarating, the imagery stunning (it features new creatures from the upcoming sequels I presume), and actually gave me this strange sense of vertigo. Never experienced that with a simulator ride. Your ride vehicle is a bit of a tight fit (it's like some of those Universal rides that aren't going to be accommodating to all body types), but the thrills (and the fact that you can practically feel the Banshee's breathing between your legs) really sell the Effect.
I think even if you don't like Avatar, this is still an incredible creation. Friends of mine who hated Avatar even said so without hesitation, saying that Disney saw something in the movie that wasn't there, and brought out this untapped potential to create this enrapturing experience. I will say that I thankfully got to see this without a crowd, so I don't know how it's going to play once it finally opens to the general public, and the place is swarmed. But if you do get the chance to check it out, go! You will not regret it.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go crash and burn.
