Attraction Profile
Avatar Flight of Passage is Pandora's centerpiece
Imagine straddling the back of a wing-flapping banshee, darting and swirling through the canyon updrafts, free as the wind. Below you is the otherworldly planet of Pandora, grand in its vastness, surreal in its bioluminescence. A shining star of the theme park’s all-new land, Pandora – The World of Avatar, this 3-D expedition transports travelers on a sweeping, simulated flight over Pandora’s colorful landscape. Guests soar around floating mountains, plunge through ancient caverns and skim across roaring oceans, culminating in a realistic encounter with the fiercest king of the air, the Great Leonopteryx that boasts a 45-foot (14 m) wingspan. The four-minute ride provides hourly capacity of about 1,500. “In Flight of Passage, the sensation of flying is really
visceral, really believable,” said Joe Rohde, Walt Disney Imagineering portfolio creative executive. “Not only do you have the more obvious aspects of flying – the swooping and curving – but we’ve put in crosswind, air density and banking.” The journey begins in the queue as guests begin an
uphill trek around a massive root structure, over a land bridge above waterfalls to an authentic totem garden.
Meandering passageways lead to a cave-like structure where the great–winged banshees, or Ikran as the Na’vis call them, are celebrated in paintings and majestic totems. Next, guests enter an old, once abandoned Resources Development Administration (RDA) facility with a laboratory partially restored. Here, there are scientific experiments in progress with references to habitat restoration, the ecosystem, water purification and the connection of all living things. Next stop is the genetic matching room where explorers
are scanned and genetic material is sampled to connect them to personal avatars in preparation for a flight experience. Once matched, adventurers board link chairs, don flight visors and prepare for the flight. Flying on the back of a banshee represents an important
rite of passage for the Na’vi and as visitors to the alien world, guests will have a chance to be tested and guided through the journey. After entering the theater, each guest straddles a single-seat simulator (like a motorcycle) that delivers a realistic sensation of riding a living creature. Guests will experience the swift and graceful movements of flight and even feel the banshee breathing beneath them. This adventure transports explorers through the alien
world of Pandora, offering lifelike encounters including splashing whale-like creatures, blowing wind, roaring banshees, and a threatening encounter with a flying predator. The four-minute flight through the sci-fi world of bioluminescence and floating mountains is orchestrated to a complex musical score recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra. “All of the mechanics behind it, all of the engineering, all
the stuff that goes into the imagery is amazing,” said James Cameron, whose film Avatar inspired Disney’s new land. “You know, riding the Ikran is a thrill. You’re going to plunge. You’re going to dive. You’re going to swoop. It’s like dreaming with your eyes open.”
30 JULY 2017
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