Na'vi River Journey is a dark ride attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom's Pandora – The World of Avatar. The ride takes guests through the Kasvapan River of Pandora from the 2009 film Avatar, showcasing native animals and bioluminescent flora, with inclusion of complex Audio-Animatronics.[4]
| Na'vi River Journey | |
|---|---|
 Audio-animatronic of the Shaman of Songs, seen at the end of the attraction experience | |
| Disney's Animal Kingdom | |
| Area | Pandora – The World of Avatar |
| Coordinates | 28°21′19″N 81°35′29″W / 28.3553624°N 81.5915239°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Soft opening date | May 26, 2017[3] |
| Opening date | May 27, 2017[1][2] |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Boat ride |
| Manufacturer | Sansei Technologies |
| Designer | Walt Disney Imagineering Lightstorm Entertainment |
| Capacity | 1,200 riders per hour |
| Duration | 5:48 |
| Audio-animatronics | Yes |
| Music | James Horner Simon Franglen |
 Lightning Lane available | |
 Must transfer from wheelchair | |
The Na'vi Shaman audio-animatronic seen towards the end of the ride is the most advanced figure ever designed by Walt Disney Imagineering.[5]
Summary
editQueue
editThe exterior queue winds through the exotic landscape of Pandora before leading into a covered queue which looks to have been constructed by the Na’vi and is filled with totems, signs describing the animals guests will encounter during the boat ride, and some woven artistic pieces.[6][7]
Ride
editBoarding a hand-woven reed boat provided by Alpha Centauri Expeditions, guests journey down the Kaspavan River into the colorful bioluminiscent rainforest. After a Na'vi scout greets guests on the shore, the boat passes by viperwolves, hexapedes, woodsprites, panopyra, and fan lizards. After passing under leaves that creatures above are hopping between, the boats come across a Na'vi tribe and their direhorses walking to a ceremonial site. Passing by a waterfall, guests see the Shaman of Songs leading the Na'vi into a musical celebration of their bond with Eywa. After this encounter, the boats enter a cave with various offerings and return to the loading docks.[8]
Soundtrack
editDuring the ride, the Shaman of Songs sings lyrics written in the Na'vi language created by Dr. Paul Frommer for the 2009 film. Dr. Frommer posted the lyrics on his blog in 2017.[9]
On January 4, 2019, the soundtrack for Na'vi River Journey was released by Walt Disney Records along with the other music featured in Pandora – The World of Avatar. Written by Simon Franglen and the late James Horner, the release credits Sandra Benton as the vocals for the Shaman of Songs and the Slovak National Symphony in Bratislava as the recording orchestra for the music.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Pandora – The World of Avatar to Open May 27, Star Wars Lands Coming in 2019 - The Walt Disney Company". The Walt Disney Company. February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ Smith, Thomas (February 7, 2017). "Just Announced: Pandora – The World of Avatar Will Open May 27 at Disney's Animal Kingdom". Disney Parks Blog. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- ^ Wolf, Colin. "Disney's Pandora: The World of Avatar is now in soft-opening mode". Orlando Weekly. Archived from the original on May 26, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
- ^ Martens, Todd (August 14, 2015). "Here's what Disney World's 'Avatar' land will be like". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
- ^ Martens, Todd (May 2, 2017). "A visit to Disney's Pandora — what we learned". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
- ^ S, Savannah; ers (September 1, 2019). "Everything You Need to Know About Na'vi River Journey". TouringPlans.com Blog. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ "Guide to Na'vi River Journey at Disney's Animal Kingdom". Mouse Hacking. February 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ "Na'vi River Journey Overview". www.wdwmagic.com. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ "Way Tiretuä—The Shaman's Song | Na'viteri.org". naviteri.org. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Pandora: The World of Avatar by James Horner & Simon Franglen, January 4, 2019, retrieved January 20, 2019
External links
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