At the D23 Expo, held in Anaheim, California, guests were able to view a ¼ scale model of Disney's Animal Kingdom Avatar expansion scheduled to open in 2017.
Our hosts from ACE, Alpha Centari Expedition, were excited to share the details of the world we will find, and here are the eight things you need to know about how Avatar is coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom.
»PHOTOS: Get a closer look at Disney's Avatar Expansion
1. James Cameron was on hand to reveal that the name of the new expansion will be Pandora: The World of Avatar.
2. The E-Ticket of Pandora: The World of Avatar will be a Banshee flying experience called AVATAR Flight of Passage. This E-ticket attraction, the centerpiece of Pandora, allows guests to soar on a Banshee over a vast alien world. The spectacular flying experience will give guests a birds-eye view of the beauty and grandeur of the world of Pandora on an aerial rite of passage.
3. Pandora: The World of Avatar will feature an indoor dark boat ride through the forests of Pandora at night where we will experience the bioluminescence plants and even encounter a few native inhabitants along the way.
4. The Na'vi are stunning in person! I think I walked around this model for ten minutes before I was ushered along.
5. Robert Frost said it best 'Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.'
In Pandora: The World of Avatar guests will enter from the same area as they did from Camp Minnie Mickey, however they will find paths that seem less traveled that will have hidden gems.
6. The area will be a new experience at night, as Pandora: The World of Avatar will come alive with bioluminescence elements.
7. Among other unspecified food options, a Mess Hall style restaurant will be a part of Pandora: The World of Avatar. In this restaurant, we'll find details of the exploration and appreciation of the world we find ourselves exploring.
8. And what would Walt Disney World be without souvenirs? In Pandora: The World of Avatar you will be able to purchase specialty merchandise created exclusively for this area of Disney's Animal Kingdom.
I will be extremely honest that before my visit with ACE, I wasn't too excited about Pandora: The World of Avatar. However after seeing the models on display I was blown away! Why does 2017 have to be so far away?
WFTV
