In today's post, I'll take a look at one of the newer attractions at Disney World's Animal Kingdom - Avatar's Flight of Passage.
It's basically a virtual ride (similar to Soarin' if you've ridden that one). A lot of people - including several in my family - have issues with these types of rides that make them nauseous. With ridiculous wait times if you don't have a FastPass, I wanted to let you know my thoughts on the ride before you stand in that line. The pic below is the Standby line (240 MINUTES) when we were there in January. Today on a quite slow day at the park the wait time is currently at 90 minutes so you may never just hop on this ride. But come on, you should have a FastPass if you've ever listened to me!!
So let's say that you don't have the FastPass... Before you wait in line, be sure to test out the seat out front. Not all body types fit in this ride. And if you wait in line, get on the ride, and then the seat won't engage behind you, you will be asked to leave the ride. That would be pretty cruel after waiting in line!!
So after you've gone through the line (and tested your seat), you are taken through a cave filled with old paintings from Na’vi history, before discovering the remains of an old abandoned building from RDA, the mining company from the film that caused so much havoc in the first place. I loved how they made a new attraction look so old and authentic - I really wish I were an Imagineer!!
After snaking through the labs, a few video introductions lay out how audience members will be linked to their avatars, and then they’re led into the ride itself. Avatar technology has evolved to the point where the process can be performed with nothing more than a “link chair” — basically a bicycle-like apparatus with haptic feedback — and a pair of “flight goggles” that serve as 3D glasses. And don't worry - if you don't want to ride but want to stay with your group, you can leave at the point the ride starts.
So how is the actual ride? You REALLY feel like you're flying!! You feel the banshee breathe and the wind in your hair. I LOVED it. And how about that barf bag?? I didn't need it. The flight was around 5 minutes (which is a long ride in theme park terms!) and I only felt a little queasy once. I just closed my eyes for a moment and all was well.
The ride itself doesn't move much - you lean and dip a bit. But you truly do feel like you're flying.
Call me and let's get you to Pandora to check it out!!
