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Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom is the largest park at Walt Disney World with areas representing several different continents and their respective cultures and environments. Navigate the jungle paths to rides like Expedition Everest and Kilamanjaro Safaris before you stop for a bite at Yak and Yeti. One of our favorite must-see adventures at Animal Kingdom is undoubtedly The Feastival of the Lion King, a theater-in-the-round production full of life, song and acrobatics!
A portion of this park is under construction as Disney prepares for the addition of Pandora: World of Avatar! Another attraction set for Pandora has been announced as The Na'Vi River Journey which will put theme-park guests in canoes that travel via river through a bioluminescent rainforest.
The attraction ends with an encounter with a Na’vi shaman, "who has a deep connection to the life force of Pandora and sends positive energy out into the forest through her music," according to the official Disney Parks Blog.
Na'Vi River Journey will open as part of Pandora in 2017. The land, based on the James Cameron film "Avatar," was announced in September 2011, and construction began in early 2014.
The area will also include an attraction called Avatar Flight of Passage, which will simulate flying with banshees.
Other Animal Kingdom attractions in the works include Rivers of Light, a live performance on the park's Discovery River, and a nighttime version of the Kilimanjaro Safaris. Those additions are expected to be available in spring 2016.
A Sneak Peek into Pandora: World of Avitar
Pandora will take over a location once occupied by the Disney character meet-and-greet area and the "Festival of the Lion King" show, which has been relocated to a new theater.
The alien land's marquee attraction will be an E-Ticket banshee flight simulator similar to Soarin' at Epcot and Soarin' Over California at Disney California Adventure. Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, who is spearheading the project, says the new ride system will be "considerably more thrilling" than the original Soarin'.
A new nighttime spectacular featuring music, performers and water screen projections will take place on Discovery River, similar to World of Color at Disney California Adventure. For the new show, Disney is reportedly teaming up with Cirque du Soleil and WET, the design firm responsible for the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas.
After dark, lighting effects will play a prominent role in Avatar Land, with LED-lighted sidewalks and illuminated plants that respond to the touch. The man-made Tree of Life, the centerpiece of the park, is expected to undergo a major makeover that will incorporate lighting effects into every branch and leaf.
By day, the futuristic Avatar Land will be populated by lush jungle foliage, floating mountains and the ruins of a military base camp sprinkled with audio-animatronics, 3-D projections and hologram effects. An area themed as the Pandora landing station mess hall could serve as a quick-service restaurant.
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