It’s hard to believe Pandora – The World of Avatar opened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom three years ago! The two attractions in this land, Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey, are absolutely amazing to say the least. On top of that, the land itself comes to life with a different experience both during the day and at night. Two key people involved in making the Pandora so successful, Joe Rohde and Jon Landau, share a video to celebrate the 3rd years since it’s grand opening. Check out the details and video below from DisneyParksBlog:
To tell that tale, we brought together two of the lead creative partners responsible for developing the land: Joe Rohde, portfolio creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering, and Jon Landau, producer of “Avatar” and its sequels. These two visionaries assembled a team of thousands to turn a wondrous cinematic digital world into a complete physical environment that inspires and thrills.
Pandora – The World of Avatar is a wonder of our world and has truly ushered in a new era of immersive storytelling at Walt Disney World Resort.
As you listen to Joe and Jon, you’ll learn how Pandora – The World of Avatar meshes with Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You’ll hear them discuss the similarities between developing a themed environment and a major motion picture. And you’ll gain an understanding of how the stories of the film, the land and the park complement one another.
We previously shared that Disney’s Animal Kingdom would have new festive holiday decorations in every land in the theme park. Thanks to Disney Parks Blog, we have a video look at some of the great things that we can expect with these new holiday offerings in Walt Disney World. Check out this great video below:
“Guests visiting Discovery Island will find themselves in the midst of a celebration of winter, hand-crafted by the eclectic community of artists who reside here. The village is filled with sparkling white holiday decorations, and animal-inspired luminaries line the rooftops. And during the day, Discovery Island will spring to life with a holiday gathering of winter animals with artisan-sculpted puppets, including reindeer, foxes, polar bears, penguins and more.”
During the evening, The Tree of Life will feature a series of wintry tales and amazing music for guests to enjoy.
Over in Asia, guests will see the decorations from the residents of Anandapur to celebrate Diwali, the holiday festival of lights in India. There will be flowers, lanterns and more to illuminate the area.
Africa will have holiday decor and DinoLand, U.S.A. will feature holiday sounds from the Truck-O-Saurus. There will also be characters in their holiday outfits, too!
Pandora – The World of Avatar will also feature “a display of kitschy holiday décor at Pongu Pongu that combines vintage pieces from Earth with items handcrafted from materials indigenous to Pandora.”
Which land are you most excited about seeing decorated for the holidays?
For those that have been keeping up with the latest, there has been a lot of recent news in regards to Disney Transportation. From the new Disney Skyliner set to begin full time operation next week to the latest new bus designs that have been rolling down the roads.
The latest design is a beautiful new bus wrap featuring Pandora – The World of Avatar and we couldn’t stop ourselves from chasing it down to get pictures. Featuring a Nav’vi riding a banshee, this wrap is giving us some serious Animal Kingdom vibes.
Featuring the floating mountains in the background and some beautiful colors, this may be our new favorite wrap! We also love the silhouetted banshees.
The holiday season is a fantastic time to visit the Walt Disney World Resort. There are so many things to see and do during this time at the resorts and the parks.
Disney World goes all out when it comes to decorating the parks, with once exception. Compared to the other parks, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has always been a little light on the holiday entertainment and decor.
Well, this year that is going to change. Disney has announced new holiday offerings in Animal Kingdom.
According to Disney Cast Members;
“Everyone will be feeling extra merry and bright at Disney’s Animal Kingdom this holiday season, with festive new entertainment and holiday décor in every land!
It all begins when you cross the bridge to Discovery Island, finding yourself in the midst of a celebration of winter, hand-crafted by the eclectic community of artists who make the island their home. The village is filled with sparkling white holiday decorations. Colorful, animal-inspired luminaries line the rooftops, and wireframe lanterns in the shape of beautiful birds can be found perched throughout the area. And during the day, Discovery Island springs to life with a holiday gathering of winter animals, realized in the form of life-size, artisan-sculpted puppets. Reindeer, foxes, polar bears, penguins and more interact with guests, accompanied by serenading musicians as they create a playful atmosphere of festive fun.
As day becomes night, the rooftop luminaries and bird lanterns all around Discovery Island bring a warm and festive glow to the entire village. At the center of everything, the Tree of Life awakens with a series of wintry tales, complemented by a familiar and heartwarming holiday-inspired musical score. Between awakening moments, the Tree of Life continues to shimmer and sparkle throughout the night, alive with the magic of nature and the spirit of the holidays.
Over in Dinoland, U.S.A., all the Disney character friends gathered for Donald’s Dino-Bash! get into the spirit with colorful holiday decorations in the style of Donald Duck and each of his pals, and at night, you’re invited to gather ‘round Truck-O-Saurus for the Holiday Hoopla Dance Party with Chip ‘n Dale and plenty of interactive fun and games.
In Asia, the residents of Anandapur have decorated the theatre district in celebration of Diwali, the holiday festival of lights in India. Glowing flowers, lanterns and more illuminate the square between Anandapur Theater and the waterfront stage, home to authentic cultural performances.
The village of Harambe in Africa welcomes visitors with a unique holiday presentation, blending the inspiration and style of western traditions with the colors and textiles of authentic African celebrations. The various groups appearing throughout Harambe introduce holiday-inspired enhancements, including costume additions and new music, to their performances. The holiday fun continues inside Tusker House for dining with Disney friends, where Mickey and his pals spread holiday cheer throughout the meal.
The holiday spirit even reaches Pandora – The World of Avatar, where the ex-pats living and working on the moon of Pandora bring a little Christmastime fun to their alien home, with a display at Pongu Pongu of kitschy holiday décor, combining vintage pieces from Earth with items handcrafted from materials indigenous to Pandora.
It’s going to be an extra magical holiday season at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and across Walt Disney World Resort, filled with wonder and delight in all four parks! Make plans to join us, starting November 8, 2019.”
