DisneyTips.com Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
Between Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT, Walt Disney World Resort offers an entire world of attractions and entertainment for Guests.
Each Disney Park is different and has earned a reputation for itself. For example, most Disney fans and Guests know that Magic Kingdom is the most family-friendly, Hollywood Studios is the most thrilling, EPCOT has the best snacks and drinks, and Animal Kingdom has…animals!
Credit: Disney
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Much like a zoo, most of the entertainment and attractions at Animal Kingdom is centered around viewing animals that Guests don’t usually get to see. With fewer attractions than Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, the rides in Animal Kingdom have to work twice as hard to keep Guests’ attention. Unfortunately for the Na’vi River Journey, not all Guests are sold.
Credit: Disney
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The Na’vi River Journey is a slow-moving dark ride in Animal Kingdom’s Pandora: The World of Avatar. The attraction takes Guests on a calm, slow-moving boat into the bioluminescent forests of Pandora. Along with the rest of this themed area, this attraction is visually stunning and immersive.
Each section of the attraction will truly make Guests feel as if they’re deep in the forests of Pandora…however, it’s nowhere near as exciting as, well, any of the other attractions in Animal Kingdom.
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The ride’s grand finale is the Shaman of Songs, Disney’s most expensive animatronic to date, said to have cost anywhere from $10 to $23 million (depending on who you ask). The money was well-spent, as many Guests say they can never tell whether the animatronic is a real person or not due to how fluidly it moves.
@kerestinakhalil Avatar ride Na’vi River Journey at Disney World! ?? Such a beautiful ride. @AVATAR #avatar #disneyworld #orlando #naviriverjourney #animalkingdom
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However, despite the Shaman of Song’s brief appearance, many Guests feel this attraction is underwhelming as all you do is relax and look at the scenery. Some Guests, however, really appreciate the Walt Disney Imagineers’ artistry and the immersive atmosphere of this attraction. But at the end of the day, fans of Animal Kingdom can never seem to agree on this attraction’s worth, making it one of the Disney Park’s most divisive attractions.
How do you feel about the Na’vi River Journey? Is it worth the wait or worth passing in favor of another attraction?
