Avatar Flight of Passage Review at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Pandora Flight of PassageAvatar Flight of Passage was an attraction that I was determined I had to try. The reviews said that it was not good for those with motion sickness and it could be intense, but I had to experience it at least once. Since I had the opportunity to visit during a preview before the official opening, I went straight over to Flight of Passage and there was no wait. I stood for a second, took a deep breath and thought, “I guess I’m doing this!”

Here are my thoughts on the new Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  It’s an overview of my experience with some information you should know before you go, but without too many spoilers!

The queue was impressive – but long

The outdoor portion of the queue for Flight of Passage is gorgeous. You’re walking slightly up hill and have a perfect view of the floating mountains. There will be some great pictures and selfies taken from this line! 

Once you leave the outdoor area, you enter in to something that looks like a cave. You will be happier in here since there is air conditioning and shade from the Florida sun. As the cave transitions in to the building, you’re able to see paintings, a bioluminescent mining area and of course – a real Avatar. I had seen the Avatar on many different online videos, but I didn’t appreciate the size or details of it until I had seen it in person.

 

While I didn’t have a wait for Flight of Passage, it struck me as I was walking through this queue how long it took me to get to the end. It seemed like quite a long walk with the capacity to hold VERY long lines.

The claustrophobia

Nearing the end of the line, you enter the first of 2 pre-shows. The first room is where you are matched to your Avatar. It is primarily a video with some special effects, but the room felt a bit small to me. I was glad I was the last one in and had some space behind me. We were in there a few minutes when we moved on to the next briefing – the vehicle seating system is explained and you get your 3D glasses.

The vehicle

I don’t like feeling ‘trapped’ anywhere and this was my biggest fear for this vehicle. I am the person who sits at the end of the row in a movie theatre to avoid feeling like I can’t get out. Knowing that things would come and encapsulate on this attraction had me very nervous. I straddled the vehicle like a bicycle and leaned forward towards the support in front of me. I chose to leave a little bit of space between the support and myself and prepared myself for the various restraints that were coming. As the restraints were activated, I heard the man beside me gasp a little. The man had leaned so far forward that the restraint at his back was way too restrictive and a cast member had to come and adjust it.   I was happy with the amount of space I had and didn’t feel closed in with the back restraint at all. Maybe it’s because I had my legs out in front of me as opposed to at the side, but I didn’t even feel the ones on my legs at all. I did notice that this might be quite restrictive and uncomfortable though for my Pooh-sized friends. There is a test vehicle outside of the attraction for you to try before waiting in line.

Test seat out front

The flight

Once the ride started I was in awe. Disney has created an attraction where I really FELT like I was flying on the back of a Banshee. It wasn’t just the sights, sounds and smells, but when my Banshee took a break on a branch of a tree, I could FEEL it breathing underneath me. The scenery is breathtaking and colorful, it seemed so real! There is no comparison in my mind to Soarin or Star Tours – this attraction made me forget that I was sitting on an attraction vehicle with 3D goggles on. I was transported, and I flew on a Banshee.

The motion sickness

Pandora 2I feel sick on Star Tours and have never made it back on Mission Space since it opened; I was worried about Flight of Passage. I went first thing in the morning, took some motion sickness pills and didn’t eat anything before the ride. There were a few moments where the Banshee took some sharp turns and some drastic drops where I had to close my eyes. Closing my eyes for a second or two really helped, especially when were flying through some tight spaces. I do think the cool breeze on my face helped me avoid overheating that happens when I’m nauseous. I really didn’t feel sick at all, I suspect that might have had something to do with the pills I took.

The 4 things you need to know:

  1. The queue has been designed to hold lines of up to 4 hours inside. The wait will be long.
  2. There is a lot of walking for the queue as well as upon exiting. Be prepared for inclines and stairs, especially if you have trouble walking.
  3. There are moments that those who are prone to motion sickness or claustrophobia will struggle, but they are short lived.
  4. Love or hate Avatar the movie (I didn’t love it), this attraction is among the best on Disney property and you should experience it once. I know I will be back to try it again.

My only criticism, and it’s a big one
Surprisingly, this attraction is not friendly to certain body types or guests with mobility issues. I would have thought that Disney would have invested in making sure that more people could experience it – not less.  Take a look at this blog post so that you can review the seat restrictions before you go.

  Have you experienced Flight of Passage? What did you think?  

Avatar Flight Of Passage Ride Seats Explained

Pandora Flight of Passage

Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is arguably one of the BEST attractions at any of the Disney parks.  It’s thrilling, exciting, intense and immersive. It’s easy to understand why it is one of the most popular rides.  But, guests of certain body shapes might not get to experience this thrill ride because of the unique ride vehicle used.

If you are planning to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom to fly on the back of a banshee, there are some things you might want to know first.

Key safety info:

  • You must be able to transfer to the ride vehicle from your wheelchair or scooter
  • Service Animals Not Permitted
  • Children under age 7 years must be accompanied by a person age 14 years or older.
  • The seating and restraints of this attraction may prohibit Guests of certain body shapes or sizes from riding.
  • Persons who do not meet the minimum height requirement of 44 inches (112 cm) can not attend this experience.
  • For safety reasons, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride.

After you make it through the queue (which has some great theming along the way and is out of the sun), there is a pre-show in a ‘link chamber’ where you hear how the attraction works.  If this is your first time, it will help explain what to expect when you enter the next room and how you will be matched to your own Avatar.

In order to experience Avatar Flight of Passage in the World of Avatar, you need to ‘fit’ on the vehicle.  I say “on” because it’s more like a motorcycle where you straddle the seat.  You lean forward on the chest bar and pull your feet forward.

Restraints are activated after you are in position on the ride seat – one comes across your back and two more behind your legs.  The key is the ‘click’ on the locking mechanism to ensure that it has you secure in place.

Avatar Flight Of Passage Sample Seat View

When the restraints are activated and locked

The important thing to know is that it may not necessarily be a size issue that prevents people from getting the ‘click’.  Sometimes it’s a body shape issue that prevents the restraints from locking on the link chair.  The size of your calves can just as easily prevent the leg restraints from locking vs the size around the middle.  The back restraint can feel tight and it isn’t something you want to force or it would make for a very uncomfortable ride for larger guests.

The good news is that when the restraints are activated it really does hold you in place.  Based on the attraction theatre and how you experience it, it makes sense that you need to be completely secure.  While it’s not a roller coaster, it does move around (and cause some motion sickness). ​

Test seat out front

With the long lines for this attraction, I would suggest anyone who is worried about their ability to fit to to try the test seat out front. The worst thing that can happen is you discover the restraint system doesn’t work for your body before you spend time in line.

If you have little ones who aren’t tall enough yet – please make use of the rider switch at the attraction so you don’t miss out and don’t have to do the long wait twice.

If you want to read the full review of this Disney attraction – you can read it here.

​For more information on new attractions, read our reviews of Tron and Guardians!