Today was our first of many days in Animal Kingdom. Some groups, including ours decided to wake up early and arrive as soon as the park opened. The groups first fast pass of the day was Mt. Everest at 10 am, but our group decided to ride it one extra time before. Next was the Kilimanjaro Safari where we encountered many animals given the 68° outside, making for a comfortable environment for the animals.
For lunch, our instructors bought us lunch at Satu’li Canteen where I (Addie) got Chili-Garlic Shrimp with rice and beans while I (Kaitlynn) got the same shrimp, but with noodles. Here the music was very fitting with the atmosphere of the restaurant.
With our group arriving early, we decided to head to Pandora and try out the Na’vi River Journey. Here we experienced our first sight of the bioluminescence used by taking a mystical boat ride down Pandora’s glowing rainforest. Whether you have seen Avatar or not, Disney does a great job of building and developing the Na’vi culture by including elements of their world such as the floating masterpiece of the Valley of Mo’ara above (seen below)
as well as plants such as the huge one at the entrance of Pandora which if you touch, you make angry. This land is set post-war which can be seen where a two-blade helicopter is absorbed into the mossy side of the Valley of Mo’ara. Disney invokes the feeling of being an actual Avatar by the ride Flight of Passage. Not only in the extended queue where you encounter the dangerous jungles, but inside you are put through a whole process of linking yourself with your genetically matched Avatar, which then gives you the feeling of being an actual Avatar in the movie. Once the ride is reached, the nature changes and you are transformed into an Avatar riding on a banshee, or, Ikran in Na’vi. Although the bioluminescence is beautiful during the day, it is transformed into a beautiful, glowing world at night. This is seen on the walkways where it glows green, and on the plants where they glow pinks, purples, and blues.
Overall, it was a great day outside which allowed us to explore the beautiful world of Pandora as well as the rest of Animal Kingdom. Tomorrow we will be traveling back to Epcot to experience new attractions as well as a tour.
-Addie Csikos & Kaitlynn Korth
Thanks very much for sharing your experience so well. Your descriptions, along with the photos, allow me to experience your day.
ReplyDeleteI like your trick of noting that a ride wasn't too busy before your Fast Pass+ was valid and so getting to experience the ride twice. I find that Disney rides have so many fun details that it takes me more than one time to find many of these details.