Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a severely underrated park, and we will die on that hill.
Tree of Life
To this day, people still consider it to be a “half-day park,” though we vehemently disagree. There’s so much to see, do, eat, drink, and experience at this park, but we happen to think Disney is wasting the absolute best part of Animal Kingdom.
Pandora: The World of Avatar opened in Animal Kingdom in 2017, and has largely been applauded as a successful addition to the park.
Pandora: The World of Avatar
It’s an entirely immersive land, and those who have seen the movie AVATAR on which the land is based may recall that space travel to Pandora was limited to members of the Resource Development Administration (RDA) seeking their own gain of Pandora’s unobtanium.
Pandora in Disney World
But now, Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE) is able to welcome interplanetary travelers (park guests) on peaceful expeditions to Pandora’s Valley of Mo’ara as restoration of the once-exploited land takes place to explore its uniquely beautiful scenery and Na’vi culture.
Pandora
The land is an incredible feat — it is downright gorgeous and reminiscent of scenes from AVATAR. The plants, structures, and even sidewalks transport you to a different place. And, those sidewalks are precisely why we’re here. Well, sort of.
You see, after the sun sets, Pandora comes aglow with “bioluminescent flora” including some found on the sidewalks!
Pandora at night
Cool, right? It’s a totally different place at night. The problem is that Animal Kingdom generally closes early and often before dark — meaning most guests don’t even get the chance to see this incredible feat of Imagineering.
Pandora at Night
If you ask us, this is a huge waste of one of the coolest parts of this land. Sure, Disney World is full of bright lights, but there’s something extra magical about being in Animal Kingdom and especially Pandora after the sun sets.
Some lucky folks have had the opportunity to experience this during special events and even when Extended Evening Hours were happening in the park, and Disney recently announced that they’ll be coming back meaning you might get the chance to check out Pandora all aglow!
Paint on the ground in Pandora
If you want to experience Pandora at night, you still can — you’ll just have to shell out some dough for a Disney World Deluxe Hotel to get Extended Evening Hours. You can read more about that here!
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I whole-heartedly agree with this one! I’m sure they have their reasons, but it is so beautiful and a shame that more people don’t get to enjoy it. We weren’t able to see it in April. My wife and I have seen it, but I wish we would have shown it to family members who were on their first trip.