Disney has finally revealed what the upcoming “Avatar experience” means for Disneyland, with a different version of Pandora and an innovative new boat ride. This post shares details, concept art, and everything we know about the plan–plus comprehensive commentary and our take on this addition for the park.
This news was announced during the “Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase” or Parks Panel presentation during the 2024 D23 Expo at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro offered a sneak peek at concept art for the future in addition and teased what was to come in a few years.
This was just one of several blockbuster announcements for Parks & Resorts at Horizons, during which D’Amaro revealed several ‘shovel to soil’ projects that will come online in the next 5 years, including over a half-dozen additions that will debut before the end of 2025. He and head Imagineer Bruce Vaughn delivered on their promise to showcase concrete details and stop teasing ‘Blue Sky’ possibilities.
With this so-called “Avatar experience,” we’re venturing deeper into Pandora with a new destination at Disney California Adventure. While Pandora—The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is based on Oscar-winner James Cameron’s “Avatar” film, this new destination draws inspiration from “Avatar: The Way of Water” as well as upcoming Avatar films to bring the world of Avatar to life in a brand-new way.
Imagineer Ali Rubinstein joined Josh on stage to dive deeper into the new space including how guests will go on the adventure of a lifetime in search of majestic natural wonders that can only be found on Pandora and the beauty – and danger – that come along with the journey.
This new and thrilling excursion will bring all the action, excitement, and wonder of Avatar, taking guests all the way to the wide-open seas of Pandora. This is going to be a dynamic, intense and emotional experience on a grand scale that we know our guests will love. The excursion will take guests in search of majestic natural wonders that can only be found on Pandora, discovering dense forests, and more along the way.
Turning to commentary, this certainly answers some questions about the so-called “Avatar experience” that Bob Iger has been cryptically mentioning since he returned to Disney nearly two years ago. (And which we’ll henceforth be calling Pandora West instead of the Avatar experience…at least until we think up a catchier name.)
Other questions remain, such as where it’ll go and which ride system it’ll utilize. Rumors have pointed to the location being in Hollywood Land, replacing existing (unused) soundstages as well as expanding into area beyond the bounds of the current park and into the bus loops outside the Esplanade. Last summer, the company cleared out Stage 17 in Hollywood Land, which is an enormous venue in a part of the park that really needs new life injected into it. Pandora might even necessitate re-routing the monorail.
I’m not totally convinced Pandora is destined for Hollywood Land. Not because I’ve heard anything credible pointing to an alternative location (as far as DCA landing spots, I’ve only heard this as an option), but because it simply strikes me as such an odd spot for Pandora. So guests round the corner from the streets of bygone Los Angeles to see the waters of Pandora? It just seems like a jarring transition that’ll be nearly impossible to pull off.
The innovative attraction is rumored to use the same ride system as Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure at Shanghai Disneyland. This would make it substantially different from Na’vi River Journey in Pandora – World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom, even if the description–minus the “danger” part–sounds somewhat similar.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure is an excellent attraction, arguably top 10 in the entire world, and a big part of that is its innovative ride system. From a technological perspective, I can’t think of many attractions that approach Shanghai Pirates–probably Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, but I’m not sure what else.
It’s actually a shame that it’s taken so long for another attraction to use this ride system, because it’s that good. A superlative use of technology that melds physical show scenes with screens and can turn a leisurely boat ride into an action sequence, going from on the water to the sky or wherever. It’s actually the perfect ride system for combining the vibe of Na’vi River Journey and Avatar Flight of Passage!
During the Walt Disney Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders ‘sizzle reel,’ CEO Bob Iger shared the above first look at concept art of the Avatar experience. This matches the new concept art from a different angle, so it’s our assumption that the plan for Pandora has been set for a while. The only reason Iger hedged so hard was because DisneylandForward had not yet been approved.
DisneylandForward was approved earlier this year by the Anaheim City Council, and with that, a requirement that Disney invest at least $1.9 billion over the course of the next decade. They will easily clear that hurdle two times just based on what was revealed at the D23 Expo for Disney California Adventure, as Pandora plus two new Marvel rides plus Coco won’t be cheap. And that’s before even getting to rumored but unannounced projects for Disneyland!
As part of the recent earnings call, Disney shared a slideshow indicating that Pandora – World of Avatar is the #1 ranked land at Walt Disney World in terms of guest satisfaction. (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is #1 at Disneyland.) From that perspective alone, it makes sense that Disney would want to build another version of Pandora at Disneyland in California.
There’s also the simple reality that you never bet against James Cameron. There are at least 3 more Avatar movies (that we know about!), and there will probably be even more released between now and the end of eternity if the next 3 even make half as much as the first two. Everyone’s always saying that Avatar is a “forgettable” franchise, and yet, everyone also goes to see the movies and the rides have long lines, so it kinda seems like it’s also popular.
It’s also worth pointing out that Bruce Vaughn has returned to co-lead Imagineering since Bob Iger first began teasing an Avatar experience at Disneyland. Vaughn was the co-head of Imagineering during development of the original Pandora – World of Avatar, and could be returning for his project management expertise on that.
Between his involvement and that of James Cameron, who is a perfectionist, we feel pretty good about the prospects for Pandora at DCA. Even without producer Jon Landau, who passed away earlier this year, and legendary Imagineer Joe Rohde, who retired but now is doing something for Imagineering, it seems like the franchise is in good hands.
Back when Pandora took so long to get off the ground at Animal Kingdom, rumors suggested that Cameron and his insistence on high-quality attractions played a role. We don’t anticipate this being a problem this time–as Cameron and Iger appear to have a good relationship and trust in one another, and the same is presumably true with Vaughn.
In terms of location, another possibility is that an Avatar area could be part of the actual plan for the area identified in DisneylandForward. I hesitate to even share this, as we’ve repeatedly pointed out that there is no there there with DisneylandForward. The possibilities are just that–possibilities.
There are no concrete or substantive plans attached to DisneylandForward, it’s more like a zoning proposal. DisneylandForward is really all about paving the way for future developments of an uncertain nature by giving Disney more autonomy over land use by relaxing the DRSP.
Although its approval does require Disney to invest at least $2 billion into the parks over the next decade, with potential for $2.5 billion, it doesn’t require that to be spent on actual expansion beyond the berms. Disney could spend double that amount on the existing parks without growing the footprint of the resort at all and that would still satisfy the conditions of the DisneylandForward approval.
A lot of fans are making big assumptions based on the environmental impact study for DisneylandForward. That used actual show buildings for attractions from Tokyo and Shanghai, which got fans excited, but all of those were placeholders. It’s a lot easier to just recycle plans that have already been made and drop them into such a report rather than make new (fake) plans for no real purpose.
For months, I’ve thought those fans are wrong…but what if they aren’t?
Ultimately, it’ll be interesting to see how Pandora West plays out. The concept art for the new Avatar area looks breathtaking, and an attraction based on Shanghai Pirates sounds perfect for a dynamic attraction set in Pandora. This ride system deserves to be experienced by guests outside of China, and I’m confident that if this is even 75% as good as Shanghai Pirates, it’ll become the most popular attraction at Disney California Adventure.
In actuality, there’s a decent chance chance the Avatar attraction is even better. Just as Flight of Passage iterated on and improved Soarin, the same could happen with this ride system. Shanghai Pirates isn’t actually that great. It’s fantastic–don’t get me wrong–but the ride system really carries it, and helps overcome some shortcomings in terms of storytelling, emotion and atmosphere. That’s exactly where Avatar Flight of Passage excels, which is why I’m really excited for this boat ride in Pandora West at Disney California Adventure. That is, assuming rumors about the ride system are true in the first place.
I’ve gotta admit, I was initially skeptical that this would amount to an actual addition of substance (or permanence), but I’ve been fully won over. If anything, I want to be completely wrong at this point, and have Pandora built in the DisneylandForward expansion area where it has more breathing room and the space to be done properly. We’ll continue monitoring this developing story and provide updates and analysis as more details are revealed, so stay tuned!
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of Disneyland Resort getting Pandora West? Where do you think this new land will go in DCA? What ride system do you think this innovative attraction will utilize? Excited for the prospect of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure technology making its way stateside? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
