Earlier today, on The Walt Disney Company Q1 FY17 Earnings call, CEO Bob Iger shared the exciting news that Pandora The World of Avatar will open at Disney's Animal Kingdom on May 27. The CEO also confirmed that Disney Parks' new Star Wars-themed lands at Disneyland park and Disney's Hollywood Studios will be opening in 2019. While no specific date has been given, it's possible that this theme park's debut could be tied to the highly-anticipated Star Wars: Episode IX, which is also slated for a 2019 premiere.
This new Avatar land will transport guests to the visually stunning world of Pandora. Here, guests will wonder at floating mountains and bioluminescent plants, and can join the Na'vi on two excursions that take adventure to the next level. First, the family friendly Na'vi River Journey will send guests through a bioluminescent rainforest. Their journey will end in an unforgettable encounter with a Na'vi Shaman, a figure who has a deep connection to the life force of Pandora. And second, Avatar Flight of Passage will offer guests the jaw-dropping experience of exploring the world of Pandora atop a Banshee. Guests will also be able to dine at Satu'li Canteen, grab a drink at Pongu Pongu or shop for Na'vi cultural items, toys, science kits, and more at Windtraders. Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for more information.
Pandora The World of Avatar will complete the transformation of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Disney in collaboration with filmmaker James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment is bringing to life the mythical world of Pandora, inspired by Cameron's Avatar, at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. The awe-inspiring land of floating mountains, bioluminescent rainforests and soaring Banshees will give guests a transformational experience they will never forget.
Disney's new Star Wars-themed lands are the largest-ever, single-themed land expansions at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts. At each location, guests will be transported to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before wild space, where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life. These authentic lands will have two signature attractions, including the ability to take the controls of one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, on a customized secret mission, and an epic Star Wars adventure that puts guests in the middle of a climactic battle.
Disney also recently announced that Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm teams are currently in production to add an exciting new mission to the attraction based on elements from Star Wars Episode 8. Another report, which was never confirmed, claimed there will be a number of "Force experiences" throughout the park, with a number of objects placed so fans can "use the Force" to move them. This feature was compared to the King Arthur's Sword feature at Disneyland's Fantasy Land, where several children may try to pull the sword from the stone, but only a handful of lucky kids will get to actually pull the sword out.