By Beth Deitchman

We’re bringing you details about this amazing new land opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on D23.com. Click here to read part 1 about this spectacular world and the people you’ll encounter there, in part 2 we looked at the amazing details in the flora, the fauna and the bioluminescent forest, and part 3 took you further into Pandora’s two thrilling attractions. Stay tuned to D23.com for more details as the May 27 opening nears, and hear more from the creative team bringing Pandora to life in the summer issue of Disney twenty three.

From the smallest flowers on hanging vines and the rich soundscape that brings you the sound of a rainforest as it evolves over the course of a day, to the range of smells you encounter on the Flight of Passage attraction, Pandora – The World of Avatar affects all of your senses.

Your tastebuds will be tantalized at the fast-casual dining establishment Satu’li Canteen and drink stand Pongu Pongu. Pongu Pongu is run by an ex-pat (someone originally from Earth who decided to remain on Pandora following the conflict between the Na’vi and the RDA) and it takes inspiration from the original tiki bars, Walt Disney Imagineering Portfolio Creative Executive Joe Rohde shares. The first generation of tiki bars were largely started by World War II veterans in Hawaii, Rohde explains. “There was something sincere about them and heartfelt,” Rohde says. “It’s not ironic. It’s not a retro thing. It’s about something real.” Pongu Pongu’s owner is a former mechanic for the RDA, so look for the AMP suit that stands as a totem that indicates you’ve come to the right place for refreshments.

Satu’li Canteen is set in a Quonset hut-inspired building that used to be the mess hall for the RDA employees who worked on Pandora. If you walk around the restaurant, you’ll notice tribal objects and Na’vi cooking tools that have been placed around the hall, like the Hometree Bowl, a woven vessel used to hold and transfer ingredients. Of course, Rohde tells us, “Every bit as much artistry has gone into the food in here as it has gone into everything else.”

“It’s our job to tell a food story,” Executive Chef Lenny De George states proudly. “You think about this planet, they pay a lot of respect to the natural bounty that provides, and the way that we cook would not be putting it in an oven with gas.” At Satu’li Canteen, the chefs cook with wood. Grilled meats are plentiful, as is sustainable fish and even spiced tofu. The signature dish is the Satu’li Bowl, which invites guests to choose a protein, a base (grain-based, salad, or even a quinoa-vegetable combo that comes with tropical bursting boba pearls), and a sauce. There are more than 50 different combinations, almost guaranteeing that you’ll never eat the same meal twice.

Of course, less adventurous eaters will find options that seem somewhat more familiar. Steamed pods are a delicacy on Pandora (and in other parts of the world, where they’re more commonly thought of as “bao”), and the Cheeseburger Pod combines all the flavors of home with a new texture and form. “It doesn’t look the same and it doesn’t really feel quite the same,” Chef Lenny says, “but when you taste it you’ll know that you are eating a cheeseburger from home.”

There are two signature desserts: a Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse that, Pastry Chef Stefan Riemer says, combines yellow mangoes and blueberries in an homage to the Na’vi with their blue complexions and their bright yellow eyes. Chef Stefan knew there had to be a chocolate dessert, as well, and he points out that dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants—something the health-conscious Na’vi might appreciate. The Chocolate Cake with a Crunch Cookie, Banana Cream and Goji Berries, like the cheesecake, comes in a size that’s the perfect portion for one. Chef Stefan doesn’t advocate sharing when it comes to dessert, and he urges guests, “Indulge in your own dessert!”

Brian Koziol, concept development director, Beverage Sales & Standards, Experience Planning & Integration, Food & Beverage for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, introduces a Pandora Sunrise—a nonalcoholic blend of pineapple, lemon, and mango juices combined with limeade and Powerade Melon—the perfect thirst quencher on a hot Pandora afternoon. Adult travelers to Pandora can choose from two craft beers: Hawkes’ Grog Ale is a lovely Pandora-inspired green in color, while Mo’ara High Country Ale suggests the highlands of the stunning Na’vi valley. Wine served at the Pandora dining establishments comes from Sonoma, California, rather than Pandora, though the winery is appropriately named “Banshee.”

Ex-pats also serve as proprietors for Windtraders, where guests can take home apparel that’s evocative of the designs of the totems seen around the land; a Na’vi Translator; plush baby banshees, and, what’s sure to be popular with travelers of all ages, a robotic banshee that will perch on your shoulder and interact with you—and, since you have a controller, anyone else you may wish your banshee to greet. A Naturalist from Alpha Centauri Expeditions is stationed at the Rookery to help you choose from 10 different styles, and they’ll also encourage you to pledge to respect the natural world on Pandora—and on Earth when you return home.

At Windtraders, you can also purchase a custom figure of yourself envisioned as a Na’vi, by way of facial scanning and customization that you’ve selected. Over the course of a visit to Pandora, you’ll come to see that the Na’vi spirit lives within us all—and it’s something you’ll want to keep with you until you return.

By Beth Deitchman

We’re bringing you details about this amazing new land opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom all week on D23.com. Click here to read part 1 about this spectacular world and the people you’ll encounter there, and in part 2 we looked at the amazing details in the flora, the fauna, and the bioluminescent forest. Stay tuned to D23.com for more details as the May 27 opening nears, and hear more from the creative team bringing Pandora to life in the summer issue of Disney twenty-three.

Sivako. It’s the Na’vi word for “Rise to the Challenge,” a call to action a Na’vi might use before first taking flight on a banshee or journeying down a mysterious river into a dark, bioluminescent forest. Disney Imagineers rose to the challenge of creating two spectacular attractions for Pandora – The World of Avatar—the wondrous river adventure Na’vi River Journey and the thrilling Avatar Flight of Passage. Last weekend, we had the opportunity to be among the first to experience both of these amazing, immersive attractions—twice, in the case of Avatar Flight of Passage!—and we’ll try to rise to the challenge of recounting our incredible adventure. Sivako, indeed!

A totem representing the Shaman of Songs serves as your welcome to Na’vi River Journey, the attraction closest to the bridge that you cross to reach Pandora. The queue leads into a Na’vi structure that appears to be made with leaves, bamboo, and other natural items. Look up and you’ll see that the ceiling features an intricate, hand-woven representation of the map of the Mo’ara Valley and the river that we’re about to explore.

Lisa Girolami, executive producer, Walt Disney Imagineering, prepares us for what we’re about to experience, telling us that we’re going deep into the forest, where it’s impossible to tell whether it’s day or night—and it’s so dark, we’ll be able to see the bioluminescent forest as we search for the Shaman of Songs. “She can activate the forest around her,” Girolami says of the Shaman, who happens to be the most complicated Audio-Animatronics® figure ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering.

Guests journey down the sacred river in a reed boat, the bioluminescence glowing all around. Animals and insects can be seen, in silhouette, moving atop stunning leaves overhead; shimmering water is reflected on the plant life; and soon we notice that the animals—not to mention the Na’vi—are off in the distance, moving in the same direction we are. The ride culminates with the boat’s arrival at the Shaman of Song, who greets us—musically, of course—and unites us with the living things around us.

The second attraction on Pandora, Flight of Passage, allows guests to explore the planet from another vantage point. Flying on the back of a banshee is an important rite of passage for all Na’vi, but not something we humans can achieve on our own. On the new attraction, guests can link to an avatar and experience the flight of a banshee.

There’s an exciting, epic story being told in the ride’s queue, and it begins in a sacred cave. Through pictographs that can be seen overhead, the intrinsic relationship between the Na’vi, the humans, and the banshee—a hallowed creature in Na’vi culture—is explored, production designer Colleen Meyers explains. “It’s really talking about the ritual, the journey, and all of the history through this cave,” she says, pointing out the blue mountain banshees and the Great Leonopteryx (think: really big banshee) that blocks their path in the paintings overhead.

The cave comes to an abrupt halt and gives way to an RDA facility. “[The RDA] just bored a hole right into [the sacred Na’vi cave] and built a giant RDA facility on the backside of this cave in the middle of the jungle,” reveals Stefan Hellwig, executive creative director, Walt Disney Imagineering, and he draws our eye to RDA signs that have been posted, with words like “toxicity” prominently featured, underscoring the story of the damage humans can make to natural environments.

But restoration and regeneration are underway on Pandora, and the Pandora Conservation Initiative (PCI) has set up shop in the former RDA building. Mark LaVine, executive story development for Walt Disney Imagineering, explains, “[The banshee] is a keystone species of this whole local ecosystem.” By studying the banshee, the PCI scientists are developing a greater understanding of the current environment on Pandora. LaVine emphasizes, “We’ve worked closely with the animal scientist people here at Animal Kingdom to make sure that the things that you’re seeing, although into the future and a bit science fiction, are based in reality.”

Before guests can take flight on the back of the banshee, they have to be linked to an avatar. This happens after we’re scanned and our genetic material is sampled in order to match us with our own personal avatars. Once matched, we board our “Ikran” (the Na’vi word for banshee), and twinkling lights before our eyes give way to the dazzling sky over Pandora as we soar over the land—swooping and curving, a breeze on our faces, mist in the air. You board the attraction like you would board a bike, but you truly feel like you’re atop a creature that you can feel breathe and move beneath you.

The ride is always thrilling, but never scary, as you bank and race across the sky, encountering impossibly large whale-like creatures and a fierce Leonopteryx with his 45-foot wingspan. All of your senses are heightened on this attraction, especially your olfactory. The smells of Pandora change as the ride continues: Floral notes give way to an earthier fragrance, until you—and your nose—reach the sea.

Though the multi-sensory experience uses cutting-edge technology and awe-inspiring special effects, Avatar producer Jon Landau says that in designing the attraction, the priority was not technology, but on how they wanted guests to feel. “Everybody wants to fly. At some point in our lives, we have all dreamed of flying,” he tells D23, and Flight of Passage—like Pandora itself—is truly a dream come true.