I had the great pleasure of attending the Press Preview of Pandora: The Land of Avatar as part of the Disney Parks Moms Panel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wow. Just wow. My reaction to Disney ‘s Animal Kingdom’s Pandora is tangible amazement. The new land, Pandora: the World of Avatar, is an alien planet based on James Cameron’s movie, AVATAR. The land contains more lush greenery than you could ever imagine, from a picturesque photo opportunity around every turn, to floating mountains, to a giant Flaska Reclinata, which spits and glows in reaction to guest’s touch. The land contains a merchandise location with exclusive items, a beverage stand with themed offerings, a delicious quick service restaurant, two large restroom locations and two incredible attractions. One of those attractions, Flight of Passage, is an immersive 4-D experience in a simulator, allowing you to link with an Avatar and ride a Banshee. The Flight of Passage Rider Seat, which is similar to a bike, has come under much scrutiny as guests strive to understand how to seat themselves.
I used a good bit of my time in the preview (I was invited as a special part of the Disney Parks Moms Panel) to understand exactly how the seats work and possibly help to sway guest’s fears of using the seat. According to other sources, the Flight of Passage Rider Seat was not accommodating to guests of a certain size, and preview audiences clamored for a test seat in order to prevent guests from entering the queue, which can hold plenty of guests, and avoid wasting time if they could not be seated correctly. The ride does have a height requirement of 44″, which is the first thing a guest (or parent) needs to consider.
Secondly, Disney has placed a very colorful version of the Flight of Passage Rider Seat outside the queue for guests to test, experience, and decide if the ride is for them. After riding Flight of Passage itself a few times, I decided to partner with Lauren of Motherhood and Beyond to show you how to get in, out of, and around the Flight of Passage Rider Seat.
The seat, when fully engaged, feels like a big, strong hug. Your arms, shoulders, and head are free to move (though you should keep your hands on the handlebars!) and your legs are comfortably bent. Cast Members recommend that your feet should be flat on the ground, but I personally found it more comfortable to rest my knees in the nooks and have the balls of my feet on the ground. I’m 5′ 3″, so the short factor may be at play, here. Lauren did speak with a guest who was 6’10”, and he had no issues with the Flight of Passage Rider Seat, and felt comfortable. There were also guests of varying size and shape enjoying the attraction multiple times. I did not personally encounter a guest with an issue.
Here, you can see me entering, locking in, and exiting the Flight of Passage Rider Seat. The bike inside the attraction works exactly the same way. After the initial surprise of how snugly the harness fit, it was very encapsulating and comforting. When you get to experience the wild ride on the banshee, you’ll understand just why you need to be so tightly wrapped.
I hope that you get to ride this AMAZING, exhilarating, 5-senses ride (truly, I could taste things!) in Pandora, the land of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. If you have any more questions about how this seat works, or anything else related to Walt Disney World Resort, I invite you to ask me a question on the Disney Parks Moms Panel at any time. “Oel ngati kameie,” as the Na’vi say, and I will see ya’ real soon!
I wish you’d picked someone less thin to demonstrate.
I’m not thin in any stretch of the imagination and it also felt like a big comfy hug. It was the first thing I commented on coming out of the ride, how cozy & supportive it was.
This was really helpful. I was so curious about how the seat worked. Interesting design, can’t wait to ride it.
We are going back to Disney in August and are looking forward to checking this out. My husband especially 🙂
This looks like so much fun! Ahh! I really want to go on this ride now. haha
what a contraption! lol. we will head there soon and will have to check this out. not sure if I would do it though, maybe just hubs and kids.
We aren’t planning on Disney until 2018, but we are so excited to check out Pandora, and ride this ride! I love this new concept design for the seat.
I have never been to Walt Disney World but maybe one day. I saw a little bit about this ride on social media in the Disney community. It does sound interesting .
What a cute (and informative) video of you trying out the Flight of Passage Rider Seat! And your outfit (have to say) is really chic while doing the try out of the seat!
This is so helpful! I know so many folks who are excited about Pandora but I didn’t realize not everyone might fit in the seats. So smart to have a test seat. Thanks for the video demonstration!
You’re welcome! I guessed a lot of people were looking for how the seat worked.
Thanks for showing how the seat works. I would have been confused too but it looks like an amazing ride. I love those types of rides.
Otha’s is so informative and so cool. That’s great you got to be apart of that and show how it works. It’s nice to have a look at things before going.
I’m going to Disney with the family this July and I can’t wait to check this ride out! It’s definitely going to be so much fun! And I’m sure my teens will like it as well.
I’ve been hearing all about this new attraction from Disney! I think they did an amazing job and people are definitely raving about it! I can’t wait to see this and experience it in person.
huh, have been to disney so many times but never checked this out, now gotta check it out. Something new 😉
It just opened last week, so it’s SUPER new!
How fun. my oldest is a HUGE ride fanatic. I know he would love something like this, hope we can do Disney at some point!
I’m a super chicken because after reading the warning sign, I know I won’t be going on this ride. Too bad because it looks awesome and the rider seat is so unique. If only I didn’t get motion sickness.
This ride looks so neat! I can’t wait to visit again and try it out myself.
Wow this sounds so amazing! I’ll definitely double check this out once we visit this place soon. This is kinda exciting!
This looks really cool. We were at Disney last summer and could see Pandora being built in the distance. Such a fun idea.
Wow I just saw a really cool video about this resort this week. It looks amazing! I loved the movie so I would love to go there with my family and check it out in person!
We’re pass holders, so you can bet we’re headed there very soon! It looks like such a fun experience!
I was so curious over this since I’ve never seen it before! Definitely something to look into!
Omg how neat!!!! I can’t wait for our Disney trip in the fall so we can finally see what all the pandora hype is about
Thank you for this! I’ve only been able to see pictures of the test seat and I was super confused about where the leg restraints were and how they worked.
Oh I’m so glad to hear that. Enjoy the ride! 🙂
Hi, Just wondering if you were a few months pregnant would it be ok to ride? As there is no pressure on your lower belly?
Hey Stephanie – I personally felt the most pressure on my upper torso, but as a pregnant mom, I wouldn’t ride. The “hug” on your chest would be too close to my belly, especially if I was carrying high. The sudden dips, dives and intense jolts aren’t recommended for expecting moms, either. But you can easily ride the Navi River journey “next door.” I hope you get a chance to ride this after your baby arrives, but for now, save your FastPass for something else. I’ve visited the parks pregnant, so if I can help you plan your vacation, please visit me! https://disneyparksmomspanel.disney.go.com/meet-the-moms/panelist/lindsey-p-416/
So after reading the article and looking at warning signs…..what’s your take on level of motion sickness or fear feeling. The part that kind of worries me is the part that says if your afraid of heights. So just wanted to get your take on the ride experience over all
There is a large factor for motion sickness. If you cannot ride Star Tours or Soarin’ without feeling sick, do not ride Flight of Passage. As far as heights go, you are firmly held into your “bike,” so I never felt like I was falling, just turned downwards. I wouldn’t get on a glass floor in a skyscraper, but this was safely thrilling.
My 9 yr old daughter broke her ankle and we will be visiting Animal Kingdom in 2 weeks. Is this ride wiggly? With not being able to bend her leg cast, would she still fit in the chair?
The ride is a simulator, much like a cross between Star Tours and Soarin’. Your body is stationary in a moving chair, so you may want to think about if a shifting motion (scoops, rises, drops, etc) will have an effect painwise. I would go ahead and make a FastPass+ and try the chair out front – it’s really the only way to see if her ankle or leg will fit safely 🙂 Ask a CM for help, and have FUN!
Hi. Thanks for the great information on the seat. So My mom who is in her early seventies is coming with us. She’s got awful knees and is unable to flex to 90 degrees. Thoughts on being able to ride?
Thank you for the kind words!! I think this would be a great situation for the test seat, but not being able to bend to 90 degrees may really hinder her sitting down. There’s no complete way to tell until she’s in the test seat… perhaps if she tilted her hips and leaned into the chest pad it would allow her to have less of an angle? I hope this helps a bit. Let me know how it goes!
My question is how big is to big of a person to ride this ride? We have a large family ..200- 315 pounds. Are we too big to ride This?
Hi! I have a family member just under 6′ at around 200 and they were extremely comfortable on the ride. I don’t know if I can answer “how buig is too big” as I’ve seen all sorts of folks (round, tall, short, ADA) board the ride and enjoy it. I would recommend trying out the test seat at the front of the line, which is a lot like a Jetski. BigFatPanda.com was at the Grand Opening in 2017 and rode comfortably, you may want to take a peek at his YouTube review. I hope you have a magical vacation!
Our family just went to AK in March. Had a fast Pass for flight of passage and Loved it but unfortunately my husband could not ride b/c of his bad hip from years of basketball. He could not get his legs spread far enough to sit in the motor-cycle style seat! I felt horrible for him but Disney made it all better when they offered us 3 FP is use on any other ride! The kids were thrilled!!!
Oh wow I’m glad that story had a happy ending. I hope your husband enjoyed his trip, too. Thank you for leaving your comments! 🙂 chEARS!