The World of Pandora
- navakallc
- Aug 5, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 12, 2024
It’s a wistful summer, one where every sunset digs up a fresh new memory, lost in the setting rays, casting a light on the world. This specific sunset reminded me of my trip this summer, specifically the world of Pandora at Animal Kingdom, Disney. It was a truly magical sight, walking under the beams, the vines dangling in front of me, about to embark on a ride; a ride that would transport me to a different world.
Pandora is a world of avatars and the Navi people, based on the movie Avatar directed by James Cameron. The world is full of blue creatures who are one with the nature, and it’s truly a magical world. There’s a classic structure in all the movies, a huge archway made of stone, underlain with vines, crooks the characters hang out in and most importantly, the view from the top.
It’s surreal, the way the water glistens in the movie, the sun sets and the moon shines when you’re watching the view on the big screen. You feel a part of it, the Ikran (velociraptor-like creatures) flying around, zooming in and out of view. That was what I envisioned in my head when I stepped into the Pandora section of Animal Kingdom, the line already protruding outside way past the section barricades at 8am in the morning.
The world of pandora completely fulfilled my fantasy as I stepped into the section, the famous arch high above my head, the area filled with fake tropical plants from the region, vines hanging low, stepping into the line for an experience of a lifetime. As we entered the main building, the room became dark, with various machinery and copies of DNA replication used by characters in the movie to convert them into Navi. It felt like we were a part of an experiment, stepping into chambers to make sure we were “virus free” and finally stepping into the main room.
The virtual reality experience was unique, with a scientist on video getting us to do certain movements with our hands so that we were captured on the screen in front of us. It made us feel like we were truly going to perform the DNA replication and get converted into the revered creatures of the Pandora world, finally stepping into the final book and taking our seats.
All of a sudden, the walls in front of us disappeared, and our seats starting rising and tilting forwards. We all looked at each other, eager for the ride to begin. Suddenly, there was a creature in front of us, on his own personal Ikran, asking us to follow him. The chairs were built so that it felt like we were truly sitting on a creature as it took flight, diving through waterfalls and making close escapes past rocky cliffs.
At one point of time, we entered a cave on the screen, the virtual reality experience feeling real as hundreds of crystals glowed in front of us, my hand reaching out to grab it as if they were real. My eyes big and bright with joy, the screen changed scenes as the chair vibrated upwards. Up and up it went until our fake guide on the screen waved goodbye, and the lights came on.
We were thrown back into reality, not quite ready to leave the world of Pandora just yet. Though like with all good things, this experience came to an end as well, and we were pummeled back to reality, taking the wonders of the magic world and the magic of Disney back with us.