Get ready to journey to Pandora! First look at Disney’s Avatar theme park

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

James Cameron‘s world of Pandora is about to become a reality at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Plans and concept art were revealed at Japan's D23 Expo and from the looks of it there are some pretty intricate designs and a very immersive environment on the horizon, especially for AVATAR fanatics. Tom Staggs, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts posted this info and images on the DisneyParks blog, which highlight the overall concept of the themed world.

"As these concept renderings show in epic scale, in the world of AVATAR guests will encounter awe-inspiring floating mountains and wander through a nighttime jungle of bioluminescent plants that are alive with light and sound. Guests will also discover what it feels like to soar into the sky riding a Banshee," said Staggs.

Take a gander at what they have planned below (including video!):

Staggs elaborated on the planned theme, saying, "As part of the largest expansion in the history of the park, we’ll be adding all-new entertainment experiences, including a new nighttime spectacular where live music, floating lanterns, water screens and swirling animal imagery all combine to bring a show to Discovery River that will delight our guests and truly cap off their day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom."

It sounds pretty cool to me, although I'm not the biggest fan of the film itself. Still, there's no denying the technical marvel that director James Cameron created with AVATAR and I have no doubt this will go over like gangbusters to the masses. I don't know how the hell they're going to pull off flying on banshee's (likely a video experience), but I'm intrigued just the same. Theme parks have grown exponentially throughout the years that it seems the imagination is the only limit and Pandora seems as ripe an environment to develop as any.

Production on the AVATAR-themed park began this year and is expected to take about 5 years to complete.