Credit: ITM (Left), Alice S. (Right)Multiple animatronic figures have vanished from the Walt Disney World Resort over the last week.
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The Walt Disney World Resort has undergone severe change over the last decade, with brand new, state-of-the-art rides and attractions opening to guests, exciting new lands to explore, and new restaurants to try.
Some of the most notable additions to Walt Disney World include Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, a thrilling roller coaster located at EPCOT, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, an immersive dark ride in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a brand-new log flume ride at the Magic Kingdom.
However, few Disney World experiences hold a candle to Pandora – The World of Avatar. Pandora was easily the most ambitious theme park project undertaken by The Walt Disney Company at the time and remains one of Disney’s most impressive and impressive expansions to date.
This land opened in 2017 and includes several areas to explore, featuring a quick-service location, a gift shop and two main attractions. The land’s two rides, Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey are some of the most popular rides at the entire resort.
However, both of these rides recently experienced a disappointing update involving their two main animatronics.
Na’vi Animatronic Goes Missing in Disney World
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As guests make their way through the queue for Flight of Passage, they will enter a lab dedicated to researching Na’vi life, culture, and biology. This is one of the most highly detailed areas in all of Walt Disney World, with dozens of experiments and Avatar-themed props lurking around every twist and turn.
This area also includes Flight of Passage’s infamous Na’vi animatronic, which is seen floating in a water-filled tube.
However, as revealed in a social media post, this gigantic, highly detailed animatronic figure was removed from the queue recently.
What?!?! No Jake Sully in the flight of Passage queue??? Since when? pic.twitter.com/jQHIeqCvDJ
— Disney Clips Guy (@disneytipsguy) July 28, 2024
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“What?!?! No Jake Sully in the flight of Passage queue???,” said Twitter/X user disneytipsguy. “Since when?” It’s unclear when precisely this animatronic was removed, though its absence can certainly be felt by guests who make their way through the line for Flight of Passage.
While the ride experience is great and often praised by guests, this large Na’vi animatronic is one of the attraction’s biggest draws. It’s unclear why the animatronic was removed or when it will return.
This is not the first time Disney fans have seen a Na’vi animatronic vanish from the theme parks, as a similar situation unfolded on Na’vi River Journey this week as well.
Na’Vi River Journey Animatronic Removed
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On July 30, it was reported that the Na’vi Shaman animatronic at the end of Na’vi River Journey had also been inexplicably removed from the ride.
A video from Twitter/X user disneytipsguy shows off the “B mode” screen that Disney sets up when it removes the animatronic figure from its stand.
“B” mode Shaman! Noooooooooo! At least they don’t shut it down!
“B” mode Shaman! Noooooooooo!
At least they don’t shut it down! pic.twitter.com/CxSsLRMLYN
— Disney Clips Guy (@disneytipsguy) July 30, 2024
It’s unknown what caused Disney to remove the animatronic, but guests were certainly quick to notice. This specific figure reportedly cost Disney over $20 million, indicating the animatronic found in the Flight of Passage queue was not cheap either.
Disney will often include a “B mode” on rides for situations like this, allowing for the story of the ride to continue even if an animatronic may not be working.
The previously mentioned Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is equipped with backup screens in case animatronics fail or need to be refurbished.
Do you enjoy visiting Pandora – The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World?