Credit: DisneyGuests don’t have long left to snag one of Walt Disney World’s most unique pieces of merchandise before it goes extinct.
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While Walt Disney World is full of iconic roller coasters and classic dark rides, a big chunk of the resort’s success hinges on new ideas. This is why the last five or so years have been exceptionally transformational for Walt Disney World, with several new rides and attractions, notably Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle / Run, opening to the park-going public.
However, one could argue Disney World’s first steps into the modern era of theme parks began in 2017 when Pandora – The World of Avatar officially opened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
This incredibly detailed, highly immersive land was Disney’s answer to Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which first opened in 2010. By all accounts, this was a major step forward for the theme park industry, with Universal using the Harry Potter brand to create a fully realized world filled with attractions, characters, and experiences around every corner.
Disney also wanted its own immersive land, however, it did not have the rights to use the Harry Potter license. Instead, Disney turned to James Cameron’s blockbusting Avatar franchise for its next major theme park expansion.
About Pandora – The World of Avatar
Journey to an awe-inspiring land that celebrates the magnificent power of nature.
Located within Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, Pandora – The World of Avatar provides eco-tourists the opportunity to join Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE) for the transformational experience of a lifetime—filled with unforgettable expeditions, floating mountains, a bioluminescent forest, winged mountain banshees and more.
In partnership with ACE, visitors of every age will have the chance to explore the values and culture of this exotic place and to celebrate the striking beauty and overwhelming power of the natural world.
Welcome to Pandora—a world similar to Earth… but distinctly unique in so many ways!
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Pandora – The World of Avatar opened in 2017, ushering in an exciting new age for the Walt Disney World Resort and the theme park industry as a whole.
Equipped with two state-of-the-art attractions, a quick-service restaurant, a gift shop, and stunning interactive environments, Pandora was everything Disney had dreamt up and more. The company delivered on its promise of providing an ultra-immersive destination for guests to visit, just like Universal’s Harry Potter land.
Of course, Disney faced the issue of Avatar simply not being as big of a franchise as Harry Potter, at least culturally, though one could argue Disney was playing the long game, putting its faith entirely in James Cameron. Avatar: The Way of Water hit theaters in December of 2022, solidifying the Avatar brand as both a cultural and box office phenomenon, grossing over $2 billion worldwide.
This meant Disney’s investment paid off, with Pandora now often being considered one of the company’s most impressive theme park experiences the company had ever created.
However, the Na’vi magic is running out for one specific item inside Pandora – The World of Avatar, with guests not having much time left to snag one of the land’s premier souvenirs.
Time Is Running Out
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As is the case with most, if not all, new Disney theme park expansions, a gift shop opened alongside Pandora in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Officially called Windtraders, this shop is the premier destination for guests looking to take a piece of Pandora home with them (quite literally), featuring dozens of trinkets and gifts.
Of course, guests can purchase typical theme park fare like shirts, picture frames, magnets, and keychains, but Windtraders is also home to one of Disney World’s most unique and innovative souvenirs yet: the banshee.
These miniature representations of one of the most important creatures in the Avatar world lit the Disney theme park community on fire, selling out instantly back when Pandora officially opened at Walt Disney World.
These banshees are incredibly unique in that they let guests puppeteer them with cleverly designed levers and handles, allowing users to bring their pets to life as it rests on their shoulder.
The technology used in the shoulder banshee would carry over to the Kowakian Monkey Lizard souvenir when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2019. Disney won the IAAPA Judges Choice award for the design of the shoulder banshee when it was released, becoming one of the more popular items at the parks.
However, supplies of the original versions of these items are running incredibly low, with Walt Disney World cast members reportedly informing guests that banshee stock is nearly gone.
According to BlogMickey, Disney is set to debut a new electronic version of the banshee soon. Cast members do not know when exactly this will happen, but the manually-controlled banshees will soon be gone.
Guests will still be able to purchase the new version, but this seems like the final call for those looking to get an original Pandora banshee.
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More on Windtraders at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
Discover exotic merchandise and souvenirs celebrating the flora, fauna and culture of Pandora.
As you trek through the Valley of Mo’ara, make your way to Windtraders, where the walls have long since been overtaken by natural root structures—which nowadays serve as still-growing displays for a variety of mementos and take-home treasures.
From Na’vi cultural artifacts and animal toys to science kits and Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE) apparel, you’ll find something exciting for every member of the family here!
ACE Avatar Maker
Take home an incredible keepsake of your journey through the Valley of Mo’ara by creating your very own avatar!
Using the latest technologies, an Alpha Centauri Expedition Scan Technician will capture your facial features and upload your unique data profile onto the Hybrid Digitizing System. Choose from a variety of body types to customize your avatar—plus, a range of eye colors, facial striping patterns and hairstyles!
Once you’ve completed your selections, your avatar will generate in a state-of-the-art ACE Avatar Maker Fabricator. Be sure to check out available accessories before you continue your expeditions throughout Pandora.
Please note: No reservations are required for this experience. To participate, simply visit the ACE Avatar Maker booth located inside Windtraders.
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As stated earlier, Pandora is home to two incredible rides. The first is Na’vi River Journey, a slow, relaxing boat ride through the world of Pandora. Guests will witness the bioluminescence of Pandora during the “nighttime” as they encounter both friendly and not-so-friendly creatures.
The ride culminates in an unforgettable encounter with a Na’vi Shaman audio-animatronic. This figure is one of Walt Disney Imagineering’s most impressive and ambitious to date, featuring dozens of points of movement and lifelike animation.
More on Na’vi River Journey at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
A Mystical River Ride
Feel a sense of wonder as the full beauty of the extraordinary dreamscape unfolds before your eyes.
On this visually stunning and mysterious river, you’ll glide through a series of caves and into a bioluminescent rainforest alive with the sights and sounds of exotic plants and creatures on all sides—even overhead.
Soon, you’ll join the legendary Na’vi Shaman of Songs, who demonstrates her deep connection to the life force of Pandora—and sends positive energy out into the forest through the power of her music.
Na’vi River Journey offers explorers an experience that has to be seen—and heard—to be believed!
Avatar Flight of Passage is arguably one of Disney’s best attractions of all time and is highly rated among guests. This experience is similar to Soarin’ Around the World at EPCOT and Star Tours at Hollywood Studios, blending 3D technology with ultra-immersive projection screening.
More on Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
Amazing Aerial Adventures Await
Board your own mountain banshee and embark on a thrilling expedition, where interstellar explorers like you get an up-close look at this moon’s incredible landscape.
Bonding with a banshee is a crucial step in the life of a Na’vi hunter on Pandora—and flying on the back of one of these powerful creatures is an important rite of passage.
Now, as a visitor to Pandora, you finally have the chance to test yourself like a Na’vi!
© 20th Century Studios. JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR is a trademark of 20th Century Studios. All rights reserved.
More on Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
What’s next for Disney and Avatar? The company recently announced its plans to build a new version of Pandora on the West Coast. That’s right, Avatar is coming to the original Disneyland Resort.
Only time will tell what this iteration of Pandora looks like, with Disney only showing concept art and vague details regarding the expansion.
Disney CEO Bob Iger and Parks and Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro have both expressed excitement about the project, leading fans to expect a worthy successor to the original version of Pandora in Animal Kingdom.
The exact location and release date for Disneyland’s Pandora are unconfirmed at this time, though guests can expect to see changes take place soon.
This is true for all of the Disney theme parks, with big changes, projects, and updates taking place all over the globe. Magic Kingdom is at an especially interesting point in time, with several new rides and attractions opening and a few fan-favorite experiences closing forever.
Disney dropped a big bombshell during its D23 event in August, revealing a new expansion based on Pixar’s Cars franchise would be coming to Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland. To make way for this large expansion, Disney confirmed it would be getting rid of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America, two iconic parts of one of history’s most cherished theme parks.
Again, exact dates are unconfirmed, but guests can expect to see construction start in Frontierland soon.
Do you enjoy visiting Pandora – The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World? What’s your favorite Disney theme park land?