At this point, we're wondering if we'll ever actually see a sequel to Avatar in theaters, much less four of them. However, if you're dying to return to Pandora, then might we suggest Walt Disney World this summer? The new segment of Disney's Animal Kingdom that has been dedicated to the world of Avatar is very nearly open to the public and the park has begun to tease the two major attractions that will be part of the experience. First, we have the Na'vi River Journey, which is about as far from the Jungle Cruise as you can get.
While Avatar is not a brand under the Disney umbrella, it seems to be one of the few franchises where this is the case, the company entered into a deal with James Cameron to bring Pandora to life in the parks. For the Na'vi River Journey the park promises that "every moment tells a story, and every bend sings a song." You'll be surrounded by the unique plant and animal life that Cameron created in Avatar. Knowing what Disney is capable of doing in their parks, we honestly expect the real thing to look fairly similar to the promotional video.
If a pleasant boat ride is not your thing, you'll likely prefer the exhilarating experience of soaring through the air. To that end, there's a second major attraction as part of Pandora, the Avatar Flight of Passage. There you'll have the opportunity to ride a banshee through the skies above the park.
The new World of Avatar is just part of a major expansion that is taking place at all Disney Parks around the world. Star Wars lands are currently under construction on both coasts with an eye to opening in 2019. In addition, a Toy Story Land is being built as Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is currently being resigned as Guardians of the Galaxy: Breakout at Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, which is reported to be the first part of a larger Marvel based expansion in the park.
While there are reasons to be critical of Disney's mass consumption of all pop culture everywhere, as a fan it has to be said that being able to go to one place and experience all your favorite movies as if you were there has a certain appeal. As Avatar shows, it's not even necessary that the property be a Disney brand, literally anything is possible in the parks.
Perhaps, if the new Avatar Land is popular enough it will get all the right people off their butts to make an actual Avatar 2. We're not real confident that will happen, but crazier things have happened.
