After Avatar released in late 2009, there were reports of a phenomenon called 'Avatar Blues' or 'The Pandora Effect', that described how after leaving the utopic and immersive world of the film, audiences became depressed that such a place did not exist and they could not experience its wonders. Sadly, in the (almost) decade since Avatar we aren't much closer to getting to a real Pandora. However Pandora-The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom Park provides a great facsimile. For those looking to visit Pandora, Disney World is currently running an amazing contest that will allow the winner to experience it in a one-of-a-kind way.
The D-Camp contest provides one lucky winner and their guest with the opportunity to glamp (glamorous camping) for one night in luxury under the stars, as well as under the floating mountains at Pandora-The World of Avatar in the Animal Kingdom Park. The night of glamping includes a luxurious tent and custom curated experiences as you and your guest get to enjoy the magic of the park at night with VIP access. The winner of the contest receives the one-night glamping experience as a part of a 4-day/3-night Walt Disney World package that includes round-trip airfare and accommodations. The prize also includes 4-day Magic Your Way tickets with Park Hopper for the winner and his/her guest so that they can experience all that Walt Disney World has to offer as well as access to VIP Tour Guides, a $250 Disney gift card and a Memory Maker package that comes with unlimited Disney PhotoPass photos.
Now, that you are thoroughly sold, here's how you can enter to win this once-in-a-lifetime experience and enjoy the magic of Pandora. To enter the contest, all you have to do is go to the D-Camp Contest website and submit a video saying why you deserve an escape to your happy place at Walt Disney World. There are some specific rules about the format of the video that you can check out on the site but basically you just need to be creative and say why you deserve to win. Entries will be accepted until June 21st and if you win, you have to be able to travel for the prize from July 28th to July 31st of this year.
Short of discovery of a Pandora-like utopia and mastering faster-than-light travel, I can't think of a better way to cure some Avatar Blues than winning this contest. The best part of Avatar was the world-building, and Disney has by all accounts done a masterful job with capturing the majesty of Pandora at the Animal Kingdom Park. With enough money you can go to Walt Disney World and visit this park and pay for tour guides and such, but this glamping experience, getting to sleep next to the floating mountains and with the bioluminescence all around you is something you can't buy, making it truly special. I also get the impression that the VIP access might mean that you get to ride the rides when nobody else is there or hop to the front of the line with VIP access. Given the wait times for Avatar Flight of Passage, that would be a huge prize unto itself.
Those eager to have a new adventure in James Cameron's world of Pandora will finally be getting one soon-ish. Avatar 2, the sequel to the reigning box office king, is now shooting with an eye on a December 18, 2020 release date.
