Kaltxí, expeditioners! We’re exploring how chemistry, biology, and engineering come together to help celebrate the magic of nature and create the beautiful land of Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
Sivako! Let’s rise to the challenge, and take a look at the science behind the magic to see how bioluminescence and an exo-carrier utility suit bring a whole new perspective to Pandora – The World of Avatar!
Bioluminescence
What is it?Bioluminescence is the production and biochemical emission of light by a living organism.
How do we use it?Every bioluminescent plant found in Pandora was hand-sculpted by Walt Disney Imagineering so that the glowing plants would be photorealistic. These plants are also mixed in with real plants to make them look more natural to the environment.
Where do we use it?As nighttime descends upon Pandora – The World of Avatar, the dramatic daytime beauty of the land transforms to glow by night when Pandora’s bioluminescent fauna and flora comes to life. You can also journey into a bioluminescent rainforest on Na’vi River Journey.
Pandora Conservation Initiative Utility Suit
What is it?Perched ten feet high, a human pilot can strap into the co*ckpit of the Pandora Conservation Initiative (PCI) Utility Suit and control its powerful, yet agile movements. The giant walking suit was designed with articulated hands and a shoulder span of more than five feet.The Utility Suit was designed to study flora, collect plant samples, and move around Pandora’s terrain.
How do we use it?Lightstorm Entertainment provided a digital 3D model to Walt Disney Imagineering, who developed the physical suit based on the model.
Where do we use it?You can meet aPandoraRanger operating the Exo-Carrier UtilitySuiton your adventures inPandora.As the suit’s pilot(or toweringPandoraRanger) can often be seen taking the suit through its paces near Pongu Pongu, all the while he interactswith guests, sharing details about the land’s otherworldly landscape, and highlighting the importance of preserving nature.
So, next time you visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom, be sure to immerse yourself in the wonder of night and the storytelling of the land’s natives!
Ready to learn more? Check out our science programs atWalt Disney World Resortfor a discovery behind the magic at some of our most popular attractions for a real-world application of physics, gravity, and much more.
Sign up for our e-newsletter to stay up to date on all things Disney Youth Programs and be sure to check out all of ourDisney Youth Education Series programswhere we make our parks your classroom.
FAQs
Pandora – The World of Avatar is a themed area inspired by James Cameron's Avatar located within Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando.
On which attraction in Pandora: The World of Avatar will gas encounter a banshee? ›
Avatar Flight of Passage launches each guest on an exhilarating, wind-in-your-face experience on a winged mountain banshee over the awe-inspiring world of Pandora. Guests will actually feel the banshee breathe beneath them as they soar through the forest and past floating mountains.
Which attraction in Pandora: The World of Avatar showcase the Na Vi Shaman of songs? ›
The Shaman of Songs is a revered Na'vi shaman that appears in the Na'vi River Journey ride in the theme park attraction Pandora: The World of Avatar. In the ride, she is portrayed by an Audio-Animatronic, a lifelike robot created by Disney Imagineers.
What type of relationship can be seen between all of Pandora's organisms? ›
On Pandora, everything in nature is connected. The Na'vi worship this connection as a personified deity called Eywa, but it's more than just a matter of religious faith. Eywa represents a real neural network connecting all the plant and animal life of Pandora.
Can Pandora exist in real life? ›
The movie is set on the fictional Pandora, one of the many moons of a fictional Saturn-sized gas giant, Polyphemus, which is located in the real Alpha Centauri system, which at nearly 4.4 light-years away is the closest star system to Earth.
How far is Pandora from Earth? ›
In the film, Pandora is depicted as being located in the Alpha Centauri A system, 4.37 ly from Earth. It is one of the many natural satellites orbiting the gas giant Polyphemus, named for the Polyphemus of Greek mythology.
How much did the Navi animatronic cost? ›
Did you know the Na'vi Shaman animatronic at disney's animal kindgom cost $23 million!!
Why do humans want Pandora in Avatar? ›
Why did humans come to Pandora? The year is 2154 and Earth has run down its own natural resources. The main conflict of the movie arises because a group called the Resources Development Administration, or RDA, wants to mine a mineral found on Pandora called unobtanium (yes, really).
What do the NA vi fly on? ›
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.
How do avatars mate? ›
Arranged pairings occur in certain clans, especially between heirs of the clan leader and tsahìk. Once an appropriate mate has been selected, a process that can take many years, the pair will connect queues at a sacred area such as the Tree of Voices to create an emotional bond that lasts a lifetime.
The ecology of the lush exomoon Pandora, which teems with a biodiversity of bioluminescent species ranging from hexapodal animals to other types of exotic fauna and flora, forms a vast neural network spanning the entire lunar surface into which the Na'vi and other creatures can connect.
Why can't humans successfully inhabit Pandora? ›
Pandora's air is unbreathable due to high levels of carbon dioxide and trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide, posing a threat to humans. Humans use exopacks and avatar bodies to survive and explore Pandora's toxic atmosphere, but these solutions have limitations and challenges.
Is Pandora supposed to be Earth in Avatar? ›
Pandora, called Eywa's Child by the Na'vi (Na'vi name: Eywa'eveng), is an Earth-like habitable extrasolar moon from the Alpha Centauri System, the closest star system to humanity's own Solar System. It is the fifth moon of the gas giant Polyphemus, which orbits Alpha Centauri A.
Is Pandora a real thing? ›
Pandora, a potato-shaped moon, is coated in a fine (dust-sized) icy material. Even the craters on Pandora are coated in debris, a stark contrast to the crisply-defined craters of other moons, such as Hyperion. Curious grooves and ridges also appear to cross the surface of the small moon.
What is Pandora from Avatar based on? ›
There are six key locations across the globe that inspired Pandora, according to Dream Yacht Worldwide. These are: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and the Huangshan Mountains in China, Glowworm Caves in New Zealand, Mount Roraima and Angel Falls in Venezuela, and the Hawaii'an tropical rainforests.
Does Pandora still light up at night? ›
Does Pandora glow or light up at night? Yes, the glow effect is one of the most magical things to witness after dark at Walt Disney World. The World of Avatar glows a bioluminescence hue each night.
