Na’vi River Journey Overview | Disney’s Animal Kingdom Attractions

Journey into the majestic World of Avatar on a boat. This ride will take you deep into the bioluminescent rainforest to see the unique plant and animal life that Pandora has to offer.

Ride Overview

The Na’vi River Journey opened at the end of May in 2017. It has since become one of the most popular rides inside of the Animal Kingdom park. It is based on the world portrayed in the movie Avatar. The Na’vi River Journey is an immersive 4.5 minute long in the dark that features bioluminescent plant and animal life. This is probably one of the darkest boat rides as the only light comes from the beautifully glowing animals and plants that are seen in this attraction. However, the darkness lends itself well to the overall feel of the ride.

The boat for this ride transports guests through the Pandora jungle and to the Shaman of Songs. The animatronic Shaman of Songs is extremely realistic and on par with the feature film this ride is based off of, Avatar, providing a beautifully immersive experience. The audio-animatronic is probably the most realistic one that Disney has ever created to date.

Map 

Location & Wait Times

The Na’vi River Journey attraction is located inside of Pandora – The World of Avatar, in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It is situated right next to Pandora’s other ride, Flight of Passage. This attraction is almost directly underneath the “floating” rocks and surrounded by the plant life that is modeled after the film Avatar, creating a remarkable view no matter what direction you look.

The wait times for this ride are quite high, during all hours of the day. If you are looking to make the most of your time in Animal Kingdom, Pandora and the Na’vi River Journey should be your first stop. Although the wait times are high, the Pandora world is so beautiful that it is easy to forget about the wait. 

Queue Experience 

Although the queue for this attraction does not have much overhang in terms of how long the wait is, which can be difficult during heavy rain or full sun, it is probably the most natural and beautiful queue in all of Walt Disney World.  Walking through the queue is like walking through a botanical garden or jungle. There is a covered area but it is closer to where to ride loads.

Guests are met with a variety of plants. Some are real and some are fake and modeled after those in the Avatar movie. Throughout the walk there are also small waterfalls covered with rocks and moss. Guests will walk over a wooden bridge that adds to the jungle feel of Pandora. The bridge leads to the covered area filled with beaded art, carved roots, and beautiful lanterns that add to the authenticity of this world. Near the end guests enter a cave area that leads them to their boats.