Disney Creator Days: Soaring on Animal Kingdom’s Avatar, Expedition Everest

Fresh off of a trip to Los Angeles to watch the upcoming Shazam! movie, I hopped on a red eye flight from LAX to MCO thanks to Walt Disney World‘s invitation to their first “Creator Days.” Creator Days is centered around bringing in some of social media’s top influencers, offering behind the scenes looks and exclusive access to some of the Disney Parks’ most exciting rides.

Needless to say, the cross-country flight wasn’t a great hotel and running on about three hours of sleep wasn’t ideal. However, a jolt from coffee paired with a live-taping of Julie Foudy’s Laughter Permitted podcast at Epcot was an appropriate way to start such a day.

Then, the Disney magic kicks in. Now with a group of other “influencers” who quickly turned into friends (such as Amymarie Gartner and Disney expert Leo Camacho). After a lap around Epcot’s World Showcase and only trying one giant donut and school bread (which were delicious, but I could have been more adventurous with some Japanese options or other Norwegian tastes), it was time to head over to the Animal Kingdom. The friends had a private safari scheduled and I wanted to experience the Avatar ride everyone had been hyping up since I arrived. Spoiler alert: it delivers on the hype.

Safari

Though I didn’t tag along on the private safari which the friends had scheduled (my itinerary includes a private experience of the Wreck-It Ralph VR ride for Thursday), I did head out on the Animal Kingdom’s standard safari.

Having only experienced the safaris at Nashville’s zoo and Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, there isn’t an abundant amount of animal-encounters I have to compare Animal Kingdom’s reserve to. It’s easy to rule this is the longest, largest experience of them all. 

The Animal Kingdom’s Harambe Wildlife Reserve sprawls more than 800 acres, offering up looks at more than 800 animals — some of which had previously dropped down to a count of 17 living animals as a species in the past, enough to define them as extinct. Hippos, elephants, rhinos, and ancoli cattle are among the most exciting animals according to the “Ooh!” and “Aah!” of those on board the covered truck. However, its a shocking reality from the knowledgable driver that some of these animals will be to these kids’ grandchildren as dinosaurs are to every human generation: extinct and existing only in the past.

The ride got a bit bumpy, spanning abut 20 minutes, but remaining compelling, informative, and fun throughout!

Expedition Everest

On the more intense side of Animal Kingdom is the highly-praised Expedition Everest. Boasting a massive mountain to replicate the look of the famous mountain which it gets its name from, the roller coaster becomes not only an up and down thrill ride but also a thought-provoking journey.

Mild spoilers for the Expedition Everest ride follow! 

Going onto the ride as a newbie with no knowledge of the track (other than it offers a giant animatronic yeti, at some point), it was a surprise to see the track lift up off of the ground and split at the top of a hill. Moments after stopping here, getting the impression that said yeti had destroyed our journey, we start falling backwards and burning through helix elements with no sight of what is coming next.

After getting going in a forward direction again, the ride offer a steep drop, a fun photo op, and gets even the bravest passengers to offer up a scream.

Plus, the giant yeti is pretty alarming, even though it is surprising possible to miss given its massive nature in such a dark setting and blowing past it at a high speed!

Avatar: Flight of Passage

Perhaps the most immersive experience I have ever been a part of, Animal Kingdom’s Avatar: Flight of Passage transports guests into an Avatar’s body.

It’s immersive from the queue line, in fact. Pulling references straight from James Cameron’s film which happens to be the highest-grossing movie of all-time at the worldwide box office, guests are transported to another world before the ride begins. A screen comes on about 15-minutes before reaching the ride, offering an interactive experience as riders are “decontaminated” to appropriately mesh with their respective Avatars.

As a means to keep the ride fresh and spoiler-free, let’s cut to the ride itself: 3-D glasses, a motorized and mounted seat, and a beautifully computerized cinematic journey.

Using the all of the senses of feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting (if you keep your mouth open to catch some of the water throw at you which isn’t recommended, so stick to four senses), the ride picks up every little detail to convince riders they are flying through Pandora. Subtle details like the motorized seat expanding between riders’ legs to offer the feeling of the Ikran they are riding catching its breathe really offer the full sense of immersion and thrill.

It’s unlike any ride, anywhere. 

Creator Days

As ComicBook.com’s time at Disney World and aboard the Disney Cruise over the weekend continues, feel free to drop requests into the comment section in regards to what you want to see!

Do you want to see Star Wars Land? Do you want to see the latest developments and the Magic Kingdom? Let us know or send your requests my way on Twitter, @BrandonDavisBD, and be sure to check back for more from Disney’s Creator Days!