Five Things to Know About Avatar Flight of Passage

When Avatar Flight of Passage opened in 2017, it immediately established itself as the most popular attraction in Animal Kingdom – and it remains so today. The ride employs 3D glasses and unique ride vehicles to create the illusion of flying on the back of a banshee; it’s one of the most technologically advanced rides that Disney’s Imagineers have ever produced. Read on to find out why this attraction remains a must-ride for Animal Kingdom visitors. But if you’d rather skip ahead and learn all about the whys, whats and wheres of this attraction, here’s your shortcut.

1. The queue is an attraction in itself.

The queue for Avatar Flight of Passage may be the most elaborate queue in any theme park. Period. You approach the attraction by wandering through the landscape of Pandora. Waterfalls, exotic vegetation, and the amazing floating mountains line the walkway. You wind through abandoned cave dwellings where wall paintings and markings tell the story of the Na’vi, the inhabitants of Pandora. You continue through more jungle and rocks as they transition to an industrial-looking space, until you arrive at the research laboratory of the Pandora Conservation Initiative (PCI).

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the lab is the Na’vi avatar, suspended in a large, fluid-filled tube. The peaceful floating figure is the only animatronic in the attraction. Fingers twitch or legs move periodically, adding to the realism of what you’re seeing. You could spend a lot of time in the lab noting what the screens are reporting and which experiments are being conducted. It’s immersive, incredibly detailed, and endlessly fascinating, a tribute to the Imagineers’ creativity and devotion to detail.

The lab’s exit leads to a 16-person chamber. Here you view preshow one, designed to help prepare for your flight. Before you’re “matched” to an avatar, you’ll undergo a “parasite decontamination procedure”. Another “process” matches you with an Avatar based on “genetic material matching” (and no, you don’t have to submit a DNA sample).

You’ll then move to an orientation room for preshow number two. There, Dr. Ogden explains the Rite of Passage ceremony you’ll be experiencing. She explains that you’ll link to an avatar already on the back of a banshee by sitting in one of the 16 link chairs.

After the pre-shows, you’ll be offered the chance to use the chicken exit, so if you decide not to ride the attraction, you can still enjoy the impressive queue.

2. You’ll find yourself a-banshee-back.

Entering the link room, you’ll mount a unique ride vehicle; it’s shaped a bit like a motorcycle. Then the room darkens, lights flash, and you’re “linked” to your avatar on the back of a banshee, allowing you to see and feel what your avatar experiences.

The flight sequence is done incredibly well. You’ll fly through bioluminescent forests, over oceans, and through valleys. Thanks to your link chair and 3D glasses, you’ll really feel as if you’re on the back of a banshee! Your experience is augmented with numerous sensory efforts, including wind gusts, light mists, and the scents of the Pandora landscape. Throughout the ride, airbags at your legs gently inflate and deflate to simulate the banshee’s breathing. While most of the ride involves flying, there are a few moments when the banshee stops to rest. This is a great time to really look around! Each moment of the ride film is layered with so many details that you’ll see something new every time.

The ride vehicles are arranged in three rows, each of which has its own platform. These lift as the ride begins, and you’ll find yourself immersed in the huge multi-story screen for your flight. All seats have an excellent ride, but we think riders toward the middle of the room have a better range of vision. You can turn your head almost 90° either way, and about 45° up and down, to survey the Pandoran landscape.

The ride experience lasts a bit more than 4 minutes and is very smooth. Many (but not all) riders who have problems with motion sickness on screen-based rides report that they are able to ride Flight of Passage. But if you’re still uncertain about whether a banshee ride is in your future, you can check out our Ride Wimp’s review.

3. A bit of Banshee background.

Disney signed director James Cameron to a theme park development deal in 2011 based on his 2009 blockbuster, Avatar. When Disney told him they wanted to do a banshee ride, Cameron described what he was hoping for as a sort of “Soarin’ Over Pandora.” Actual work on the attraction began in 2012. Imagineers worked with folks from Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and Weta Digital to create the ride.

Rather than directly integrating Avatar’s main characters or storylines, Disney set the land’s narrative a generation after the events of the first film. In this version of Pandora, the Na’vi and humans have made peace, transforming the once-exploited moon into an ecotourism destination and a hub for scientific research.

As the attraction’s prototype was being tested, Na’vi language creator Paul Frommer was asked to ride. He then advised the team on how to utilize the spoken Na’vi language. Jon Landau, one of the producers of Avatar, also rode the work in progress and shared his thoughts about changes that could be made.

Thanks to this collaboration, when Avatar Flight of Passage debuted as Pandora’s headlining attraction on May 27, 2017, it was an immediate success. So much so that it routinely drew waits of three to four (and occasionally as much as six!) hours, and a bathroom was eventually installed in the queue.

4. Secrets of the Na’vi revealed.

⭐ PCI lockers in the lab area of the queue area contain books, one of which is Jane Goodall’s Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey. This inclusion deliberately, but subtly, helps underscore the attraction’s theme of conservation.

⭐ One of the walls in the ride’s exit features a set of three red handprints with the initials JC, JR, and JL. These are the actual handprints of James Cameron, Joe Rohde, and Jon Landau.

⭐ When you exit the caves in the queue, you come to an old RDA area with corrugated metal walls. The words JC Shoring 08.16.54 appear on them for a reason: JC is James Cameron, whose birthday is August 16, 1954.

⭐ As your ride “lands” on the coast, you can spot a prolemuris holding a hoop earring. This is an Easter Egg nod to Joe Rohde, who was the lead Imagineer for Animal Kingdom and this attraction. Rohde is known for wearing distinctive earrings in his left ear.

5. The Nuts and Bolts.

Avatar Flight of Passage is located in Animal Kingdom’s Pandora – The World of Avatar, directly under the signature floating mountains. Since the ride is completely indoors, it’s not affected by the weather, but if the line is long enough, you’ll be outside for part of your wait.

The ride vehicle is a “link chair” that you’ll sit on like a motorcycle. It has back and leg restraints that may cause some guests to feel claustrophobic, and may also prohibit guests of some body shapes and sizes from riding. Although there is a test seat outside the attraction, it’s possible to fit the test seat and still have trouble with the actual link chair.

To ride Flight of Passage, guests must transfer to a wheelchair, then to the ride vehicle. Disney offers both a transfer access vehicle and a transfer device. Speak to a Cast Member if you need to use either.

Service animals are not permitted. Guests must be 44 inches or taller to ride, and as with all rides that have a height requirement, Flight of Passage offers Rider Switch. For safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride. Audio description, video captioning, and assistive listening devices are available for Flight of Passage.

Since Avatar Flight of Passage remains the most popular ride in Animal Kingdom, you should visit early in the day or near park closing time. It’s open for Early Theme Park Entry and (when Animal Kingdom has them) Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. Alternatively, you can purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass or Premier Pass to shorten your wait. We’ve observed that buying the LLSP is one of the best cost-per-minute-saved line-skipping options at WDW.

The Bottom Line.

We rate Avatar Flight of Passage as not-to-be-missed. It offers an incredibly immersive experience by combining cutting-edge technology, storytelling, and intricate theming as only Disney can do it. Whether you’re a fan of the movies or not (or even if you haven’t seen them), it’s worth your time to hop on the back of a banshee!

Have you flown on a banshee? What’s your favorite part of Flight of Passage? Tell us in the comments below.

(Originally published August 10, 2023. Last updated/republished October 16, 2025.)