My review of the Na'vi River Journey ride

[Gabriel Lam]

Oel ngati kameie.

Photo taken January 15th, 2018 (MLK day).

I did the Na'vi River Journey twice during EMH within 25 minutes before the wait time turned into 85 minutes (My fastpass was used for Flight of Passage of course).

List reasons you like and not like about this ride and what would you do to improve it?

I like the overall feel of the ride, to feel like one of the Na'vi just rowing a boat streaming down the river in the land of Pandora, but I would have appreciated some form of story (maybe a retelling of the history of the Na'vi people just up until before the humans arrived?) with a couple more animatronics.

Other than a better and louder undisturbed audio music track and more 'bioluminescence', the experience between this ride and outside in terms of wow factor is almost similar that doesn't merit waiting more than an hour for this ride.

 

[belledreamer]

From a mechanical standpoint, I thought it was fantastic. I liked the ride vehicles, and the effects and animatronics were some of the best I've seen at Disney. From someone who constantly feels that certain other rides and attractions are in need of updating, this was definitely what I'd like to see. I found my surroundings on the ride very polished and I greatly appreciated it.

However...

I've never seen Avatar (and honestly don't care to) so while I enjoyed the ride, I found myself wondering more often than not what was going on and spent most of it confused. Unlike FoP, where you do have somewhat of a storyline and don't really need to have seen the movie to appreciate the attraction, I feel like you need an least some prior knowledge of the movie to really appreciate NRJ and am glad we only waited 15 minutes to get on because I wouldn't wait more than 30 to do it again.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

It was a beautiful, peaceful ride but I agree that it needs a storyline. That avatar AA though is amazing, it almost feels wasted on this ride. It was nice but not worth a long wait for sure.

 

[Gabriel Lam]

From a mechanical standpoint, I thought it was fantastic. I liked the ride vehicles, and the effects and animatronics were some of the best I've seen at Disney. From someone who constantly feels that certain other rides and attractions are in need of updating, this was definitely what I'd like to see. I found my surroundings on the ride very polished and I greatly appreciated it.

However...

I've never seen Avatar (and honestly don't care to) so while I enjoyed the ride, I found myself wondering more often than not what was going on and spent most of it confused. Unlike FoP, where you do have somewhat of a storyline and don't really need to have seen the movie to appreciate the attraction, I feel like you need an least some prior knowledge of the movie to really appreciate NRJ and am glad we only waited 15 minutes to get on because I wouldn't wait more than 30 to do it again.

You will not feel any different about the ride after watching the movie. At most you would gain much appreciation for the imagineers and how closely accurate they were with the theming.

 

[mamamelody2]

I think the ride is beautiful and relaxing. I enjoyed it a lot. I truly don't care that there's no "story".

I would like more animatronics and also for the shaman at the end to be in tune. LOL.

 

[BrdwayBoy]

I would like more animatronics and also for the shaman at the end to be in tune. LOL.

... or to be working at all! Rode this once in September and was beyond disappointed by seeing the video of the shaman instead of the AA. The rest of the ride didn't make up for it, IMO and we didn't try to get on it again at all for the rest of the trip.

 

[Surfinpiratee]

I really do like the ride. It's BEAUTIFUL! and very well done.

I wish there was just something else to it. Maybe if the ride was longer? Or if there was a small drop like Pirates..or like other have said a storyline. Just something else lol

 

[crhbrault]

We waited for about 75 min, and honestly- I would not wait longer than maybe 30 minutes. It was very...I hate to say “blah” but sort of. Kind of anti-climatic in a way. A friend compared it to Little Mermaid and that’s sort of how it felt, except without much of a story or anything going on. Outside is just as gorgeously themed, if not more so, without the wait. Definitely a letdown and my entire family agreed.

 

[Gabriel Lam]

Seems like Disney made the attraction so that anyone that can't stand or ride Flight of Passage for some reason, can redeem themselves with at least a boat ride. Could have done a lot more with this. This Pandora land is suppose to give some hints about the future 4 Avatar movies coming out too....

 

[Davey Jones II]

We loved the ride. I thought it was a moving and beautiful celebration of nature and biodiversity, and thankfully, the spectacular AA was working very well, all three times we rode it. I guess it also helps when you don't have to wait long; the first two times, we breezed in by getting in line about half an hour before park closing. Our last ride, we used a fast pass.

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

Ok, this is going to seem like a really strange question, but I’ll ask anyway.

Did anyone find the air quality inside Navi’ to be very good? I found it to be very pleasant!

 

[Meriweather]

I thought it was beautiful and could ride it all day. Very relaxing. I wish it were a bit longer
The animatronic was amazing!
We had fast pass, so not much wait at all.

 

[Mome Rath]

I think it actually does help to be a fan of the movie (I don't know if just seeing the movie would add much). I'm a huge fan and absolutely loved it. I also love to see how they progress with audioanimatronics and she is wonderful (videos don't do it justice). I used to ride the tGMR just to see the witch, and the Shaman puts her to shame. I would wait in line anywhere up to 45 min because I just don't wait in lines longer than that anymore.

 

[DisDreaming4116]

I've been on NRJ 4 times, have watched many ride videos on YouTube and there aren't many of the Shaman AA doing the exact same routine. Not sure if it's random or set on a rotating schedule but her voice, tone and movements are (almost) always different. I love this attraction and while I wish it were longer, think it fits in well to the area.

 

[Mome Rath]

I've been on NRJ 4 times, have watched many ride videos on YouTube and there aren't many of the Shaman AA doing the exact same routine. Not sure if it's random or set on a rotating schedule but her voice, tone and movements are (almost) always different. I love this attraction and while I wish it were longer, think it fits in well to the area.

The way I understand it from "piecing together" the videos, and the song, is that the Shaman is singing/playing a full song that is much longer than the actual ride, so every ride the probability is that you won't see much of the same movements/hear the same piece of the song twice. Which is kinda neat.

 

[glocon]

How long is the ride?
I bet it would be beautiful at night!

 

[DisneyMom74]

I've not seen the movie, and apart from it being really pretty, it did nothing for me.

I wouldn't wait more than 30 minutes for it. It was over very quickly. In fact, I was wishing that it was going slower so I could at least see everything on each side. I feel like I didn't see everything. But then again, I didn't really know what I was looking at.

 

[buzznina]

Our whole family found the scenes very well done, but all-in-all we found it to be pretty boring. I thought only having 1 animatronic figure was a big let down and the only other part we liked was the frogs jumping above on lilly pads.

 

[SteveH]

...I would not wait longer than maybe 30 minutes...

I completely agree, and I think/hope that after the first rush we're seeing it will die down. I thought the ride was fun, but I wouldn't wait in a long line for it again. But I feel exactly the same about the Frozen ride.

Seems like Disney made the attraction so that anyone that can't stand or ride Flight of Passage ...

It definitely seemed like an after thought to me.

While Flight of Passage was amazing, I felt that Pandora as a whole was a let down, they need to add much more to the area to keep it going.

 

[Gabriel Lam]

Ok, this is going to seem like a really strange question, but I’ll ask anyway.

Did anyone find the air quality inside Navi’ to be very good? I found it to be very pleasant!

They do have different natural scents being sprayed going into the ride that suppose to make you feel like you’re on Pandora, given that the Na’vi don’t really have anything to pollute their moon (Pandora is a moon). Only Humans are ruining it with their machines.