Pandora: The World of Avatar Food-Sau'li Canteen/ Pongu Pongu

   Courtesy Walt Disney World Resort


Lake Buena Vista Fla.,-Op-ed. Right by the fun and excitement of Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey, there is a  restaurant called Sau'li Canteen. It is the only restaurant in the new land. I recently went there during my visit to Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park's new land Pandora: The World of Avatar. This is one of the few restaurants on Walt Disney World Resort Property to allow guests to  order food through the My Disney Experience App ahead of time. This location offers the ability to create your own Satv'Li Bowl by choosing your own protein, base and sauce. They also offer steamed  "Pods" Ban Buns.  For desert, they offer a chocolate cake and a Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse with passion fruit curd and mini merengue on the top.  They also offer a variety of options for the kids meals. The first picture below is the Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse. I highly recommend this, it's very Avatar like. The second picture below is the Chicken Satv'Li Bowl.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse with Passion Fruit Curd and topped with a mini merengue 

Photo Credit: Luis A. Mercado/ @theviewpointlm

Chicken Satv'Li bowl with Quinoa & Vegetable Salad and topped with Creamy Herb Dressing

Photo Credit: Luis A. Mercado/@theviewpointlm

Pongu Pongu 

This is a walk up beverage and snack stand. It is located within Pandora: The World of Avatar between the only restaurant Sau'li Canteen and the Windtraders store which exclusively carries Avatar themed merchandise. Pongu Pongu offers two frozen beverages. One is called the Night Blossom. It is non-acholitc and mixture limeaid with apple and desert pear flavors topped with passion fruit boba balls. For an extra 3 dollars you can get a beautiful glowing Unadelta seed. I recommend adding this because this makes it a special and refreshing treat. They also offer a similar alcoholic beverage called Mo'ara Margarita. Which includes Sauza commemorative. Anejo tequila with strawberry and orange flavors topped with strawberry boba balls. Pongu Pongua also offers a snack called Pongu Lumpia which is filled with pineapple cream cheese spring roll. It comes out warm and creamy, which makes it a perfect combination with the Night Blossom drink. I recommend stopping by here for a snack any time throughout the day while in Pandora: The World of Avatar. 

                    Pongu Pongu Menu 

                    Photo Credit: Luis A. Mercado/ @theviewpointlm

                     Night Blossom 

                     Photo Credit: Luis A. Mercado/@theviewpointlm

Pandora: The World of Avatar: Flight of Passage

    Courtesy Walt Disney World Resort

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Op-ed- At Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park's newest land Pandora: The World of Avatar, there are two new attractions in this big new world, Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey. This editorial will focus on the biggest and most popular ride right now, Flight of Passage.

   When you walk past the entrance of the queue, you go up a winding trail. There you can see The Valley of Mo'ara dominating the sky.  I took the photo below from the elevated queue as I worked my way into the mountain to experience the more spectacular and unforgettable ride currently at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park.

   Photo Credit: Luis A. Mercado/@theviewpointlm

Once you go past the flying mountains you enter a big cave. As you walk deeper into the cave, the queue suddenly transforms into a military-base-like complex leading to four large doors. After your group is counted and directed to a line,  and go into the assigned door and are presented with the Human-Na'vi Connection Program.  Next, you are scanned and paired with an Avatar. After that you go into the final prep room before the flight for the explanation, overview and safety procedures of the ride.  You will then be handed special glasses to wear throughout the ride following a short video.  Then you go and sit down on your motorcycle like stationary vehicle while being connected with the Na'vi you were matched with earlier in the process. Once you are clicked into the seat, the ride will begin.  Suddenly, you are transported to Pandora riding on the back of a Mountain Banshee all while exploring the Planet. This is a 4D experience similar to Epcot's Soarin ride. After this hyper-realistic experience, you are taken back outside and end up at the Windtraders gift shop, an exclusive for Avatar-themed items. For my personal review on this exhilarating ride, it's  one the best rides The Walt Disney Company has every created. It's one of the few rides that you truly feel like you are really there. Overall, I highly recommend you go ride this new attraction. You may feel like you are already there from this review, but in person it's an out of this world experience. 

Pandora: The World of Avatar: Navi River Journey

   Courtney Walt Disney World Resort


Lake Buena Vista, Fla, Op-ed- The other big attraction in Pandora: The World of Avatar, Na'vi River Journey.  It is not intense like Flight of Passage, it is a beautiful and peaceful river journey around Pandora. In this slow moving boat ride, you are on journey to find the Shaman of Songs. Photo of the Shaman of Song courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort. Along the way, you see a variety of animals that make up the planet all while seeing the bioluminescent plants all around you. Towards the end of the ride you do find the Shaman of Songs.  She is incredibly life like and Disney's most advance animatronic ever.  This is a great ride to relax on and cool off from the Florida heat. I recommend this ride for everyone.

                            Courtesy Walt Disney World Resort
                     

Pandora: The World of Avatar

   Courtesy Walt Disney World Resort

Lake Buena Vista, Fla.- Op-ed- A few days ago, I visited Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park to experience the new land Pandora: The World of Avatar, which opened this past Memorial Day weekend. Pandora is beautiful beyond words both during the day and at night.  Above is a photo courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort which shows The Valley of Mo'ara from one of the many pathways and bridges throughout this beautiful land. Everywhere you look you find the most exotic flora and fauna native to the planet of Pandora and hear the native animals in the distance.   As the sun sets, Pandora begins to illuminate with bioluminescent lights that make for amazing photographs. The photo I took below is what Pandora looks like at night. When the area lights up, the plants including The Valley of Mo'ara transform the land into something beyond words. Pandora is beautifully laid out, however, the pathways and bridges can be confusing especially at night.

                      Credit: Luis A. Mercado/@theviewpointlm