Ride Vine @ridevine October 21, 2016

We may have our first idea of when Disney Animal Kingdom’s Avatar themed land will be open. Someone inside has revealed to us that the projected opening date is in May of 2017. This comes from someone close to the project and means that things should be wrapping up within the next few months.

The massive show building was completed fairly early into the project. Pandora has been visible from the entrance to Animal Kingdom for almost a year now. The floating rocks that are most visible are getting foliage and beginning to look a lot more realistic than before.

Contractors can be seen driving to Animal Kingdom even in the middle of the night to make sure the project will be completed on time. Once the area is completed with construction the training of Cast Members, Managers, and more will still have to be completed before opening.

Pandora seems to be a project that never ends. The project broke ground in January 2014 after being teased at D23 in 2013. The sequels to Avatar haven’t come to fruition and the entire project has become a joke among the theme park community.

Many people have faith that once the land opens that the doubters will change their minds. Imagineer Joe Rhode handles most of the Pandora project and is responsible for designing most of Animal Kingdom. He, James Cameron, and Disney Imagineers have worked together to try to create something unique in the theme park world.

So what is Pandora anyways?

Pandora: The World of Avatar will open with two attractions. Avatar: Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey will debut when the land opens in May. The land will span about 12 acres and bring a new fully immersive area to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Beyond the two main attractions there will also be retail and most likely a quick-service restaurant. The area itself will also contain many interactive elements. Disney has filed many patents and has worked on a number of interactive elements that will add up to create something unique. The interactive plant project that Disney has worked on is expected to play a big part in the area.

We’ll see how all of this comes together when Pandora – The World of Avatar debuts next year.