Do we need to watch Avatar....

[Chelley00]

I’ve never seen the movie but I loved walking around at night. It’s stunning

 

[indoshakespeare]

Avatar is just Pocahontas in space ^^

 

[KenHutch]

The 8 year old did not watch the movie until after she had ridden FoP twice and she enjoyed the ride just find. I loved the ride and consider the movie to be a politically correct advertisement.

 

[BrianL]

I am a fan of the movie, but I wouldn't say you have to see it to enjoy Pandora at AK. Still, it's just a single movie, so why not give it a shot? It's actually very good, and not really at all like the dismissive comparisons that the Internet made popular (i.e. "it's just <BLANK> in space"). There is a lot more depth to it than that. If you're interested, give it a watch.

 

[nacho113]

I would just watch Ferngully lol. It is basically the same story, but I like Ferngully a heck of a lot more.

Or watch Pocahontas (same storyline: whiteman trying to take over new land and subvert it's people, except Avatar is on another planet with the big bad earthlings trying to take over everything and subvert it's people)

 

[nacho113]

....before we experience Pandora in 60 or so days time?

I’d rather not as from what I’ve heard it’s not very good but if it will enhance the experience I’m willing to try and sit through it.

Thanks

Is it necessary to see the movie...no but it could help your understanding and enjoyment of the ride
Lots (arguably all)of Disney ride experiences can be enhanced if you have seen the movies...that's the whole premise that DL and DW are built on, bring fantasy and magic to life.
Way back when the DL opened, would you have wanted to meet a huge mouse and his girlfriend if you hadn't seen a Mickey Mouse cartoon?
Would your daughter want to be a Disney Princess if she hadn't seen them in a Disney movies? (or your son a swashbuckling Pirate or a Jedi Knight?)
Is Dumbo more fun to ride having seen the movies? (or do you just wonder why your ride car is shaped like an elephant?)
Is Cap'n Jack someone you can relate to in Pirates of the Caribbean? (or just another drunken pirate?)

Every ride at Disney has brought fantasy and magic into reality. Walt and his Imagineers did an awesome job of making us believe in the unbelievable.

*********Sorry, kind of went off on a bit of a tangent there but I think seeing the movie will help understand and enjoy the ride more IMHO

 

[disneysteve]

Is Cap'n Jack someone you can relate to in Pirates of the Caribbean? (or just another drunken pirate?)

Jack being in the ride is only recent, though. For decades, Pirates was an original concept. There was no movie or TV show to watch first. Same for Haunted Mansion or Small World or Big Thunder Mountain or Space Mountain or several other rides. So you should be able to enjoy an attraction without having to see the movie it was based on.

 

[nutshell]

I personally can’t stand Avatar, but my wife loves it. We’re headed to Pandora for the first time in a few weeks and she keeps saying we need to rewatch the movie! I keep stalling!

 

[nacho113]

Jack being in the ride is only recent, though. For decades, Pirates was an original concept. There was no movie or TV show to watch first. Same for Haunted Mansion or Small World or Big Thunder Mountain or Space Mountain or several other rides. So you should be able to enjoy an attraction without having to see the movie it was based on.

You are right...it's actually the other way around for Pirates...the movies were based on the ride.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I saw the movie several times and it made that part of the park amazing. You understand every little effect built into the area if you have seen the film. You would not if you did not see the film. But some people gloss over that stuff, so YMMV.

 

[lunasea]

don't know where you got not very good from. It's the highest grossing film
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_films

Just because a movie makes a lot of money, does not mean its very good. I have seen all 50 of those top grossing movies. Over half of them I did not find them enjoyable at best and downright awful at worst (looking at you, Transformers and endless Furious sequels). Avatar was one of those 25+ that I did not like. Too much effort on the visualization and not enough on the story.

Never had a chance to experience as the last time I was at WDW AK did not even exist yet, much less Pandora if that tells you how long its been since my last (and only) WDW trip. Hoping to rectify that in the next year or two.

 

[MickeyFan!]

Agree-ANYTHING at WDW will enhanced by having seen the Movie or by knowing the backstory,but everything can still be enjoyed at some level.

For example,IllumiNations can be "enhanced" by knowing the backstory,but most Guests enjoy it just fine without knowing ANY of the backstory!lol

What's the back story of IllumiNations? (sorry for the thread derail)

 

[disneysteve]

What's the back story of IllumiNations? (sorry for the thread derail)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IllumiNations:_Reflections_of_Earth

This might help.

 

[loki_d]

....before we experience Pandora in 60 or so days time?

I’d rather not as from what I’ve heard it’s not very good but if it will enhance the experience I’m willing to try and sit through it.

Thanks

Honestly I wouldn’t waste your time. Navi is also a waste, if you can get a FP for it I would do it just to see the effects but other than that it’s very lackluster. They ran out of budget and there’s no storyline.