My review of the Na'vi River Journey ride

[wdw&sonny]

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

It's 5 minutes. It is indoors so the ride itself would not appear any different at night.

I like that it is new, the fluorescence, that the vehicle is a boat.
I don't like that it is so short, based on a very average movie, the moaning of the shaman, that it is too mild of a ride.
I would not wait more than 20 minutes for it.

 

[JETSDAD]

We rode Na'vi multiple times each day we were there but only with FP's (mostly day of). We found it to be a nice relaxing ride and enjoyed looking around. There is no real wow to it and I would not be willing to stand in line for it but with a FP it's a nice ride.

 

[Gabriel Lam]

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.

I like the movie too. Waited until the first day of collectors edition to buy it. I defended this movie saying it didn’t matter if it was too similar to pocahontas, mech warriors etc, the movie should be judged on its own and not in comparison.

I don’t think seeing this movie for the unintiated would change anything.

I agree at the end, seeing the AA at its grand scale does make for a wow moment, seeing how close she is to you and how fast she is moving her arms and the fluidity of movements. It’s only mostly appreciated by people who have semi to closely watch technology progress.

But it’s not a ride like Flight of Passage that excites people to go on and on again.

I did the ride twice though that morning cause of short wait times, and to experience it from the other side of the boat.

 

[bladiator]

The length of the ride doesn't really affect me, except the fact that everyone hyped up the AA at the end, and then I feel like I'm flying by her so I barely get to appreciate this "amazing" animatronic.

 

[KristinU]

I think it is a lovely ride - so much gorgeous visual stuff to take in. That said, I think it is too short and I would love to be in that environment for much longer, like a restaurant experience. I'd love to see them do something like the Garden Grill over at Epcot where you dine overlooking part of the environment. They could do some really cool theming with something like that.

 

[Gabriel Lam]

I think it is a lovely ride - so much gorgeous visual stuff to take in. That said, I think it is too short and I would love to be in that environment for much longer, like a restaurant experience. I'd love to see them do something like the Garden Grill over at Epcot where you dine overlooking part of the environment. They could do some really cool theming with something like that.

That experience already exists with the Mexico pavilion ride at Epcot and pirates of the Carribean at Disneyland and as you said Garden Grill.

Perhaps something interactive would also be nice, but nothing like Spaceship Earth I hope haha.

 

[crhbrault]

The length of the ride doesn't really affect me, except the fact that everyone hyped up the AA at the end, and then I feel like I'm flying by her so I barely get to appreciate this "amazing" animatronic.

Yes, this!!! It was like, “oh there she is...there she goes” - I would have loved the boat to stop there a minute to really feel like I was singing with her and a part of this journey.

 

[PatMcDuck]

We are fans of the movie. You really could not summarize the story of the movie without making the ride a real Debbie Downer. Basically the humans came to mine valuable minerals, and did not care if the location of said minerals was underground in an area sacred to the Navi. The humans destroyed many important sites to the Navi and slaughtered many of their people, men women and children. Finally at the end, they are kicked off the planet except for friendly scientists and researchers, and Jake, lol.

I am surprised the Navi could ever forgive the human race. So this ride is a better experience than a movie summary. PS the movie is really great.

 

[Gabriel Lam]

Perhaps instead of a story, a showcase of the entirety of the Culture of the Na’vi. Which we only get snippets from the movie.
Other than ‘ma eywa’, maybe someone can translate the song playing throughout the ride. My Na’vi isn’t that great. Then we will know if we are missing some story.

It better not be just about “look how beautiful this place is, don’t destroy it”

 

[Mome Rath]

I think, though, that it was actually a part of the Disney plan seeing how they are putting in new lands with one "tier 1" ride and one "other." lol Flight of Passage is the best thing since sliced bread as far as I'm concerned, so nothing they could have put in (short of riding a direhorse ala FoP) would have wowed me nearly as much as FoP. They needed to balance out FoP with a family friendly ride, and they did that well IMO. Hopefully as more Avatar movies come out, we will see additions. And, yes, to state the obvious from my POV, I do wish the ride was longer, but that wish didn't detract from the ride for me as a uberfan.

 

[Mome Rath]

Other than ‘ma eywa’, maybe someone can translate the song playing throughout the ride.

Uberfan though I am, my Na'vi's not this good, but this will do. From Paul Frommer, the creator of the language:

Ma Na’rìng alor, Mì Na’rìng lu tsngawpay.
Atokirina’, Awnga leym, lereym san
Ma Eywa (3X).

O beautiful forest, there are tears in the forest!
Woodsprites, we cry out, calling, "O Eywa!"

’Awstengyawnem, Ma Sa’nok aNawm.
Atokirina’, Awnga leym, lereym san
Ma Eywa (3X).

Connected as one, O Great Mother!
Woodsprites, we cry out calling, "O Eywa!"

Tìnewfa leNa’vi, Na’rìng tìng lawr.
Atokirina’. Awnga leym, lereym san
Ma Eywa (3X).

By the People's will, the forest is singing.
Woodsprites, we cry out calling,
"O Eywa!"

Note: There are some additions from the Shaman, such as "yes," and "thank you, hear me, again," etc... And, for those not in the know, the Woodsprites are the falling seeds from the Tree of Souls that kinda look like our dandelion seeds.

 

[FortForever]

I've never seen the movie, but want to ever since experiencing the Pandora rides. Personally, I don't think it needs a story. It's a beautiful, peaceful ride in it's own right. I didn't try to read anything into it, just enjoyed it as it exists.

 

[rg35]

Beautiful dark ride with great effects. Extremely relaxing. We all loved it (2 adults and 3 9 year olds). It didn't matter to us that there was really no story. We rode it twice because we loved it so much the first time.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

My short review: Short. Pretty. No-Substance.

 

[yulilin3]

I just want 5 more minutes of it and I think it would be perfect, don't need a storyline but I have watched the movie

 

[sabrecmc]

It was pretty, but since I barely remember Avatar and didn't much care for it when I saw it, I have no emotional connection to the intellectual property. Whereas, with something like Peter Pan, there is an immediate emotional attachment, even if the ride might be meh. I know and love the characters. I remember my daughter loving the movie and dressing up like Wendy. With Avatar, I don't even know the characters' names and vaguely remember them as "tall blue people with tail sex." So, while it is pretty, I don't have any desire to do it again.

FoP is just really cool.

 

[Gabriel Lam]

I just want 5 more minutes of it and I think it would be perfect, don't need a storyline but I have watched the movie

My version of adding a story to the attraction was more or less additive that had nothing to do with the actual movie. Just a showcase of the history / culture of the Na'vi before the Humans arrived on Pandora.

But maybe they should add that to the queue instead. Since the queue has nothing really.

 

[thegales]

... 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.

The same thing happened when my daughter and I rode it in January. We had ridden it before, so we knew what to expect. Then in January, it was the video. That was very disappointing.

 

[crazedprincess]

We will be riding it for the first time this August and I look forward to it. I LOVE the movie and highly recommend it to those of you who say you haven't watched it. LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

That being said, my hubby gets motion sickness from "Imax" type movies and rides. He has never ridden Soarin' for this reason. He has felt whoozy on Star Tours and usually closes his eyes. It's a bit of a downer, if you ask me. LOL. So I'm not sure if he will sacrifice and ride Flight of Passage? Our plan was to rope drop FOP (the girls and I go on it while he roams around the land) and get fast passes for Na'vi.

 

[Justinmichael]

I went on it in October 2017 and my group had to wait almost two hours due to the ride having multiple mechanical breakdowns. Overall I wasn't impressed with it.