Team Chapek - Pandora

Welcome to the Valley of Takraki...

From the start, one of the challenges of working a mega-franchise into the charm of Disneyland is the scarcity of space.

With Galaxy's Edge, the Disneyland footprint was able to expand north along with a re-route of the Disneyland Railroad. With Pandora however, the space provided will use acreage that until this point was underutilized and cluttered with the Disneyland Monorail, the outdated Autopia, and the defunct PeopleMover track. The Chapek imagineers sought to remove the exterior PeopleMover track from the Pandora landscape, as well as the Submarine Voyage and its show building in order to utilize the available real-estate to its fullest potential.

Moreover, the Innoventions building was gutted and expanded to model the Venture Star II spaceship inspired from the films. This was done in order to enclose all three access points to Pandora for guests into one central location, from Tomorrowland, the Monorail Station and the Train Station, creating an immersive experience by detaching Pandora from the rest of Disneyland. Tall foliage around the land hides it from vantage points in Fantasyland and the Main Street Hub, and an enclosed entry point keeps the mystery of Pandora from guests before visiting, while enhancing the story elements of how guests arrive at Pandora.

Disneyland's Pandora takes place a few decades after the events of the 5-part Avatar series. At this point, humans and the tribes of Pandora have struck a peace deal that allows guests to be able to visit Pandora and learn about the rich culture and heritage. In this odyssey, guests from Tomorrowland enter the Venture Star II and are transported to Pandora. Guests from the Disneyland Monorail and Disneyland Railroad dock on the Venture Star II after waking up from their 4.37 light year journey from Earth to Pandora.

Once inside the land, guests are transported into to the beautiful and exotic world of Pandora within the Valley of Takraki from the later Avatar films. The land, akin to its counter in the Valley of Mo'ara in Disney's Animal Kingdom, is filled with lush, tropical foliage, towering floating mountains, and bioluminescent plants that create a truly immersive and otherworldly experience. These plants emit a soft, glowing light, adding to the sense of wonder an mystery in the land. The plants are programmed to change color and intensity throughout the day, mimicking the natural cycle of day and night on Pandora, with some of them responding to guests' touch or presence nearby.

Guests will see towering ferns, colorful flowers and exotic trees that are unlike anything found on Earth. The decor and theming of the land is heavily influenced by the culture and history of the Na'vi, the native inhabitants of Pandora. Guests will see intricate carvings, sculptures, and totems throughout the land that pay homage to the Na'vi's spiritual beliefs and customs. The buildings and structures in the land are also designed to blend seamlessly into the natural landscape, with a mix of natural materials and advanced technology.

The layout of the land is designed to feature easily navigable wide paths and plazas as well as smaller, hidden trails and pathways throughout the land's caves, treetops and bushes. The land will also feature new flora and fauna inspired by the seaside and underwater world of Pandora in the sequel, The Way of Water. Around the area, several audio-animatronic figures are placed within the scenery, such as a large animatronic Toruk that sits in the middle of a plaza leading guests towards the entrance of the land's E-ticket attraction, and providing a focal point for guests as they explore the land. In a show featured within the communal area of the land, the Na'vi will invite guests to learn more about the stories of their wildlife by showcasing different creatures from Pandora in an interactive way.

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