Avatar Flight of Passage Ride Vehicle Tips and Tricks
Avatar Flight of Passage currently has some of the highest wait times in all of Walt Disney World. And until Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens, that is not likely to change some time! So, it’s important to know as much about the Flight of Passage ride as possible to avoid any mishap that could prevent a guest from enjoying the experience after a lengthy wait in line. Am I right?
First, before we get started, I want everyone to know that there are NO spoilers in this article about what you will experience once the ride starts. I firmly believe that this ride is best experienced by not knowing how the magic works. Just know that Avatar Flight of Passage will be thrilling and like no other attraction you have experienced at Walt Disney World Resort!
Flight of Passage Mountains
The Basics
Flight of Passage is Animal Kingdom’s newest attraction located in Pandora – World of Avatar. This thrilling ride allows guests to “link” to an Avatar, climb atop a banshee and take flight over Pandora!
Location: Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Height Requirement: Guests must be 44in (112cm) or taller
Accessibility: Must transfer to standard wheelchair, and then to ride vehicle; Audio Description; Video Captioning; Assistive Listening
Who Should Ride: This is a thrill ride. Some guests may experience motion sickness. The seating and restraints of this attraction may prohibit Guests of certain body shapes or sizes from riding.
What’s so Important about Avatar Flight of Passage’s Ride Vehicle?
The ride vehicle for Avatar Flight of Passage is a seat that each guest must straddle while holding handlebars with a variety of locking mechanisms that fit on the back and/or side portion of the body. For the safety of all guests, these mechanisms must fit properly into place in order for a guest to ride.
If the mechanisms do not lock, a guest can be asked to disembark for safety purposes and exit the ride without enjoying the attraction. Since no one wants to be told they can’t ride after all the anticipation of experiencing this one-of-a-kind attraction, having a little bit of information about the ride vehicle can be super handy to prevent any challenges!
Photo Credit: UndercoverTourist.com
How it works!
The ride vehicle for Avatar Flight of Passage must clasp onto the lower legs and the back to keep guests secure on their virtual reality trip to Pandora. The mechanism that clasps to the calf of the leg is typically the most challenging part of the attraction for suiting up guests to ride.
It has to clasp perfectly and lots of factors can prevent a guest from obtaining that ideal fit that makes Disney comfortable for safety purposes.
Pre-Ride Assistance – “The Test Seat”
So, how do you figure out if this is going to work for each member of your travel party?
First, Disney places a ride vehicle for Flight of Passage right outside of the entrance of the queue. This allows guests to familiarize themselves with the ride vehicle before entering the cue and enjoying the experience. Please note, the “Test Seat” vehicle does not have locking restraints.
However, you can get a good idea of what the vehicle looks like before entering the cue and “test” the seat. Cast Members are also nearby to answer any questions you may have.
Pre-Show Assistance – “The Instruction Video”
After entering the cue, guests will be directed to a pre-show area where each person will be linked to their Avatar. You’ll be given a number to stand on in the first room prior to boarding the ride vehicle “link chair”. In this room, each guest will watch a pre-show video with instructions on how to link to your Avatar in the next room.
During this pre-show, you will receive a variety of safety instructions including where to stow your gear and on how to get on the ride vehicle “link chair” with video to match each step. Watch the video carefully! We often tend to be so excited about the experience, that we miss the details. For this ride, it is important to pay close attention to the pre-show!
After watching your video, each guest enters a different room where they will board their “link chair.”
TIPS AND TRICKS!
Although the specifications for guest suitability is broad, not all guests are created identically. So, here are some simple tips and tricks to help make the experience enjoyable for all guests in your travel party!
TIP 1: USE DISNEY’S FASTPASS+ SYSTEM!
Flight of Passage is the most popular attraction currently at Disney World and wait times can be high throughout the day. There is nothing less magical than waiting hours in a standby cue only to get turned away at the end of a ride because the locking mechanism on the vehicle would not lock for safety purposes!
So, how do you skip the wait? With Disney’s FastPass+ System, of course!
If you have a travel agent helping you with your vacation planning – they will likely want to make these selections for you to make sure you have the best chance at availability. As a Disney Travel Agent, I am regularly booking FastPass+ selections for my clients.
So, I know how the booking system works and personalize each itinerary for my clients to provide the best chance at securing this popular FastPass+ selection. If you are working solo, that’s okay too! Be ready to get that FastPass+ selection right away when your booking window opens! You can do this!
Just remember that you don’t have to do this alone! One of our fabulous MickeyTravels Agents are available to help you with all of your vacation planning needs!
TIP 2: CLOTHING REALLY DOES MATTER!
Wear clothes that are not restrictive so that you have plenty of room to properly straddle the vehicle seat. If you are wearing a jacket, sweater, or bulky clothing that can be easily removed, do so prior to boarding the vehicle. Stash it in the belongings section in the back! Don’t let your Disney spirit jersey or favorite Mickey Mouse sweater prevent you from getting the locking mechanism to work!
TIP 3: FRONT OF THE VEHICLE!
When you board the ride vehicle, board towards the front of the vehicle, straddle and then walk forward to the front without sitting down. Keep moving forward as much as possible. You should NOT be sitting yet!
TIP 4: TUMMY TUCK!
Before sitting, suck in your tummy (yes – you need to breathe comfortably!) as much as possible, and push your belly ALL the way up to the chest pad as close as possible.
Guests often report that the locking mechanism would not work on the calves, but this likely could have been mitigated by moving further forward on the seat before the locking mechanisms moved into place.
TIP 5: SIT DOWN!
The seat material has no give! So, once you sit, you are usually stuck in that spot! A bad “sit” can result in a bad “lock” of the mechanism. Make sure BEFORE you sit that you are as close to the front of the vehicle as possible. Do you see a trend yet?
Photo Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a2NGaFPxU4
TIP 6: LEG TIME!
Most guests report that a calf size of approximately 19 inches at the widest part (or less) usually have success with the locking mechanism on the ride. If your calves are wider at a certain point than this measure, don’t despair!
Before the leg restraints go on, get up on your toes so the smallest part of your calf hits the leg restraints, making it easier to lock into place. All it needs to do is LOCK. So, don’t be afraid to move your body around a bit if things aren’t locking into place.
TIP 7: ENLIST A CAST MEMBER’S HELP!
Cast members assisting on this attraction are very good at what they do! They will move throughout the room to assist each guest with the ride vehicle. And they want you to succeed! So, don’t be afraid to let them help you properly board the vehicle!
TIP 8: ENJOY THE RIDE!
Flight of Passage is one of my absolute favorite rides in all of Walt Disney World! If you are so lucky to be able to experience this attraction on your next trip, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Looking for some planning assistance with your next trip to Walt Disney World? I can help! Contact me today for a FREE quote!
Kelli Hughes
MickeyTravels, LLC
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner – Platinum Level
1-214-458-4626 (cell)
khughes@mickeytravels.com
www.mickeytravels.com
