If there is something that impressed everyone about Avatar was James Cameron's use of special effects of bring Pandora - the beautiful home of the blue-skinned Na'vi - to the big screen. Now Disney has taken it to the next level and is set to offer park-goers a real-life version of Pandora; an Avatar-themed attraction at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom will take visitors to the heart of this bewildering bioluminescent world in 2017.
Ever since Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger first announced plans to build an Avatar-themed area at Disney World's Animal Kingdom park in 2011, fans have been eagerly waiting to see what the project would look like.
Two years down the line, Walt Disney has recently revealed the design of the Florida-based attraction: a world of floating mountains and bioliminiscent plants. On a boat ride, guests will experience this extraordinary attraction, which will come alive with light and sounds at nighttime.
Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Tom Staggs recently unveiled the first images of what the attraction will look like during the D23 Expo at Tokyo Disney Resort in October 2013.
"All these concept renderings show in epic scale, in the world of Avatar guests will encounter awe-inspiring floating mountains and wander through a nighttime jungle of bioluminescent plants that are alive with light and sound," said Staggs in a blog post.
He added: "Guests will also discover what it feels like to soar into the sky riding a banshee."
Walt Disney Imagineering is developing the Avatar-themed attraction alongside filmmaker Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment.
"As a I walked through the park, I kept imagining Pandora coming to life all around me and found my mind racing with all the possibilities of what we will be able to create in the years ahead," said Cameron in 2012.
"Disney's Animal Kingdom is truly a remarkably place and I can't think of a better home for our fist Avatar experience."
