Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes is now serving quick service breakfast at Animal Kingdom from 9:00am to 10:30am daily.
Located in the Asia area of Animal Kingdom, Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes will now be serving a variety of breakfast sandwiches and tacos, as well as some kid favorites including french toast sticks and a pancake and sausage stick.
Here is a look at the full menu:
Connect to Protect is a new mobile adventure that invites guests to participate in conservation ‘missions’ with a digital ACE scientist while exploring the incredible Valley of Mo’ara and helps protect the habitats of at-risk animals here on Earth.
Utilizing the My Disney Experience App, you can “instant message” with one of the moon’s ecological specialists, Fitsimti “Fits” Buckley. Fits will guide you around Pandora, showing off some of the more exotic elements of the environment and sharing important messages about conservation along the way that can be applied both on Pandora and here on Earth.
After completing one or more missions, you will unlock a $10 contribution from Disney Parks, through the Disney Conservation Fund, or a $5 contribution just for discussing conservation. You will then get to choose how that contribution will help protect or restore habitats important to one of 10 threatened categories of animals: apes, elephants, butterflies, coral reefs, cranes, monkeys, rhinos, sea turtles, sharks & rays, and tigers.
‘Connect to Protect’ will begin May 27th at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
With less than 10 days until passholder previews begin, and only 23 days till the official grand opening, Pandora: The World of Avatar will be open before you know it!
Disney has given us a new inside look into this upcoming land, which today showcases the Banshee Connect experience. The Banshee Connect allows guests to ‘pick out’ their own banshee for purchase and take home with them. No, it is not a life-size version, or even close to that, but we have the next best thing.
When guests visit this so called ‘rookery’, a Naturalist from Alpha Centauri Expeditions will assist a guest with identifying a favorite banshee from among 10 unique styles. Each interactive banshee includes three ranges of motion – mouth, head, and wings – that are controlled by hand with remote control. Guests will also hear them make authentic banshee sounds provided by Disney’s partners at Lightstorm Entertainment. Guests will determine each banshee’s personality through a combination of hand movements and sounds.
Guests can either display a banshee on their shoulder or cradle them in their arms. A banshee perch will also be available for purchase separately.
You will be able to purchase these banshees in Pandora: The World of Avatar in the Windtraders gift shop when it officially opens May 27th at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
As the opening of Pandora: The World of Avatar is officially only 1 month away from today, Disney today released some new photos of the items guests will find for sale on the alien planet.
The merchandise above is inspired by the land itself. It incorporates the beauty of the bioluminescence you can expect to see at night.
The painting used on the merchandise was created by Dylan Cole, Co-Production Designer for the upcoming “Avatar” movie sequels. In it, he captured the bioluminescent world of Pandora at night with two new pieces. One image was inspired by the Na’vi River Journey, while the other pictures the beautiful Valley of Mo’ara. In addition to being available as prints, elements from his nighttime artwork were added to the apparel, home décor, accessories and other products. More of Dylan’s work is found on the Countdown to Pandora pin collection that was released this spring.
The cave painting art above was based on sketches by Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde for the Avatar Flight of Passage attraction.
This merchandise is based on the ‘Shaman of Songs’ who is in the Nav’i River Journey ride. The key importance was the connection the Shaman had to nature and Disney wanted items that represented that idea.
Finally, the art team at Disney created patch designs representing different experiences guests will have while visiting Pandora. In addition to other products, guests will find select patch designs in the Intergalactic Passport Kit from Alpha Centauri Expeditions. The kit includes a passport, three sticker pages, a button, and a photo ID badge. This item, along with the Na’vi Translator Device, are perfect for exploring Pandora.
You can expect to find all of these merchandise items and more at Wind Traders in Pandora: The World of Avatar when it opens May 27th at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
As Pandora: The World of Avatar is only 32 days away from its official grand opening, Disney is putting the final touches on the land. As you know by now, Pandora will feature some out-of-this-world unique dining options to satisfy your hunger cravings. With those options will be specialty desserts available for purchase at both the Satuli Canteen and Pongu Pongu. At Satuli Canteen you can find the delicious Nav’i Blueberry Cheesecake, which is featured below.
According to the Disney Pastry chef who was behind this unique dessert, the inspiration came from the movie itself. In his words, he has said, “We watched ‘Avatar’ and noted that the Na’vi are in stellar shape – very lean, with beautiful skin and bright yellow eyes, so the Na’vi colors were the inspiration for the Blueberry Cheesecake with Passion Fruit Curd, a cream cheese and blueberry creation with passion fruit to connect to the film’s tropical environment. The cheesecake tastes as delicious as it looks, with a combination of acidity from the passion fruit with bold blueberry and creamy cheesecake.”
Another delicious dessert you can expect to find at Satuli is the Chocolate Cake (and yes that is what it is called).
The Chocolate Cake as described on the menu is a Chocolate Cake with a Crunchy Cookie Layer and Banana Cream Topping. The same pastry chef who created the blueberry cheesecake created this one as well.
“We used dark chocolate because it’s rich in antioxidants, then add a little crunch with a cookie wafer and the contrast of creamy mousse. The cake is topped with banana cream, made with a few simple (but delicious) ingredients: cream, white chocolate, and bananas, with a little drizzle of lemon. The chocolate-banana is a great flavor combination. Then we added goji berry on top – it tastes a little like a raisin, and we hydrated it with simple syrup. The taste of the goji berry with the banana cream and chocolate is a lovely balance of flavors. We created this as inspiration from what the ‘Healthy Nav’i would eat.”
These 2 desserts are meant to be savored and not meant to be quickly eaten.
If you are looking forward to trying out these 2 delicious desserts from Pandora, the wait is almost over as the opening day is only 32 days away! Pandora: The World of Avatar opens May 27th, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Today, Disney has given us a look at some of the specialty drinks you will be able to purchase at Pongu Pongu and Satuli Canteen in Pandora: The World of Avatar.
One of the drinks you can find, which is featured above, is the Pandoran Sunrise. It is a non-alcoholic drink mix of tropical juices blended with Powerade Melon – and you can get in the souvenir Satu’li Canteen Flute Flask. Banshee Chardonnay and Banshee Pinot Noir are on the menu by the glass, as well as a refreshing Dreamwalker Sangria with a splash of Blue Curaçao. These drinks listed above are only at the Satuli Canteen.
These 2 specialty ales from Pongu Pongu on the menu and are the Hawkes’ Grog Ale that has a fruity hop character (a taste of apricot and peach, a hint of wheat on the finish), and Mo’ara High Country Ale, which is a malty amber ale with the aroma of herbal spice hops and tastes of caramel, toffee, and nuts.
If you go to the walk-up counter at Pongu Pongu, you can also find the Night Blossom, which is a frozen drink, a non-alcoholic mixture of limeade with apple and desert pear flavors topped with passion fruit boba balls. You can purchase it in a souvenir Pongu Pongu mug with a glow cube as well. The walk up window will have the 2 Pandoran ales on tap, as well as the Mo’ara Frozen Margarita, which is another frozen drink with Sauza Conmemorativo Añejo Tequila with strawberry and blood orange flavor topped with strawberry boba balls. That drink can also be purchased in a souvenir cup.
Pandora: The World of Avatar opens May 27th, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
According to the official Walt Disney World website, new information in regards to the rides in Pandora: The World of AVATAR has been released.
Flight of Passage
Height Requirement: 44 inches tall
Age Interest: kids,tweens, teens, and adults
Official Description: “Get a banshee’s-eye view of the beauty and grandeur of Pandora on a rite of passage you won’t soon forget! Deep in the heart of the Valley of Mo’ara, discover Avatar Flight of Passage—an all-new expedition that lets interstellar explorers like you climb atop a mountain banshee for a breathtaking, first-person flight over the moon’s incredible landscape. Bonding with a mountain banshee is a crucial step in the life of a Na’vi hunter—and flying on the back of one of these powerful winged creatures represents an important rite of passage.Now, as a visitor to Pandora, you’ll finally have the chance to test yourself in a similar way!
FastPass+: yes
Navi River Journey
Height Requirement: none
Age Interest: everyone
Official Description: “Glide down a gentle, mysterious river and feel a sense of wonder as the full beauty of Pandora reveals itself. Located within the Valley of Mo’ara, Na’vi River Journey offers explorers an experience that has to be seen—and heard—to be believed! As your expedition begins, climb aboard a reed boat and drift downstream. After coasting through a series of caves, and passing by exotic glowing plants and amazing creatures of the rainforest, you’ll soon find yourself face-to-face with the Na’vi Shaman of Songs. The adventure comes to a conclusion as the Shaman demonstrates her deep connection to the life force of Pandora—and sends positive energy out into the forest through the power of her music!”
Thrill level: slow rides
FastPass+: yes
Valley of Mo’ara
Height Requirement: none
Age interest : anyone
Official Description: “Walk about through the Valley of Mo’ara and get ready to discover a world like no other! There’s more to Pandora than expeditions like Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey… much more! All around its enormous floating mountains, you’ll quickly uncover the valley’s one-of-a-kind dining and shopping experiences—along with sights, sounds and experiences that include: Exotic plants that come to life with beautiful bioluminescence each night, A Na’vi-built drum circle containing instruments playable by all, Na’vi totems and other cultural items found throughout the land, Brand-new Wilderness Explorers challenges and badges to collect. You may even come across tour guides from Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE), scientists from the Pandora Conservation Initiative (PCI), or even an eclectic expat or two!
Stay posted for any future updates on Pandora: the World of Avatar in the coming weeks as the opening date draws closer. Pandora: the World of Avatar officially opens to the public on May 27th, 2017.
We had previously told you about the upcoming Doc McStuffins Meet and Greet coming to Animal Kingdom, but we were not yet able to tell you when she was going to there. Well, now we can.
Starting this past weekend, guests can now take a visit to the Doc at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, just outside the vet clinic. She will be available to take pictures as well as sign autographs.
Doc will still continue to make appearances at Hollywood Studios as well, this is just another set location for her. Chip and Dale, however, are no longer meeting in the Planet Watch area.
To check the days and times she will be at Animal Kingdom, please refer to the My Disney Experience app, or a times guide.
Rivers of Light is Disney’s new ‘kiss goodnight’ at Animal Kingdom and features stunning water projections, an array of colors, a fantastic musical score, and even some live actors to help effectively portray the magic and story to audiences. Recently, Disney released an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how the intricately designed costumes were created for this one-of-a-kind show. There are 4 unique costumes, each representing the different elements of earth, fire, water, and air. Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment has collaborated with New York costume designer Irina Kruzhilina produced these wonderful costumes that reflect Native American, European, and Far Eastern cultures. From the Disney Parks Blog, here is the video behind the scenes look:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVAek1nCehA]
Each costume is so complex that they required 81 different embroidery motifs, 180 different fabrics, and more than 250 different beads. On top of that, they also used ancient weaving techniques, and ancient dying techniques to make this look top notch as if an Indian tribesman made it themselves. Rivers of Light officially debuts tonight, February 17th, 2017.
Starting sometime later this month the character ‘Doc McStuffins’ from the animated Disney Junior tv series “Doc McStuffins”, will be available for a character meet and greet at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
At this time there is no official start date to when this will happen, all we know right now is that the meet and greet will be added some time later this coming month. Currently ‘Doc Mcstuffins’ is at Hollywood Studios, and will be at both parks.
‘Doc McStuffins’ will be found outside the veterinarian clinic at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. While there, kids will be able to take their pictures with Doc, have her sign autographs, and also learn about conservation and how the vets at Animal Kingdom take care for the animals that live there.
