In this post we give an overview of Na’vi River Journey, a slow boat ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park in Walt Disney World. We cover the basics of the ride, how to ride it, and our thoughts on the experience. Read on to learn more!
Related Posts
This post is a quick guide to Na’vi River Journey, but we have related content that dives deeper into topics. Our Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane post covers Lightning Lane strategy in deep. The Animal Kingdom Rides and Entertainment Guide gives brief introductions to all the park’s offerings. For putting together your day at the park, we have a One Day Plan for Animal Kingdom.
And, just like this guide, we’ve got guides to each of the rides at Animal Kingdom:
Na’vi River Journey (you are here)
Na’vi River Journey Basics
Na’vi River Journey is a slow boat ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Na’vi River Journey:
does not offer rider switch
is a part of Lightning Lane Multi Pass
does not have a single rider line
is about 6 minutes long
Because it is a slow boat ride, there are no health warnings from Disney. You can view the official ride page here.
Because it does not have a height requirement, it does not offer rider switch. If you’re visiting Animal Kingdom with a small child this is likely to be a must-do together as a family. It isn’t scary, per se, but it is quite a dark ride.
Where is Na’vi River Journey Located?
Na’vi River Journey is located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the Pandora land. Entering the park, you’ll make a left and another left (a left U-turn basically) when you get to the Tree of Life. This takes you to the bridge to Pandora. Stay on your left in the land to get to Na’vi River Journey.
The entrance to Na’vi River Journey is not noticeably marked. There are only two ride entrances in the land, so if you have any confusion a Cast Member should be able to direct you to the entrance, which looks like:
How to Ride Na’vi River Journey
Here is how we break down the strategy of getting on Na’Vi River Journey…
With Lightning Lane Multi Pass
If you have Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Na’vi River Journey should be one of your initial three picks. Even if it isn’t, you shouldn’t have trouble grabbing a time for it most days.
With Early Entry
If you have Early Entry, you’ll either:
start with Flight of Passage and then ride Na’vi River Journey (ideal option)
start with Flight of Passage, decide wait for Na’vi River Journey is too long, and head elsewhere
start with Na’vi River Journey
Option 3 comes into play if you don’t want to arrive early enough for a short wait on Flight of Passage or if you buy the Single Pass for Flight of Passage.
Waiting Midday or Evening
The only notable thing about waiting in line for Na’vi River Journey in the middle of the day is that the ride has a relatively remote location. If you have an excuse to be in Pandora anyways—you’re getting off Flight of Passage, having lunch at Satuli Canteen, or grabbing a green beer—it will often make sense to wait for Na’vi River Journey while you’re there rather than coming back later. A 30-minute wait while you’re there is basically the equivalent of a 10-minute wait later if you have to walk out of your way to get to it.
Boats and Bioluminescence
This section contains spoilers.
The queue for Na’vi River Journey is pretty simple. It’s almost entirely outdoors. The first part is a path through the Pandora flora, similar to what you’ll find throughout the land. In the main, covered part of the queue you’ll see signs describing the animals you’ll be encountering, along with some woven artistic pieces.
If you’re using the Lightning Lane you’ll skip almost the entire queue, but you don’t have to feel like you’re missing out in our opinion. While it is cool to learn a bit about the species in line, that alone isn’t worth any sort of wait if you can avoid it.
The ride itself is a slow, dark boat ride. Along the way you’ll encounter tons of Pandoran plants and animals. You can watch a video of the ride here.
Na’vi River Journey is maybe the most beautiful ride Disney has ever put together (though even nearby Kilimanjaro Safaris could deserve that crown). It’s a wonderfully relaxing and enchanting experience. It also ends with one of Disney’s finest animatronics, the Shaman of Songs.
The ride is a bit polarizing, or at least it was when it debuted. Nearby Avatar Flight of Passage is a much more thrilling experience, which left some people wanting more out of Na’vi River Journey. Frankly, I think even Zoe would pass on Na’vi River Journey most days—sometimes a nice boat ride just doesn’t cut it.
Of course, not every ride should be a thrill ride. Na’vi River Journey is overall an excellent addition to the park and a great opportunity for people who might not want thrills to experience something special in Pandora.
It’s definitely a must-ride, but it’s important that you go in with your eyes open and ready to take in the scenery. If you sit around waiting for something to “happen” you might not get what you want until the very last scene.
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