Pandora Drummers and Exo-Suit Rangers: Animal Kingdom’s Avatar Entertainment

Pandora Rangers Avatar Entertainment featured

Ever since the 2017 debut of Pandora — The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, the big buzz has been all about the Flight of Passage simulator, but the land is also home to two unheralded street shows that guests shouldn’t overlook. Today, we’re paying tribute to the Pandora Drummers and Exo-Suit Rangers, performers who provided some much-needed Avatar entertainment and helped bring the interstellar expansion
to life.

Swotu Wayä Pandora Drummers Animal Kingdom Avatar entertainment
Learn how to pound drums like a Pandoran with Swotu Wayä, one of the live Avatar-inspired shows at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. (Photos/videos by Seth Kubersky)

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The Valley of Mo’ara is the port of entry to Pandora. Beautiful during the day, the valley is even more mesmerizing at night, as a mixture of real and man-made plants creates a host of special effects.

The ultimate discovery, however, is the view of the floating mountains of Pandora. Waterfalls seem to float in midair, and a combination of sparkling creeks and canopied paths creates a soothing atmosphere.

The first live show created for The World of Avatar was Swotu Wayä, better known as the Pandora Drummers. Within the valley, guests are invited to gather around the Na’vi-built drum circle, where a trio of humans are sharing songs they learned from the inhabitants.

Performed several times a day, a high-energy show combines tribal drum beating and chanting in the Na’vi language. Guests are typically invited to participate towards the end of the show, although that element was omitted in the show you can see below:

In April 2018, the Pandora Utility Suit interactive character made its debut in the land. Unlike its evil military AMP Suit counterpart, which is still on display in front of Pongu Pongu, the friendly pilot of this suit interacts with guests, conveying to them what he learned while studying life on Pandora.

During the Pandora Ranger demonstrations, an Exo-Carrier Utility Suit pilot puts his clever stilt-based costume through its paces by completing a brief battery of tests to prove its mech-stomping skills.

Much like the Pandora Drummers, the Rangers manage to rope a few guests into the action, as you can see in the following video:

Finally, don’t forget that there is one more musician performing on Pandora, and she has sets from park open to close—with barely any breaks. Of course, you’ll need a FastPass+ or plenty of patience to see the Shaman of Songs showing off inside the Na’vi River Journey boat ride.

Or, you could just watch our POV video ride-through of the popular attraction:

For all there is to see and do at Walt Disney World, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, or to plan your family’s trip to Orlando, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids 2020. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and sign up for our newsletter here. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

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