Avatar: The Way Of Water Easter Eggs At Disney World You Missed

A turtle crossing the road, your Uber delivery driver when you’re hungry, the traffic on the 101 in Los Angeles — these are also things that are surprisingly faster than waiting for the sequel to Avatar. Fans of the 2009 film deserve a medal for having to wait 13 years to return to Pandora and continue the story of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Ney'tiri (Zoe Saldaña). Even though the movie is arriving in theaters Dec. 16, there have actually been Avatar: The Way of Water easter eggs at Disney World since Pandora — The World of Avatar opened in 2017.

That’s right — you may have seen a sneak peek to Avatar 2 and have not even known it. For anyone who has visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando recently, you’ve likely visited Pandora. While the wait times for the two attractions in the land inspired by the Avatar films are always incredibly long, a visit to Pandora is a must for any Disney vacay. Just like Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Disney World immerses you in the world of Star Wars, Pandora makes you feel as though you’re in the James Cameron film.

During the day, you can marvel at the floating mountains in the sky that are infused with that Disney magic that makes you wonder how things are made. At night, you’ll be equally as amazed at the bioluminescence that fills every inch of the land in glowing color. No Insta pics can do it justice. The best part about Pandora is that you don’t even have to be a fan of the OG movie to love it. There are plenty of Disney fans who have never seen the first film and enjoy stopping by Pandora for some Cheeseburger Steamed Pods — aka bao buns — at Satu'li Canteen and snapping some pics for the ‘Gram in front of a waterfall. Of course, if you are a fan, you may be able to recognize the easter eggs hidden in Pandora that will also be seen in Avatar: The Way of Water.

What Are The Avatar: The Way of Water Easter Eggs At Disney?

Back in November, the cast of Avatar: The Way of Water stopped by Pandora to return to the world of Avatar. Bailey Bass, who plays Tsireya in the new film, told Disney Parks Blog, “There are easter eggs in Flight of Passage.” Flight of Passage is the main attraction of Pandora. It allows you to experience what it’s like actually flying on the back of a banshee as you explore all of Pandora. It’s kind of like Disney’s other ride Soarin' Around the World, but this time, you’re sitting on your own banshee that you can actually feel underneath you.

Bass also shared, “Flight of Passage feels a lot like our training when we were on set.” The cast even made an original trip to Disney World before filming “to see the world and to be more connected with the Na’vi.” At the time, the actress didn’t notice this one detail that would be featured in Avatar: The Way of Water: ilus. “There are a bunch of ilus in the water that I didn’t realize when I was on it the first time,” Bass said.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with everything Avatar, the new film will introduce audiences to the Metkayina clan of Pandora. They are the ones who live in the reefs and ocean, hence why this movie is called The Way of Water. While the last time around, Avatar stayed mostly in the jungles of Pandora, it’s water’s turn. The ilus are the creatures that these water-based Na'vis use for transportation. Once you know what they look like, you’ll be able to spot them as well the next time you ride Flight of Passage.

You may also be able to recognize a few Avatar easter eggs from Na’vi River Journey, which is the second ride in the land and is more of a slow, water ride through the bioluminescent rainforest of Pandora. Whether you’ve already been to Pandora or planning a trip soon, Bass says, “I’m so happy that people got a taste of Avatar: The Way of Water even before it [comes] to theaters.”