Last year, Walt Disney World‘s Animal Kingdom invited visitors into Pandora: The World of Avatar, a stunning recreation of the alien landscape from James Cameron‘s Avatar. The one-year anniversary is coming up next month, but the theme park’s creative team isn’t resting on its laurels. For the last few days, Disney has teased a new addition to its Avatar attraction. Now, there’s a behind-the-scenes look at said addition: the Pandora Utility Suit, which will soon become a regular feature at The World of Avatar.
Via the Disney Parks Blog, the Pandora Utility Suit will be worn by performers at the The World of Avatar. Its in-world function is to allow explorers to withstand the more dangerous parts of Pandora’s terrain while collecting plant samples and studying the wildlife. The performers or cast members wearing the suits will be able to talk to guests about their activities as experts on Pandora, and add another layer of reality to this fantasy realm.
Unlike the film, the Pandora Utility Suit isn’t dependent upon CGI to create the illusion of a real working mech. It was the collaboration of Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment, Disney Parks Live Entertainment, Michael Curry Studios, and Walt Disney Imagineering. The suit also appears to maximize comfort for the performers by keeping them in a sitting position. In case you’re curious what it will be like to see these suits in action before their official debut on April 22, Disney Parks posted a second teaser video.
What do you think about the Pandora Utility Suit? Would you want to take the suit for a test run? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comment section below!
Image: Disney Parks
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