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Guests visiting Animal Kingdom and Pandora were in for quite the shock as they journeyed along the Na’vi. See the Na’vi River Journey attraction malfunction in this video below.
Malfunction
It is not completely uncommon for attractions to experience malfunctions, break downs, or evacuations at Disney World. Technology is a wonderful thing when it’s working and a giant pain when it’s not.
Rides like PeopleMover, Splash Mountain, and most recently Living with the Land have all recently experienced issues and evacuations. Here’s what to do if you ever get stuck on a ride.
Na’vi River Journey
The Na’vi River Journey is one of the 2 attractions located in the land of Pandora inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I personally love the beauty and peaceful serenity of this attraction.
The boat ride typically concludes with a view of Na’vi Shaman of Songs, an impressively life-like animatronic creation, performing the music of her world. The figure is one of the most sophisticated animatronics Walt Disney World has to offer.
Shaman Malfunctions
Last July, Shaman was completely replaced with a screen and video. Guests were surprised to see this, but thankfully it was only temporary.
In January of this year, Shaman was doubled over as riders journeyed by. The music was still playing, but she was taking a bit of a nap.
The same thing happened just recently. As people traveled along the Na’vi River hoping to see the finale with Shaman, they only got part of the experience. The first part of the video shows Shaman working properly. Then she abruptly stops.
See the video below from TikTok user @erinn_disneyplanner:
Will she ever be fixed?
This is now the third known malfunction in the last year. Could this signal a mechanical issue with Shaman? She is the most advanced animatronic with very fluid movements and lifelike features.
Or, is this simply a temporary glitch that sorts itself out without needing assistance from Disney? Either way, this would be disappointing for Guests who look forward to this beautiful ending of Na’vi River Journey.
Have you ever seen an animatronic malfunction at Disney World? Share your stories with us in the comments below or on Facebook.
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