Pandora at night in August - is it dark enough?

[TigersLions]

This will be our first time to Pandora and I read a tip to go during the day and then during the night to see the glow in the dark stuff. But if the park closes at 9 I’m wondering if it will be dark enough to get the full night time effect. Or better to do it on an extra magic hours night? Just wondering how much scheduling flexibility we will have. Thanks!

 

[jsbowl16]

We did it last year in July and it was dark enough around 815 or 830. We went to RoL afterwards which I think started at 915.

 

[Spencer Wright]

Thank you for bringing up the question! This is something I am very much looking forward too but had the same thought.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Disney recently changed the lighting in Pandora. Because of the greater degree of brightness illuminating the walkways, the bioluminescence is no longer very apparent.

@rteetz may know if AK has made this alteration permanent.

 

[rteetz]

Disney recently changed the lighting in Pandora. Because of the greater degree of brightness illuminating the walkways, the bioluminescence is no longer very apparent.

@rteetz may know if AK has made this alteration permanent.

I don’t believe it’s permanent. In seeing images recently it looked the same as I remember it.

 

[Spencer Wright]

I don’t believe it’s permanent. In seeing images recently it looked the same as I remember it.

Would you be willing to share your thoughts on illuminated Pandora? I am very much looking forward to it, however hear highly polarized reviews.

 

[rteetz]

Would you be willing to share your thoughts on illuminated Pandora? I am very much looking forward to it, however hear highly polarized reviews.

Pandora with the bioluminescence is beautiful. I think the lighting works really well. Yes it’s darker than other areas but its all part of the experience.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

It's ok at night but given the movies the actual lighting doesn't come near that coloring. Plus there was a billion people there at night when we went so that may have been a factor.

 

[hiroMYhero]

I don’t believe it’s permanent. In seeing images recently it looked the same as I remember it.

It was a recent Tweet (7/16) from Blog Mickey with photos:
“The nighttime ambiance of Pandora has been lost. I'm not sure if they installed the wrong lights or needed even more lighting for safety, but the days of gorgeous bioluminescent pathways seem to be gone”

 

[rteetz]

It's ok at night but given the movies the actual lighting doesn't come near that coloring. Plus there was a billion people there at night when we went so that may have been a factor.

It’s hard to replicate something created with CGI in a film.

 

[rteetz]

It was a recent Tweet (7/16) from Blog Mickey with photos:
“The nighttime ambiance of Pandora has been lost. I'm not sure if they installed the wrong lights or needed even more lighting for safety, but the days of gorgeous bioluminescent pathways seem to be gone”

Yes I posted that on the boards. About a week ago I saw a live stream inside Pandora and the lighting looked normal not what blog Mickey tweeted.

 

[awilliams4]

Yes I posted that on the boards. About a week ago I saw a live stream inside Pandora and the lighting looked normal not what blog Mickey tweeted.

Cool. I was worried about this.

 

[Mome Rath]

Yes, the walkways are cool and it should be dark enough to see the plants glowing. NRJ is supposed to resemble the film more than the outside areas as far as the lighting goes. I think they did a great job in Pandora, but perhaps bit off a bit more than they could chew as far as the bioluminescence goes out in the park.

 

[Robo]

This will be our first time to Pandora and I read a tip to go during the day and then during the night to see the glow in the dark stuff. But if the park closes at 9 I’m wondering if it will be dark enough to get the full night time effect. Or better to do it on an extra magic hours night? Just wondering how much scheduling flexibility we will have. Thanks!

This is what to do for all of these kind of questions:
Google for “sunset in Orlando.”
Then, look up your DATE.
Check the “sunset” time and ADD 30 minutes. That will give you “darkness” time.

As a quick and dirty shortcut...
Look up the start time for Fantasmic!
They don’t start it before “darkness” time.

 

[gharter]

Pandora at night is amazing. As others have mentioned, it is darker than the rest of the park and that really makes the plants pop at night. Walking through Pandora at night is a must do for us.

 

[cgattis]

It's ok at night but given the movies the actual lighting doesn't come near that coloring. Plus there was a billion people there at night when we went so that may have been a factor.

That was our experience also the weekend before July 4th. We hung around to see it and couldn’t really stroll and enjoy it. I was surprised too, because the park seemed to have emptied out after a big rain, but they must’ve all come back. We couldn’t really see the sidewalks glowing, although we could see the paint.

 

[TigersLions]

This is what to do for all of these kind of questions:
Google for “sunset in Orlando.”
Then, look up your DATE.
Check the “sunset” time and ADD 30 minutes. That will give you “darkness” time.

As a quick and dirty shortcut...
Look up the start time for Fantasmic!
They don’t start it before “darkness” time.

Lol! I use sunrise sunset.com. For pictures! I love that thing and also helping with where the sun will be at certain times. Great rule of thumb - thanks!!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

It was a recent Tweet (7/16) from Blog Mickey with photos:
“The nighttime ambiance of Pandora has been lost. I'm not sure if they installed the wrong lights or needed even more lighting for safety, but the days of gorgeous bioluminescent pathways seem to be gone”

I was in Pandora at night the day after this tweet. Other than the main path from Discovery Island being lit, the actual Pandora area is still very much blue.