Why You Haven't Really Visited Disney's World of Avatar Until You've Gone at Night

Walt Disney World's brand-new Avatar-inspired land is an incredible re-creation of the film's lush exoplanetary moon, Pandora, complete with floating mountains and otherworldly vegetation. At night, it's even better.

When I visited Pandora prior to its official opening on May 27, I was impressed by the over-the-top plants. When I visited the land again at night, however, it was an entirely different experience. Most of the land's many plants are actually bioluminescent and glow in the dark at night. Remember that scene in Avatar where Jake Sully follows Neytiri through the forest and all these teeny-tiny glowing plants begin landing on him? Well, that's the sort of magic that Pandora re-creates at night.

In addition to the phosphorescent plants, there are a few other reasons to visit Pandora at night. For starters, it's much cooler temperature-wise. Being that Pandora offers several alcoholic beverages on its menus, it's also a fun land to explore at night with a tasty cocktail in hand. If you do visit Pandora at night, you absolutely have to get your face painted at the Colors of Mo'ara outdoor shop by the entrance. Why? Much like the plants throughout the land, the face paint also glows in the dark!

Look ahead to see how Pandora transforms at night.