Hey there, hi there, Alison! You're as welcome as can be here at planDisney. Thanks for stopping by with another great question, my friend!
Since you already know about
Pandora - The World of Avatar's beautiful bioluminescence at night, it sounds like your Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park planning is off to a practically perfect start. Exploring Pandora during the day and at night are two totally different experiences, and seeing the land once the sun sets is a must-do. I'm more than happy to help you experience the gorgeous glow of Pandora at night.
I think you will be happy to hear that there is no need to wait in line or use the Disney Genie+ service to explore this incredible land and see the stunning
Valley of Mo'ara during the day or night. Once the sun sets, just walk around and explore! During your December vacation, the sun will be setting around 5:30 p.m. and it should be getting dark around 6:30 p.m. Since the park is open until 7:00 p.m. during your visit, this should give you plenty of time to roam around and enjoy the bioluminescent beauty and wonder of Pandora - The World of Avatar at night.
The attractions in Pandora,
Avatar Flight of Passage and
Na'vi River Journey, are some of the best attractions in all of Walt Disney World Resort and are
not to be missed, and since the attractions are indoors, you get the same incredible experience during the day and at night. Since these attractions are so amazing and popular, I do recommend using Disney Genie+ and/or an Individual Lightning Lane to skip the long lines for these. Usually, my family and I will purchase an
Individual Lightning Lane for Avatar Flight of Passage on the My Disney Experience app right at 7:00 a.m., and we "rope drop" (arrive before park opening) Navi River Journey during
Early Theme Park Entry for Disney Resort Hotel Guests. When you enter Pandora, the crowd will be heading to the right towards Avatar Flight of Passage ... just stay left to rope drop Navi River Journey!
Making a trip back to Pandora to see it at night is absolutely worth it. I recommend planning to have dinner at
Satu'li Canteen (one of my favorite quick-service restaurants) or grab a drink at
Pongu Pongu for your nighttime adventure.
I hope this helps, Alison, and I hope you have the most magical and memorable time at The Most Magical Place on Earth. Please feel free to stop by any time with any questions you may have. You've got a friend in me.
Sivako ("Rise to the challenge")!
Mandy