A Day at Disney World Animal Kingdom
Warning: This post is very delayed. Like months delayed. I forgot to publish it. Oops!
Disney World Animal Kingdom. We finally made it to all of the Disney World parks this year!
It was again a crowded day. Even more crowded than we expected because Avatar was having a soft opening for a select few season ticket holders. Obviously, that meant we didn’t get to check it out, but that just gives us an excuse to come again! Anyways, I’ve been giving the same tips for crowded Disney days over and over, so I’m not going to bore you again. If you missed the tips, you can check them out on our previous blog for Disney Magic Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom is a little different than the other Disney World parks. It is more like a glorified zoo than a Disney park full of attractions and rides. But, by no means does that mean you should skip Animal Kingdom. Just don’t expect Magic Kingdom when you come to Animal Kingdom. There are all sorts of trails you can wander through and see a whole slew of different animals from all over the world. And, of course, there are all the little Disney touches to make it extra special. But, enough about that, let’s get started.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
The animals are supposedly most active at the beginning of the day and in the evening, so we started the day off at the Kilimanjaro Safaris. We didn’t have a fast pass even though we knew this was a popular ride because we decided last minute to go to Animal Kingdom on that day and they were already out of fast passes for the Safari. But, regardless, the line seemed to move pretty fast and it wasn’t too long since it was still early in the day.
When you finally get to the ride, you board a jeep. Just like a real safari! It takes you through the African savanna. You get to see giraffes, lions, rhinos, and more. There really isn’t a best side to sit on because you don’t know where the animals will be.
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
Because it was nearby, we checked out the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail next. This is what I was talking about earlier. It felt like it was at a zoo. We walked along a trail and got to learn facts about animals and see some funny Gorillas, but it just wasn’t very Disney-like to us, so we hurried through so we could move onto more attractions!
Harambe Market
And by attractions, I mean food. It was actually on the early side for lunch, but we hadn’t had a big breakfast. So, we stopped for a quick snack at the Harambe Market. We tried the curry dog, which is like a corn dog with curry in the breading. It was good, but we both agreed it could have used a bigger curry kick!
Pro-tip: The Harambe Market has 2 lines that serve exactly the same food. When we were there, the 1st line was huge. We walked passed that line and straight up to the cashier at the second line. Monkey see, monkey do? I don’t know. I really can’t explain people sometimes.
Expedition Everest
After a quick snack and some exploring, we headed to Expedition Everest. It is the coolest looking ride in the park, and there is no way you can miss it. It’s Mount Everest! You don’t need a map to get there. Just walk towards the mountain. It is one of my favorite roller coasters, and even the waiting line is cool since you through tour guide shops and get to see all the expedition gear and trekking stories. Once on the coaster, you twist, turn, stop, go back, and speed forward all while trying to escape from the Yeti! So exhilarating! Again, again!
Tamu Tamu Refreshments
Next up was time to cool off with a treat. A Rum Dole Whip. Sounds good, right? Nope. Never again. Don’t waste your money. It may look cool but has an overpowering bitter aftertaste. And that’s all I’m saying about that.
Festival of the Lion King
As we choked down our rum Dole Whip, we noticed it was about to rain, so we headed towards the Festival of the Lion King. It is a pretty entertaining show and a great way to cool off (or avoid the rainstorm in our case). Before the show, they keep the audience entertained by teaching us short movements to go along with songs. I expected the show itself to be a short play just like the Lion King movie, sort of like how Beauty and the Beast show was at Hollywood Studios. But it wasn’t. They have floats, singers, music, lights, dancers, and acrobats.
Warung Outpost
It was still raining after the show, so we stopped at the Warung Outpost and had a margarita. Pretty delish and took up just enough time for the rain to pass. Just be warned, if it rains, this place gets crowded!!! Don’t expect to find a place to sit. It is standing room only during a rain shower.
DinoLand
Finally, we made our way to DinoLand. I honestly didn’t expect much, but it is a fun little area. It looks like you are at an old-school fair with arcade games, spinning vomit-inducing rides, and nachos. The difference though is that everything is dinosaur themed, hence the name. And, you can’t miss the giant goofy dinosaur watching over the entire area.
There is one major ride though – Dinosaur. You are loaded up on a rover that takes you back in time to see the dinosaurs, but of course, something goes very wrong and you barely escape!
Kali River Rapids
By this point, they finally opened the Kali River Rapids ride back up. We had tried to go on this water ride while it was raining since we were going to get wet anyway, but they had closed it for safety precautions. The line was incredibly short. Why were they avoiding the water ride? It was the perfect time since it was still sprinkling a bit and people were already wet from the rain. I’m not complaining though. I like short lines! Kali River Rapids is just like any other rapids ride where you sit in a round boat of sorts and you have no idea which direction you’ll end up facing. Will you be the one person spared from being drenched in the waterfall or will you be the one in direct line of the onlookers with the water guns?
Finding Nemo – The Musical
We had one more show we wanted to catch, so next, we were off in search of Finding Nemo – The Musical. This was more like what I thought the Lion King show was going to be like. It was a short rendition of the movie. I was blown away by how well this show was done. It has dancing, special effects to make it seem like it’s under water, digital backdrops, and puppets. By puppets, I don’t mean normal puppets. Some of them, like the sea-turtle, are the size of a car and require multiple people to operate. Nigel the Pelican? He is 22 feet tall!
It is arguably the most elaborate live show in any Disney World theme park. Incorporating dancing, special effects, and sophisticated digital backdrops of the undersea world, it features on-stage human performers retelling Nemo’s story with colorful, larger-than-life puppets. To be fair, ”puppets” doesn’t adequately convey the size or detail of these props, many of which are as big as a car and require two people to manipulate.
Trilo-Bites
After the show, it was drizzling yet again. I guess that means it was time for more food and drinks! This time, we tried the loaded buffalo chicken chips from Trilo-Bites which were delicious! I highly recommend them. It has a huge portion of crispy crunchy chips piled with shredded buffalo chicken, creamy blue cheese chunks, and arugula. Then the whole thing is drizzled with ranch dressing. Yum!
To make it even better, we took them to the covered eating area behind Flame Tree BBQ. It has a great view of Mount Everest!
Just after we finished eating, the sun came out! And, for some reason, most of the people were fed up with the rainy day and left. So now we were left with a beautiful sunny evening and short lines. Score!
It’s Tough to be a Bug
Since the lines were so short, we went and saw the classic show, It’s Tough to be a Bug. It is a cute little show under the tree of life. You are given 3-D bug glasses and made an honorary bug. Just watch out. There are 4-D effects, and you might get stung! We did, and it kinda hurt!
Animal Kingdom at Night
We went on a couple rides again (like the safari and Expedition Everest), and then explored Animal Kingdom at Night while waiting for the Rivers of Light show. It is gorgeous to walk around with all the lights shining.
Rivers of Light
Finally, it was time for the finale. The Rivers of Light show. We had fast passes for it, but they were unnecessary. Since most people had given up and left because of the rain earlier, the show was half empty! Their loss! It was a great ending to a fun day.
The show begins with lotus drifting into the lagoon, animal spirit guides in the surrounding trees, and storytellers sailing in on sailboats. Then the animals drift in before the dance of the lotus. It is a beautiful narrative of all the animals living together and our bond with the natural world.
