Let’s All Go to Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World!
Okay, we’ve previously visited three out of four Walt Disney World parks. We’ve admired EPCOT, celebrated Magic Kingdom, and marked out at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Now, we’ve got one more park to cross off the list. Let’s all go to Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
Morning at the Zoo!
The brilliance of Animal Kingdom stems from Disney’s marriage of a conventional theme park with a zoo. It may sound like a shotgun wedding in theory, but the idea works perfectly in practice.
For example, we can and should start the day like regular park guests. We should enter through the main gates and head through the Oasis. It’ll only take a minute before you climb the hill and notice the Tree of Life in front of you.
Tree of Life
Isn’t this feat of Imagineering spectacular? Did you know that it’s not a real tree? It’s also even better at night. Check out the Awakening!
Once we’ve finished taking all sorts of photos, we decide which themed land to visit for our first ride. I vote DinoLand U.S.A. to get our feet wet…but not literally. For that, we’d go to Asia instead.
So, we’re choosing to walk with the dinosaurs, and we might as well go with the obvious. Let’s hop on DINOSAUR!
Dinosaur
While I believe DINOSAUR the best ride at DinoLand, let’s jump on the other two while we’re here. First, let’s enjoy TriceraTop Spin.
Triceratop Spin
Your kids loved that, didn’t they? Oh, and we’re not subject to seasonal rides here. So, let’s try Primeval Whirl, too.
Primeval Whirl
On to Other Continents
Okay, I think that’s enough dinosaurs for now. It’s time to follow the walking path around to Asia, where we can get our feet wet. Yup, we don’t have to worry about messy hair or wet clothes. So, let’s take a trip down Kali River Rapids.
Kali River Rapids
Okay, now let’s travel through the Forbidden Mountain. Beware of its lone resident, though. Here’s Expedition Everest:
Expedition Everest
I recommend trying this one at night, too.
With both rides completed, we could approach the rest of Asia in several ways. However, I suggest we grab a bite to eat before we get puckish. I’m picking Tusker House for lunch so that we can hang out with our pal, Donald Duck.
Tusker House
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdwOC4xK-Ss
Weren’t the characters adorable? Okay, let’s head back to Asia for a few shows. We’ll start with UP! A Great Bird Adventure:
Up! A Great Bird Adventure
Then, we should work off some of our imaginary calories by walking through Maharajah Jungle Trek.
Maharajah Jungle Trek
Afterward, let’s move on to our next continent/themed land, Africa. It’s where we had lunch earlier! For now, let’s knock out the best attraction in the area, Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Again, this one’s better at night. So, let’s try it that way, too.
Isn’t it amazing how differently the animals behave at night?
Okay, we still have plenty to do in Africa, but let’s hit one more highlight for now before moving on. Let’s sit down for some audience participation at Festival of the Lion King.
Festival of the Lion King
Fun with Animals
Okay, we all know that we haven’t covered the most exciting part of Animal Kingdom yet. Let’s save that for last. For now, let’s appreciate the most remarkable Imagineering feat at the park.
No, I don’t mean Pandora – The World of Avatar. I’m talking about the animals.
Disney officials were so passionate about building Animal Kingdom the right way that they hired a staggering number of zoologists. I’m not joking when I say that the industry experienced a staffing shortage due to this park.
So, you’ll meet plenty of animals at the park, presuming that you’re a zoo fan. We could wander the Discovery Island Trails:
Discovery Island Trail
For bird lovers, there’s Winged Encounters – The Kingdom Takes Flight:
Winged Encounters
Heck, maybe you’re into insects. So, let’s watch It’s Tough to Be a Bug! for the umpteenth time.
It’s Tough to Be a Bug
You know what else is phenomenal? Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail:
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
Even with everything we’ve done, we still haven’t experienced the best two spots for animal lovers. Here’s Affection Section, the park’s petting zoo:
Affection Section
Finally, here’s arguably the most remarkable thing at Walt Disney World, Conservation Station:
Conservation Station
Let’s Go Off-World!
Okay, we’ve checked off most of the main items on our Animal Kingdom list. All that’s left is to leave the planet. Yes, we’re traveling to Pandora!
I don’t know about you, but intergalactic travel makes me hungry. I say we grab dinner at Satu’li Canteen before we ride anything.
Satu’li Canteen
The Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse dessert is in the conversation for prettiest and tastiest at Walt Disney World.
Okay, let’s finish up strong with the pride of Pandora. Here’s Na’Vi River Journey, an attraction I adore:
Na’Vi River Journey
Then, there’s the current alpha at Animal Kingdom, Avatar Flight of Passage:
Avatar Flight of Passage
Before Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened, that was unquestionably the best ride at Walt Disney World. Even now, it’s still in the conversation. Of course, Pandora as a whole is better at night.
With everything else done, we can finish the night with Orlando’s most vibrant evening presentation. I’m speaking of Rivers of Light: We Are One.
Rivers of Light: We Are One
And with that, our virtual journey through Walt Disney World is complete. Don’t worry, though! We’ve still got Disneyland Resort to go.
