Animal Kingdom Turns Twenty! 20 Things to Love

We’ve made no secret of our love for Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  We love it even more now that Joseph’s been a Disney College Program Cast Member there for the past several months.  From the lush landscaping to the nature trails, the thrill rides, and the excellent entertainment – Animal Kingdom has a lot going for it.  The theming is arguably its best feature.  Joe Rohde and his amazing team of Imagineers totally outdid themselves on this park.  100% a FULL-DAY park, Animal Kingdom offers a Disney experience unlike any other and on this very special occasion, I’d be pleased to tell you why.

Animal Kingdom Turns Twenty! 20 Things to Love

  1. The Tree of Life – Take the time to really study this Imagineering marvel…There’s something new to discover on every visit.Kilimanjaro Safari Elephant
  2. Creatures great and small – Trail, Trek or Safari – both the animals and their habitats are interesting and entertaining.  Such a variety of fauna, it’s almost impossible to take them all in during a single visit.
  3. Entertainment – The shows (Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo-The Musical) are awesome, but the Burudika Band and African acrobats are even more exciting (to our family, at least).  If you can spot the elusive DiVine, she’s pretty cool too.
  4. Tusker House – Best character meal to our family – the food and friendliness there cannot be beat.
  5. Flight of Passage – The absolute pinnacle of planet Pandora, this attraction is a feast for the senses.
  6. Dawa Bar – A must-do on every visit, this centrally located watering hole is the best place to grab an adult beverage right in the middle of Animal Kingdom’s hustle and bustle.Details along the Maharajah Jungle Trek
  7. Being transported to other continents.  More immersive than World Showcase, Animal Kingdom’s Africa and Asia are indescribably well done.  Down to the tiniest detail – every aspect is amazing.
  8. Baby animals – From gorillas to hippos, elephants, and even naked mole rats…the babies are wonderful to see.Expedition Everest Queue Yeti Museum
  9. Yeti!  A broken yeti is better than no yeti at all.  Expedition Everest is such a fantastic thrill and the best attraction in Animal Kingdom (to me).  An added bonus, is that the queue alone for this attraction is unsurpassed in its entertainment value.
  10. Harambe Market – We loved it even before Joseph started spending nearly every waking hour working there.  It’s so well-themed and the food is outstanding.  Get there early to snag a shaded table and soak up the atmosphere.Bird in Animal Kingdom
  11. Birds!  Whether they’re flying overhead, building nests in the aviaries on the animal trails, or performing in the bird show in Asia (used to be Flights of Wonder, Now UP! A Great Bird Adventure), these birds have given us a whole new appreciation for their species.
  12. Wilderness Explorers – Fun for all ages!  If you’re going to be in the park all day (as I strongly suggest), jump on into this fun, educational, and entertaining badge-earning activity.
  13. Primeval Whirl – For our family, this funky little ride in Dinoland U.S.A. is the best reason to visit this area of the park.  It’s weird and wacky and wonderfully whirly.View of Kali River
  14. Kali River Rapids Queue – The ride’s okay, but the queue is worth checking out at least once.  Gorgeous, detailed, and well-themed…I believe it’s also underappreciated.
  15. Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes – This busy little walk-up window by the Yak & Yeti restaurant serves up my favorite Animal Kingdom snack – the humble yet delicious and satisfying egg roll.  Need a snack or a bargain meal?  This is the place.
  16. Sunset – Ah, the beauty of staying all day!  Sunset is magical in Animal Kingdom no matter where you are in the park!  Safari?  Great!  Expedition Everest?  Gorgeous view!  Tree of Life?  Not to be missed…you get my point.
  17. Nomad Lounge – We knew it wouldn’t stay a secret forever and it’s very busy these days, but if you can snag a table, this wonderful oasis near the entrance to Pandora is arguable one of, if not THE best lounge in Walt Disney World.
  18. The Views – Everywhere you look in Animal Kingdom, there are wonderful sights to see, but if you take the time to really notice, the views can be breathtaking.
  19. Tiffins – It’s expensive and the food is maybe not for everyone, but this signature restaurant contains some of the most interesting decorations, menu, and Animal Kingdom history to be found anywhere.  The wine flights are awesome and if you go, be sure to ask your server to tell you about the artwork on the walls.
  20. The memories.  We’ve got so many cherished family memories of our time spent in Animal Kingdom.  (And Joseph has all his Disney College Program memories to add to his.)  Animal Kingdom is absolutely a unique and wonderful place to make magical memories on every visit.

 

Disney’s Animal Kingdom – 12 Hours of Fun!

animal-kingdom-selfieI’m well aware there are certain people who do not appreciate Disney’s Animal Kingdom as a full-day park.  My family and I are not among them.  We were thrilled recently by the opportunity to spend 12+ hours in the amazingly themed, action-packed,  fun-filled Animal Kingdom.  From rope-drop to park closing, we had an amazing day and still did not see and do it all.animal-kingdom-sign

Disney’s Animal Kingdom – 12 Hours of Fun!

Pre-planning:  We booked two ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) at 180 days pre-vacation at Tusker House for breakfast and Tiffins for an early dinner.  If, by some miracle, Rivers of Light would have come online for our trip, we were ready to turn one of these meals into a dining package.  As it turned out, Rivers of Light was still a no-show.  No matter, we enjoyed both of these restaurants and were very pleased with the choices.  We had also booked three FastPasses:  Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Primeval Whirl (Dinosaur was under refurbishment).tusker-house-breakfast-daisy

What we did for 12+ Hours

Morning:  We arrived early for breakfast and enjoyed Tusker House’s buffet which had both unique and traditional breakfast offerings.  We met Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy – all were awesome and spent plenty of time with us for pictures.  As much as I love Donald, Goofy was extra entertaining.  tusker-house-goofyAfter breakfast, we waddled over to Kilimanjaro Safaris and visited with the friendly Cast Members there while we waited for the attraction to open.  Our group of seven and a family of three were the only ones on our safari and it was, hands down, the best experience we’d ever had on this attraction…even though the giraffes (except for one) and elephants seemed to be sleeping in that morning.  We were very excited to have an excellent view of the new African Painted Dogs!  Gorgeous!kilimanjaro-safaris-african-painted-dogsPost-safari, we explored the Gorilla Falls trail, used our Expedition Everest FastPass, strolled the Maharajah Jungle Trek, caught It’s Tough to Be a Bug, and took another safari (with FastPass) to see the previously missed close-up giraffes and elephants.

Afternoon:  We stopped by the Harambe Market in case anyone was hungry, but we only got drinks.  I guess we were still full from Tusker House.  dak-musicianWhile we were enjoying our beverages of choice, we were serenaded by a musician and it was wonderful!  He was very talented and made us feel special.  Then we explored Zuri’s Sweet Shop where we all bought souvenirs.  Zuri's-Sweets-ShopHats, toy Komodo Dragons, and stuffed African Painted Dogs were popular items with our group.  After that we hopped the train for Rafiki’s Planet Watch.  rafiki-meetingWhile there was not a lot going on in the animal care area, the Cast Members were chatty and informative, the animals in the petting area were cute, and Rafiki himself made an appearance and was very charming!rafikis-planet-watch-affection-sectionWe could have seen Festival of the Lion King instead, but Rafiki won out in the group vote and we were happy with our excursion to this seldom-visited section of the park.rafiki-teaching

As we took the train back, we noticed the sky was darkening.  By the time we exited the train and donned our ponchos, a torrential downpour was upon us and all areas of shelter nearby were packed.  I decided we should take a chance on Nomad Lounge (by Tiffins), hoping nobody else would realize it would be open.  nomad-lounge-in-the-rainYES! The place was virtually empty.  We found a table on the patio and ordered drinks and snacks which we made short work of as the rain let up and we headed back out for more fun.  nomad-lounge-snackWe wrapped up the afternoon with a series of rides on Primeval Whirl since there was no wait.  Before long, it was time to return to Tiffins for our early dinner reservation.primeval-whirl2

Evening:  Tiffins, which I will give a full review for soon, was delightful and delicious (truthfully, it was incredible)!  Once the sun began to set, we began what was the completely-new-to-us time of the day – we’d never been able to stay at Animal Kingdom so late before.  The park wouldn’t close until 8:30 and we were going to take advantage of every minute.  Kali-River-RapidsFirst, everyone (except Raymond and I) took multiple trips down Kali River Rapids (no wait).  Then we enjoyed Expedition Everest at night…amazing!everest-at-duskWe took our third Kilimanjaro Safari of the day to see the hyenas and all the nighttime effects before wrapping up this epic day by watching the Tree of Life awaken.tree-of-life-awakens

More than 12 hours after we arrived, we caught the bus back to Bay Lake Tower.  Sure, we skipped things like Finding Nemo The Musical, Festival of the Lion King and Flights of Wonder, but we rode awesome thrill rides multiple times (no wait), had all the safari experiences possible, enjoyed some fantastic food and soaked up all the incredible theming and ambiance Animal Kingdom has to offer.  When the World of Pandora opens and Rivers of Light finally launches, we’ll have to make multi-day plans here on every visit!

What are your favorite things to do at Animal Kingdom?  Are you looking forward to the parks upcoming additions?