Category Archives: Animal Kingdom

Still Loving Expedition Everest

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RM-Expedition-EverestStill Loving Expedition Everest

In the early days of this blog, I waxed poetic about my favorite Disney World attraction, Expedition Everest.  Now, a couple of years later, I’m reevaluating my attraction rankings.  I’ve changed my mind about the Country Bears over time (I love them now!), I’m still anti-Stitch’s Great Escape, and my favorite Walt Disney World attraction is….still Expedition Everest.

So many to choose from, so many fantastic, amazing experiences…EE (as I like to call it) edges out all competition in my mind for a few simple reasons:

  1.  The Location!  Biggest and bad-est thrill ride in Animal Kingdom.  EE’s got a great lead-up going for it.  Like walking down Sunset Boulevard towards the Tower of Terror in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the approach to Everest is full of interesting and amazing, well-themed atmosphere.  There’s a tendency to rush to this attraction.  You’ll see folks bookin’ it and you’ll want to get swept up in the excitement.  Resist it, friend, take your time on the approach.  It’s worth it.  Especially if you’ll be heading for the stand-by line.RM-Expedition-Everest-Sign
  2. The Queue!  There are some absolutely amazing waits in the World, but nothing beats the queue for Expedition Everest.  It’s interesting, mood-setting, and so heavily detailed you would swear you’re in both a yeti museum and a Yeti-hunting outfitters.  If you see me in this line, please don’t rush me.  I like to take my time.RM-Expedition-Everest-Queue-Statue
  3. The Anticipation!  You’ll weave your way in and out of all the amazing displays while you wait in line.  During this time, you’ll see and hear the tea-trains heading up (and down) the Forbidden Mountain.  Excitement builds.  By the time you board the train yourself, you are SO excited, you can hardly believe it!  (Or maybe it’s just me.  Holler at me in the comments if you are completely unmoved by the build up to this ride!)RM-Expedition-Everest-Yeti-Museum
  4. The Broken Yeti!  Oh, sure, the whiners and haters are gonna hate.  The Yeti used to be both more visible and more active.  His/her dreadlocks were spectacularly displayed as a gigantic simian arm took a swipe at you as you passed by.  Now we have Disco Yeti and I don’t care.  I may fondly recall the early days when the original Yeti was visible, but now?  Disco Yeti has grown a cult following of epic proportions.  Fix it now and I predict much protesting will ensue.RM-Expedition-Everest-Tea-Train
  5. The (I can’t believe I’m going to say this) Gift Shop!  It’s one of the best.  The unique merchandise and fun atmosphere make this one hard to pass through without browsing at least a little bit.  I especially like the tee-shirts here and find a great selection for tweens and teens looking for the perfect souvenir.

EE fans!!!  Who’s with me?  What do you love most about the best Walt Disney World attraction?!?!?!?!

Disney World’s Future – My Two Cents

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RM-Disney's-Hollywood-Studios-EntranceI want to ride on a Slinky Dog roller coaster.  I absolutely do!  That’s one of my most favorite of the many recent announcements about what we can expect next at Walt Disney World.  I’ve spoken about change before, and the importance of being open to new technology, themes, characters, and experiences.  As much as we think we’d like our favorite vacation destination to remain the same every time we visit, like ourselves and our children, it has to grow up too, so to speak.

Disney World’s Future – My Two Cents

Closures make us sad.  Think about this:  If we had happy childhoods, with glowing, happy memories, we instinctively want to recreate those experiences again and again.  That’s human nature.  When a component of our fondly remembered past no longer exists, we tend to believe the future (of that particular circumstance) will not be as good.  The value is diminished.  This is not necessarily true!  We can create new, happy memories with a new set of circumstances.  We just have to be open to the opportunity. (Insert “Let it go” sequence here while viewing Maelstrom photos.)Malestrom / Norway Pavilion / World Showcase

We’re naturally apprehensive of the unknown.  I will not argue with the naysayers who cannot understand how the heck Avatar belongs in Animal Kingdom.  It hasn’t opened yet – nobody’s experienced any of the attractions or the environment Pandora will have to offer.  It might not matter how you feel about the movie, the immersive experience might just be incredible on its own.  Similarly, Star Wars, I’m sad to say, is not universally appealing to everyone.  I grew up with Star Wars – it’s part of my own happy childhood memories and I’m over-the-moon-excited for the new Star Wars Land.  Not so for everyone, I get that.  Celebrate a Dream Come Trup ParadeI’ll also add that, if I ruled the Disney World, the Toy Story Land slated for the Studios would have been a broader Pixar-based area.  Not because I don’t love Toy Story, but because a more inclusive focus would have offered more potential.  What’s important is that we’ll have new, expanded Disney-imagineered environments and experiences to enjoy.  Or not.  Let’s keep an open mind and give it all a try before we categorically dismiss something as no good.

I can’t think of a single deal-breaker.  I realize I’m more accepting of change than the average person, but there are no rides or attractions that could change or close that would keep me from choosing to vacation at Walt Disney World.  Disney fan message boards are full of folks who constantly bemoan any and all changes as something that will make them vacation elsewhere.  They will not allow Disney to have one more cent of their vacation dollars.  To those folks I say, fine!  By all means, move along and find somewhere else to spend your money.  Disney World is (and will be) crowded enough without you.RM-Animal-Kingdom-Construction-Walls-Tree-of-Life

I listen to analysis, but not too closely.  I love hearing Disney fans discuss their opinions on Disney World’s future.  There are some mighty deep, in-depth theories on Disney’s expenditures versus returns, crowd figures (and traffic patterns), the perceived value of certain attraction/land additions, and the effect on future park ticket prices.  I find most of it interesting and some of it completely ridiculous.  I take it all with a grain of salt!  If the Disney Company feels pressure from Universal Orlando (Comcast) to create clever, entertaining, more immersive guest experiences – we can only benefit from competition!

I welcome all the changes – until I’ve seen, heard, and experienced all the new rides, attractions, restaurants and themed areas coming to Walt Disney World over the next several years.  I welcome more, better, and different opportunities to expand my love for Disney in all its forms.  Bring it on.  I’ll be anxiously waiting.

How about you?  What upcoming changes are you most excited about?

Interested in hearing various opinions on upcoming Disney World changes?  Try these podcast episodes:

 

 

 

 

When Dinosaur used to be Countdown to Extinction

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Welcome to Saturdays With Nick!  This week we’re taking a look back in time at an attraction that looks back in time!  Whether you love it or hate it, Dinosaur in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is full of interesting details and has a history all its own.

When Dinosaur used to be Countdown to Extinction

By Nick

One of my favorite rides at Walt Disney World is Dinosaur, located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Dinosaur is a dark ride that takes us back to the Cretaceous Period, aboard a Time Rover, to bring back a live dinosaur, dangerously close to when a large asteroid is going to hit the earth. Along the way we encounter many species of dinos, and come very close to getting hit by meteorites.

Did you know, however, that the ride was initially called Countdown to Extinction? It was changed to Dinosaur to promote the film of the same name, released in 2000. At that time, there were several changes made to the ride, including toning down some of the more frightening effect elements, and making the ride itself less intense.

I was not fortunate enough to ride the original, but do have a few items from that period, including this button.
The button is lenticular, starting with the Carnotaurus in the distance…

…and, suddenly, he is upon Mickey!

I also have a book, “Countdown to Extinction, A Hologram Adventure to the Age of the Dinosaurs”,
from Disney Press, by A. J. Wood, illustrated by Chris Forsey.

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From the back cover:

Catch the mistakes in the Dino Institutes Files on a holographic adventure through the prehistoric past. The Dino Institutes Files have been corrupted by a computer error and there’s only one way to find the mistakes. Climb aboard the Time Rover and explore the age of the dinosaurs, but be careful: the past is filled with a hungry Carnotaurus, meteor showers, and erupting volcanoes. With vivid illustrations and holograms on every page, this exciting book ties into the knew Countdown to Extinction attraction at DinoLand U.S.A., part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort, and brings the dinosaurs back to life.

Throughout the book, we are asked to find the mistakes in the Time Rover Files.

For instance, we are asked to look at the picture and find 2 mistakes. The files state that these tiny chicken sized dinosaurs, Compsognathus, were 98 feet big. That would be a big chicken! So, error number 1. The file states that the Compsognathus has five fingered hands. Clearly the picture shows they have three, so we have mistake number 2! I feel so smart!

Can you tell which is the T-Rex and which is the Triceratops?  YOU are smart too!  We are getting the Time Rover files all straightened out!

Speaking of Time Rover, I’ll be featuring MY very own Time Rover in a future post, so please stop back.

For more Disney adventures with Nick and his wife, Barbie, follow Disney Musings on your favorite social media:  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.

Exploring Discovery Island-Disney’s Animal Kingdom

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If you’ve visited here before, you may have noticed what a HUGE Animal Kingdom fan I am – Kilimanjaro Safari, Expedition Everest, Maharajah Jungle Trek and Pangani Forest Exploration Trail are some of my most favorite attractions at Walt Disney World.  It’s the incredible theming and the perfection of those Disney details everywhere you look that make me love this park so much.  That’s why I chose this particular post from Disney Musings to share with you today for Saturdays With Nick.  The artistic details and interesting animal exhibits of Discovery Island are even more reason to love Animal Kingdom.  If you have never taken the time before or are planning your first visit to Walt Disney World, I whole-heartedly recommend taking some extra time to check out this amazing area.

Exploring Discovery Island-Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The Tree of Life is Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s majestic centerpiece.

There are 300 animals carved in this iconic symbol.

There is a wonderful and often overlooked area that gets you closer to this amazing display of artistry called the Discovery Island Trails.

I say often overlooked because every time we’ve visited this serene area, it is relatively uncrowded.
There are wooden foot bridges and tunnels.

Animals you may spot along these paths include White Storks, Asian Small-Clawed Otters, Red Kangaroos…

…West African Crowned Cranes, African Crested Porcupines, Galapagos Tortoise, Lesser Flamingos, Macaws, Saddle-Billed Storks,  Lappet Face Vultures, and Ring-Tailed Lemurs.

If you want to get off the beaten path at the Animal Kingdom, take a stroll along the Discovery Island Trails.

For more Disney adventures with Nick and Barbie, follow Disney Musings on your favorite social media:  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.