Tag Archives: Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Rum Blossom in Pandora’s Pongu Pongu

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— By Joseph Green

When Mom asked me to try out some new Walt Disney World food and beverages and write some reviews for her blog, I agreed.  Enthusiastically!  I mean, win-win, right?  I get to eat and Mom gets to pay for it…what’s not to love?  She emailed me a list and I got busy.  What I didn’t expect on the list (Mom knows me and loves me and wants me to be happy) was a cocktail.

Rum Blossom in Pandora’s Pongu Pongu

This was the one item on Mom’s list that sounded unappealing to me.  I’m a craft beer and dry red wine kind of guy.  Occasionally, when I’m especially flush (or Mom and Dad are buying), I like a good single malt scotch.  A fancy, fruity cocktail is never on my radar.  Ever.

I thought I was taking one for the team.

Mom’s list is pretty long and my time at Walt Disney World is limited, so I dove right in by choosing the one thing I knew I’d like the least (to get it out of the way).  Billed as “Bacardi Superior Rum with layers of Apple and Desert Pear Limeade topped with Passion Fruit Boba Balls” – this drink was nothing I’d order on my own.The Rum Blossom proved me wrong!  It was incredibly delicious.  It was both sweet and tart, much like Sweet Tart candy.  The Boba Balls were just as tasty!  I loved it and would definitely recommend it.  This drink was very refreshing after having worked outside all day.  Let’s hear it for trying something new!  Okay, okay…I admit it was under duress, but still.

So far, this taste testing thing is working out even better than expected!  Next up?  D-Luxe Burger in Disney Springs!  If you’ve got any Disney food/beverage suggestions (hint-hint), I’m sure my mom will pay for me to try them and report back.

Thanks for reading…Joseph    

Animal Kingdom’s Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail – Add it to Your Plans!

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I just realized something…It’s been way too long since I showed some love for the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail in Disney’s Animal Kingdom!  There’s never been a better time to visit this amazing area of the park.  Let me tell you why.

Animal Kingdom’s Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail – Add it to Your Plans!

Since Kilimanjaro Safaris is an absolute must on any visit to Animal Kingdom, think of Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail as an extension of the Safari, but on foot.  It’s super convenient as you’ll find the trail’s entrance close to the Safari’s exit.  While the trail’s many animals might not be viewable at all times, on our most recent visit (January, 2018), we saw some very entertaining sights!

First we stopped for a minute to check on the Colobus Monkeys.  They were relaxing where we had a great view of their awesome hair and curious faces.

Then there was an Okapi who was much closer than the one(s) seen on safari.  She looked so sweet with her beautiful shiny coat, big eyes, and huge ears!  Something about those ears above that cute face make this one of my favorite animals to see.  I was thrilled she was walking around a good bit, but stayed in front of us for quite a while.

Moving on, we went into the research center for a quick peek at the Naked (or, as I say, nekkid) Mole Rats (totally disgusting in the coolest of ways).  We also saw some cuddly looking mice and a few other small animals and insects before we headed out to the aviary.

Not long ago I talked about how, if you give it a few minutes, the aviary is way more interesting than it first appears.  We took a few minutes to watch a pair of Pygmy Geese having a great time in a small pool.  Those Taveta Golden Weavers never disappoint and I watched one, in the early stages of making a new nest, carefully weave in a long piece of grass.  Fascinating!

Next we saw a giant napping hippo in the hippo pool’s underwater viewing window and we watched some Meerkats doing an awful lot of serious zebra-watching.  Those guys are as keyed up as the hippo is relaxed and all if it is so interesting!  But nothing is as great to see right now as what we enjoyed the most…

Gorillas!  Right now, there are two 3-year-old males and their 7-year-old sister/half-sister who completely steal the show!  In the gorilla family area, we watched the little ones wrestling and playing as hard as they could go while Dad kept a watchful eye on the action.  The moms and sister were completely uninterested in getting involved.  In the case of big sister, this seemed to be a huge disappointment to the boys who kept trying to entice her to join the fun.

I could have watched all day.  Those two little ones were absolutely hilarious!  They threw hay on each other, they chased, grappled, fought, and even bit each other!  They seemed tireless and this went on so long, I though surely they must be exhausted.  They made all of us laugh hysterically and I cannot describe here the silliness that ensued when one of them suddenly…well…uhm, pooped in the middle of a wrestling match, much to the surprised fascination of them both.

If you haven’t had the chance to explore the Gorilla Falls trail, I highly recommend you add it to your next visit to Animal Kingdom – you never know just what you’ll find and that makes it all the more exciting!

What’s your favorite part of the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail?  What’s the best thing you’ve seen there?

 

Our Next Disney Vacation? Coming Right Up!

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Is there anything better than a Disney sea-and-land vacation?  I think not!  In just a few more days, Raymond and I will sail away on the Dream for a little 4-night Bahamian getaway.  I’ve been daydreaming about Castaway Cay and how heavenly that little slice of paradise will be.  Usually I’d prefer to do the land portion of the trip first since the parks are so busy and Disney cruises are more relaxing.  This trip being our anniversary Disney vacation do-over, we’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got.Castaway Cay's Mt. Rustmore

Our Next Disney Vacation? Coming Right Up!

And what we’ve got are some pretty sweet plans!  When we were only going to have the three-night land portion of our trip, I dutifully attempted to book ADRs and FastPasses at the earliest possible moment with mixed results.  I booked dinners at Il Mulino and Yachtsman Steakhouse and left Friday open for Food & Wine since we originally weren’t going to arrive in Orlando until early afternoon.  I booked the only FastPass I could get in Pandora, which was Na’vi River Journey on Saturday morning and then chose some in Epcot for Friday afternoon and Magic Kingdom for Sunday starting mid-morning.

Here’s where having Disney friends all over social media helps – I got a hot tip a couple of weeks ago that some additional FastPasses had opened up for several hard-to-get attractions and SCORE!!!  Na’vi River Journey is out and Flight of Passage is IN!  I’m super excited to see Raymond’s reaction to his first ride on a Banshee.

I’m also very excited to be meeting up with some of those aforementioned fellow Disney fans.  We’re hoping to see Tim from Dad for Disney and his family, Scott from Enchanted Tiki Talk, and our friends Linda and Phillip (we met on the Disney Magic in Norway cruise).  There are even a few more tentative meet-up plans in the works.  It’s good to have Disney friends…they understand me.

Here’s a quick rundown of the Walt Disney World part of this trip…

Friday:  Catch the Disney Cruise Line bus from Port Canaveral to Bay Lake Tower as early as possible, drop off luggage and catch a bus to Disney Springs for lunch at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ – a place we’ve wanted to try since it opened in 2016.  Initially, I couldn’t find a dinner reservation (we were going to eat there instead of Yachtsman) then realized how early we could arrive straight from the ship and lunch was available.  Win-Win!

After lunch, we’ll make our way to Epcot where we can wander World Showcase between FastPasses for Soarin’ and Spaceship Earth.  When we get hungry for dinner, we can sample our way through some of the Food & Wine booths.  We’ll be in go-with-the-flow mode and can soak up the World at our leisure.

Saturday morning we’re headed to Animal Kingdom.  We’ve got FastPasses for Kilimanjaro Safaris, Flight of Passage, and Expedition Everest and I am loving this lineup!  We can hang around until after lunch then rest a while at Bay Lake Tower before meeting Linda and Phillip for drinks and dinner – AbracadaBar (Boardwalk) followed by Il Mulino (Swan).  AbracadaBar recently changed their menu and I’m excited to try a new offering or two.

Sunday we’re planning to rope-drop Hollywood Studios to ride Rock’n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror before hopping to Magic Kingdom where our FastPasses are for Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  We don’t have to rush and can tour at our own pace.  Dinner at Yachtsman will wrap up our plans and Monday morning we’ll head for home.The Red Rock of Big Thunder Mountain

It’s a very short visit, but we’ll be back in February for the Fairytale Challenge and again in May for a family vacation.  There’s a slight chance of a brief January visit as well, but that one’s not certain yet.  I was going for the perfect mix of action and no-pressure touring with lots of free time built in.

If you had only three days at Walt Disney World, what would your priorities be?  How would your plans differ from ours?

Walt Disney World Snacking – 2017 Edition

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There have been quite a few snack posts through the years here at Living a Disney Life.  There’s a good reason for that…Snacking around the World is an important part of a Disney vacation!  There are awesome tasty treats everywhere you go.  Let’s talk about a couple of this year’s new favorites and, of course, reliable old standbys.

Walt Disney World Snacking – 2017 Edition

New to us this year (If you’re on a Disney Dining Plan, these are one snack credit each.)

Salted Caramel Cupcake from Karamell-Kuche in Epcot’s Germany Pavilion.  It’s a beautiful and delicious choice for cupcake fans.  Moist, tender cake and wonderfully flavorful frosting.  If you’re like me and don’t have a sweet tooth, it’s a great snack to share.

Chocolate-filled Beignets from Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie in Epcot’s France Pavilion.  These were the perfect mix of traditional beignets (fluffy and coated in powdered sugar) with the added bonus of a not-too-sweet chocolate filling.  Delightful!

Perennial Favorites

Of course most of you are already familiar with the classics:  Mickey Shaped Pretzels, Citrus Swirls (or Dole Whips if you prefer), Churros, Popcorn and Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars.  These are, without a doubt, “the usuals” for us.

There are a few slightly less universally popular, but worthy repeat snacks for our family…

Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes’ Eggroll – If we’re in Animal Kingdom and anywhere near Expedition Everest, I’m detouring into the queue for Yak and Yeti’s quick service counter.  The eggrolls come in single or double servings and are not only a great bargain, but are really fresh and delicious.  As a savory snack fan, these are currently my favorite.

Sweet Spells Carrot Cake Cookie – We will always miss the Writer’s Stop in Disney’s Hollywood Studios which was closed to make way for new construction.  That special shop may be gone, but at least one of its best offerings lives on.  The Carrot Cake Cookie (big enough to share) puts a slice of carrot cake in a convenient sandwich form.  It’s huge!  I’ve never eaten one all by myself.

Refreshment Port Croissant Donut – Take into consideration that this type of treat is not one we normally crave, thus it’s a special vacation sweet!  Flakey, cinnamon/sugar-coated and warm, fresh from the oven(fryer?), if you’re headed into World Showcase towards Canada, grab one of these and see for yourself how yummy they are.

Candied Almonds – They seem to be available in several places now, but my personal favorite place to snag a paper cone of these tasty morsels is at a snack cart in Animal Kingdom.  They’re warm and crunchy, sweet and delicious.  These?  I’m not sharing.

Karamell-Kuche Caramel Corn or really anything else on the menu.  While the Salted Caramel Cupcake (mentioned above) was new to us, the offerings in this place are always tempting!  If you’ve never taken the time to check out this sweet shop in the Germany Pavilion, please take a minute to step inside.  While the Caramel Corn does need to be eaten on day of purchase (trust me, it is absolutely best when fresh), there are so many treats (I’m partial to a simple salted caramel square) can be purchased for later.

Still in Epcot – There’s a Gelato Cart in the Italy Pavilion that serves the Gelato Affogato we’ve loved since the very first bite.  It also has the added bonus of being one of the cutest-looking snacks in the World.

Have you recently discovered a new Walt Disney World snack?  Do you have a favorite not mentioned here?  What is it and where can we find it?  Our next Disney vacation is right around the corner.