Tag Archives: Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Nighttime Animal Kingdom Speculation

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Animal Kingdom Animal CarvingsWe are days away from our next Walt Disney World vacation and all the speculation about what’s happening with the Animal Kingdom at Night is making me crazy!  I’m on a roller coaster of excitement followed by crushing disappointment…then hope…then despair…then excitement again.  What’s the deal?

Nighttime Animal Kingdom Speculation

There are many unofficial Disney websites along with news and social media outlets that broadcast doom and gloom.  They started announcing that Disney will be discontinuing the new nighttime offerings at Animal Kingdom after one summer of late night fun.  According to these sources, until Rivers of Light launches, Animal Kingdom’s nighttime activities and attractions will be no more.  Then suddenly, these same sites have had to walk back those statements when the reduced October park hours once again expanded into the evening.

While I’m not ready to shun social media for confusing me with all these somewhat sketchy prognostications, I’m going with what I do know – officially.  And I’m cautiously optimistic!

We are (and have always been) planning a day-and-a-half at Animal Kingdom…because it is more than a full-day park to us (and should be for you too!).  We started our planning by booking our ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) 180 days pre-trip for an 8;30 am breakfast at Tusker House and a 4:30 pm early dinner at Tiffins – both new experiences for us – on our full day, open-to-close Animal Kingdom visit (with our half-day visit scheduled for a few days later). mde-nighttime-animal-kingdom

Shortly after we selected our dining options, we learned Rivers of Light was delayed, but all the rest of the nighttime activities like the Tree of Life Awakens, Kilimanjaro Safari at Night, and the street parties (Harambe Wildlife Parti and Discovery Island Carnivale) were in full swing (and we expected them to continue).  Jungle Book: Alive With Magic (the temporary replacement for the delayed Rivers of Light) was not enticing to us, so we had planned on riding Expedition Everest and Kilimanjaro Safari after Tiffins before hitting one of the street parties.mde-animal-kingdom-at-night

Then the park hours changed.  I started paying attention and saw Animal Kingdom suddenly closing at 7:30 pm during the week of our visit.  While some social media chatter had the park closing in October at 6:30 pm, I faithfully checked the My Disney Experience app and never saw closures earlier than 7:30 pm for our trip.  While this was a little disappointing, I still believed we’d have time between dinner at Tiffins and park closing to squeeze in some attractions and thought maybe the Tree of Life would still “awaken”.

Then the hours suddenly extended again to an 8:30 pm closing time, Facebook ads by Disney continue to promote Nighttime at Animal Kingdom, and rumors started up about Rivers of Light suddenly being much closer to a launch date.  Last week, we received our fall edition of the Mickey Monitor (pass holder newsletter) and it contained a section promoting Animal Kingdom at night.mickey-monitor-fall-2016-animal-kingdom-at-night mickey-monitor-fall-2016-animal-kingdom-parti

I’m stepping off the roller coaster of speculation and believe we will get to experience at least some of the new nighttime offerings at Animal Kingdom on our visit.  I’d be crazy to hope that Rivers of Light would somehow be ready for a soft opening (at least) 10 days from now, but with 9:00 am – 8:30 pm hours on our full day at Animal Kingdom, I’m sure we will not leave disappointed!

What about you?  Are you looking forward to Animal Kingdom at Night on your next visit?

Animal Kingdom’s Festival of the Lion King

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Welcome to the weekend, Disney Friends!  It’s time for another edition of Saturdays With Nick. Unfortunately, this week’s version was produced by a seriously misguided and mistaken Nick! Unless you share his opinion (which is seriously WRONG! Yay for Tumble Monkeys!), Let’s hear it for fans of the Festival of the Lion King! Our family loves this show and we are, of course, always RIGHT! We do welcome all opinions here at Living a Disney Life, so here’s Nick’s sorry review.  Have a nice weekend.

Animal Kingdom’s Festival of the Lion King: I Don’t Get It

By Nick

Okay. Let’s start by saying I love the movie The Lion King. It is absolutely a classic. Animation is great. Story wonderful. Music extremely catchy and enjoyable.

But I just don’t get what the attraction to Festival of the Lion King at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is, and why it is the most popular stage show in Walt Disney World (according to more than one Cast Member).

Granted, the surroundings are beautiful and the theater very well themed.

There are 4 sections, each one representing an animal. Elephant, which is where I was, Lion, Giraffe and Warthog.

There are “tumble monkeys”, areal acrobats, fire twirlers, and sing alongs.

It sounds and looks great, but, I just don’t have a desire to see it again, unless I’m with people who feel the need.

To be honest, I think the problem could be my dislike of circuses. And this is very much like a circus to me, with a “center ring” and other “rings” around it.

I think Finding Nemo – The Musical to be much more entertaining, creative and inventive!

What is your opinion of Circus Festival of the Lion King?

 

You can follow Nick, his wife Barbie, and friends on all their many Disney adventures:  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.  You can listen to Nick, our friend Dave and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about all things Disney.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Gorilla Falls

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Gorilla at Disney's Animal KingdomIt was Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail for just three months after Animal Kingdom first opened.  Then Gorilla Falls became the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail.  Now, after 18 years, the trail’s name has been changed back to the original. No matter what you call it, this is an awesome place to explore in the Africa section of the park.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Gorilla Falls

I could give you all the reasons there are out there for all the name switching, but none of that matters.  What’s important about this particular trail is that it is fantastic and deserving of a solid slot in your Animal Kingdom (full day!) touring plans. (AND the gorillas are wonderful!)  RM-Pangani-ForestIt seems to me that a lot of people will, if they go on the trail at all, squeeze it in between Kilimanjaro Safaris and whatever’s up next on their FastPass+ schedule.  Rushing through this collection of animals, precisely crafted atmosphere, and information is not advised! You need to allow ample time (I prefer early in the day) to make the most of this opportunity.  The Safari is great, but the trails are where you can take as much time as you like to watch and learn (and photograph!) Animal Kingdom’s animals.Hippos at Disney's Animal Kingdom

What do I love about Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail?  I’m glad you asked!  Like so many other Disney experiences, it’s not one thing alone, but rather the individual parts coming together to make the whole so wonderful!  Underwater hippo viewing, naked mole rats, meerkats, not one, but two separate gorilla viewing areas and so much more!Gorilla-Mother-and-Baby Gorilla at Animal Kingdom WDW RM-Gorilla-and-Baby-in-Grass

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is themed around animal conservation and research, so there’s a ton of interesting information all around (animal list, exhibit details and full backstory here).  The research building is packed with details and fun opportunities for further exploration – open drawers, look around, check out the minutiae of the carefully designed Disney details.  Cast Members are always available to answer questions or provide fun facts about the animals along the way.RM-Meerkat-Feast

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is a must-see for me every time I visit Animal Kingdom.  What’s your favorite part of this experience?

Animal Kingdom’s Komodo Dragon

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I’m not certain I can adequately explain my fascination with Animal Kingdom’s Komodo dragon.  I don’t consider myself a person with a general fondness for reptiles (although snakes and lizards don’t bother me like they do some other people).  That dragon though!  I make a point of visiting him every time I’m on the Maharajah Jungle Trek.  He’s even become the official mascot of the Disney Exchange Podcast (although Nick and Dave do NOT understand my adoration for such a “boring” animal).  Today I thought I’d share with you some of the amazing Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) facts that have me so thrilled…Komodo Dragon at Animal Kingdom

  1. Komodo dragons are enormous!  They are the world’s largest living lizard and have been around for nearly 4 million years.  During their approximately 30-year lifespan, Komodo dragons can grow up to 10 feet in length and weigh up to 300 pounds.  If you’re lucky enough to see one move (they do tend to remain very still for long periods of time) – they’re fascinating to watch!  And we don’t have to go all the way to their native islands of Indonesia – we can see a beautiful specimen at Walt Disney World!
  2. Komodo dragons are amazing hunters!  Beyond being carnivores, Komodo dragons are not picky eaters.  They’ll eat just about any kind of meat they come across, dead or alive.  Waiting along game trails, Komodo dragons in the wild will attack live prey (their favorite is deer) and may be lucky enough to use tooth and claw for an instant meal.  If their prey does manage to escape, the dragon will patiently follow…waiting for its poisonous saliva to slowly kill their dinner!  Come on! That is the coolest thing EVER!  Sure it’s gross, but also very amazing.  Also interesting:  Komodo dragons are immune to the poisonous saliva when they bite each other.  See this picture?  He’s not being shy, he’s in stealthy hunter mode!Komodo Dragon Hiding
  3. They have an incredible sense of smell.  Like a snake, the Komodo dragon’s forked tongue gathers scent from the air and processes that information via the Jacobson’s organs on the roof of their mouth.  If the scent being analyzed is stronger on one fork of the tongue, the dragon knows which direction to go.  When Komodo dragons walk, they swing their heads from side to side in order to better pick up smells in the air.
  4. They come from humble beginnings.  Komodo dragon moms lay approximately 30 eggs in September.  The eggs incubate under the female dragon’s protection for 9 months after which the hatchlings are on their own.  At about a foot-and-a-half in length and just 3.5 ounces, the baby dragons must fend for themselves on a diet of snakes, birds, insects, and lizards while avoiding being killed by larger animals including other Komodo Dragons.
  5. The Komodo dragon is a vulnerable species.  Illegal poaching combined with human encroachment into the dragons’ limited natural habitat have taken a toll on wild population numbers.  With only 4000-5000 dragons remaining worldwide, conservation efforts are being made on a variety of fronts.  Unfortunately, Komodo dragons in captivity are easily susceptible to infection and disease.  Indonesia’s Komodo Dragon National Park has been making strides in stabilizing this species’ population and ensuring the dragon’s long term survival.  (You can read about those efforts here.)

Are you still with me?  Thanks for hanging in!  Are you by any chance a fellow Komodo dragon fan?  How about Disney’s Animal Kingdom?  What’s your favorite animal there?