Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Today was our first visit to Animal Kingdom. We planned this as our first of four Disney parks this week. We wanted to get there bright and early to increase our chances of seeing the animals out and about. After showers and breakfast, we were on our way by 9:00 AM.

At the park, we flashed our annual passes and walked through the gate. Our first destination was Africa. We were pleasantly surprised to see the line for the Kilimanjaro Safaris was only 10 minutes long. We boarded a large truck and headed down the muddy, rutty trail. Our tour guide was in contact with an aerial spotter, who provided periodic updates to the animal whereabouts.

Our encounters included: Rhinoceros, Hippos, Crocodiles, Gazelles, Giraffes, Wildebeests, Elephants, Flamingos, Ostriches, and Cheetahs. At one point, we saw a male lion walking along a rock ridge, but he disappeared before I could get a picture of him. By the time our truck turned the corner, he was hidden in the rocks. At the end of the trip, Wilson – our spotter – reported sighting some poachers. We arrived at their campsite moments after they left and heard gun shots in the distance. It was quite intense.

Next up was Asia. The star animal attraction was the Gorilla habitat. There were also other animals, and a train ride to the conservation and behind-the-scenes area.

The animals were great, but the biggest attractions turned out to the the rides. The first was the Kali River Rapids water ride and the second was the Expedition Everest roller coaster. We were surprised to find that the roller coaster minimum height was only 44 inches. Andrew was good to go and the lines were pretty short. We rode it at least 7 times.

Then came Dino-Land. By now, the park was getting close to shutting down. We rode DINOSAUR, a time machine back to the late Cretaceous period just prior to the asteroid hit. The ride was very intense; dark, jerky, and full of surprises. We were nearly eaten several times along the way.

On the way out of the park, we found a display of very large fish. Andrew and several other kids enjoyed watching them slowly swim by. Andrew was busy taking pictures and video.

Long into the evening, Andrew kept describing his day to us. He was thoroughly impressed with the roller coaster.