The Animal Kingdom

When we decided to take the kids to Disney World in February, several people we trust told us that we HAD to go to the Animal Kingdom. It was fantastic/amazing/their favorite part of the trip/incredible!

And we were completely caught off guard. If there was one area of Disney World we had planned to skip, it would definitely be Animal Kingdom. We're not really big... animal lovers? I don't know, it just didn't seem like the obvious fit.

But they hounded us.  You've got to go. You've got to go...

So we thought, well, three fellow co-workers in Mike's office can't be wrong... and decided to spend the last morning of our trip at the Animal Kingdom.

Our verdict: They were completely, totally, absolutely correct. It was wonderful!

Unlike any other part of Disney we visited, we felt really transported and immersed in nature. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing "natural" about the false set up, but we were there to be entertained and they absolutely killed it.

Note to self: real photographers probably don't place a lamp
in the middle of the photo

We got there first thing before the crowds and tour groups arrived. That is a smart decision for each park. Even though it still feels quite crowded, all the national conference attendees and school groups that you see later in the day will make you thankful you got there early.

When I walked by the tree of life I actually had a flashback to when I was there as a six-year-old with my own family. Now I couldn't tell you one thing about that trip. It was too long ago. But something stirred in my memory.  (cue the lion king music)

We were told the African safari was the most important thing to do while we were there so we headed straight to the FastPass kiosk to secure a set time. Our lines had been short enough the prior two days that we hadn't even bothered to FastPass anything. As it turns out, we could get on the safari right away, but I'm glad we did this because it's a fascinating process.

First, the kiosk staffers, armed with i-pads, asked us what rides we wanted to FastPass. You have to choose three things and they must all be at that specific park. You can't break them up if you are planning on heading over to another park that afternoon.

They enter your information and then show you the line up. I was suddenly panicked because I didn't have a pen on me and I needed to write down my time slots. I'm horrible at remembering things in general, let alone three specific time slots.

However, the smarty pants kiosk workers informed me that most people take a picture of the schedule with their phone. Like... duh...

I took this picture with my i-phone because I'm very smart and modern.

All we had to do next was ramble on over the African safari area. And stay away from the silly deep sea divers...

It is truly a beautiful place. Breathtaking almost. I found myself wanting to just stand and stare at the huge Mount Kilimanjaro. The monkeys. The decor. All of it. Just gorgeous. You feel as though you're in a little market in Asia.... it was really a lot of fun.

So there we were, deep in the African sahara (wink, wink) ...

The ride through the wildlife reserve was wonderful. The drivers are very knowledgable and funny and the picture taking opportunities were endless. The kids, of course, were gasping and pointing so hard I thought their arms might fly off. Every corner brought a new discovery.

I'm so glad that it was nice weather for this final day and this final park. Everything depends on the outdoors here, no shuffling into indoor rides. This was where it counted and the sun delivered!

You know how sitting for 20 minutes while a driver escorts you around with colorful commentary can really work up an appetite? Well, the kids were starving so we plunked down in the marketplace are and had ourselves an American blueberry muffin.

Next we headed to the Finding NEMO musical. And while this was something we really had mixed feelings about, I'm so glad we saw it. The actors and performers were incredibly talented. The set and decor was gorgeous. If you're with young kids and can't do the big roller coaster rides, I highly recommend this musical. So sweet. 

Finding the Roth family

And, of course, sitting for another 20 minutes in a darkened theatre added to the insatiable hunger we felt, so we grabbed lunch at Yak and Yeti's. Set in southeast Asia... the place was fantastic. Again, it's all reproduction decor, but how often do we get to feel immersed? Not often. The kids played with the huge bronze bell outside while we waited.

Um....

After lunch, we headed to Epcot to check out one final area (and fail in our attempt to see Anna and Elsa from Frozen). If you read the Epcot post here, you will recall we essentially ate dinner at the Chinese restaurant and saw the Chinese acrobats and headed home for a very early night.

But if I had to stop and summarize Animal Kingdom, I would say this: Go there. It's worth it. You will be amazed at how much you will enjoy your experience. It was the most surprising element of our trip!