Disney’s Animal Kingdom was so much fun! Richard and I had the opportunity to visit in November on my birthday (I won’t tell you how old I am, but I will say that Disney always brings out the kid in all of us). Disney’s Animal Kingdom park is a Walt Disney World theme park near Orlando, Florida. It is sort of a theme park/zoo with daily and nightly attractions and experiences, including the new Pandora – The World of Avatar, which had our favorite ride in it. Here are ten things we loved about it, and we think you will love it too.
1. Animals in Their Natural Habitats
The park is divided into different “continents,” and each one has restaurants with food from that area as well as shows and attractions that go along with that continent, like Asia or Africa. My favorite area for animals was Africa, but there were animals in every continent. On the Discovery Island Trails (near the Tree of Life) we saw a swan, flamingos, deer, a lemur, and a kangaroo. The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is also a great place to see animals like monkeys and meerkats. There were also tons of different kinds of birds that you wouldn’t normally see anywhere else.
In Asia the Maharajah Jungle Trek is very cool. That’s where you can see tigers and a komodo dragon. The walk itself is beautiful. It’s a self-guided tour, where you cross over towering footbridges, curve around jungle foliage views, and see some amazing waterfalls. If you walk into the aviary you hear lots of chirping from over 50 species of birds that fly free. If you love to look at birds don’t miss this. I love all things animal, so I was definitely in my element for sure. What’s great about this place though is that the animals were not behind bars but in safe areas that were just like their natural habitats. So even though the rides and shows are great in this park, make sure you take time to see some of the animals too. Legend has it that the Anandapur Royal Forest was once the hunting ground of wealthy maharajahs, but now people can walk into what looks like a real lush tropical paradise.
2. Tree of Life
In the middle of Discovery Island is the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is a 145-foot sculpture, but it looks like a real baobab tree. It is supposed to be based on mythology. On the trunk and branches are 325 carvings of different animal species. The longer I stood there and looked at it the more I spotted. There are tons of real trees and gardens in the park, so this is one of the few artificial ones. You really can’t miss it. It is almost in the direct center of the park, and it is huge!
The Tree of Life Awakenings begin at dark and occur about every 10 minutes until the park closes, so try to stop by there if you are in the park at night. It slowly lights up with animations. At first flickering fireflies magically appear and stir to life the animal spirits in the tree’s towering trunk. Little by little parts of the tree light up with dazzling color and animated imagery. There are scenes like a young doe going on a journey, a love story between hummingbirds, a sly fox, and more. It is neat to see.
3. A Bug’s Life Show
At the base of the Tree of Life is the entrance to the 428-seat theater inside the tree that hosts It’s Tough to Be a Bug! This is totally worth seeing – even for us adults. While you wait in line you get 3-D glasses to put on. The film is based on the 1998 Disney/Pixar film A Bug’s Life, and it is so well done! There are animated characters in the theater plus some of the best 3-D technology I’ve ever experienced. The show is funny, and the 3-D effects seemed very real. I don’t want to spoil the surprises at the end, but I will say, “Hold on to your seat!”
4. Festival of The Lion King Show
Located in Africa, this show is a must-see. I loved the Lion King musical on Broadway (I’ve seen it twice), and I thought the musical talent in this show was right up there with Broadway. The colorful costumes, audience participation, singing, and dancing were all spectacular. Check out my video at the end of this blog for a little sampling.
The audience is divided into four “tribes” who all join the members of the Pride Lands for a beautiful colorful celebration in honor of Simba, the lion cub who would be king. When the lights dim, you hear the sounds of the African savanna. And then amazing colors fill the stage in the center when gigantic puppets, dancers with extravagant costumes, amazing acrobats, stilt walkers, and a fire dancer emerge. It is truly spectacular. I loved hearing some of my favorite songs from the Lion King movie like “Hakuna Matata” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” And the spectacular finale includes a beautiful rendition of “Circle of Life.”
5. Kilimanjaro Safari
And speaking of Africa – I had the opportunity to visit the real continent of Africa and go on a real safari once, so I have to admit I did not expect a safari in a theme park to be this good. But of course everything Disney does is top-notch. You ride in an open air rugged safari vehicle, driven by an expert guide as you explore the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. Our guide said it is home to 34 species living in 110 acres of open plains, shady forest landscapes and rocky wetlands. She pointed out animals and shared lots of wildlife facts during our expedition. As I have mentioned before, I love animals so I had a great time.
6. Pandora – World of Avatar at Night
What is Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom? This area is fairly new and is themed after the record-breaking, box-office hit film Avatar. Even if you have not seen the movie you will enjoy the lush world of Pandora that exists supposedly long after the human conflict with the Na’vi has ended. It is pretty in the daytime, but it is transformed into a glowing wonderland at night with bioluminescent flora and detailed lighting that gives Pandora a sort of dreamlike quality. There is so much to do and see in Pandora, but our favorite is next on my list.
7. Avatar – Flight of Passage
I will just tell you what I kept saying over and over during this entire ride: “Oh, wow!” I know this sounds like I am exaggerating, but it is one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. My husband says the same thing. It seemed so real! When you are in line you go through this whole science lab simulation where you learn how an Avatar is created. Then they pretend to “scan your DNA” and change you into a creature who can ride a banshee, which are these winged dragon-like things.
So what is the ride? You actually get on a motorcycle type thing and look at a giant screen with 3-D goggles on. The 3-D technology is amazing! That along with other special effects like your seat tilting and a light spray in your face when it seems like you are falling down a waterfall make it seem so real. Can you imagine straddling the back of a wing-flapping banshee, darting and swirling through the canyon, over oceans, down waterfalls, through trees? Avatar Flight of Passage will transport you on an amazing, simulated flight over Pandora’s colorful landscape.The scenery was absolutely beautiful! You’ll soar around floating mountains, plunge through ancient caverns, and skim across roaring oceans, leading to a realistic encounter with the fiercest king of the air, the Great Leonopteryx that boasts a 45-foot wingspan. And it definitely is realistic. I was a little scared, as it felt like I was flying at top speed down a canyon. I had to keep telling myself, “It’s not real. It’s not real.” But I promise you, it seemed so real! If you have to pick one ride not to miss in Disney’s Animal Kingdom this is it.
8. Expedition Everest – The Legend of Forbidden Mountain
Now moving over into Asia (it seems like we spent most of our time in Africa and Asia). This is another “Oh wow!” ride, but truth be told I wasn’t saying anything at all during this ride. That’s because I was screaming my head off in sheer terror the entire time. Well, maybe I am exaggerating but it was really scary to me. Not really having a clue we just got in line and got ourselves locked into the seat ready to go. Then it took off, and oh man! It starts off in a Tibetan village at the base of Mount Everest. Then before you know it you are racing through icy Himalayan peaks on a speeding train while avoiding running into the mythical Yeti. This legendary snow monster supposedly lives deep in the mountain, and there are signs all along the way warning of him.
There is a super steep ascent at first. And I will say that that’s all we saw from the park. We just saw the train going up a steep hill and into a mountain. I think if we had seen what happens once that train disappears into the mountain we might have chickened out. Anyway, after this steep ascent, your train picks up speed and races into the darkness. Without warning, a broken and twisted track with a huge dropoff appears in front of you, and it looks like you will fall off the cliff to your death. But you have to brace yourself as you are hurled backward into total darkness. Inside the cavern, the mythical tale comes true as you see the shadow of a massive, growling creature……the Yeti! I should have known better when I read the signs warning: “Some parts of Expedition Everest may be scary for children. This attraction features loud noises, fast drops, high speeds, dark places and frightening creature effects.” Well, who knew? It was one of those things that scared me so much it was fun.
9. Fast Track Passes
When we first entered the park a very helpful worker there helped us download the Disney app, create an account, and make our fast pass reservations. Disney FastPass is a service included with your ticket purchase and lets you reserve access to select rides, attractions, and entertainment. It is so awesome to be able to walk right past all the people standing in the long lines and get in the special much shorter Fast Pass line. We were able to choose three attractions, and the park worker helped us choose the ones that would be more popular. You can make selections as early as 30 days before you arrive, so some were already booked by the time we figured this out. If you are staying in a Disney hotel you can make your FastPass+ selections up to 60 days prior to check-in for the entire length of your stay. You have to link your park admission to your account, but a Disney employee can help you do that. And the best part? There is no extra charge for this complimentary benefit.
10. Great Food
The cool thing about the Disney app linked to your park admission is that you can make reservations for specific times at the restaurants. Each “continent” in Disney’s Animal Kingdom has restaurants with food from that geographical area. We ate in Asia at “Yak and Yeti,” and it was delicious! But there is lots of great food everywhere including “Tusker House” and “The Rainforest Cafe.”
Have you been to Disney’s Animal Kingdom? What was your favorite part? Please leave a comment below, and share my post with others. I appreciate it! I hope you enjoy my video. 🙂
