Right, Disney's Animal Kingdom. This newest of the 4 main Disney parks recently celebrated it's 15th anniversary, prompting everyone to question Disney, "So, aren't you going to build a new park soon?" Alas, that does not seem to be the case.
Animal Kingdom has always attempted to brand itself as 'Nahtazu' by hyping its rides, shows, and cultural themeing, but in essence, it is a colleciton of strange and wild curiousities.
Like whatever the hell this thing is.
At Animal Kingdom you will find, unsurprisingly, animals. Many of these can be found while merely meandering your way around the park, while others are located on one of several "forest trails". Unlike many zoos, the naturalistic habitats, and the creative way the animal enclosures have been constructed, allow the guests to get closer to the animals than would normally be possible. Still, a fair powered zoom lens does make for better vacation memories.
No, seriously. Flamingoes are evil.
However, the most impressive animal interactions can be experienced at the park's premiere attraction, Kilmanjaro Safaris (fastpass recommended).
This jaunt through the African savannah can, on a good day, get you so close to the action that you are forced to back up the ride while waiting for a rhino to clear the path. This is one of those rides you can experience multiple times in a trip and still want to do more.
Popular wisdom dictates that the best time to ride the safari is first thing when the park opens because the animals have just woken up and been fed, and it makes them more active. The Handlers would also like to suggest that another good time is as late in the afternoon as close to the park's close as possible. Not only are the animals more active then (and ready to get going to their dinner and sleepy cages), but the drivers are more willing to take the time to stop and let you take photos.
Regardless, don't expect to get a shot of the lions. Handler 1 never has. Those guys never wake up.
All that being said, there are other rides at Animal Kingdom; most notably the roller coaster Expedition Everest (fastpass highly suggested).
The fact that the massively complex animatronic yeti developed for this ride turned out not to work and is now nothing more than a silhouette in strobe lights does not actually take away form the enjoyment of the ride.
There's also Dinosaur!, which, as you might imagine, is an intense ride through animatronic dinosaurs which might be frightening for young children. It's located in the 'Dinoland' section of the park.
This portion of the park is themed after an old time carnival, complete with carnival-type skill games, the cost of which proved a tad too rich for the Handlers' blood this last time around. Be aware, your kiddies will want to try their hands at winning pieces of stuffed crap. However, there's also some other spinning type rides and a truly excellent playscape.
Another ride is located inside the giant tree which dominates the park's skyline. It's called 'It's Tough to be a Bug'. This is a 3D movie but, somewhat surprisingly, involves a few tricks and high tech animatronics which can be frightening to young children. Since the demolition of 'Snow White's Scary Adventures' at the Magic Kingdom last year, this ride now tops the list as the Disney attraction most likely to cause your kid to break down in tears.
There are also two shows, Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo the Musical, both of which are pretty good. And of course there's a parade. Sigh.
Regardless, you should know that you don't need to go to Disney's Animal Kingdom to see wildlife while in the World. Disney teems with natural wonders. For instance, there are anoles everywhere.
No, that's not a mispelling. Anoles. Little brown lizards. Just...watch your feet.
This one is saying, "How you doin'?"
You'll also find a plethora of ducks, bunnies, squirrels, herons, ibis, and other innocuous animal friends that treat the place like it's theirs. These are Disney resort animals, and they have pretty much no fear of humans. It takes an out-of-control 4-year-old specifically chasing after them to get them to run away. Oh, and if you happen to be someone who allows your 4-year-old to chase after animals like that, you are an a-hole. That's not a misspelling.
It can actually be pretty amusing. The Handlers watched a momma duck complacently herd her duckling through a throng of people gathered to watch fireworks. Another example is this picture of 3 bunnies and a family of ducks that Handler 1 stopped to photograph.
One of the bunnies heard the click of her camera shutter and....
Hopped closer.
As cute as this is, it can also be a bad thing. Some of the animals (birds especially) have realized that humans are a source of food. They congregate near outdoor eating places and, on occasion, can be aggressive in their begging.
Opportunistic ducks.
The Handlers have also heard of kamikaze squirrels that will actually open up bags left with strollers and steal food. You have been warned and, though it should be obvious, please don't feed the wildlife.
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