We went on a safari expedition during Spring Break, to a park otherwise known as Animal Kingdom. One of the most beautiful parks, there were only a few hours to spend at this unique experience. Let’s go on and explore!
Rhinos up so close, you could almost touch them!
15, March 2016
This day was a full house (literally). Coincidentally, Isabelle and Chris’ friends Jessica and James were also on vacation with their mother, Maryann. I believe the family decided at the last minute to explore Florida for Spring Break as well – I wish my vacation planning was like that too. Maryann and the kids spent most of their time at Universal Studios, but joined us at the Animal Kingdom. Hey, the more, the merrier :”D
In the car ride, I could not handle listening to the same song over and over again from the radio – so I took things in my own manner. I decided to connect my phone to the audio system, and bam! Taylor Swift, and every pop song imaginable within early 2016 (unfortunately, no one wanted to listen to Celine Dion).
Within half an hour, we got into the parking lot and made the trek to the park entrance (which wasn’t too far as well). The first thing to catch my eye? The Rainforest Cafe! I don’t know what it is about this restaurant, but let’s go with the fact that I am easily amused. But honestly, I think it’s because I miss the The Rainforest Cafe in Canada – sigh, old memories.
When you enter the park, you are welcomed by the Tree of Life, a tree so majestic, you notice something new every time you look. If there is one critique I’ll make, the leaves seem a bit too green compared to the rest of the evergreens – if you get my drift. After adoring the tree, a photographer took our shot with a fun border. Excuse the watermarks, I did not order any photos from the trip:
Back from left: Isabelle, Maryann, James, Chris, Vince; Front: Shellby, Jessica, myself, Jen
Shellby stayed for a little while, but had to head to work that day. Our adventure was an unexpected twist, but one I should have seen coming: Starbucks. Jen wanted to collect the exclusive Disney Parks mugs (I mean, who could you blame), and they are a gorgeous collection. While waiting for the ladies, we looked around and saw some cast members for some pin trading. Continuing the series I was searching, I desperately wanted to go beyond the area – but I just had to wait. Another stop that came along was another surprise, otherwise known as Wilderness Explorers. Inspired by Russel from “Up,” there is a guidebook where you travel around the park and collect stickers while learning about the wildlife. That was a brilliant idea, especially for Animal Kingdom!
But alas, we finally headed to the first destination: Africa
Everything is such a sight to see, even the washroom stalls! Every park has their own unique look, but I like Animal Kingdom the best. Although most of the buildings look the similar, each section of the park has their own distinct appearance in the decorations. Ah, such a wonderful sight to see diversity.
Along the way heading to the first ride, we had to stop by the Wilderness Explorers pit stop! At each stop, there would be an explorer to provide information on the wild animals. For the first stop, we learned about flamingoes… and then, we finally got our sticker! One down, many more to go (the book was rather thick for a park-wide adventure).
Finally, we went on a safari ride and saw some wild animals. What makes the ride are the hosts of the tour – I don’t think the host was having a great day. But nonetheless, we saw a few animals:
In the vehicles, there are images of all the animals you can potentially see on this tour… There are animals that expand four people. Needless to say, this tour was more of a snapshot rather than an education lesson. Anyways, back to the animals:
The twenty-minute ride was a joy, which was followed by, what else, a Wilderness Explorer pitstop! This pitstop was different, as it was hosted by two natives from Africa. We learned about their culture, and saw a few articles of their every day life. The one day I get to explore Africa will definitely be an opportunity of a lifetime.
Before heading to the rollercoaster, we looked at many other pitstops, and traded with many other pins… Not that that statement was necessary. But honestly, I never knew how much joy I could get from pin trading… Hopefully I would stop after this trip!
Next was Expedition Everest, one of the best rollercoasters out of the Disney Parks. While waiting in line, I encountered one of the decorations of the creature:
Just when you think the ride is going well, there is a sudden stop, and then you are taken into darkness. I won’t say too much of the ride, but it’s definitely one of my favourite rides. Another personal favourite ride of mine is a childhood selection, especially since it’s 4D. From “A Bug’s Life,” nothing beats It’s Tough to be a Bug. Even after all these years, the effects still give me the chills. In the waiting space, there are movie posters all over the place, but this one amused me:
We took a lunch break at DinoLand, but we brought our own lunch (hot dogs and noodles galore). After a much needed pitstop of our own, Isabelle, James, Chris, and I went on the Primeval Whirl, a ride that is way too intense for my age. Along the way to the ride, I saw a pair of Judy’s ears from “Zootopia,” which I took from obscurity, and onto my head. Just know that the ride brings you around town, and I managed to keep those ears on my head. Here’s a photo of us waiting in line:
Meeting up with the rest of the family, we explored the Boneyard, which was therapeutic to feel the rock in our feet… and traded more pins d”:
But now we were headed to Dinosaur, which I found was a ride based on the film. I love the fact that Disney manages to keep old movies alive with the rides (although the ride does not much relate to the film). The story behind the ride is out there, but the ride is even scarier. If I had a photo, you would see how surprised I was when the best part occurred.
Then we headed to the store to look at the knick knacks and whatnot, and some of the items were intriguing:
If pins were not enough to collect, I have had a penny souvenir collection from a long time as well. When we left the store, I noticed there was a penny souvenir from the Dinosaurs ride – and so I got one for myself. Just know that I don’t know the word ‘budget.’ We then headed into the Finding Nemo Musical, a feature I almost forgot. Although there was no singing involved in the original film, the show was an absolute spectacular! Whoever comes up with these ideas are brilliant, as it keeps the children entertained while allowing the adults to take a breather and unwind.
And because one show isn’t enough, we had to attend the Festival of The Lion King. Let me tell you, this is one show you need to see. But like all good attractions, we had to wait in line, giving us an opportunity for a photo:
Before the show began, there were four hosts that gets the audience excited, dividing each section into tribes. For this performance, I believe we were the giraffe tribe (do you know what sound they make?)
The family of hosts, such a good introduction
And then the lights dimmed, the music came on, and then 20 different people come out with the Circle of Life… You can tell by the introduction that this would be one amazing journey.
From the singing to the gymnastics, Festival of the Lion King brought a new energy into Animal Kingdom. I loved every minute of the show, but I think my favourite would have to be an appearance from the king himself:
Jen believed that this show was the best out of the trip, and I might have to agree with her. The show was exciting and entertaining, and brings something different for fans of the film. With just one more ride to take, we stumbled upon a character of Animal Kingdom (can you guess?) On this trip, there were not a lot of pictures with characters, but this was a sweet surprise:
That is, Tarzan of the Jungle. I think this was my first time meeting Tarzan, and he is hilarious! Although he did not speak much, he was a joy to be around, questioning about those bunny ears of mine (I still had them on!) Only Jen joined in with me for the photo, as the kids already have met Tarzan a long time ago. I think it would be hard to be Tarzan, especially when you have to show off your body every day (those abs!)
…Moving along, we went to the Kali River Rapids, one soaker of a ride. I cannot emphasize how much I love the decorations for the lineup, as you are taken away from reality into a new world:
We got on the ride, hid all of our valuables in the containers (so long, ears), and waited for the water works. Going up and down, and waterfalls all around, it was exciting to see who would get wet. As the boat kept turning and turning, no one knew who would get wet first. When we approached the first waterfall, who else but me got the gift of getting wet! The feeling of getting wet is the worst, but there is no escaping what’s to come next. At the final fall, thankfully the boat turned away from me, but when for Jessica and Isabelle! Needless to say, everyone ended up wet, with some wetter than others.
Since there was no lineup, we decided to go on the Kali River Rapids one more time! From the maze of getting through the entrance to assembling on the boat, we played roulette once again. Some embraced the feeling of getting wet, while others screamed out of torture!
Overall, we were all substantially wet, hoping to dry off from walking through the park (except, the shadows of the plants made the trek cool). What a great way to end the day: getting wet and feeling cold!
Although the night was early, we headed back to the hotel, and decided to jump into the pool (hey, we’re already wet!) Who knew that looking and adoring animals would be such fun (and much tiredness).
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