Let the Memories Begin: Disney's Animal Kingdom

I'm always surprised how much I enjoy Disney's Animal Kingdom considering how much I'm not a fan of animals. Although the crowds were absolutely insane the day we visited Animal Kingdom, we still had a blast and got to do things we'd never done before.

While we waited for our FastPass time to kick in for Kilimanjaro Safaris, Mom, Dad, Grandpa, and I tried out Dinosaur, a ride we'd seen a documentary about but had never experienced in our previous trips. We walked right on the ride while Grandma and Lindsay waited for us on the outside. It started out cool enough and I'm glad I tried it, but the conversation after the ride went something like this:
Grandpa: Grandma would not have liked that.
Dad: Lindsay would not have liked that.
Mom: (Between deep, cleansing breaths) I don't feel very well...
Me: I have a tension headache that started in my shoulders and shot right up through the back of my head...

We also tried out "It's Tough to Be a Bug" which is at the base of the iconic Tree of Life in the center of the park. It's a 3D film featuring characters from "A Bug's Life." It was pretty cute and we enjoyed the extra features during the film like the creatures we felt crawling behind our seats and the water spraying in our faces. I think my favorite part of the experience was how calm and peaceful and truly beautiful it was there by the base of the Tree of Life. There was no indication of how many thousand people there were roaming the park at that very moment and the several thousand more waiting to get in.

I was grateful for FastPasses to get on Kilimanjaro Safaris. We got to skip some of the long lines and begin our journey before it got too hot and the animals slept the day away. This was probably the best safari we've been on, and we've done one every time we've gone to Disney World. The animals were quite active and we saw things we'd never seen before. We were so close to both the black and white rhinos. The lions were fairly active for that time of the day. We saw a variety of birds (something Mom and I probably could have lived without). There were several antelope quite close to our ride vehicle. I think my favorite thing about Kilimanjaro Safaris is that because of the nature of the ride, you always get a different experience. There are always different animals and the animals always behave differently. I really liked seeing the baby elephant chasing after his mom when he thought he was getting left behind.

Since the crowds were so crazy, it took us a while to make our way back to Dinoland for "Finding Nemo: The Musical." It was even more impressive than I remembered it being. I think they have added more puppets than they had before. The music, choreography, and puppetry are pretty incredible. The theater was packed, but we had pretty good seats in the back.

We have always struggled finding places to eat in Animal Kingdom. Rainforest Cafe is a fun environment, but the food isn't that great and it's pretty pricey. When Mom was making restaurant reservations for our trip, she asked for a recommendation for Animal Kingdom. The girl said that Sanaa at the Animal Kingdom Lodge was good and it's quite an experience. It was fun to see a different hotel with the magic Disney touch. It was no Wilderness Lodge, but it was still pretty cool. The highlight of the hotel was the center area with a wide open range where animals roamed freely. Sanaa had big floor to ceiling windows that had an amazing view of the animals. I loved being that close to the giraffes and zebras, but the showstopper was undoubtedly the East African Crowned Crane. He kept running towards the window and jumping up and down in front of it as his namesake yellow feather crown kept bouncing long after the creature itself had stopped. We think he must have been seeing his reflection in the window and was trying to have it out with the "other" cocky bird. You'd think that if the same thing happened day after day, he'd eventually figure it out, but apparently not.

The food was an experience all its own. We tried a bread sampler featuring naan as well as a couple others I can't remember the names of. There were different dipping sauces ranging from pickled garlic to mango chutney to cucumber yogurt. They were all extremely unique and I wouldn't have ever thought to pick some of those flavors! The cuisine was African with Indian flavor influences. I'm the first to admit I'm not a very adventurous eater, but all things considered, it wasn't too bad. Lindsay experienced another birthday song rendition and treat. The desserts were pretty awesome. Chocolate cake with raspberry ice cream, Dad tried orange sesame cake that he said was incredible, and Mom, Grandpa, and Lindsay tried what was basically banana ice cream.

It took us a while to get back to the Lodge since we had to take a bus from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic Kingdom and then catch a ride from there to the Wilderness Lodge, but I think this was one of the best days we've had at Animal Kingdom.