Animal Kingdom is a zoological park which focuses more on
animal exhibits, trails, and shows than on rides, though a couple of the rides
are truly spectacular. We spent our second full day at Animal Kingdom, and it
was the only day where we stayed at a park all day without leaving until
closing time. As a result, we got to do pretty much everything we wanted to do
except the Maharajah Jungle Trek (a walking trail with tigers, bats, and komodo
dragons that closed before we could experience it). Our full-service dinner did
eat up a lot of time, and we probably could have seen it had we eaten a quick
meal.
Animal Kingdom is arranged in a hub-and-spoke layout similar
to Magic Kingdom and Disneyland. The Oasis funnels guests into the hub, called
Discovery Island. From there, one can go to four different lands: Africa, Asia,
Dinoland USA, and Camp Minnie-Mickey.
We again arrived before opening, and were let into the park
at about fifteen minutes before 9. Right inside the park is The Oasis, a lush,
heavily vegetated area with meandering paths, rock formations, and waterfalls.
At the end is a bridge to Discovery Island, the park’s central hub with shops,
restaurants, and the Tree of Life, a gigantic fake tree with the images of
various animals sculpted into its plaster “bark.” Inside is the 3D show It’s
Tough to Be a Bug, a clone of which exists at California Adventure. Here, we
were again held at a rope until 9 and we, along with half the crowd, rushed
toward Expedition Everest in the Asia theme area.
We were among the first twenty or so people to get in line.
But guess what? That’s right, the ride was broken! We wasted half an hour
standing there before they finally got it running and opened the queue (luckily
right before the Fastpass return opened). The mostly-outdoor queue is
elaborate, winding through a Nepalese village before entering a museum devoted
to the legendary yeti. The line then exits the museum to the ride’s loading
area.
Expedition Everest is a themed roller coaster that has no
inversions, but is nevertheless one of the most satisfying thrill rides I’ve
been on. After a short lift, the train circles a small field before ascending
the real lift through an ominous shrine and into the 199-foot tall mountain
(the tallest in Florida, Disney boasts). The train curves and goes through a
short tunnel before climbing again to a dead end. An incredible force has
ripped the track ahead. After a brief pause (look behind to see the track in
the tunnel flip), the train drops backward into pitch black. The train whirls
around in a very tight and exhilaratingly intense vortex, still going backward,
pushing you down into the seat. The fact that you can’t see anything at all
adds to the fun. The train stops, still inside, and we see the shadow of the
yeti ripping another set of track. Then the train launches forward and exits
the mountain, dropping steeply and looping around to enter the mountain again.
Once outside again, there is a long vortex that slowly ascends before entering
the mountain one last time for an encounter with the huge, animatronic yeti.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t moving when we went, though there were lots of strobe
lights flashing on him.
Expedition Everest is a very impressive ride, one of an
admittedly long list of favorites. That backward vortex in the dark is really
something, even though many roller coasters offer more objectively intense
physical thrills (like X at Six Flags Magic Mountain). Best of all, there’s a
single rider line for those who value their time over sitting with their party
(which is a smaller number than you’d think).
We backtracked to Dinoland USA, which mainly consists of a
few unremarkable carnival rides, including Triceratops Spin (a Dumbo clone) and
Primeval Whirl (a wild mouse coaster like Goofy’s Sky School in California
Adventure, but with two tracks and cars that spin around). We walked past them
to Dinosaur, an indoor thrill ride that uses the Enhanced Motion Vehicle system
and the same track layout as the superior Indiana Jones Adventure at
Disneyland.
The line winds through a dinosaur museum and a rotunda with
an educational video featuring Bill Nye the Science Guy. Then it’s on to the
preshow area, where we basically learn that a scientist named Grant Seeker
(really) wants to use the museum’s Time Rovers to send us back in time and,
against protocol, bring back an iguanodon from the Cretaceous. The iguanodon
happens to be D.B. Sweeney, I mean Aladar, the dude from the movie Dinosaur
(hence the ride’s name; before the film came out, it was called Countdown to
Extinction). In any case, D.B. Sweeney fans should temper their expectations;
Aladar appears only briefly and he doesn’t talk.
Although the ride follows the same layout an Indiana Jones,
it is more enclosed and much darker. You bump through the forest, encountering
various dinos as fiber optic meteor fragments light up the night around you.
The menacing carnotaur seems hell-bent on damaging your eardrums, and at one point
pops out of nowhere on the right side, making everyone look at him and thus
providing a perfect ride photo that you can buy after disembarking. Instead of
diving under a giant boulder, the finale has the jeep diving under the front of
the carnotaur, very much like the top of the big drop on Universal’s Jurassic
Park: The Ride. After riding, you can see Aladar walking around on the security
monitors. Dinosaur is plenty thrilling, but rather visually sparse, and pales
overall to similar rides such as the aforementioned Indiana Jones and The
Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
Following this, we headed over to Africa to go on what was,
until Expedition Everest opened, the park’s main draw: Kilimanjaro Safaris, a
20-minute trip through an impressive animal reserve. There had been no waits
for the previous two rides (if you discount the 30 minutes Everest took to get
running), but the Safaris already had a 40-minute wait. Luckily, there were
Fastpasses for exactly 40 minutes later, so needless to say, we got those and
walked along the adjacent Pangani Forest Exploration Trail.
The trail winds through various outdoor animal habitats. It
starts with a view of some okapi, then heads to an aviary with birds probably
more colorful than the ones found in your birdbath (unless you live in Africa
or the Galapagos). There’s a small insect zoo with tarantulas and everyone’s favorite,
the mighty cockroach. There’s also a glass –walled naked mole rat colony and a
hippo pool with views both above and below the water. A rotunda looks out onto
a vista of meerkats (or Timons, as everyone calls them upon first sighting
them). Finally, you get to see a troop of lowland gorillas. Some were playing
with various implements and vegetation, while one, who could’ve been the
leader, sat stoically in full view but with his back towards the pesky humans.
By the time we had walked the trail, it was time to go on
the Kilimanjaro Safaris. Now, it’s nothing like a real safari, but it’s
probably closer to it than anything outside Africa. Guests board open-air,
canopied trucks that cast members drive (not on a track) into an animal-filled
area of more than 100 acres, according to the Unofficial Guide. Our chirpy hostess pointed out the animals along
with a wealth of fun facts that I have forgotten. The truck drives on a bridge
over a pool teeming with crocodiles and into the savanna, where we could see a
black rhino over the crest of a hill. One area had several horned animals
hanging out together, including the eland, bontebok, addax, ankole cattle,
eastern bongo, and greater kudu. There were giraffes too, and elephants,
including a young one hiding behind its mother. Just to add some physical
excitement, the truck drives over a “collapsing” bridge at one point. The truck
drove right by an ostrich that just sat and stared at us with its eyes bigger
than its brain. The lion area was Pride Rock-esque, with one lion sprawled out
on top, dead to the world. Finally, the trip ended with a visit to a herd of
zebras. Although certain animals obviously have to be separated, Disney does an
extremely good job of giving the illusion that you are traveling through one
huge savanna. It’s not Africa, but it’s also much more than a zoo.
We headed back to Discovery Island for lunch at Flame Tree
Barbecue, which had very good food for a counter-service eatery. Barbecue ribs,
smoked chicken, and barbecue chicken salad were among the appealing choices. I
had the barbecue pork sandwich, which hit the spot for me. Then it was back to
Dinoland USA for the decidedly non-Dino themed show Finding Nemo: The Musical.
Now, I love Finding Nemo, the movie. And I want to stress
that the show itself is perfectly commendable. But we were all tired, and the
indoor theater was very comfortable, and the show, at 40 minutes, is probably
the longest at a Disney park. So some members of our group took the opportunity
to nap. I didn’t, but the show did have some slow moments. Anyway, the show
follows the plot of the film with fully visible actors holding elaborate fish
puppets. It’s actually interesting as you get to see the acting of both the
actor and the puppet as they bring the characters to life. Crush the turtle
hovers over a four-wheeled bicycle (a quad-cycle?) The school of moonfish is
especially well done, each actor having a fish prop in each hand. Several plot
points, especially regarding Nemo in his tank, are truncated. And the musical
numbers mostly go in one ear and out the other, though the theme song, “Big
Blue World,” is catchy. Well, maybe “earworm” is the more appropriate word,
though not on the level of “It’s A Small World.” But the show isn’t on the
level of Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular at California Adventure. Even
if you take out the Genie, that show is still better paced with more spectacle,
though that story probably is more suited to the stage than Finding Nemo.
Back in Asia is another show, this time in an amphitheater,
called Flights of Wonder. This was very entertaining, featuring birds both
exotic and familiar as they performed tasks showing off natural talents they
use in the wild. Okay, so there is a parrot who sings “Camptown Racers,” but
that was it as far as novelty went. In an amusing turn, when the trainer told
the parrot to sing another song, it stopped midway through to scratch itself.
The trainer then told it start again, and it started “Camptown Racers” again.
There’s a mild plotline when a “tour guide” interrupts, and then the trainer
invites him onstage. The brash tour guide then reveals that he’s afraid of
birds, which leads to some amusing scenarios; one bird steals the tour guide’s
flag, for instance. But most of the show features birds gliding low just over the
audience’s heads, looping, and catching items in midair.
The tour guide eventually learns about the value of birds
and conservation, including protecting endangered species. At this point, another
trainer brings out a bald eagle, though it doesn’t do anything besides sit
there and look impressive. No wonder it’s our national symbol. (Joking, bald
eagles actually are capable of performing nifty aerial maneuvers in the wild. I
also don’t mean to put down all fellow Americans, but I definitely just sit
there a lot, although I look far from impressive. And if I do eventually go
bald, that’s one more thing we’ll have in common.) And just to show that birds
will be birds: In one routine, a bird flew out to a trainer in back of the
audience, then back to the stage. When asked to do so again, the bird refused,
loitering around and clearly wanting to go backstage. This show was another
little gem and I was definitely glad that we got to see it.
In Africa, there’s a science/research facility you can
explore called the Conservation Station. To get there, you have to take a
train. The trip is fairly short, and it passes through the backstage areas of
Kilimanjaro Safaris where you can see the pens where they keep the animals at
night. After disembarking from the train, there is a path that winds past a
tamarin habitat before reaching the building. There is a petting zoo, and
several windows where you can see some of the park’s operation facilities,
including cameras and animal trackers. There’s also a surgery bay, but
unfortunately there was nothing going on when we were there. A guide is on hand
to showcase a particular animal every half hour or so; he was showing off a
small crocodile during our visit.
The highlight of the Conservation Station, the park, Disney
World, and indeed, any theme park on earth, is here and it is truly magnificent
and spectacular. It is seriously worth ten times whatever you pay for your
whole Disney World vacation, an extravaganza featuring the height of
Imagineering and human achievement. It will move you to your core.
Just what is it? There are a group of doors, each opening up
to a very small chamber. Once inside, you close the door; lights on the outside
will mark that it’s occupied (like a PortaPotty, and the room is not much
bigger than one). Six people or so sit in the dark and put on a set of
headphones and listen to Grandmother Willow drone on about saving the
rainforest, with a few sound effects. And that’s it. No visuals at all,
certainly nothing worth shutting yourself in a small room for. What’s odd is
that there were about half a dozen of these chambers, and almost every one was
occupied. Either guests were, like us, snookered into this time-waster, or they
were following their more passionate inclinations. Well, now that I’ve
helpfully informed you about the true nature of this “attraction,” you can now
use it with one with whom you feel a true attraction.
We took the train back to Africa and then went back to Asia
to ride Expedition Everest again, using the single-rider line, which had no
wait. There’s another ride here called Kali River Rapids, a raft ride that’s
basically a drop-less version of Grizzly River Run at California Adventure and
not something that interested us. Then it was time for another lengthy,
full-service dinner at the Yak and Yeti. It’s a truly impressive, two-story
eating space, with artifacts imported from different Asian locations. The Asian
fusion food was somewhat disappointing. I had baby-back ribs, but I honestly
thought the sandwich at Flame Tree Barbecue was better (and much cheaper). And
yes, I do love ribs. To our vast amusement, the “sticky rice” as advertised on
the menu was no such thing, but rather mere short-grain white rice. By the time
we were done with dinner, the Maharajah Jungle Trek trail was closed, so we
missed doing that (all animal habitats, including Kilimanjaro Safaris, close early.
When we went, the park closed at 8, but the trails and the Safari closed at
5:30.)
Animal Kingdom has no nighttime closing spectacular like
Disney’s other US parks, but we did see Festival of the Lion King before we
left. And it does offer as much spectacle as the other night shows, albeit on a
more human and less special-effects-driven scale. The indoor
theater-in-the-round is located in the land called Camp Minnie-Mickey. It’s
basically the only thing there apart from four character-greeting pavilions.
There used to be a Pocahontas show there, but it died. The 2002 version of the Unofficial Guide deemed it
disappointing, especially compared to the Lion King show. One reader wrote,
“Instead of being moved by the show’s message, I wondered how much kindling
Grandmother Willow would make” (Sehlinger 567). Apparently, Ms. Willow made
very good kindling, though unfortunately her voice lives on in the wonderful
Conservation Station attraction. I’d take her any day, though, over the odious
Tracy the Tree at Rainforest Café. Thankfully, the one at Disneyland has been
destroyed.
Anyway, the show itself, as mentioned, is a
theater-in-the-round, divided into four sections designated elephant, lion,
warthog, and giraffe. At certain points, you’re supposed to “cheer” by making
your animal’s sound. We were lucky enough to be in the lion section. Actors in
traditional African costumes introduce the show, and a group of elaborate
floats come out, complete with an animatronic Simba. A central float provides a
stage where dancers, acrobats, trapeze artists, and a fire-twirler perform. All
the songs from the movie are performed in a rousing fashion, including a rendition
of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” where two trapeze artists swing and spin
high above the stage. There is no attempt to recreate the movie’s plot, but
it’s undoubtedly a colorful, kinetic, uplifting show that, unlike Finding Nemo,
has a more reasonable running time of 25 minutes. We were very tired by this
time, but this show kept us awake—in a good way. This was a perfect way to end
the day at Animal Kingdom.
With its obvious focus on animals, Animal Kingdom is very
different from the other Disney parks. At the same time, it transcends being a
mere zoo, with not only some great rides, but also innovative and effective
ways of presenting the animals. Expedition Everest represents several steps
forward in the development of themed roller coasters, something that
Universal’s Revenge of the Mummy tried to do, but didn’t live up to (especially
given the overblown, self-congratulatory hype. I do like the Orlando version
much more than the Hollywood version, but Universal has definitely done better
before and since.) With the upcoming Avatar land, Animal Kingdom promises to
become even more diverse n the future. Although it requires a somewhat
different, slower approach than other theme parks, Animal Kingdom is still mostly
excellent, a park to savor.
Next: Epcot
Work Cited:
Sehlinger, Bob. The Unofficial
Guide to Walt Disney World 2002. New York:
Hungry
Minds, Inc., 2001. Print.
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