This photo of me was snapped almost instantaneously upon entering the park. We wanted to be there bright and early, right when the gates were opened to the public.
This parrot beckoned me with its beautiful and vibrant colors. He squawked out some advice to me, suggesting which direction to head first, and where to get a good drink later that night.
Tree of Life
I can’t seem to pull my eyes
away from the image above – it’s stunning and just a perfect display and
visual summarization of the awe of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. After
a bit of a walk, it’s straight ahead from the front entrance, and as you
can see, we’re part of the humongous crowd that was there when the park
opened.
If you look at the tree itself,
you’ll notice there are over a 100 unique animals carved into its surface.
It’s a visual marvel, something that you almost can’t believe upon viewing
it. This is an iconic feature of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and something
that left an undeniable impression upon me.
Grade: A
It's Tough to be a Bug!
Inside the famed Tree of
Life is another attraction entirely. There’s a theatre in the
tree, where you’re treated to a spectacle that you experience not just
visually, but through your other senses as well, like smell, touch, etc.
You’ll wear special glasses, that make the images pop out right in your
face, which will likely be sporting a goofy expression. The bugs
on the screen make their presences known in other ways, too; like the bees
which physically sting your butt, and, the skunks that spray you with an
awful odor. It’s a very fun time, for kids and adults alike, and
not to be missed.
Grade: A-
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Kilimanjaro Safaris
is arguably this theme park’s most respected and beloved attraction.
You’ll board a jeep, driven by your host, with several other park goers.
The jeep takes you through a safari, or a pretty good facsimile of one,
where you’ll be able to see a lot of animals. There’s a, rather hokey,
in my opinion, plot that appears halfway through the ride, too. There’s
dangerous poachers picking on the poor animals, they’ll end up shooting
machine guns at your jeep, but in the end, the day is ultimately saved.
This is a view of the inner-jeep, where it’s often handy to rely on others’ help to spot animals on the prowl.
Here’s one of several amazing views that are evocative of the lush scenery you’ll see amid your stroll.
This tree, the way the light hit it, the breathtaking sky, etc. Everything about this photo is amazing to me.
You never know what's around in the corner during Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Looking from your seat in the jeep, you’ll often be greeted by views similar to the one above.
There are always several jeeps taking the trek simultaneously, as this ride is extremely popular, and the lines can be monstrous.
Don’t know what particular animal this is – but I did have a dream that night, of him (or her) riding a surfboard in a sea of grape soda.
VIDEO CLIP
This clip’s only like, four
seconds, but it gives you an idea what it’s like to creep up on the animals
– plus the little kid going nuts is sort of cute.
Here’s another unrecognizable, to me, animal doing their thing.
This baby elephant stole the hearts, and wallets, of several people onboard our jeep.
These rhinos make Aleksei Sytsevich (Rhino from Spider-Man lore) look tame by comparison.
Look, it’s Aslan! I think.
This zebra struck a pose for us as we drove by, then, he went and totally gnawed some grass.
Waterfalls are abundant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – but come on, seriously, who doesn’t love and/or appreciate a waterfall when they see one?
This was one of the most surreal animal viewing experiences we had, as this amazing creature, so powerful and imposing, was right near us.
The experienced soured quickly,
as I yelled out at him to give his reaction to the much-maligned 1995 film
Congo.
Grade: A+
Pangani Forest Exploration
Trail
This attraction was basically
a glorified zoo, but, a good opportunity to get to see and be near a lot
of spectacular species’.
Not sure what this animal is, honestly, but it had the ass of a zebra, and that made it totally okay with me.
We were then being huddled into a sketchy edifice of some sort. Point of interest to me is the girl with the shorts that have writing across the ass cheeks; it always befuddled me why someone would choose to wear something that directs others’ eyes directly to their buttocks.
This lizard was equally as intimidating as The Lizard of comic book fame, minus the ripped white lab coat, and ludicrous origin.
This lowly little creature was shy, as shy as me, the first time I was out on the floor doing the Electric Slide.
Like I stated earlier, waterfalls are aplenty here, but great places to stop and rest for a minute.
These little creatures were adorable. I had a hard time getting a good picture of one, because they were so quick, still, they’re a lot of fun to watch.
Here’s another example of monkey business in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
He looks a lot like Gorilla
Grodd – the celebrity cameos just keep coming!
Grade: B-