Mantis Miscellany--Walt Disney World Part 3: Animal Kingdom

Originally Published May 11, 2013

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.