By Edward Drummond
Live animals roam a recreated African savannah at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Disney's Animal Kingdom is a little different from the rest of the company's central Florida theme parks. There are some of the rides and shows you expect at a Disney park, but this one also features several attractions with live exotic animals. Many of them are placed in recreations of their native environments. There are also opportunities throughout the park to see and interact with smaller animals, birds and even bugs.
Wows and Woes
Displays like this remind you that you're still in a Disney theme park.
Wows: Kilimanjaro Safaris and the two main walking trails bring you up close with some fantastic creatures: lions, tigers, elephants, giraffe, zebra, gorillas and more.
Woes: The DinoLand USA section is closer in spirit to a traveling carnival, and not really on par with the rest of the Disney experience.
Insider Tips
Flamingos are among the many animals on display in the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride.
Get there early and head right for Kilimanjaro Safaris. The animals are most active early in the day, especially the two lions, who spend most of the rest of the day laying on a rock and looking as real as the animatronic creatures at the Magic Kingdom's Jungle Cruise. Arrive early enough and you might even get to hear them roar, which they tend not to do later in the day.
Author's Most Memorable Moment
Expedition Everest is roller coaster through the Himalayas in search of the Yeti.
I was at the park when Expedition Everest opened in 2006, giving Animal Kingdom its first major "thrill" ride. A friendly Disney cast member gave my party a small stack of FastPass tickets so we could ride repeatedly through this mythical mountain supposedly near Everest, home of a massive audio-animatronic yeti that takes a swipe at you as you pass through. The last ride that day was every bit as fun as the first one
Bottom Line
They take pride in pointing out that this is not a zoo--and it's not. Animal Kingdom blends the best elements of a game preserve with the Disney park experience.
Resources
About the Author:
Edward Drummond has been writing for newspapers, magazines and the Web since 1992. He's been a first-hand witness to some of history's biggest events, and written about some of the world's most remote and unique places from Asia to Antarctica for publications around the world. Drummond has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and political science from SUNY New Paltz.
Photo Credits:
Edward Mazza
Edward Mazza
Edward Mazza
Edward Mazza
