Animal Kingdom From A to Z (Part 1)

When visiting the four Florida Disney parks there are hundreds, probably thousands, of things to do. I’ve often been posed with the question, “What’s your favorite thing at Disney World?” Like anyone who loves the experience the way I do, this question almost stops you in your tracks. I can’t be expected to pick JUST ONE!

In order to narrow things down, just a bit, I decided to look at each of the four parks individually and compile an alphabetical list of each of my favorites at each park.

Now this is a little lengthy. That’s why I’ve broken it down into a series of blogs. Each time I’ll go through about six or seven things that I love at each park that I hope you will too.

Maybe you’ll find an old favorite here. Maybe you’ll find something new. Maybe you’ll even be inspired to make a list of your own.

Going with the alphabetical theme, I’ll begin my favorites list with Animal Kingdom.

Animal Kingdom Lodge’s  Boma Flavors of Africa

One of my favorite ways to start a day at Animal Kingdom (AK) doesn’t actually start at AK. Instead it stars close by at the beautiful Animal Kingdom Lodge. Breakfast at Boma is hard to beat.

Boma- Flavors of Africa is on the lower level. We were greeted by hostesses in their native African tongue. Our late morning breakfast was not that crowded and we were sat quickly. Any fear I, the picky-eater, had about the “Flavors of Africa” disappeared as I saw the buffet.

Boma is a wonderful combination of traditional breakfast buffet and African fare that will make even the most adventurous eater happy. From fresh fruit to pastry, I was able to start out light before really piling my plate full. Now I may be picky, but my husband did indulge in corned beef Boboti and several kinds of carved meats.

What truly made it an experience we want to repeat is that without a doubt we had some of the best service of anywhere in the World. It was a beautiful, relaxing way to start our Animal Kingdom adventure.

Full after our Boma breakfast!

Birds at Flights of Wonder

The first couple of times I was at Animal Kingdom, I did not think I needed to see a bird show. I had seen them in other places and honestly was a little disappointed.

Now that we’ve seen Flights of Wonder, it’s on our Must-Do List. It’s not your average bird show. And it’s even got a bit of Disney to boot.

This show is a little educational and a lot of fun. Even though I’ve seen it several times now, I’m always amazed by what the birds can do. You also feel very up-close and personal during the show.

The best part is, some of those birds have attitudes that would give Donald a run for his money!

Capturing the Moment with PhotoPass

Yes, PhotoPass is available everywhere at Disney parks but some of my favorite pictures come from AK. They have photo spots set up that seem to transport you to a different place and time. My pictures in front of Everest are usually stunning. Standing on one of the many bridges will also give you a very unique shot. Who doesn’t need a hundred pictures of themselves in front of the Tree of Life from every angle? In one of my favorite pictures ever, my husband and I look like we’re far away in the Orient and Tink has landed in our hands. (Your park map should have icons on it where PhotoPass photographers may be found) For more information on those great Magic shots we all love check out this site: http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disneysphotopass/#contact (Some of the links are dated but most of the information is still right on.)

My only complaint on PhotoPass our last trip was we had a much harder time actually finding photographers to take our  picture. I hope that’s improved this time around because I love the product.

DiVine

We haven’t seen her every time we’ve been there, but when we we have seen DiVine   she really grows on us.  Priscilla Bright is a performance artist who performs at AK on the path between Africa and Asia. To find her, look for the 10 foot tall plant.  She slowly and gracefully moves. We certainly looked at nature differently after seeing her! Her schedule does change but she does several 45 minute shows a day when she’s there.

DiVine

Exploring Animal Kingdom Shopping

I understand that many of the shops at Disney have the same things in them. But I have to check. Every one, and some twice. I love the stores. They are really part of the experience for me. Here are at least thirteen stores counting those both outside and inside the park. Some specialize like Daka LaFilimu, which carries film and batteries, but most while they may have a theme, still have old reliable, Mickey, as well. I have a weakness for clothing, pins, jewelry, and picture frames. I am never disappointed. I don’t know that I have a favorite shop because each is so unique although those on Discovery Island and those in Africa seem to stand out in my mind.

Of course my favorite reason to go into any and every shop is to pin trade with the cast members that work there (although at times I feel like a stalker!)

Festival of the Lion King

If this were the only thing to do at AK, I think I would still go just to see this. It’s that good.

I’ve sat at this performance laughing and singing along. I’ve wiped tears off my face because certain parts always move me. Life should always be so meaningful!

When you enter the theater, you are seated in one of four sections: Giraffe, Elephant, Warthog, or Lion. You are then taught a noise and action that goes with your animal to make during parts of the show. There are many opportunities for audience participation. It really adds to the fun. The performance combines songs and dance. AND TUMBLE MONKEYS!!! Tumble Monkeys are talented acrobatic performers that provide a lot of comic relief and are amazing performers.

Festival of the Lion King is both professional and inviting. You can’t help but sing and dance along. It’s also a great change of pace from the rest of your AK day. A bonus for us is we visit in July and it gives us a break from the sun as well.

Gorilla Research Camp

One of the most peaceful places in AK may be the Gorilla Research Camp. That is because it is a quiet zone. Loud noises maybe considered threatening by the gorillas so the “research assistants” working there will strongly encourage you to keep it quiet.

Pangani Forest is an amazing 20-30 minute self-guided walk through the 3/8 mile forest habitat of several African animals. As you near the end, you reach the gorillas. There is a glass viewing area where you may get to see up close any of the Western Lowland Gorillas in the silverback’s family (the male, 2 breeding females, and their young.) This is a great place to ask those research students some questions-they know a lot.

If you don’t get a good view here (it often gets crowded), around the corner is a suspension bridge that also offers great views. From here you can also see four bachelor males. The views are breathe-taking so have your camera ready!

Next time we will look at hanging with bats and what to expect on Maharajah Jungle Trek!

December 2010 Single Rider: Even Better Than Fast Pass

I have always been somewhat alone on my Disney trips, no matter who I have been there with. The early trips, it was my parents, my younger brother and me. Now days, it’s my husband and me. Either way, I was and am alone. I am the only ride-lover. There was one incident where in a case of fatherly-love my dad rode Space Mountain with me. And my husband tried Splash Mountain but walked away with black foam under his nails from gripping on so tightly. I have come to realize that some people are just NOT ride people.

But should that mean I should have to live without something I love so much? No more than they should have to participate. But how would that work? I don’t want Jim, my husband, to have to sit by himself for an hour while I weave through the lines of the best thrill rides.

Many would say this is what Fast Pass is for. That it allows me to use my park ticket to get a Fast Pass and then come back between the printed times and walk right on the ride. We do make use of this system for some rides. But the system that I prefer, that not all rides have, is the single rider line.

The single rider line doesn’t exist at Magic Kingdom. At Animal Kingdom, only Expedition Everest has one. Hollywood Studios has Toy Story Mania and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.  Test Track at Epcot also has a single rider line. I wish more did and here’s why.

Fast Passes are great in theory but I’m already working on a touring plan designed around when our meal reservations are. If I also have to be dictated by the times on a slip of paper I start to feel really locked in. I also can’t get multiple Fast Passes at once. I’m a planner so that frustrates me (don’t worry- even with all this planning; we have the time of our lives on vacation!) My last complaint about Fast Passes is unless I print one for my husband that I don’t use, I have nothing to scrapbook because they take it from me.

These are a few of the reasons why, when single rider line exists, I take advantage. Usually from start to finish my husband has to wait 10 minutes for me (and this is over the holidays in July.) I join the line, which moves quickly. As soon as an odd numbered group needs a filler, a cast member tells the next single rider what car to go to. I’ve ridden with quiet people and chatty people. I usually follow their lead. I’m just excited to be on the ride again. Sometimes there are good-byes at the end; most often not. They most often had to wait an hour or more to ride the ride I walked right on to.

On our next trip the only thing that may stop me from using the single rider line is if I can convince my husband to walk through the lines with me. I know he’ll never do the rides (I really wouldn’t want him to) but I do think he’d enjoy seeing the staging especially on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. I don’t know if “chicken door” is the appropriate term, but there is a place to exit the line right before the ride – or so I’m told, I’ve never looked for it.

I’m sure our trip will be a little bit of everything: Fast Pass, single rider, waiting in line, leaving line and a whole lot of having an amazing time- the way we do only at Disney.

December 2010 Pin Trading- Why We’re Stuck on It

I’ve never really been a collector in any organized way- not dolls, not stamps, nothing. I certainly have amassed a large number of Disney and Mickey Mouse items but they were all very random. That is until about five years ago when my husband and I started collecting Disney pins.

Our first experience with this began with us buying a starter pin kit consisting of a lanyard and six pins. We also went to the Disney Outlet Store and bought several discount pins to trade.

We had no idea what we were doing.

We watched other people trade with cast members and decided to give it a try. Soon we were hooked.

We’ve traded every year since then and we certainly aren’t experts, but I think we’re getting better at it. We do it for fun, not money and have made some guidelines for ourselves that help things go more smoothly.

1. Buy pins to trade before you go. It will save you money. We have found an ebay seller we work with that we feel is reputable. Yes, we get our pins cheap, but we don’t want to get bad (fake) pins so we try our hardest not to put bad pins out there. This can be trial and error. We have sent pins back and when dishonest sellers won’t refund our money, we’ve thrown pins away. Some of the pin trading websites can be helpful in finding sellers that have been safe in the past.
2. Find something you like and collect it. There are too many pins to collect them all. Don’t worry about what someone else thinks you should collect. Pick something meaningful to you and make that what you look for. We collect Cast Lanyards, Hidden Mickeys, and Fourth of July pins. That gives us quite a bit to hunt for.
3. Before you go read the guidelines and etiquette on Pin Trading at Disney’s Pin Trading website  http://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/page?id=getStartedhttp://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/page?id=getStarted
4. We trade with cast members and kids for the most part. Early on some “expert” traders at Downtown Disney took advantage of how naive we we’re and we lost some good pins. How un-Disney! Now we play it much smarter. Just realize that many of those traders will have what you want but they will not let you walk away with it without a very steep trade. And the worst thing you can do is let them know how badly you want something! Now if we go there, I fill my trade book with only the pins I’m willing to give up so they can’t talk me out of something else.
5. Don’t be a wallflower but don’t try to pick the flowers either. My husband used to be guilty of both of these. He would see a pin… and tell me to go trade for it.  I don’t know if he traded at all the first two trips we traded. But that has changed. Now I constantly have to remind him he can go up but not point at someone. It is considered rude. I’m getting him to say “Could I please see your pins?” before he pokes at them.
6. Don’t take it too seriously. Pin trading should be fun. One day a woman cut right in front of me and got the last pin I needed to complete the ABC Cast Lanyard set. I was really upset for a while until my husband reminded me of this rule. We’re still missing that pin but you know what? That means I get to look for it this summer!
7. I buy some limited edition pins that I would never trade. I don’t believe any of my pins will make me rich but those are my more collectible pins. The pins I trade, I trade for fun so I’m not looking to pay for my early retirement with them.
8. I couldn’t live without my small pin bag, which can go around my waist. We load it each night with pins we want to trade.  I don’t like lanyards around my neck plus pin backs are more likely to fall off a lanyard. In the pin bag, if a back comes off, it’s still zipped in the bag.
9. Before we go, we buy those cheap photo albums you can get at the dollar store. Then we go to the pin trading sites like

http://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/index

http://pinpics.com/

http://www.dizpins.com/

We print out pictures of pin sets that we collect (Printed out 4×6.) We then go through and mark the ones we already        have. We put the pictures in the cheap photo albums and have an easy way to carry with us what we have and what            we are looking for. We have hundreds of pins. Not only is it not practical to take them to the parks, it cost too        much to take them on the plane! This has proven to work quite well. The picture I’ve included shows just a small                section of my collection that I have cataloged at PinPics.

The most important guideline to remember is to have fun- hopefully a lot of it. But remember, just like everything Disney,

once you start-

My Missing Pin- The Hunt Continues!

it’s hard to stop!

November 2010 Revisiting the Past at 37 and 63: Everest Isn’t Space Mountain

If I didn’t look exactly like my father I might claim I was adopted. Why? Because no one in my family likes rides of any sort and I was born to conquer any and every coaster, spinner, or scrambler placed in my way.

This fact made our first family trip to Disney a bit of a challenge. I was 13 the first time we went and my younger brother and mom were definitely not ride people. After telling them Big Thunder Mountain was a lot like a train ride, I got them on it only to almost lose the rest of the day at the park because they didn’t feel well. Now I had a major problem. We had not yet reached the one ride I really wanted to go on: Space Mountain. And now no one in my family was going to be up for it. What would I do? I wasn’t brave enough to go on it alone. Would I have to miss it?

When we reached Tomorrowland I got my answer. My dad said, “Let’s go get in line.”

I couldn’t believe it but I didn’t dare ask if he was kidding. The two of us said goodbye to my brother and mom and joined the line.  I don’t remember all the details of that wait but I do know back in 1986 we had no entertaining video games to keep us busy while we waited and waited. I think it seemed especially long because I could sense how apprehensive my dad was about going on the ride. I was a bit nervous myself because at that time I was not the experienced coaster-freak I am now.  There were no Fastpasses so we stood for a good hour to ride Space Mountain. Looking back, I think the build up was a big part of what my dad didn’t like about the ride. That and the steep drops in the pitch dark.

When we finally reached the front of the line we tried to sit quickly in the awkward seats. It seemed so strange having to just sit between his legs and not have a seat of my own. That just bothered me as it didn’t seem safe, but I figured Disney hadn’t lost anyone yet. And then before either of us could have another worry between us, the fun began.

I remember darkness with flashes of light. I remember it seemed really bumpy and jerky. I remember being thrilled that I was getting the experience.

We got off the ride and I babbled non-stop to my dad. We found the other two and my dad said“Well, I’ve done that. I don’t know that I need to do it again.”

Flash-forward 24 years. This time it is my husband with me and my parents at Disney. It is the summer of 2010 and we are at Animal Kingdom for the day. My parents are trusting my expertise in the park. They come but not as often as my husband and me. Things have changed just a bit since I was 13. This 37 year old has realized that because she married a no ride guy but still loves rides she HAS to go by herself because I WILL NOT MISS OUT! So I fully expected that the only difference this time would be that Jim would have some company while waiting for me as I went on the rides.

That’s why I was shocked as we headed towards Asia and the Forbidden Mountain. I was going to do single rider line as it looked like I could walk right on (even though the wait time was 50 minutes).  The next thing I know my 63 year-old father was telling me he was coming with me! I said,  ”Are you sure?” I looked at him checking for unknown head injuries.

After confirming that he wanted to try this we got in line. Even with single rider we were on the same ride, just a car or two away from each other. I don’t really remember much of the ride (I’ve been on it many times before) because all I could think the whole time was “I can’t believe he’s on this ride. What is he thinking? Please don’t let him get sick!”

Soon enough it was over and he appeared to be in one piece. We quickly exited and found the rest of our party. Dad said” By the time we were about half way through, I wanted to get off.”

I do believe his coaster days are behind him. I on the other hand, have another date with Everest on June 30, 2011.

November 2010 Why Pop is Tops: My Reasons for Choosing Pop Century

I’ve stayed in a couple of Disney and a couple off-site resorts over the years and we keep coming back to Pop Century. Today I’m going to explain our love affair with this value resort to you.

1. Price It is a value resort. I don’t spend a great deal of time at my resort so paying a lot of money doesn’t make sense to me. Besides the less I pay per day, the more days I am able to spend. It seems like a fair trade off to me considering that when you are talking Disney value, you still get quality. I will admit it’s just my husband and me, and for medical reasons we get a king-size bed so the room seems fine. Maybe if I had two kids in a room with two queens I’d feel differently. This works great for us.
2. .Size Pop Century is a large resort but that doesn’t have to be a negative if you plan your room request well. We have always had very good luck ending up centrally located yet not in a loud area.  I love that there are three pools to choose from. The main building seems to go on and on forever. We never seem to find the time to walk the entire grounds but what we’ve seen is beautiful.
3. Buses I love that Pop Century has it’s own dedicated route of buses. We’ve traveled to other resorts to eat and couldn’t get over how many stops and starts there are. Not on the Pop Century bus. It may sometimes get crowded but it always gets you right to where you’re going. I appreciate that and it’s why I won’t even consider the other value resorts. The only improvement they could make here is adding a few more buses during peak times like the 4th of July.
4. Everything Pop Food Court Breakfast, lunch, dinner, or LATE dinner this place has a lot to offer. There  are several stations from which you can choose to order. There is also a case filled with fresh goodies, some of them good for you some of them just good. The Disney dining plan may but does not have to be used here. I see a lot of refillable mugs sold here. I personally forget mine in the room a lot. At least next trip I’ll get one with my deluxe dining planand not have to pay extra for it!

I have attached the Pop Century menus that are found at the Mouse for Less website:http://www.themouseforless.com/tripplanning/menus/wdw/EverythingPopBkfst.shtmlhttp://www.themouseforless.com/tripplanning/menus/wdw/EverythingPop.shtml 5.Theming A different look for each decade with Disney all rolled in is how I describe Pop Century:

• 50′s Lady and the Tramp, Bowling Pin Pool, Juke Box,45 records, transistor radios
• 60′s Yo-yo, Baloo and Mowgli, Play-do, Hippy-Dippy-Pool
• 70′s 8-Track, Twister Board, Foosball, Big Wheel, Mickey Phone, Moody Ring, Mr. & Mrs. Potatohead, Goofy Play Area
• 80′s Rubik’s Cube, PacMan, Computer Pool, Walkman, Roger Rabbit, Mr & Mrs. Potatohead
• 90′s Computer Disk, Cell Phone, Computer Pool

I tend to prefer the 70′s as it has a great location- close to Classic Hall (the main building), busing, pools, laundry, and everything else I need. I also has my FAVORITE  theming. I mean who can resist the Mickey phone and the Big  Wheels is to die for up close and personal! Remember when making your initial reservation, you can put in a request and they will do their best to accommodate you if possible. 5. Location I like where Pop Century is. Yes, it’s a little bit of of a ride to Magic Kingdom. But I’ve never found it to be that bad, And everything else seems like it’s right at my fingertips. I actually almost enjoy the bus rides (depending on how full they’ve packed the bus that  time). They go by quickly and give me time to gather what I  need, switch out my pins to trade and have some much needed down time with my husband. I can’t complain  about the free transportation. And if you’re going to complain how nothing is free at Disney, PLEASE, PLEASE,  don’t complain to me. 6.Remodeling/Refurbishing The redone rooms look great and I’m telling you, if I could find a way to discreetly pull up that carpet and fly it home. It would be in my bedroom right now. It was love at first sight. I went on and on about it all week last summer. And I will again next summer. Disney could make a fortune selling that.

7.Feels Like Disney Pop Century feels like Disney to me. I have stayed at other Disney resorts and never had that experience. I know when I say at the Pop the from the time I check in until the time I check out, the  Magic never really ends. I always feel like I’m at the park. I can’t explain that to you if you aren’t a Disney person, but if you’ve been there you know. Somehow, Pop Century helps sustain the Magic of the experience.  And that’s what I need from my 10 days- the ability to totally get lost in the Magic. Sure those Deluxe resorts  have their appeals, but my Pop has its Magic.

October 2010 Window Clings, Garland, and The Fab Five- Decorating My Pop Window for the Fourth of July

I stumbled upon it one day as I searched for information about our upcoming Disney trip. The minute I saw it I knew it would be an obsession that my husband would not understand. It would be the perfect thing to soak up the little free time I had between that moment and the time we left for Orlando, plus a little extra (so that I would have to take time out of the time I had set aside for things that really needed to get done.)

I was going to decorate my window at Pop Century for the Fourth of July.

I saw photo after photo of windows decorated for every occasion and no occasion. It was inspiring. I was really ready to be on vacation and if making cool decorations for a few weeks before I left could make me feel like I was there already, I was on it.

For the uninitiated, window decorating is a higher art form. When one is staying at a hotel in Orlando where it is allowed, and one is so inspired, one may cover the hotel windows with an assortment of window clings, pictures, stuffed animals, and Christmas lights. There are no written rules, but from what I have gathered the main rule is don’t make a mess and clean it up if you do (‘cause if you leave if for housekeeping they can (and should) charge you).

When I decided I wanted to do this, I started collecting ideas. At this point, I was collecting in secret because I knew my husband would think this was nutty. I don’t have little ones I can blame my crazy ideas on; it’s just the two of us. So, I had to run a covert operation. Image after image of Mickey and his ears were saved on my jump drive. Then, I started adding true treasures: a personalized family with ears for my husband, parents, and I done by an artist on DISboards(if you haven’t been to their Creative DISigns section you have to check out the talent!) and pictures I was able to alter and personalize!!!

While I was collecting, I also was doing a little shopping. We always are at Disney over the 4th of July so of course my window needed to have a patriotic theme to it. I hit the dollar store here in town (you don’t want to break the bank –save it for vacation!) and found some great things. I bought red, white and blue garland to drape across the top of my window and red, white, and blue gel window clings. The nice thing, I discovered, about dollar store items is you don’t feel bad about just tossing them in the garbage when you’re done with them. I also purchased some suction cups with hooks and I dug through all the Disney craft things I had amassed over the years. Wow! It was very impressive.

It was time to start printing all I had saved on the computer. This totally blew my cover. My husband could not understand what this possibly had to do with getting ready for our trip. Now we were already in a bit of a crunch time-wise because our luggage was traveling two weeks before us. Long story, but my parents were driving down and we were flying. They were making some stops along the way but it would be cheaper for us to send our bags with them. Great idea, right? Right, except for the having everything ready two weeks early part.

Eventually, I got packed what I could and what I couldn’t I snuck along into our precious little carry-on space. I had been smart and had packed some scissors, different adhesives that I thought would be hotel acceptable (tape in the wrong place can be a big no-no and can actually cause housekeeping to remove all your hard work), and a few things I thought might work but later didn’t. In those final two weeks, I printed so much I had to run for more printer ink twice. I had so much fun!

Finally we made it to Orlando and our arrival was just as planned. We landed at 11:30a.m. I knew by the time Magical Express got us to Pop Century my husband would be ready for a little rest before taking on The World. After quickly meeting up with my parents at Downtown Disney to grab lunch and the bags, he did just that and I went to work.

I tore open all the bags and found all of my supplies. I lay out (and remembered) all the amazing pictures I had found. Mickey saluting the American flag. A sign stating simply, “What’s more American than Mickey Mouse and the 4th of July?” Numerous mouse-ear shaped, patriotic window clings. An accordion picture frame filled with pictures of my husband and me on our previous Pop pilgrimage that I could stand in the window ledge. As I began to assemble the window, it seemed to assemble itself. Before I knew it, I was having to choose things I could bear to leave out because I didn’t have room- and that’s a pretty good size window.

My husband got up from his “little” nap and took a look at what I had done. He was impressed by all the work I had put in. When my parents stopped by they thought I was a bit odd to do all that but they did really like it. We had asked to be in a quieter building, so ours was one of the only decorated windows, so I think the best part was seeing and hearing others as they saw the window for the first time. People stopped, smiled, and really seemed to enjoy what they saw. It was a way of feeling a little Disney Magic made by myself. Throughout our eight days I made two changes: I added a picture of Mickey and Minnie we received for anniversary and on the second-to-last day I added a pouting Mickey that read “But I don’t want to go home.”

Overall, I was THRILLLED with the experience and plan on improving on it next July. In fact, I’ve already started collecting some images to print on the new window clings I bought, learned how to use my new Cricut with Disney cartridges, and convinced dear hubby that scissors and suction cups are an excellent reason to get an Owner’s Locker. Decorating your Disney resort window is more rewarding than I ever imagined.