Disney's Animal Kingdom encompasses 403 acres, and is the largest of Disney's parks.

The park icon, the tree of life is over 14 stories high and 50 feet wide at the trunk.

While this park is the largest, many consider this a half day park.  Some even skip it, thinking it's just like the zoo.  All of those people need to take some time to truly explore all of the details that make Animal Kingdom an exciting adventure for everyone.  Riding the Safari at different times during the day will often result in seeing different animals up close.  Taking the train to the back, almost forgotten conservation area allows for some great hands on activities, and even some unique cast and character interactions. 

Have you ever seen DeVine?  A human, covered in vines spends much of her time along the back part of the park.  Explore a few trails, you never know who you may run into!

Happy Father's Day!

This is my very handsome daddy.  He LOVES frozen cokes.  In fact, I'm pretty sure he used ALL of his snack credits on this treat.

In his honor for fathers day, I've listed a few of the places you can get frozen cokes at Walt Disney World.  I'm sure this isn't all of them, so feel free to let me know if you spot any other locations, and we'll get them added to the list!
    
Magic Kingdom - Lunching Pad,

Epcot - Cool Wash, Club Cool, Liberty Inn, African Outpost

Hollywood Studios - Hey Howdy Hey! Takeaway, Peevy's Frozen Concoctions, Herbie's Drive-In

Animal Kingdom - Drinkwhallah (across from Yak & Yeti), Dino Diner, Safari Coffee

Driving in my car..

This is my brother, pretending to drive the cut out car found in Chester and Hester's Dinorama. He asked Ruby if she wanted to go for a ride.

She thought it was really funny that her Uncle Jay was driving a fake car. I had never seen this before and thought it was a great photo op. Good thing my brother was in a posing mood!

Festival of the Lion King

Tucked away in Camp Minnie Mickey is a terrific show, one we consider a can't miss!  Set in a circular stage area, cast members interact with the audience and everyone is part of the show. The cast members dance, sing, and do various levels of gymnastics during a fast pasted, exciting performance. It's a great show for people of all ages, not just for little ones. It often gets overlooked by adults because of its location, next to the character greetings.  As I said, it's a terrific show that we always try to attend, regardless of the ages of the people we're with at Disney!

Parade time!

Animal Kingdom offers a parade that is a little bit different than other parades. The detail of the parade floats is amazing and the colors are vibrant and exciting. This parade is for sure not ordinary and runs daily at 3:45. I'd suggest taking time to experience this one of a kind parade.

Adventure takes on new meaning with a trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

One of the top questions people ask when planning a Disney vacation: “We won’t miss much if we skip Animal Kingdom will we? Isn’t it just like the zoos we have at home?” Many people have this misconception about Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They may have heard from friends that “it’s only a half day park” or “it’s just like the zoo”. Neither of these statements comes close to describing the detail and excitement that can go into a day at the animal kingdom. Aside from the thrills of Expedition Everest and Dinosaur, the animal kingdom offers some of the best shows on property, Finding Nemo-the musical and Festival of the Lion King. Often overlooked because of its location in the character greet section Camp Minnie-Mickey, Festival of the Lion King is an interactive engaging show featuring incredible acrobatic and musical talent.
You could spend a day just taking in all of the details of the different lands and enjoying cultural nuances along the way. From up close looks at the iconic tree of life, to wildlife walks throughout the park. You won’t want to miss a ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris, where you are transported to the Harambe Reserve for up close animal viewing and perhaps a few surprises along the way.
If you’re traveling with little ones, you could stop by the above mentioned meet and greet areas to say hello to Disney favorites. The tree of life hosts the fun “it’s tough to be a bug” experience, engaging all of your senses. There is also triceratops spin, a ride similar to Dumbo with a prehistoric twist. Tucked in the back corner of the park is the conservation area known as Rafiki’s planet watch. A peaceful train ride takes you to the conservation station where there are lots of interactive activities for children as they learn about the environment. One such activity, designed with boys in mind boasts the title “match the feces with the species”. This overlooked area of the park is a great location to get special attention from cast members, and even occasionally meet characters such as Rafiki and Jiminy Cricket.
It may be tempting to cut out animal kingdom with so many things to do and see at Walt Disney World, but you would be missing out on some of the greatest adventures anywhere on property. Animal Kingdom may not boast as many rides and thrills as the other parks, but provides hours of quality adventure and excitement for anyone taking the time to seek it out. What adventures will you seek out on your next trip to Animal Kingdom?

Merry Christmas from Disney!

Twas the Night before Christmas...

Just so you know, my friend Megan is the cast member right after Kermit. She is an Africa trek guide. She leads guided tours through the non-guest areas of the savannah at the Animal Kingdom. You get a photopass CD of your up close experience and some free snacks. Scott did it on our last trip and loved it.