A Wild Time at Animal Kingdom

Last weekend, I spent two days at Animal Kingdom in Disney World. I primarily went to say goodbye to the Boneyard and the rest of Dinoland, U.S.A. since I’m not sure if I’ll be back at Animal Kingdom before that land goes extinct. The Boneyard closed forever yesterday, so I definitely wanted to check that out while it was still open. I’m glad to say I got to experience Dinoland and all the fun it had to offer, plus plenty of other lovely attractions throughout Animal Kingdom. I’ve got a lot to say about it all, so here we go.

My first day at Animal Kingdom was mostly good. I got to the park a few hours after opening and started off by seeing several animals on trails near the front entrance. When I saw Pluto doing a meet and greet nearby, I hopped in line to meet him. He loved seeing the dog picture on my shirt and spun around with excitement when I told him dogs are my favorite animal. He even gave me a “kiss” when we said goodbye! I then made my way to Dinoland where I rode Dinosaur and had lots of fun meeting Chip ‘n’ Dale by the Cretaceous Trail. That was a lovely surprise as I didn’t know they’d be over there when I went to explore that trail.

By that point, I was ready for lunch. I had a delicious lunch at Restaurantosaurus before going to see the Feathered Friends in Flight! bird show. That was one of the big highlights of my trip. Another huge highlight came from petting and brushing a variety of animals at the Affection Section petting area. Unfortunately, after I looked at the many animals on display inside the Conservation Station, I walked outside to find rain. The poncho I brought with me helped quite a bit, although some of my pockets still got soaked. Fortunately, everything in them was ok. Unfortunately, the rain and some power issues affecting all of Disney World meant several attractions closed down early. I finished off the day by having some delicious chocolate ice cream and meeting Mickey and Minnie Mouse. That cheered me up a lot and brought the first day in for a smooth landing.

Fortunately, day two was even better. There was no rain in the park at all! Traffic was so light that I got to the front entrance of the park right after it opened. I rode one of the first Kilimanjaro Safaris of the day and still saw a fair number of animals despite the early voyage. After that, I rode Expedition Everest in no time flat thanks to the single rider line. That gave me enough time to get back to Conservation Station where I watched Dr. Dan examine a dove before generously answering a lot of guest questions. After petting the animals again, I thoroughly enjoyed coloring a butterfly wristband before meeting Donald Ducky, Goofy, Daisy Duck, and Russell and Dug from Up.

Then it was back to Conservation Station for more animal pets and the Animation Experience. The instructor taught us how to draw Minnie Mouse. I enjoyed that a lot and was surprised how well mine turned out, given that I rarely ever draw. Once that class ended, I stopped off for lunch at Restaurantosaurus again, met Goofy once more to talk with him about bird watching, and decided to meet Minnie and Mickey again to show them the drawing. They both loved it and signed it for me! Things took a bit of a negative turn after that when I realized I wouldn’t get to see Festival of the Lion King or ride Kali River Rapids before the park closed. I’m glad to say I still got to see the wonderful Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond! live stage show. I finished my day in Animal Kingdom by looking at animals on several of the trails, walking through the Boneyard, and saying goodbye to all of Dinoland. After exploring the Rainforest Cafe located just outside the front entrance, I went on an unexpected journey to ride the Skyliner before heading home.

For this trip, I used the last two days of a four-day ticket I bought back in June; the first two days got me into the Magic Kingdom on Independence Day weekend. Similarly to my previous Disney trip, I stayed with a friend who lives close to the park. I also made a spreadsheet of the wait times and duration times for the attractions I most wanted to experience just like I did with the Magic Kingdom. That helped immensely with planning, strategizing, and also giving me enough time to enjoy the park at a slower pace while still accomplishing almost everything that I wanted to do plus enjoying some other unexpected activities.

Indeed, the only attractions on my list that I didn’t get to experience were Festival of the Lion King and the Kali River Rapids. Not bad considering how much extra stuff I got to do and the fact that Animal Kingdom is open for fewer hours than any other Disney World theme park. While I feel a bit upset that I didn’t get to experience those two attractions, I have hope that I can experience them on a future trip since I haven’t heard of any plans to remove either of them. If I could do it over again, I’d have done the same activities with more efficiency and possibly gotten to the park earlier on the first day to free up enough time to do everything on my list.

I feel a bit sad that I didn’t get to see and say goodbye to It’s Tough to Be a Bug! as that show closed down in March. I didn’t have nearly enough money then for a Disney trip, so my final time seeing the show was many years ago. While I did watch a YouTube video of the final It’s Tough to Be a Bug! show shortly after it closed, I would have loved to have seen it in person one last time. Similarly, I wish I could have said goodbye to Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama. That was a part of Dinoland that paid homage to old roadside attractions and carnivals with rides, games, a restaurant, and a gift shop. While the remains of that area finally closed this year, it was gradually going extinct for years as more and more parts of it were removed. I’ll miss the fun it brought, and I’ll especially miss seeing the big, smiling Cementosaurus statue who greeted visitors until he was demolished earlier this year.

The most frustrating part of my trip was the Skyliner adventure. Although I succeeded in riding the Skyler and had fun onboard, doing so meant that I didn’t get home until around 12:30 am. If I’d skipped the Skyliner, I’d have gotten home about three hours earlier. I think there was a much more efficient way to get to the loading station than the way I ended up taking, especially considering how backed up the buses got. Better yet, I wish I’d ridden the Skyliner during my trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in late May. There is a loading station right in front of that park, so that would have been incredibly efficient if I’d ridden it back then, plus I would have gotten home from Animal Kingdom much earlier than I actually did.

Another upsetting part of the trip was my inability to find a particular pressed penny machine that made dinosaur pennies. I wanted to get some as souvenirs from Dinoland before that part of the park closes forever. Despite learning that the machine was supposedly in Restaurantosaurus, I couldn’t find it anywhere. I posted about this on social media earlier this week and offered to pay back anyone who manages to get me some pressed pennies on their next Animal Kingdom trip. Shortly afterward, a friend of mine kindly bought the ones I wanted online and is sending them to me! I look forward to seeing them when they arrive and displaying them alongside my Muppets and Liberty Belle riverboat pressed pennies from previous Disney trips.

Many of the smaller experiences were among my favorite parts of this trip. I loved walking the trails and seeing the many animals along each one. That reminded me of visiting my local zoo and allowed me to see other kinds of animals that I don’t normally get to see. Drawing was even more enjoyable than I thought it’d be, and coloring the butterfly wristband (which was a total surprise as I didn’t know that was an available activity) was so relaxing. I loved how both the coloring and the drawing allowed me to be creative and enjoy the process without trying to force a certain outcome. Just as Bob Ross always talked about how painting is supposed to make you feel happy, the drawing instructor reminded us several times that we can choose what details we want to add and that the process is meant to be a fun activity for us to do while we’re on vacation.

As you’ve already guessed if you’ve read my blog in the past, petting and brushing the animals was my favorite part of Animal Kingdom. While I’m used to petting goats and stingrays at my local zoo, the Affection Section allowed me to pet some sheep, a pig, and a donkey. That might have been my first time petting and brushing those animals as I don’t have any recollection of doing that anywhere before. I’m so glad I got to pet the super soft sheep, sleepy pig named Dottie, and sweet donkey. I teared up a bit while saying goodbye to all the animals since some of them might die before I go back. It’s fairly common for me to do that ever since my dog Sawyer’s death, especially with animals that I’m going to be away from for a long time.

I absolutely loved meeting the costumed characters as well. They always make me feel happy and welcomed. Their big, warm hugs and friendly interactions keep me smiling and feeling good for days afterward. As nice as it was to meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy again, I’m so glad I also got to meet Pluto, Chip ‘n’ Dale, Dug, and Russell. That was the first time I recall meeting them, and it was well worth the wait to meet them all. I look forward to meeting them and other characters on future trips.

In addition to the costumed characters, I had several other lovely cast member interactions. My favorite interaction was with a cast member near the Affection Section who told me about a special animal show later in the day, gave me a butterfly wristband to color, and talked with me some about Chip ‘n’ Dale since we both love those characters. She appreciated seeing a picture I had gotten with them the day before. I loved talking with her as her personality was so warm, kind, and grandmotherly. That was an extra special interaction to me since it’s now been just over a year since the last time I visited with my maternal grandmother and next month will be a year since her death.

Aside from all the attractions, I enjoyed simply walking around the park and taking in everything. I think Animal Kingdom has the best theming and immersion of any of the Disney World parks. While that also makes it the most confusing park for me to navigate, it’s worth it for the beauty, atmosphere, and relaxation it brings as I explore.

I’m so glad I went to Animal Kingdom and had such a lovely time there. Although I’m glad I got to ride Dinosaur, explore the Boneyard, eat at Restaurantosaurus, and enjoy the rest of Dinoland, I wish they were all sticking around. It’s always painful when things I love go away, especially things I’ve loved since I was a little kid. Despite the painful losses and some unexpected issues, I’d say the Animal Kingdom trip was more enjoyable, pleasant, and soothing than any other Disney trip I’ve taken this year. It might even be my favorite Disney trip I’ve ever taken. I look forward to going back someday and revisiting the wonderful rides, shows, characters, theming, and animals.