Expedition Everest is the only roller coaster at Animal Kingdom & an obvious favorite of ours. However, I swore to Honey that they must have updated the ride because it seemed to go faster this time and I was absolutely sure that the Yeti was WAY closer to grabbing me than in the past. He assured me it was the same ride we rode in January, so apparently I'm losing my edge. WHAT?!?
Being lovers of the ocean & all things aquatic, it should come as no surprise that we are huge fans of the movie "Finding Nemo". So when Animal Kingdom introduced the stage show, Finding Nemo - The Musical ~ we instantly fell in love! It's a 40 minute show where the actors use puppets to portray the story we all know and adore. The art of Disney comes to life yet again in how they are able to camouflage, so to speak, the puppeteers so that you almost forget that they are actually there.
Hello Dory!
"Fish are Friends, not Food!"
The "Tank Gang"
And of course, my favorite ~ Crush! DUDE! Be still my turtle-lovin' heart! Not only is he the coolest one by far (his puppet is actually the size of a car), but he sings the most amazing original song ~ "Go With the Flow". It's sticks in your head for days (kind of like, "It's a Small World", but in the "good" way LOL!). We love it!!
"Totally" can't forget, Squirt!
According to the website, this is the first time that Disney has taken a non-musical animated film and turned it into an original musical production. Boy, are we glad they did!! It's definitely a must see!!
If you've seen the movie "Up", then you know all about the adorable little boy Russell who is doing his best to become a Senior Wilderness Explorer by collecting his final badge ~ Assisting the Elderly. He meets Carl, and their extraordinary journey begins. It's a beautiful, heart-warming story that I would highly recommend if you haven't seen it. Disney Magic at its best! On our trip in January, we were able to meet Russell & his faithful dog, Dug. They were so much fun as they interacted with the kids, that they requested that we make a special stop to see them again this trip. We were happy to oblige! (Oh, and don't forget to yell "Squirrel!" Dug is hilarious!)
As I mentioned before, visiting the parks without kids allows for things to be done at a different pace and style. However, you can still let your inner child shine through... which is exactly what we decided to do when approached by a Troop Leader to become Wilderness Explorers ourselves. :) We were each given a Wilderness Explorers Handbook and asked to say the pledge..."I, _______, pledge: that I will uphold the Wilderness Explorers Motto: A Wilderness Explorer is a friend to all, be it plants or fish or tiny mole. CAW CAW ROAR!" Then we were sent on our way to explore the park, collect badges and learn tons of interesting & amazing facts along the way. It may sound silly & an activity more for the kids but we had a blast!!
We decided to start at the beginning and earn the Animal Find Badge and the Safari Badge by exploring the African Savannah on Kilimajaro Sarfaris. This is a ride that we never miss while visiting Animal Kingdom! It's an expedition aboard an open air safari vehicle that takes you on a guided tour of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve where you have the opportunity to see over 34 different species of exotic animals in their natural habitats. We have been on this "trek" many times & always seem to encounter different animals each trip.
This particular trip seemed to be the one of newborn animals. There had been several births since January and each baby was as adorable as the next.
That cute little puff of white is a baby pelican. Aww!
I love the way this mother & baby white rhino are relaxing in the exact same pose. It reminded me of the pictures that we take as parents of our children sleeping only to be looking through a scrapbook of our own childhood to see that we slept the exact same way. Precious!
We also saw cheetahs, flamingos, giraffes, mandrills and zebras, to name a few. I was especially excited to see the male lion out on his rock. This is by far the best view we have ever had of him!
I should mention that we went on this ride in the early afternoon during a light rain. There were many animals out enjoying the cool mist. We have learned that the best time to see the most animals is first thing in the morning however there is never a shortage of species out roaming the terrain no matter when you choose to ride.
We continued our badge collecting while we walked on Pangani Exploration Trail. Pangani Exploration Trail is a self guided tour that not only brings you up close and personal with some amazing animals but also provides interesting facts and environmental tips along the way. There were several Troop Leaders and Badge Guides waiting along the path to help us earn our Tracking Badge, Habitat Badge, Hiking Badge, Birding Badge (my least favorite!) and the Gorilla Badge. We had a lot of fun watching this family of gorillas interact with one another. These adorable little twins had been born in February! You'll have to excuse the blurriness of the picture but they were have too much fun wrestling around and playing that they didn't feel like posing for a snapshot. :)
Here's Daddy just hanging out while keeping an eye on the family. So serious!
Our next set of badges had us boarding the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch and the Conservation Station. Disney is very active in wildlife conservation and this area gives guests the opportunity to see first hand all the ways that they are promoting awareness. It's chock full of animal encounters, interactive exhibits as well being a functioning veterinary facility. We visited the Conservation Station for the first time on our last visit and deemed it a must see!
There were several adorable animals in Rafiki's Planet Watch, but none as cute and cuddly as these two! Chip and Dale!!
As you well know, they are my FAVORITES!!! I will never turn down an opportunity to see "my boys". :) I'm just NUTS about them!!
By the end of our day at Animal Kingdom, we had collected 18 of the 30 Wilderness Badges earning us the rank of Minnow. :) The beauty of this adventure is that if you don't finish it, you can bring your handbook back on your next visit. I guess our Senior Wilderness Explorer ranking ceremony will have to wait until next time. :)
Animal Kingdom closes early so that gave us plenty of time to head back to our resort to change for our special Anniversary dinner. We had made reservations for the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Polynesian Resort. For those of you who are familiar with the Disney Dining Plan, this show is a 2 point Table Service Meal and it is highly recommended to book 180 days in advance. :)
We were greeted at Luau Village by our hosts, given our leis for the evening, and ushered to the most beautiful little waiting area. The atmosphere was breathtaking with its little twinkling lights and flame torches. We truly felt like we were in Hawaii! There was also a small bar area set up for guests to purchase drinks while we waited to be seated.
At promptly 8:15, we were shown to our seats where our 1st course was already waiting for us. A scrumptious display of fresh salad with mango-poppy seed dressing, honey-lime slaw, and pineapple-coconut bread. I couldn't get enough of that bread!! YUM!!
It wasn't soon after we were seated that the show began. The best way to describe it is in 2 parts. The first part of the show was more of a theater performance where Auntie Wini is hosting a going away party for one of the island girls.
It was filled with lots of fun music and of course dancing. At one point, they asked those couples celebrating something special to join them on the dance floor. Our fabulous server grabbed my camera & took what is by far one of my favorite pictures of us. So much fun!
At intermission, our main course was delivered. I should mention that this is a family-style, all-you-care-to eat meal. There was more than enough food for the two of us! It consisted of Island pulled pork, BBQ ribs, roasted chicken and a vegetable medley. I wish I could say that the food was as delicious as it looks, but unfortunately it was a little lacking in flavor. We were a little bummed. :(
However, dessert was by far one of THE BEST I have ever tasted!!! Say hello to the delectable warm pineapple bread pudding with caramel sauce. Oh... My... Gosh!!!
The second part of the show was more of what I would call a traditional luau. It consisted of several dances and traditions from not only Hawaii, but Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand and of course, Polynesia. The costumes were amazing and the dances were absolutely beautiful!
Of course no luau would be complete without a fire-knife performer. I think the pictures speak for themselves at how truly astounding he was!
I don't think we could have asked for a more unique and special way to celebrate our anniversary. Mahalo Disney for another evening filled with Magical Memories!
Until next time . . . Aloha!
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