Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Top 5 Animal Kingdom Attractions

5. Finding Nemo: The Musical

 I have a nephew who adores Finding Nemo. I love it too, of course, but not as much as he does. So, when I went down to Disney for my program I knew I had to see Finding Nemo the Musical. It was one of the things on my Disney bucket list, and I was NOT disappointed. This was a very good show. One of the Disney World show's with the best production quality. This show, honestly, could be lengthened and translate to Broadway very easily. The music was wonderful, and the audience interaction made the show that much more enjoyable. My favorite moment from the entire show was the number "Swim Together" (that's the number in the picture above.) It was absolutely adorable.

4. Expedition Everest

I got to go to Disney World the first summer Expedition Everest opened back in 2006. That was my first ever trip to the Animal Kingdom and only my second trip to Walt Disney World as a whole. So, I do sort of have this strange emotional connection to Expedition Everest. I remember at the time being very excited to see this new Disney attraction. I had been following it's progress online through various means, and couldn't wait to actually ride it. This is a very thrilling ride. There are twists and turns that you don't expect, and close encounter with the legendary yeti. Another plus for this ride is the quality of it's theme. Unless you're line is insanely short and you can walk right on don't ignore the Yeti Museum as you walk through the line. It really adds to the experience of the ride.

3. The Festival of the Lion King

This is an AMAZING show. One of the best on Disney property. There's acrobatics, singing, dancing, audience interactions, characters, and lots of audience interactions. Plus it's in the round so there's really not a bad seat in the entire venue. Most impressive part for me though? The Tumble Monkeys (as pictured above). They're hilarious and their display is extremely impressive. The vocalists in this show are the best in any show across Disney World. They sing the songs you know and love even better than they were sung in the movie. It's just an excellent show that you'll have to see to really enjoy.

2. Dinosaur

Okay, I'll confess I'd forgotten how thrilling this attraction was. Again, I rode this for the first time in 2006 and didn't ride it again until 2010. In four years my recall of this ride had deteriorated. I remembered there wasn't a drop like Jurassic Park at Universal Studios. I remembered it sent you back in time, and I remembered you were sent back just minutes before all the dinosaurs were destroyed. But I had forgotten how many close encounters you have with carnivores. When I finally got the chance to ride it again I found myself absolutely terrified, but terrified in the best way possible. Dinosaur is a thrill ride and a half. Definitely one of the best attractions at the Animal Kingdom.

1. Kilimanjaro Safaris

By far the absolute best attraction at the Animal Kingdom. This attraction takes up the majority of the land that the Animal Kingdom calls home. Essentially this is the real life version of the Jungle Cruise. Although, you're not in a boat. You're in a safari truck. Your guide takes you around in this truck and you see the various animals they have at the Animal Kingdom. It truly is amazing to see these animals. Not only do you get to see them, but you just might get to help your guide take out some poachers. This is a very fun attraction that your entire family will enjoy. Make sure you don't go too late or too early in the day. The most animals are out about in the middle of the day.

Honorable Mention: It's Tough to Be a Bug

It's Tough to be a Bug is the 3D (well, technically 4D I suppose) film that's shown inside the Tree of Life. You watch a show presented by Flick and the rest of the gang from A Bug's Life. It's adorable. But beware of stink bugs and spiders. (The spiders were my least favorite part). There are elements that may scare little ones so be careful when taking toddlers or preschoolers.

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