Let The Memories Continue! – Day 9
We visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom today. We had meant to visit it two days ago but postponed till now due to the bad weather.
We arrived bright and early and stopped by Pizzafari and ordered 2 Bounty Breakfast Platter to share. After filling up our rumbling stomachs, we made our way to our first FP+ – Kilimanjaro Safaris. We rode off in an open-air vehicle for a tour of a lush African savanna, home to exotic animals like lions and elephants. We had a glimpse of real animals in their natural habitats during an 18-minute expedition into the Harambe Wildlife Reserve, a sanctuary dedicated to the protection of African animals. Our guide provided us with useful information as we took off into the African outback—where over 34 different species of exotic African wildlife seemingly roam free. We saw many animals – antelopes, rhinos- both white and black, giraffes, crocodiles, elephants, pink flamingos, hippos, lions, zebras and okapis. It was an amazing experience.
We lined up next 2 FP+ – rides which we did not attempt during our trip last year. The first being Primeval Whirl which Ashley had wanted so badly to ride but did not meet the height requirement of 48″ then. She was so excited to be able to do this! We measured her height before we left and she was almost 48″. However, to our surprise, she seemed 2″ taller than that now. We took a trip aboard a spinning rollercoaster in this dinosaur-themed carnival-style attraction. We were swept through a series of sudden dips and hairpin turns as our time machine unpredictably spinned on its own path. I would describe this as a rollercoaster, viking and teacup ride all in one. We had fun.
Our next FP+ was Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. Similarly, we did not try this on our last trip although Ashley felt ready as this ride has a backward drop. At 200 feet, Expedition Everest is the highest “mountain” in Walt Disney World. We got in line and were assigned the first 2 rows. So, Ashley and I took the front row with Jarod and ZA at the second. Off we go and embarked on a thrilling expedition through the icy peaks of the Himalayas. We ascended a series of rolling hills overlooking a serene green forest, a privilege that came with the unobstructed front row. We climbed a steep incline and navigated through a ceremonial stone tunnel before reaching the summit. Once at the “top of the world,” the train picked up speed and raced inside the dreaded mountain. Without warning, our train screeched to a halt: A broken and twisted track appeared in front of us. Our train then unpredictably began to race backward into the darkened mountain, furiously swooping up into a double-looping turn and we came face to face with Yeti – the mysterious snow monster said to inhabit the Himalayas. We then hurled 80 feet down the base of the cursed mountain and swooped in and out of murky caves and along jagged rocky ledges to escape the dreaded monster. It was the most thrilling ride that we have taken and Ashley wanted more!
After two consecutive thrilling rides, we decided to stop at a refreshment kiosk for a break. We ordered a Root Beer Float and a Vanilla Ice Cream Waffle to share. While enjoying our ice cream, we looked up the sky and there it was – a smiling face! Well, we are at ‘The Happiest Place On Earth’ after all.
We decided to catch it’s Tough To Be A Bug! before our lunch. This is a 3D film housed inside the Tree of Life. As we followed the winding paths around the Tree of Life, we took our time to enjoy some of the 325 animal carvings on the base of the tree. The carvings were detailed and amazing. During the film, we were made honorary insects as a good natured ant introduced us to some of his friends. What followed was a fast paced adventure with some surprising 4D effects. The film attempted to place us in the center of the fascinating world of insects, showcasing the incredible value they add to our lives.
After the show, we rushed over to Tusker House for our Thanksgiving Lunch reservation as we were incredibly late. The wait time apparently had been longer than expected earlier. Tusker House is a character buffet with a mix of African cuisine and some standard American fare. The theming at Tusker House is top notch, with incredible attention to detail and a lot fun little touches. It actually looks like a weathered marketplace you might find in Africa. Mickey, Donald, Daisy and Goofy appeared for autographs and photos in their fun safari gear. The food that stood out here are the Seafood Stew and the Cape Malay Curried Chicken which we ate with the Basmati Rice. As with every Disney buffet, there’s a section that’s set up just for kids. Ashley loaded her plate with Mac and Cheese and Corndog Nuggets. We mainly skipped dessert as we were saving up for our dinner which was one of the highlights in our trip last year. All in all, it was an enjoyable experience although we rushed a little in order to squeeze in everything we wanted to do at Animal Kingdom.
The most popular live show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is ‘Festival of the Lion King,’ a virtual explosion of colours, music and amazing talent. We made our way to the new Harambe Theatre which recently opened in June this year. We were treated to 30 minutes of a variety of some of Disney’s best entertainment in this celebration. Some of The Lion King’s most popular music were performed by magnificent singers. Zany trampoline acrobatics were supplied by the Tumble Monkeys, fire jugglers heated up the stage and talented stilt walkers danced to the pounding beat with apparent ease. Audio-animatronic and live costumed characters were introduced on enormous moving stages. The show ended with a spectacular finale of a heart-stirring rendition of the ‘Circle of Life.’ We walked out of the theatre, embraced by the feeling of ‘Hakuna Matata,’ which means don’t worry, be happy.
Finding Nemo – The Musical was next on our priority list. Both ZA and I fell asleep last year during the show. Based on the hit animated movie, this adventure makes a splash with spectacular music and stunning theatrical puppetry. this musical re-tells the story of a father clownfish, Marlin, and his son, Nemo, who learnt how to love and understand each other through the combination of puppets, dancers, acrobats and animated backdrops. The musical also featured many songs from the movie and by the time the show ended, the lines ‘Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming’ were stuck in our heads.
We spent the rest of our day repeating our favourite rides – Primeval Whirl and Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. This time round, Ashley rode with ZA and Jarod with me. The woman behind me was screaming hysterically all the way which was really funny. We had also wanted to ride Dinosaur which had been temporarily closed in the morning. We stood in line and waited for nearly half an hour when the ride was closed again. This time round, the ride was closed as I think a child was lost. The mother called out her name in a quivering voice over the PA system hoping to find her but did not. We held on to Ashley as we could not imagine what could happen if it had been her. We decided to leave the queue and bade farewell to Animal Kingdom. Ashley had hoped to return again but was not willing to sacrifice the other parks.
Our last event lined up for today was the highly anticipated dinner at ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. We were late for our reservation and upon arrival, there was a large crowd waiting. i feared for a long wait but to our surprise, we were whisked to our table shortly. The word ‘Ohana, meaning family proved to be more than simply the name of the restaurant. Everything – from the unending salads and appetizers to the main course and dessert – would be served family style. Even the servers are considered honorary ‘cousins’. After taking our drinks order, we were served a Welcome Bread and a bowl of salad. Next came the honey-coriander chicken wings, dumplings and noodles with vegetables. These wings were incredibly tasty and remained the best wins I have ever tasted. Our table afforded an excellent view of the grilling area, where skewers upon skewers of meat and shrimp served a reminder that the best was yet to come. Soon, our servers arrived with the skewers and piled our plates high with meats and shrimps. While the Sirloin Steak was good, our favourite was the Peel and Eat Shrimp. Saving the best for last, ‘Ohana’s famous dessert Bread Pudding a la mode with accompanying banana-caramel sauce arrived. The bread pudding was rich and moist and was the perfect end to the perfect meal.
