Animal Kingdom

This was our favourite park – lush and green, not too crowded and more ‘fresh’ looking, i.e. the themed buildings and attractions were not as tired looking as some of the Magic Kingdom ones. It was really a zoo with rides, but so much more! The animal enclosures were well done, so that you didn’t have to search for a speck of an animal, but we had gorillas and tigers up close! The dense jungle atmosphere also made each ‘land’  feel more remote, and not really part of a large theme park.We spent most of the first day in Dinoland. They had a wonderful playground done to look like a fossil dig site, with several slides, water play areas, caves and a pit for finding dinosaur bones amongst rubble and sand.

Dinoland playground

Dinos to climb on

Posing on the dino skeletonAnother feature of Animal Kingdom were the KidSpot activities based on learning about animals. The kids get a card, like a passport, that is stamped whenever they complete a mini game at each of the lands. It really motivated the kids to keep walking to another land and meant we saw each attraction.

One of the KidSpots, answering questions about tarantulas

A completed KidSpot pass, Ella very proudWe kept seeing people eating these huge drumsticks of meat, so Tim had to try one. They’re smoked turkey legs – very big and heavy – and very rich and fatty. We hardly made a dent in ours, so Jasper fed bits to the squirrel near our table.

Finger lickin’ good?We ate lots and lots of burgers and hot dogs whilst out and about, and Jasper wouldn’t eat anything else. A few times Tim and I ate Asian food, but it was very mild and not authentic. Tim and I ate at nice restaurants a couple of times (kids went to Camp Dolphin, a kids club for evening babysitting) which was a wonderful break from resort food. We also took kids to the Waffle House and IHOP (International House of Pancakes) for a real American dining experience.Back to Animal Kingdom, there was a kids petting zoo and a small stage for live animal experiences (Ella was picked as a volunteer).

Feeding a cute critter

Brushing the goatElla and Tim did the Everest Expedition rollercoaster 2 times – apparently it went up a steep climb, then reversed suddenly down a different track, through tunnels, a large Yeti tried to grab you, a free fall down to the end.

They think that’s fun?