Disney’s Animal Kingdom (part 2)

Posted on April 14, 2009 by Matt Todd

Unlike most theme parks, Animal Kingdom doesn’t really have that many rides. It’s more about the animals, the atmosphere, the shows, and the whole experience. With that in mind, the demand for the rides was pretty high, even on a weekday.

Fortunately, there was FastPass.

FastPass is a legal way to cut in line. We were told ahead of time that it would be worth the extra money to pay for a Fast Pass add-on to our ticket. Fortunately, you don’t have to pay anymore. It’s been added to the cost of admission. FastPass is your friend. FastPass makes Disney World a better place. I really have absolutely no idea why anyone would choose not to use FastPass.

So, the first thing we did when we entered Animal Kingdom was go straight to the Safari ride. It was the one the family had looked forward to the most, so we wanted to make sure to do this ride early in the day. So, we got to the ride, saw that it was a 45 minute line and immediately went to the FastPass kiosk. We got our ‘Return Time,’ and went to another area of the park. Here’s what we got to see instead of waiting in line for 45 minutes:

As we came up to the Okapi, it really looked fake. It stood there, absolutely motionless, very close to the viewing area. As we stood there observing, a couple of onlookers began to ask what this animal was. Some people speculated that it was a relative of the zebra. The legs would certainly lead you to that conclusion.

See? Aiden knew what he was talking about!

Then Aiden got excited and chimed in: “I know what that is! It’s the only known relative to the giraffe. It has a tongue just like the giraffe and it spreads its legs when it drinks; just like a giraffe.”

All of us were in shock. The other people in the crowd stood in awe at our knowledgeable son. They even suggested that he stay there and work as an educator.

When we finally walked away from the okapi exhibit, we asked Aiden how he knew so much about that animal. “From the National Geographic DVD you guys let me watch.” Then we walked by a sign describing the okapi and it confirmed what Aiden had just taught us.

See? Sometimes TV can be educational. Sometimes.

The picture didnt turn out as clearly as hoped. But you get the idea. — The picture didn't turn out as clearly as hoped. But you get the idea.

One of our favorite games to play at home is Zooreka. And one of the kids’ favorite animals to put in their zoos is the Naked Mole Rat. Well, we finally got to see naked mole rats, live and in-person. The kids were super-excited.

Yes. We went all the way to Florida to see a a bunch of rats.

🙂

And there’s a rather large gorilla habitat. Now, we’ve seen gorillas before. I’m pretty sure we saw them on our trip to the Knoxville Zoo a few years ago. But it’s been a while. And they’re such impressive creatures. We saw quite a few as we walked through the habitat, but the most memorable was when the Silverback was standing right in front of us. It felt like he was part of the crowd. Of course, there was a pretty thick piece of glass (or plastic) separating us. But that’s OK.

After we walked through the African habitat (I guess it’s officially called the ‘Pangani Forest Exploration Trail‘), it was time for the Safari.

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Matt Todd

Howdy. I'm Matt. My wife, Christy, and I have four kids and two dogs, I'm passionate about orphan care. I'm a die-hard fan of the Evansville Aces, the Indiana Hoosiers, and Star Wars. I'm trying to live life by the Todd family motto: "It behooves us to live!"