December 3, 2001 - Disney's Animal Kingdom

I'm running out of gas, so the experience other members of the family have will become increasingly different from mine.  I'm sixty years old and two hundred pounds overweight and my hips, back, and legs are killing me after walking for four days on hard pavement.  Even though Disney provides lots of benches in the parks and many of the attractions are sit-down affairs, I just plain hurt.  I'm certain this affects my attitude and my perspective on the theme parks.  Anyway, Animal Kingdom is big. The Tree of Life, a huge tree that, upon close inspection, is covered by hundreds of carvings and images of animals, dominates Animal Kingdom.  A visitor could spend many hours just studying this tree.  Inside is yet another 3D film based on "It's a Bug's Life."   Disney has managed to combine boffo 3D effects with audioanimatrons, and special effects in the room to make these films work for children and adults alike.  The surprises make us jump while amusing at the same time.

Having heard and read that the Kilimanjaro Safari in Africa is the most popular attraction in the park and that it's best viewed early in the morning while the animals are still moving around.  We rush across the park to get a Fast Pass.  Instead, the line seems short and we get in it, moving pretty quickly through the cattle shoots to the loading platform where we board safari trucks to take us out into the animal park.  Our guide is a personable young woman from Swaziland.   Many of the cast members in this part of the park are from Africa.  I talk to one young man from South Africa who is winding up a year's visit working in Disney World and soon to return home.  He says he's had a wonderful experience here.  The ride progresses over rickety bridges, through muddy swamps, and along bumpy roads as we journey through a variety of "African" environments.  We see plenty of animals.  The plains animals appear to be free ranging and are quite near. The larger or more dangerous animals are cleverly separated from our road by moats and disguised bars.  They appear to be free to go where they wish, but Disney illusion has scored another triumph.  The presentation has some emphasis on conservation and a story.  Along our ride the guide instructs us to watch for poachers.  We pass their camp, where elephant tusks are piled. We chase them off while never laying eyes on them and come to the end of the ride.

We walk through a forest exploration section where the most impressive animal is a giant silverback gorilla.  The path meanders through forest environments and past a variety of animals.  We emerge into Africa's main street.  I go over to Asia to get Fast Passes for Kali River Rapids, a popular flume ride, while everyone else heads for a train to take them to a kid's area featuring a petting zoo and environmental displays.  The crowd is light this morning, the fast pass feature is not operating, and the wait at Kali Rapids is only ten minutes.  We should have all come.  I head back and take the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch.  Along the way the train passes the backstage area where the animals receive care and are kept at night.  For me, this proves to be a big mistake, because it shows the close quarters where the animals spend much of their time.  For me, the most interesting part of Planet Watch is a talking, rolling trash receptacle that follows kids or talks to people when they put trash in it.  At first I wonder how big its vocabulary is, then I try to figure out where the person doing the talking and controlling it is hidden.  I can't find him, but he talks to kids and adults.  The kids hug him or jump away when he moves.  Fun.

After lunch, I'm too sore and I start home while the others continue to visit the other "lands" in the Animal Kingdom.  I go to the parking lot and spend half and hour searching for the car even though I know what section of the lot it's in.  I stand in the hot sun, almost ready to cry as I think it's been stolen or the rental company has somehow found it and taken it back. Finally, I journey to the end of the row and there it is.  I slump into the driver's seat and turn on the AC for a few minutes before driving to the
campsite.  After a long, cold drink of water and a shower, I snooze in front of the TV for a few hours.  Later I defrost chicken and set up the grill. It burns while I read "Harry Potter IV."  The family arrives, having eaten.

They've seen more of the Animal Kingdom, including being stuck for half an hour on the Kali Rapids because someone was injured.  The kids go to the Campfire here in Fort Wilderness.  We get a couple of hours of peace and quiet together.