2018-01-03: Getting Wet at Animal Kingdom

We woke up to the sight of rain this morning. Being the prepared travellers that we are, we only brought rain gear for the kids. Perfect… We got dressed and headed to the Contempo Cafe again for breakfast. After breakfast, we checked the store in the hotel for rain gear and luckily they were selling ponchos. We bought ponchos for the adults and headed down to the bus shelter to catch our bus to Animal Kingdom. It was pouring as we waited for the bus. We waited for about ten minutes for the bus to arrive. About 15 minutes later, we arrived at Animal Kingdom.

This was the first time any of us had been to Animal Kingdom. We made our way through security and entered the park. We had a Fastpass for Avatar: Flight of Passage at 9:30am so we headed to the Pandora area first. It was a pretty chilly and wet walk. We arrived at the ride about ten minutes too early. There was a store nearby so we wandered around in the store until it was time to board the ride. Amanda found a hoodie that she liked so she bought it to keep herself a little warmer in the cool weather.

We entered the line for the ride and after a short walk through the waiting area, boarded the ride. On this ride you get transported to Pandora and get to ride on a banshee. You sit on a motorbike type seat, put on 3D glasses, and then get lifted in the air a few feet. The screen in front of you lets you experience flying on the banshee while the seat moves around to simulate the feeling of flying. They pumped in scents and water mist as you flew through different areas. It was really well done. The line for the ride was three hours long when we arrived and we can see why some people would wait that long to experience the ride. The exit of the ride takes you into the same store we explored before the ride. They have a kind of remote controlled banshee creature that you can buy in this store. After the ride, the kids really wanted one so they each picked one out. They are rather large so the staff give you the option of having them store it for you at the park entrance so you can pick it up when you leave. We didn’t have to carry them around the park which was a great deal.

Next we considered going on the Na’vi River Rapids ride. It’s supposed to be a good ride and the line was short, but it’s water based and with it being wet and cold out, we didn’t feel like getting any wetter than we already were. We made our way to the Africa area and wandered into Rafiki’s Planet Watch. We boarded a train that took us to a conservation center. Inside, we ran into Timon, Rafiki, Doc McStuffins, and Flick. The kids met all of them except Doc McStuffins which they didn’t want anything to do with. So, Amanda got a picture with her instead. The conservation station was impressive. They have research areas, a medical/surgical room, and a bunch of snakes, lizards, insects, and spiders for viewing. There were staff members all over the place to explain the rooms and animals that you can see. One of the rooms is being used to study animal poop at the moment which the kids thought was funny. One room has headphones you put on and push a button. The lights turn off and you are guided through a sound journey of the rainforest.

After exploring the conservation station, we headed back to the train and made our way back to the station. The rain had stopped finally when we exited the conservation station. Yay! It was time to head to the Asia area for our next Fastpass. We walked to Expedition Everest and hopped on the roller coaster. It takes you through caves in Mt. Everest where you encounter the yeti making a mess of the tracks. The roller coaster stops at one point and changes direction so you are travelling backwards for a while. It was a wild ride! Amanda’s hands were shaking when she got off and Jim said it would take about 15 minutes for his knuckles to stop being white. The roller coaster exit takes you into another store. Darrell finally found a hat he liked to replace the one he lost on Splash Mountain and Amanda found a t-shirt that she bought for the kids.

It was around 2:00 at this point so we headed to Dinoland and found a restaurant to grab some lunch. Afterwards we boarded Primeval Whirl which is an older small roller coaster that spins the car around and sends you up and down a few hills. Jim and Linda opted out of this ride. There was a very small line so it only took about 10 minutes to get through. Next, we went to DINOSAUR which is another mild roller coaster that has animatronic dinosaurs throughout. The premise is that you get sent back in time on a time tour trying to find a specific dinosaur. But you end up too close to the meteor strike and rush to get back before the meteor hits. Michael thought it was pretty awesome.

It was time for us to head back to Africa for our final Fastpass. Jim had another conference call that he had to return to the hotel for so Jim and Linda left us at this point. We walked to Kilimanjaro Safaris and boarded a large truck that takes you through part of their game reserve looking for animals. We saw hippos, antelope, crocodiles, hyenas, and elephants on the safari. The safari lasted about 20 minutes.

Once the safari was over, the kids were ready to head back to the hotel. We made our way to the exit and picked up their banshees at the pickup location. We boarded the bus back to the hotel and arrived back at the hotel around 6:15pm. We relaxed in the room for a while and laid out our wet clothes to get them drying. We had a dinner reservation for the California Grill which is on the top floor of the hotel at 7:10pm.

At 7:00pm, we got ready and headed over to the restaurant. Jim was still stuck on a conference call so he was unable to join us for dinner. You check in on the second floor and they direct you to an elevator where staff member escorts you up to the restaurant. It is a fancier restaurant which the kids weren’t thrilled about. We ordered a charcuterie plate to share for an appetizer. Amanda and Linda ordered a scallop dish and Darrell ordered a filet of beef. Both dishes were delicious. Dessert was a chocolate lava cake for Darrell, homemade churros for Amanda, and a cheese plate for Linda. We were done dessert just before 9:00pm. At 9:00pm, they have fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. There is an outdoor viewing platform attached to the restaurant which they open just prior to 9:00 for the restaurant patrons to view the fireworks. We headed out to the platform and were immediately assaulted with a cold humid wind. It cut right to the bone. We stayed out as long as we could to view the fireworks, but ended up coming back into the restaurant to warm up before they were over. The fireworks last a good 10 minutes. It was an impressive show. They have speakers along the platform so you can hear the music that is part of the show as well. Once the fireworks were over, we paid the bill and returned to our room for the night.

Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny. We are leaving the Disney parks for a couple of days and will be visiting Seaworld tomorrow.