Trip Report MILESTONE TRIP! First Orlando Visit, Final Disney Park!

THE TIME HAS COME!

In just about a week, I will be starting my very first ever trip to Orlando…and all therein that may be explored.

As the title suggests, among other milestones, this trip will see me visiting my 12th and final Disney Park – Magic Kingdom itself! I have traveled extensively, with all the other Disney Destinations worldwide under my belt, yet somehow I have so far resisted the allures of the Vacation Kingdom. In this week days leading up to my departure, I’ll be going over “why not yet,” “why now,” my itinerary, maybe even soliciting some travel advice.

But for now…Who’s going?

Me after a hike at Bryce Canyon (the real Big Thunder). My beard is much calmer now.​

Just me. Doug. Typically I’m a regular of the Imagineering forums, but I'm just a dilettante on these Trip Report boards. Traveling solo, as is my wont.

Where? Universal’s Endless Summer Resort for three nights, then the Walt Disney World Swan for like a week.

When? September 21st – October 1st.

The broadest plan is to see as much of Orlando as I can (both Disney and beyond) in the week+ prior to Magic Kingdom’s 50th. That means plans to see Walt Disney World, Universal, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, even the Fun Spots.

Over ambitious, perhaps? Sure it is, but I’ve done my research, and I know my travel style and what I'm capable of! Let’s do this!

 

[D Hulk]

Going my own way now, next I queued up for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The solid hourlong line would be longest of the trip! We intertwined with two or three other maze queues in the alleyways in between soundstages. Can’t say that was very entertaining.

I got a kick out of the Chainsaw maze! Mostly I just dorked out over it. I stood alongside Leatherface and tried out my own “chainsaw dance.” I somehow successfully predicted the first Choptop jump scare, and I was there awaiting the bloodthirsty hippie with my fingers in a peace sign, quoting back at that hideous scab-eater that “Rock ‘n’ roll is my liiiiiife.” Can you tell that I like horror? The girl behind me sure didn’t, and with every anticipated jump scare she practically jumped onto my shoulders, like Scooby Doo into gy’s arms, shrieking like a wrathful banshee.
​

Was that the only house with plexi?

Addressing a pertinent point: Every maze had plexiglass, though some incorporated or hid it better than others. It's one of those things where I noticed it more in mazes which already seemed weaker...though the divide between the best and worst HHN maze is small. There's a general very high quality here rarely that's matched by other in-park haunts.

It was 9 o’clock by now. HHN was in full swing. I took a pause from mazes to check out the Marathon of Mayhem lightshow out on the lagoon.

As a pageant of colored fountains, projection mapping, and pyrotechnics, “MoM” follows the familiar nighttime spectacular beats. The content, though, made this refreshing. Far removed from the spine-tingling terror of Elsa belting out “Let It Go” for the 16th time of the day, here instead you’re treated to the heartwarming image of axe murderers and reanimated carcasses. All accompanied by a raucous, heavy metal-tinged soundtrack playing to the cheap seats.

Oh hey, “Mel’s Die-In!” Ha ha! That’s clever!

HHN isn’t frightening – it isn’t for me, at least. You quickly become numbed to its never-ending onslaught of depraved, sleazy, lurid, decidedly family-unfriendly nightmares. What’s that, another chainsaw ghoul? Ho hum! Actually, it’s still remarkably enjoyable anyway, scary or not! It’s like a pumped-up club atmosphere. Just a vibrant, energizing place to be, awesome enough that if we were to consider HHN a unique distinct theme park, it would be in the middle of Orlando’s overall lineup for me personally and actually ahead of vanilla daytime Universal Studios. Tiring, though.

I took a pause and bought a $12 plastic cup of cheap, bargain basement beer. Something local, probably an ice cold lager, not one of the crazed event-only glowing concoctions. I told myself before that I wouldn’t do this, but thirst got the better of me. No wonder HHN is Uni’s biggest money-maker of the year!

Back to the front through the 30 Years 30 Fears Scare Zone, recycling some past HHN icons and imagery into one single street of screams. This one really popped in the nighttime air, with the flames and mists and miasma mixing into an otherworldly netherworld atmosphere.​

 

[MickeyWaffleCo.]

Far removed from the spine-tingling terror of Elsa belting out “Let It Go” for the 16th time of the day, here instead you’re treated to the heartwarming image of axe murderers and reanimated carcasses.

 

[D Hulk]

Continuing in my descent into HHN’s horrid heart of darkness (don't worry, this will be the last day of HHN content), I joined the half hour line for the Bride of Frankenstein Lives maze. This line meandered across the lawn overlooking Rip Ride Rockit (which felt omnipresent during the event), and in full view of a screen playing 30 years of HHN TV ads.

This was playing on a 50'-tall screen

There was a drink vendor strategically positioned halfway through the queue, so I stopped for my second (and final) overpriced beer. Had to wait too long while some lousy twelve-year-olds tried and failed to purchase alcohol for themselves, so I was extremely prepared with my ID when my time came. (I learned from the Cowfish fiasco the previous night.)

The Bride of Frankenstein maze was…fine. It lovingly recreated the classic Universal Monster vibe in immersive black & white, which was a neat special touch, with an expanded new storyline to boot. (The Bride reviving the Monster.) Something was lacking, though, which I couldn’t quite place. Could just be maze repetition at this point, like doing all of Disneyland’s Fantasyland dark rides in quick succession. Oh well. Eight mazes of 10 completed now.

Case Files Unearthed never seemed to rise above a 20-minute wait, despite its prime location near the park’s entrance, in the accursed Shrek 4D structure. (Since then marked for removal, huzzah!) This was my least favorite maze of the night. It just confused me.

Case Files begins in classic 1940s film noir detective mode. “Cool!” I think, “I wonder how they’ll blend horror into this genre?” Seconds later, a generic monster leapt out from behind a barrel. “Oh,” I then think, “with a monster. Okay then.” The whole thing was like that.

I’ve seen some high praise for Case Files since then, since it delves the deepest into the extensive 30 years of HHN backstory. That clearly didn’t play to my ignorance. I’m glad it has its audience. HHN 30 is the perfect time to take big swings like this one which will only work for select guests.

Only one maze to go now…the big one. I was nearing exhaustion by now, but I stuck through it, slowly oozing my way back towards that Rip Ride Rockit area by way of the Lights Camera Hacktion Scare Zone.

Then at long last I did HHN Icons Captured, with an interminable 45-minute wait along those same soundstage alleys. This was a true love letter to longtime HHN fans, with a murderer’s row of Event Icons brought together into one touchstone maze. I was vaguely familiar with these guys from my research, and from signage throughout the resort. Jack the Clown is a class act! Very high production values here, with content which went a bit over my head.

Sooooo tired! Also, 10 for 10 HHN mazes successfully conquered, all without line-skip passes. Hooray! (I did miss out on the Halloween Nightmare Fuel live show back at MIB, but oh well.) Rest would come easy this night...​

 

[D Hulk]

I exited Universal Studios around 11:30, exhausted and hungry. I hadn’t eaten since lunch at 2, and the HHN food truck fare – while tasty-looking – didn’t look satisfying as a meal. The combination of prices and long food lines was another dampening factor.

But what would make a well-wounded meal then? A milkshake! Making up for my truncated visit on the first night, I returned to the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium for a sweet, creamy nightcap.

Got the Cookie Jar milkshake, complete with whipped cream, Oreos, and cookies of both the chocolate chip and oatmeal varieties. It hit the spot, especially with Orlando still ridiculously hot & humid at the midnight witching hour.

Sleep came easily as soon as I returned to the Surfside solace twenty minutes later. And that’s Universal Studios Resort completed!

Next up: Five straight days of Disney! ​

 

[maxntina]

Been following along, and this was an exception trip!

Thank you for all of the great photos, and sharing your memories!

 

[MickeyWaffleCo.]

Been following along, and this was an exception trip!

Thank you for all of the great photos, and sharing your memories!

Well you’re in luck! We’re only three days into the eleven or so day trip!

 

[spacemt354]

View attachment 594902

Going my own way now, next I queued up for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The solid hourlong line would be longest of the trip! We intertwined with two or three other maze queues in the alleyways in between soundstages. Can’t say that was very entertaining.

View attachment 594903

I got a kick out of the Chainsaw maze! Mostly I just dorked out over it. I stood alongside Leatherface and tried out my own “chainsaw dance.” I somehow successfully predicted the first Choptop jump scare, and I was there awaiting the bloodthirsty hippie with my fingers in a peace sign, quoting back at that hideous scab-eater that “Rock ‘n’ roll is my liiiiiife.” Can you tell that I like horror? The girl behind me sure didn’t, and with every anticipated jump scare she practically jumped onto my shoulders, like Scooby Doo into ****gy’s arms, shrieking like a wrathful banshee.


Addressing a pertinent point: Every maze had plexiglass, though some incorporated or hid it better than others. It's one of those things where I noticed it more in mazes which already seemed weaker...though the divide between the best and worst HHN maze is small. There's a general very high quality here rarely that's matched by other in-park haunts.

View attachment 594904

It was 9 o’clock by now. HHN was in full swing. I took a pause from mazes to check out the Marathon of Mayhem lightshow out on the lagoon.

View attachment 594905

View attachment 594906

View attachment 594907

As a pageant of colored fountains, projection mapping, and pyrotechnics, “MoM” follows the familiar nighttime spectacular beats. The content, though, made this refreshing. Far removed from the spine-tingling terror of Elsa belting out “Let It Go” for the 16th time of the day, here instead you’re treated to the heartwarming image of axe murderers and reanimated carcasses. All accompanied by a raucous, heavy metal-tinged soundtrack playing to the cheap seats.

View attachment 594908

Oh hey, “Mel’s Die-In!” Ha ha! That’s clever!

View attachment 594909

HHN isn’t frightening – it isn’t for me, at least. You quickly become numbed to its never-ending onslaught of depraved, sleazy, lurid, decidedly family-unfriendly nightmares. What’s that, another chainsaw ghoul? Ho hum! Actually, it’s still remarkably enjoyable anyway, scary or not! It’s like a pumped-up club atmosphere. Just a vibrant, energizing place to be, awesome enough that if we were to consider HHN a unique distinct theme park, it would be in the middle of Orlando’s overall lineup for me personally and actually ahead of vanilla daytime Universal Studios. Tiring, though.

View attachment 594910

I took a pause and bought a $12 plastic cup of cheap, bargain basement beer. Something local, probably an ice cold lager, not one of the crazed event-only glowing concoctions. I told myself before that I wouldn’t do this, but thirst got the better of me. No wonder HHN is Uni’s biggest money-maker of the year!

View attachment 594911

Back to the front through the 30 Years 30 Fears Scare Zone, recycling some past HHN icons and imagery into one single street of screams. This one really popped in the nighttime air, with the flames and mists and miasma mixing into an otherworldly netherworld atmosphere.​

Your first pic, they don't even need to theme Jimmy Fallon's Race Through New York for HHN - it's scary enough that it exists.

 

[D Hulk]

Your first pic, they don't even need to theme Jimmy Fallon's Race Through New York for HHN - it's scary enough that it exists.

Oh dang, that reminds me! They actually used the Fallon queue as the first part of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre line…no doubt to establish exactly that perfect tone of inescapable raw madhouse dread.

About halfway through, I got big laughs by asking the party near me “Is this the line for Race Through New York?”

 

[D Hulk]

September 24th
Day 4

Taking this photograph is mandated by Florida law

It was always my plan for this day to check out of Universal's Endless Summer Resort and head straight to Animal Kingdom, stashing my stuff there inside a locker or behind a bush or wherever, then only continuing onwards to my new Disney hotel in the evening.

What luck, then, that forum friend @Disney Dad 3000 happened to be in Orlando at the same time, primarily for work but with a few days added of for theme park touring. We made plans to meet up on Animal Kingdom day, with no more specific timing planned than simply "Whenever we're both awake." I made no efforts to force a rope-drop wakeup, not after the tiring HHN night terrors, but somehow I didn't sleep in either. I was easily awake, packed and dressed around 7:30 or a little later, and when I texted "Dad" he was ready to get going as well.

Obligatory selfie of me with Dad

Dad - Oh @DisneyDad3000, is it okay to use your real name, or should I continue to make this awkward? - Dad collected me out in front of Uni's Endless Summer in his rental car. This was our first face-to-face meetup, despite lengthy interactions here on WDWMagic. Dad was a chill dude, close to his online persona. We had an easy-going day. I get the impression that Dad enjoyed showing a newbie around his favorite park on Disney World property.

We neared the gates for Disney's Animal Kingdom around 8:30 AM, early but still too late for a rope drop. Parking lot trams weren't operating due to staffing and/or Chapek issues, but at least we didn't have too far to trek on foot. Dad describes an awful-sounding 15 minute walk he had to do once in the Magic Kingdom parking lot this one time. The weather was on our side too. I've heard that Animal Kingdom can get muggy and unpleasant, with the foliage acting as a heat trap, but our day was crisp, cool, sunny but never overbearing, if it weren't for the ever-present humidity I could've mistaken it for a perfect fall day in Southern California.

Since I hadn't checked into my onsite hotel yet, my pre-purchased park passes weren't synched up to anything. I guess most Disney World visitors don't head directly to a theme park? It took a brief time finagling things over at Guest Services to get a keycard issued. The cast members were as helpful and friendly as expected...a good start to Disney's celebrated customer service, which never once let me down on this trip during face-to-face interactions.

Animal Kingdom takes its time making a first impression. Those entry gates are familiar from the world's well-heeled zoos (thinking like Singapore Zoo here). Nothing too fantastical or jaw-dropping. The Oasis beyond the gates is a simple jungle wilderness area, with meandering pathways winding around mature tree growth and scattered animal viewing spots. There is little of the typical theme park infrastructure. Park maps regard the Oasis as a full-fledged land, when functionally it's like Disneyland's entry before you pass under the train tracks. It's a carefully choreographed moment of compression. Dad pioneered our route off from the main footpath, through an obscure trail behind a waterfall and through a cave.

A bend in the cave led outside to a crest in a slope, and to a sudden unexpected reveal...

The Tree of Life, Animal Kingdom's lovely central icon, making her presence immediately known as the jungle overgrowth gives way to a savannah expanse. What a great reveal!

This entry sequence - wordlessly and without the usual accompaniment of manmade shops or distractions - sets the tone for Animal Kingdom. This is a park to savor. Go, discover a side trail, soak it in, take your time. Overall, that was already my agenda. I chose Animal Kingdom to directly follow HHN on purpose, as a restful slowdown and palette cleanser. (I also wanted to tackle the WDW parks in reverse order, so that Magic Kingdom could get the place of honor as my 12th and final Disney park.) Of all my theme park days, I took the fewest steps on this day. I wanted to take Animal Kingdom on its terms, as more than a collection of too few attractions to be polished off.

Though the immediate pace was slightly more urgent. This wasn't the time, not quite yet, to see what Discovery Island is all about. I wanted to get through Africa and onto Kilimanjaro Safaris at the earliest possible moment, knowing that the animal activity is supposed to be exceptional in the early morning. I also wanted to begin with Animal Kingdom's signature opening day centerpiece attraction, then branch out from there.

Taking a few pauses along the way to admire the little theming details, even now. While the Oasis is AK's first land, Discovery Island is AK's Main Street, with a few more shops and restaurants to serve those typical entry land commercial purposes. In that regard, Discovery Island doesn't overwhelm you. It's easy to totally ignore these shops; I did. They didn't seem to be hugely important to creator Joe Rohde's design intent, placed along naturally curving paths rather than flanking a lengthy boulevard.

We quickly came upon the gates to Africa. Wild adventures await!​

 

[D Hulk]

Our trek through Africa to Kilimanjaro Safaris would take only two minutes in real time, but it requires an entire post to do justice. Animal Kingdom made that much of an impression! In retrospect, at trip's end, having now been to 12 Disney parks, innumerable other theme parks, plus a whole host of international destinations, including several which are celebrated in Animal Kingdom, here is my takeaway...

Animal Kingdom has the best theming I have ever seen.

There are other places which come close. Tokyo DisneySea has nearly the same depth of detail on a far grander, much more fantastical scale. (It's a better overall park.) Various museums and historical recreation sites offer similar attempts at "warts & all" authenticity. Animal Kingdom wins out by fusing real world observations with just the right dose of theatrical heightening, presenting idealized versions of third world Africa and Asia which ring extremely true to life. To illustrate my point, one of the images today isn't from Animal Kingdom at all, but is instead from my trip to Tanzania.

Is it this one?

Animal Kingdom impresses at every scale, from the massive park-spanning epic vistas down to the micro-details like the dent in a doorframe where a cart once crashed. It is immediately clear how valuable research is! Joe Rohde's background in anthropology shines through. Africa and Asia - Harambe and Anandapur - are treasure troves of careful observation. The design principle at play here is miles removed from the older Disney house style, which favors idealized cleanliness at the cost of realism. Animal Kingdom and DisneySea both go a different direction, adding intentional imperfections like rust or cracks or water stains, creating a whole observable history for their areas in the process.

Understandably this style isn't for everyone. It can look sloppy to someone who prefers Epcot's stark minimalism. There's also a fine line to walk between celebrating a vibrant third world village, and merely aestheticizing poverty. I believe Animal Kingdom is on the right side of that divide, though I've seen others complain about visible garbage used as decoration within Africa. It spoke true to me based on my own experiences in Tanzania and Kenya and Ethiopia. This is presenting East Africa as it is, not as an exoticized "other" but as an active civilization where people live and work day-to-day.

Harambe works too simply as a lived-in space, even without any particular preexisting knowledge of Africa. Like New Orleans Square at Disneyland, and like many other places since then, Harambe has a whole history which shines through in the details. There's much more here by a wide margin than I could observe in one day. I gather that there's a whole backstory of toppled regimes and economic recoveries, which thankfully remains a simple background element. It doesn't overwhelm the land.

There are plenty of genuine artifacts scattered all around both Africa and Asia, in the shops and queues and the random nooks & crannies. Real souvenirs brought back from research trips. You cannot replicate these in a prop shop - certainly not without much greater expense - and it lends a whole lot of added texture. This is that x-factor which pushed Animal Kingdom over the top for me with theming.

Though with all this being said, Animal Kingdom remains comparable to some other Disney parks. What theming there is here is fantastic, but in comparison to somewhere like DisneySea there isn't very much of it. Instead it appears in pockets, scattered around larger negative spaces. That could've been a budget thing. Maybe the added expense of housing exotic animals got in the way.

Feels like Zanzibar.

There are huge acreages where Animal Kingdom's manmade features fade into the distance, and landscaped nature takes over. This feels like an intentional design choice, one which speaks to the park's overall theme. Man and nature coexist in this park, and the fantastic manmade environments can only go so far on their own.

This was an extremely impressive work of theme park place making!​

 

[D Hulk]

Kilimanjaro Safaris posted a 5 minute wait, though it wound up taking 15 minutes to board. I took this as a bad omen for Disney World wait times - something which have always intimidated me - but this wound up being a fluke. It meant more time to chat with Dad, as we were still in the "sizing each other up" phase of our daylong bromance.

The Safaris queue wound up being rather basic, by Animal Kingdom standards. This park has the best WDW queues, which itself has the best queues overall. California parks in particular have absolutely no extra space for such niceties, plus they were all largely designed before the era of the themed queue, so I've grown to not particularly mind switchbacks at times. That drives my focus more towards the rides themselves, while Florida's style is more about the overall park experience.

One detail in the Safari queue stood out:

So similar to the genuine signage you'd find in Kenya:

Kilimanjaro Safaris is epic in scope beyond most other theme park attractions, with an acreage equivalent to the entire Disneyland Resort I think. This is one instance where the "blessing of size" was truly utilized well. Most theme park rides ultimately still feel like theme park rides, so the Safaris' scope and length and setting help to set it apart.

Now, I've done a real Kilimanjaro safari, a genuine multi-week safari through Kenya's Masai Mara and Tanzania's Serengeti and elsewhere, with views of the true Mount Kilimanjaro. I feared that Animal Kingdom's knockoff 20-minute version would ring false. Worse, I feared that it would try to pass itself off as a substitute for the authentic experience, in the way that Eisner's DCA cynically positioned itself as a substitute for California. (Incidentally, many weeks in East Africa was cheaper for me than one week at Disney World.)

Rohde and his team avoided this pitfall, I'm very happy to say! Like Harambe, the Safaris are a respectful homage. To an extent, the Safaris condense much of the safari experience into a smaller chunk which is more palatable to mainstream Florida tourists. I have no doubt that what I experienced in Africa, setting up my own dusty tent and camping (not glamping!) surrounded by cackling hyenas, would not be comfortable or enjoyable for most people. This lets Animal Kingdom guests do something they might not otherwise have a chance to do, while still subtly encouraging further travel.

Other parks, from San Diego Wild Animal Park to Six Flags Great Adventure to Busch Gardens, offer safari rides, some of those with better animal viewing opportunities, but Disney does what Disney does best and offers up the most detailed "fantasy" around the edges. The most little details. Things like molded simulated tire tracks in fake mud, or fake tusk marks in a dirt hill, or big fake termite mounds, there's a density of smaller (fake) touches which makes Kilimanjaro Safaris potentially interesting even without the animals. There's no longer any storyline on the Safaris, which is a point of contention, though I'm grateful for a simple, experiential, subjective personal adventure like this.

Florida

The Safaris' animal sightings were somewhat mixed, though this is a highly variable attraction. The animal density was actually not much greater than in the Serengeti...parts of the Serengeti, at least, the oases. Kilimanjaro Safaris was never nearly as intimate. Since Disney needs to pump through riders on a 20-minute basis, to whisk them off to their next money exchange, there's no time to really pause and admire an animal up close and at length. (Think there are up charges for that.) You pause, you see the animals briefly wherever they happen to be, and you move on.

Kenya

Of course there's something about seeing a truly wild animal in its natural habitat which can never be replicated in a zoo-like setting. No matter how artfully Imagineering hides the enclosure infrastructure. There's an innate specialness.

There was a scandalous total lack of zebras! They populate the African savannah like pigeons. In contrast, I saw 5 times as many rhinos in these 20 minutes than I saw in nearly a month in Africa. Due to their highly endangered status, rhinos are extremely rare in the wilds and just as overrepresented in captivity. Seeing white rhinos was especially rewarding, knowing this. The other major critters - the giraffes, the lions, the goats (!) - were all present and accounted for.

Overall, this was my favorite ride in Animal Kingdom. There are newer thrill machines, which we'll be getting to, which are easier perhaps to appreciate by traditional theme park standards, but the utter uniqueness and scale of Kilimanjaro Safaris set it apart. The lengthy 20-minute ride time was nice as well (too short, actually, if you ask me), though I gather I'm in the minority for wanting longer relaxing ride times. This was an ideal introduction to Animal Kingdom.​

 

[PerGron]

There was a scandalous total lack of zebras! They populate the African savannah like pigeons. In contrast, I saw 5 times as many rhinos in these 20 minutes than I saw in nearly a month in Africa. Due to their highly endangered status, rhinos are extremely rare in the wilds and just as overrepresented in captivity. Seeing white rhinos was especially rewarding, knowing this. The other major critters - the giraffes, the lions, the goats (!) - were all present and accounted for.

I’m shocked there were no zebras for you. I was just there last week and saw a bunch of them!

Glad you enjoyed it though, even having seen the real thing myself as well, as the resident zoo guy of the forums, to me this is the best naturalistic savannah habitat I’ve personally seen

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

View attachment 595257

Kilimanjaro Safaris posted a 5 minute wait, though it wound up taking 15 minutes to board. I took this as a bad omen for Disney World wait times - something which have always intimidated me - but this wound up being a fluke. It meant more time to chat with Dad, as we were still in the "sizing each other up" phase of our daylong bromance.

The Safaris queue wound up being rather basic, by Animal Kingdom standards. This park has the best WDW queues, which itself has the best queues overall. California parks in particular have absolutely no extra space for such niceties, plus they were all largely designed before the era of the themed queue, so I've grown to not particularly mind switchbacks at times. That drives my focus more towards the rides themselves, while Florida's style is more about the overall park experience.

One detail in the Safari queue stood out:

View attachment 595258

So similar to the genuine signage you'd find in Kenya:

View attachment 595259

Kilimanjaro Safaris is epic in scope beyond most other theme park attractions, with an acreage equivalent to the entire Disneyland Resort I think. This is one instance where the "blessing of size" was truly utilized well. Most theme park rides ultimately still feel like theme park rides, so the Safaris' scope and length and setting help to set it apart.

View attachment 595260

Now, I've done a real Kilimanjaro safari, a genuine multi-week safari through Kenya's Masai Mara and Tanzania's Serengeti and elsewhere, with views of the true Mount Kilimanjaro. I feared that Animal Kingdom's knockoff 20-minute version would ring false. Worse, I feared that it would try to pass itself off as a substitute for the authentic experience, in the way that Eisner's DCA cynically positioned itself as a substitute for California. (Incidentally, many weeks in East Africa was cheaper for me than one week at Disney World.)

View attachment 595261

Rohde and his team avoided this pitfall, I'm very happy to say! Like Harambe, the Safaris are a respectful homage. To an extent, the Safaris condense much of the safari experience into a smaller chunk which is more palatable to mainstream Florida tourists. I have no doubt that what I experienced in Africa, setting up my own dusty tent and camping (not glamping!) surrounded by cackling hyenas, would not be comfortable or enjoyable for most people. This lets Animal Kingdom guests do something they might not otherwise have a chance to do, while still subtly encouraging further travel.

View attachment 595262

Other parks, from San Diego Wild Animal Park to Six Flags Great Adventure to Busch Gardens, offer safari rides, some of those with better animal viewing opportunities, but Disney does what Disney does best and offers up the most detailed "fantasy" around the edges. The most little details. Things like molded simulated tire tracks in fake mud, or fake tusk marks in a dirt hill, or big fake termite mounds, there's a density of smaller (fake) touches which makes Kilimanjaro Safaris potentially interesting even without the animals. There's no longer any storyline on the Safaris, which is a point of contention, though I'm grateful for a simple, experiential, subjective personal adventure like this.

View attachment 595263
Florida

The Safaris' animal sightings were somewhat mixed, though this is a highly variable attraction. The animal density was actually not much greater than in the Serengeti...parts of the Serengeti, at least, the oases. Kilimanjaro Safaris was never nearly as intimate. Since Disney needs to pump through riders on a 20-minute basis, to whisk them off to their next money exchange, there's no time to really pause and admire an animal up close and at length. (Think there are up charges for that.) You pause, you see the animals briefly wherever they happen to be, and you move on.

View attachment 595264
Kenya

Of course there's something about seeing a truly wild animal in its natural habitat which can never be replicated in a zoo-like setting. No matter how artfully Imagineering hides the enclosure infrastructure. There's an innate specialness.

View attachment 595265

There was a scandalous total lack of zebras! They populate the African savannah like pigeons. In contrast, I saw 5 times as many rhinos in these 20 minutes than I saw in nearly a month in Africa. Due to their highly endangered status, rhinos are extremely rare in the wilds and just as overrepresented in captivity. Seeing white rhinos was especially rewarding, knowing this. The other major critters - the giraffes, the lions, the goats (!) - were all present and accounted for.

View attachment 595266

Overall, this was my favorite ride in Animal Kingdom. There are newer thrill machines, which we'll be getting to, which are easier perhaps to appreciate by traditional theme park standards, but the utter uniqueness and scale of Kilimanjaro Safaris set it apart. The lengthy 20-minute ride time was nice as well (too short, actually, if you ask me), though I gather I'm in the minority for wanting longer relaxing ride times. This was an ideal introduction to Animal Kingdom.​

Hated there were no zebras that AM but just speaks to the true variability of the experience. Some species are pretty consistently in certain spots but others never in the same spot no matter how many times you ride. Never know what cool photo ops you are going to capture which always keeps it somewhat fresh.

 

[D Hulk]

While the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is found immediately at the exit to Kilimanjaro Safaris, there as an exploration & discovery opportunity for more adventurous guests, Dad & I didn't take the chance - yet - to fully appreciate it. Still in the park's first hour of operations, we felt compelled to get some rides accomplished first before crowds got thicker. It turns out there wasn't much to worry about; crowds were never really an issue for me in the week leading up to the 50th.

Though we did at least pause for a little bit before moving on, at the rim to a major gorilla exhibit. This wound up being the day's clearest gorilla sighting. One handsome fellow was down at the river banks beneath a mighty waterfall, literally pondering his navel. Gorillas are supposed to be extremely rare sightings in the African wilderness - I considered, and opted against, a weeklong trek into the Ugandan mountain rainforests for a mere two hour National Park visit to maybe see gorillas - so I savored this opportunity. We also chatted up a knowledgeable cast member who offered a bit more insight into the gorillas' habitat & habits.

And then the reverse trek out through Harambe Village, with Asia as our next destination. Harambe once again afforded many photo opportunities, as did the entire park. There will probably be a lot of Animal Kingdom posts where I offer up lots of pics and not much commentary.

This will be one of those posts.

Harambe, Africa

Udaipur, India

Love the nod to “Traditional African signwriting”
​

I’m shocked there were no zebras for you. I was just there last week and saw a bunch of them!

Glad you enjoyed it though, even having seen the real thing myself as well, as the resident zoo guy of the forums, to me this is the best naturalistic savannah habitat I’ve personally seen

Oh wow, Joe Rohde himself is commenting on my Trip Report! (He’ll try to downplay it, but @PerGron is secretly Joe Rohde.) I’d love to hear more of your insights about the zoo side of things as we continue.

To make up for the report’s controversial zebra deficit, here they all are in Ngorongoro Crater:

 

[D Hulk]

The route from Africa to Asia afforded many lovely views of the Tree of Life, artfully incorporated into the larger panoramic landscape.

Shades on the Tree of Life are slightly more artificial than the genuine plant life around it, but it is generally a hugely impressive design feat, and a perfect symbolic centerpiece for this park.

Character intrusions are kept to a minimum in Animal Kingdom, with most familiar IPs carefully integrated into the existing areas in order to maintain the park’s philosophy.

More attention is given to these little easily-overlooked cultural moments, such as religious shrines in Asia which communicate the coexistence of man and nature.

There is a gradual stylistic shift in the Asia section, though it’s realized using the same hyper-realistic design principles as seen in Africa.

Large crumbled monuments give a sense of scale and history and open up the visitor’s imagination in ways which mere recreations of familiar movie settings simply cannot match.

Meanwhile, familiar contemporary sights such as Coca-Cola ads are rendered in the local style, showing our cross-cultural commonalities as well as our uniqueness.

We planned on doing Kali River Rapids next, only to find the ride non-operational upon reaching the entrance.

Fortunately there’s always plenty to see, and no detour is pointless, so instead this shrine under repair - serving as a naturalistic habitat for monkeys - drew our attention for a few minutes.

We then continued onwards, from Asia’s Indian area to their Nepalese area, enjoying more decorative shrine photo-ops along the way.​

 

[PerGron]

View attachment 595305

The route from Africa to Asia afforded many lovely views of the Tree of Life, artfully incorporated into the larger panoramic landscape.

View attachment 595306

Shades on the Tree of Life are slightly more artificial than the genuine plant life around it, but it is generally a hugely impressive design feat, and a perfect symbolic centerpiece for this park.

View attachment 595307

Character intrusions are kept to a minimum in Animal Kingdom, with most familiar IPs carefully integrated into the existing areas in order to maintain the park’s philosophy.

View attachment 595309

More attention is given to these little easily-overlooked cultural moments, such as religious shrines in Asia which communicate the coexistence of man and nature.

View attachment 595310

There is a gradual stylistic shift in the Asia section, though it’s realized using the same hyper-realistic design principles as seen in Africa.

View attachment 595311

Large crumbled monuments give a sense of scale and history and open up the visitor’s imagination in ways which mere recreations of familiar movie settings simply cannot match.

View attachment 595312

Meanwhile, familiar contemporary sights such as Coca-Cola ads are rendered in the local style, showing our cross-cultural commonalities as well as our uniqueness.

View attachment 595313

We planned on doing Kali River Rapids next, only to find the ride non-operational upon reaching the entrance.

View attachment 595314

Fortunately there’s always plenty to see, and no detour is pointless, so instead this shrine under repair - serving as a naturalistic habitat for monkeys - drew our attention for a few minutes.

View attachment 595315

We then continued onwards, from Asia’s Indian area to their Nepalese area, enjoying more decorative shrine photo-ops along the way.​

So wild that 1-2 weeks after your visit and the Up sign has been completely changed for their new (much much much better) bird show (not my pic, but it was like this when I was there)

 

[D Hulk]

This be another picture-heavy post, mostly covering our route over to Expedition Everest. (Auto-correct somehow translated my opening sentence into “pirate,” and I’m gonna let it stay that way! ) This section of Asia covers the Himalayan regions like Nepal and Bhutan. While I haven’t yet been to these destinations - sorry, folks - the design details throughout seemed as authentic and well-observed as everything else so far.

(It seemed a missed opportunity that Drinkwallah - fantastic name! - only served basic Cokes and nothing culturally distinctive to the area like lassis.)

Most of Animal Kingdom seems to be set in contemporary times, but in undervisited areas of the world, with guests constantly playing the role of visiting adventure tourists. A familiar role from my own journeys. This is an interesting setup which makes us more active participants in the park’s story and also, hopefully, in our own world.

A lot of the Everest area buildings seem to be weathered backpacker hotels, with cultural touches and Buddhist religious elements woven in. The Imagineers highlight specific details which travelers would most likely notice, emphasizing the park’s very specific thematic goal.

Of course the Forbidden Mountain of Expedition Everest looms over this land - and the park’s whole eastern half - much like the Hollywood Tower Hotel. The journey to its base takes on just the slightest sense of a foothill hike, building the dramatic tension.

The Everest queue could well be the best one Disney has ever made! While I’m grateful for Single Rider to cut down on unwanted wait times, this time I wanted a wait time, since the Yeti Museum and surrounding grounds appealed to me just as much as the world class coaster credit afterwards.

Our 15 minute wait could have been far longer and I wouldn’t have minded in the slightest…I’d have even preferred it. We were rather rushed through some extremely detailed interiors literally packed to the rafters with genuine curated artifacts gathered from Himalayan research trips (so jealous!). The storytelling on Everest is 100% wordless, done without characters or irritating pre-shows or any built-in nostalgia to do the heavy lifting. Following in the design of Harambe and Anandapur, there’s a whole coherent, subtle history here about a train expedition outfitter, a former tea company, and the legends of the local yeti, all forming a rich foundation for the ride. I didn’t pick up on all of this personally; fan sites chronicled the queue details I missed.

The ride itself is excellent, easily Disney’s best roller coaster in Florida if not worldwide…I couldn’t do all of ‘em in France, and I tend to value Everest’s sister coaster Matterhorn Bobsleds more than most folks, but those are Everest’s only potential rivals.

Expedition Everest has a solid dramatic structure, with transfer tracks and a backwards section serving to break up the three acts, with unique new mountainous scenery for each segment. The infamous Disco Yeti was so brief it was barely noticeable. The ride suffers from its status. It lacks a true climax, which the track layout alone doesn’t provide.

Totem shrines visible only from the Everest exit plaza - a lovely touch

This is Disney’s most physically intense Florida coaster. While Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is the more obvious thrill ride, Everest features several upwards helixes which really pile on the positive Gs…especially this one backwards helix which consistently caused a briefly painful greyout moment every time I rode. (Not a design flaw, these are desired coaster elements.) Like Hagrid’s, I’d say Everest rests in that nebulous “transitional coaster” realm between the family and thrill categories, even though it has many characteristics of a much milder mine train. For Disney, it’s a perfect way to up the thrill level without overwhelming a majority of their guests.

So much history is implied in just one wall!

After a brief pause to admire the very impressive fake mountain range, Dad & I braved another ascent into the Yeti’s dominion via Single Rider. Expedition Everest became a common feature in the day going forward, though its shockingly strong positive Gs made it, for me, surprisingly much harder to marathon than something like Velocicoaster.​

 

[Suchomimus]

The ride suffers from its status. It lacks a true climax, which the track layout alone doesn’t provide.

I also like to say that I would wish for the mountain range to expand a little. For both sightlines and for the train is running through. Maybe there could also be like more signs left by the Yeti (e.g. claw marks on rocks, the skeletal remains of yaks, an abandoned outpost torn apart).

 

[D Hulk]

Let's stall for time and enjoy a few more images from the Everest area…

I'm hesitating because this is the big one...

THIS IS THE DINO-RAMA POST!

Dinoland U.S.A. as a whole doesn't rise to the high standard set by every other square inch of Animal Kingdom, and the Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama sub-section barely even rises to Dinoland's tier. The negative hype surrounding this little area was not overblown in the slightest.

I'm tempted to give Imagineering some benefit of the doubt. Given budget restrictions, the cheap carnival theme is sensible even if it violates the spirit of an overall theme park complex which sets itself apart from cheap carnivals. Animal Kingdom's Africa and Asia feature local vernacular culture, so in a way this feels like an attempt to do something similar for modern roadside United States…filtered through dinosaurs.

With more thought & funds behind it, I support presenting our native culture that same Africa/Asia lens; it would be an interesting thematic counterpoint and potentially a fun area on its own. There are plenty of kitschy dinosaur tourist traps all along America's highways & byways, mostly in the Southwest around Route 66 in my experience, which Imagineering could draw from. Could potentially create something on par with DCA’s Carsland, with dinosaurs. This misses that mark.

I suppose TriceraTop Spin is a joke? Like, they intentionally chose a non-flying dinosaur to do a Dumbo parody? That's fine and all as a background gag in something like a Simpsons episode, but when it becomes a real operating permanent ride, the joke's gone too far. I didn't ride this.

I didn't ride Primeval Whirl either, because they were actively dismantling it. This might've been a crummy spinning wild mouse even by crummy spinning wild mouse standards, but dang it this was still a coaster credit! I felt a true tinge of sorrow seeing a roller coaster dying before my very eyes. I get it, though. Disney went with a fly-by-night, long-defunct manufacturer - Reverchon - so replacement parts for general maintenance simply no longer exist. This is coaster death by natural causes.

I guess this was a parody ride as well, mocking the nearby (laughable) Dinosaur? What a dinky concept.

We zoomed right on through Dino-Rama at close to full speed, never to return. It was easiest to simply ignore this area, to pretend later in the day that Expedition Everest was at the end of a cul-de-sac. I'd rather do that than to let Dino-Rama drag down the rest of Animal Kingdom by its presence. This could someday be easily rectified.​

 

[cgersic]

We zoomed right on through Dino-Rama at close to full speed, never to return. It was easiest to simply ignore this area, to pretend later in the day that Expedition Everest was at the end of a cul-de-sac. I'd rather do that than to let Dino-Rama drag down the rest of Animal Kingdom by its presence. This could someday be easily rectified.​

Unfortunately, this is what has happened with my visits for many years now. Although I do stop at the little hidden bar for beers when I'm strutting through!