Trip Report: Feisty Sheep (Day 1, Part 2 | July 2021)

 As we’ve been doing lately, we were starting at Animal Kingdom. The bus came quickly which is always a happy thing. Before heading in the park, we stopped at Guest Relations to activate our recently renewed annual passes.

Once we entered the actual park, we placed a mobile order at Flame Tree Barbeque since we were hungry and wanted lunch. We both got the salad. It’s good and on the lighter side. I would recommend a bit more to get you through the day. 

While we ate, 2 of the character flotillas went by. I love sitting on the water at Flame Tree and those boats are a great reason why. We also made a rough plan for the day and looked at things like Touring Plans. 

After we finished eating we tried for the next Lion King show since it recently reopened. Sadly, it was already full so we’d have to wait for the next one. We thought about it, but decided not to wait since it was awfully hot.

Instead we took the train to Rafiki Planet Watch. I love going out there especially since it has one of my activities-the Animation Experience. The next class was in 10-15 minutes so we hopped in the line for that.

We drew Grogu/Baby Yoda. It’s a fun character to draw, but he’s not an animal. The video was about baby animals. He was pretty hard to draw and my dad’s was definitely better. I painted him at Painting with a Twist which was better. Although they did give us a stencil so that could have played a role.

Then, we popped in the Affection Section/petting zoo area. Most of the animals were tucked away. They probably wanted to stay in the shade where it was a little cooler. I 100% support and respect that choice. There was one sheep who really wanted to see her handler-it’s so adorable to see that connection. 

It was a quick train ride back to Harambe and then we went through the Gorilla Trail.

When we got out, we decided to get in line for Kilimanjaro Safaris since it's right there. It was about a 30 minute wait, but we didn’t mind since it’s in the shade. Plus, you get to sit for a good amount of time at the end of the line. We got to see some baby flamingos which I’m not sure I’ve seen before so that’s exciting. There were a lot of animals that I’m used to seeing that weren’t out. Maybe it was close to dinnertime. 

Before we left and the park closed, we went on a journey to the past. No, we didn’t watch Anastasia (now on Disney+), but we did ride Dinosaur. I just love this attraction so much. It’s funny and thrilling.

Up Next: More BBQ & Apple Pie

Trip Report: Animal Trails (Day 4, Part 3 | January 2021)

 Then, we went on the Gorilla trail. It’s right next to the Safari and my stepmom loves the gorillas. I think she  could watch them all day. Some of the trail was under construction so we entered through the normal exit. Because of social distancing, we had to wait a bit to see the gorillas. I kind of like the distancing because it’s easier to get closer to the gorilla viewing.

We got to see the baby gorilla being breastfed which was cool. I think her name is Grace. One of the other gorillas kept staring at me. I’m not sure if that’s cute or scary. I don’t understand gorilla psychology. The meerkats were also out and cute. 

Next, we headed to my favorite animal trail-the Maharajah Jungle Trek. There’s tigers and bats, what isn’t there to love? 

On the way, I heard one of the character boats so I briskly walked to catch-up.

In the trail, I saw one tiger and a few bats. When we went into the bird section, there were a lot of birds taking baths. I’ve never seen that before. And there was a peacock showing off. But the peahen was having none of it.

All our animal adventures left us a little hungry so we went to Flame Tree BBQ for a late lunch. We were able to get a seat on the water-one of the perks of eating off hours. It’s especially nice right now because of the boats. The characters launch and return from this area so you get some good views while eating. We got to see Pocahontas, the Ducks (Donald and Daisy), Chip and Dale, and the drummers.

After lunch, we headed to Dinoland. I know a lot of people don’t love this land, but I do. I’m a big fan of kitschy stuff. First, we did Dinosaur-always a favorite and a must do. Then, we did Triceratops Spin because it was a quick walk-on. Well, only dad and I did that one.

Up Next: Beaches and Cream