The next day, we got up and headed for Animal Kingdom! This was a big day of firsts for most of us. Even though Morgan had been to Animal Kingdom before, the girls and I had not. I was so excited to visit this park, and it surpassed my expectations...
Animal Kingdom was also decorated for Christmas, although the Christmas decorations here were a lot more understated.
The Tree of Life, which is in the center of the park, really is so impressive in person. I wish we had had time to get a closer look at it, but we were excited to ride some rides. Rather than following the crowds to Pandora, we went the opposite direction, towards Dinoland...
Even though character meet-and-greets were canceled due to the pandemic, characters were everywhere. On our way to Dinoland, we spotted Donald, Daisy, and Launchpad McQuack (from the Disney Channel cartoons of my childhood) cruising around on a boat!
Our first ride of the day was Dinosaur. I had heard this ride was a little intense, and it lived up to its reputation. There were lights flashing and dinosaurs popping out at us... I'm surprised my kids wanted to ride it a second time! But they did.
Next we hopped on Tricertop Spin, which is like the Dumbo ride in Magic Kingdom, but with dinosaurs instead of elephants. Esme was a fan.
Next up was a roller coaster - Expedition Everest. This is the ride I was most excited about, and it is definitely one of my new favorites. The theming is incredible, and it is thrilling without being too scary. Lucy and Alice were huge fans as well.
After our quick journey up Mt. Everest, we decided to head to Africa for a little safari. I did not realize how close we would be able to get to the animals! Esme especially loved this attraction.
Esme loved seeing the "el-fonts".
After our safari, we had a quick snack break. Some of us had a giant Mickey-shaped cinnamon roll, and some of us had Dole Whip treats. After our snack break, we headed to the land of Pandora (which is based on the Avatar film). I still don't really understand why this land exists or what it has to do with animals, but I have to admit, it was really cool to look at...
There were these massive floating islands and waterfalls and beautiful, exotic plants growing everywhere (some were real and some were imaginary and only looked real).
Like this one... real or imaginary?
It really did feel like we were on another planet, or in some sort of fantasy world...
We rode Flight of Passage, which is probably the most popular ride in Animal Kingdom. It was sort of a simulator ride (similar to Soarin' in Epcot), and it made me feel so motion-sick. I did not enjoy it at all, but I can see why it is so popular. The rest of my family really enjoyed it, especially Lucy.
After riding Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey, we grabbed some lunch in Pandora at Satu'li Canteen. We loved this quick service restaurant. The atmosphere was awesome (we sat outside with a nice view of Pandora), and the food was even better. The food offerings at Satu'li Canteen were mostly build-your-own bowls, similar to a Chipotle. But my favorite eats here were the cheeseburger pods. I am still dreaming about them.
After lunch, we went back to India. Morgan and the older girls went on a water ride called Kali River Rapids. Meanwhile, Esme decided to have a massive diaper blowout, and I spent about half an hour in the restroom with her. Thankfully, I had packed her a change of clothes. After the rest of the family got off Kali River Rapids (a little wet but not soaked), we walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek, which is a walking path with zoo-quality wildlife exhibits. We saw all sorts of animals, including the beautiful tigers. Then it was back to Expedition Everest for a second ride!
We finished our time in Animal Kingdom with cocktails (mocktails for the girls) at Nomad Lounge. We loved this place so much. It was so relaxing and quiet; we were the only people there. And the cocktails were delicious.
After we left Animal Kingdom, we headed over to Animal Kingdom Lodge resort to have dinner at Sanaa. I was super excited to try this restaurant. I had heard really good things about the food, especially the naan bread and dipping sauces. The food definitely lived up to the hype. I had the butter chicken, and we also tried the bread service for our appetizer. The only problem with this restaurant is that we attempted to dine here after a long day at the park. The kids were tired and grumpy. They were not on their best behavior, which made the grownups tired and grumpy. And, because of Daylight Savings time, it was dark by the time we sat down to dinner at 6 p.m., which means that we did not get to enjoy the beautiful views of the animals - zebras, giraffes, and gemsbok. But I learned some valuable Disney lessons. Next time we want to eat here, we will go for lunch. Or without the kids.
Here is Esme passed out after our long day at Animal Kingdom. We all looked like this a few minutes later.
Animal Kingdom Day
New Experiences: The day was full of new experiences for most of us! Morgan had been to Animal Kingdom before, but the rest of us were first-timers.
Things we had to skip: Because of the pandemic, one of the things I most wanted to see at Animal Kingdom was not open - the Festival of the Lion King Show. We will have to catch it next time!
Things we wish we'd skipped: As I mentioned above, I would probably have skipped dinner with our tired kiddos at Sanaa - especially after it was too dark to see the animals. Even though the food was incredible, I would consider it more of an adult spot.
And, sadly, I will not ride Flight of Passage again. It is not a great ride for people who get motion-sick.
Favorite Treats: Cocktails and mocktails at Nomad Lounge. Also, the cheeseburger pods from Satu'li Canteen!
Favorite Attraction: Expedition Everest was a favorite all-around! Lucy really liked Flight of Passage too, even though I did not. Esme's favorite was the Kilimanjaro Safari.
Memorable Moment: Esme's blowout! And getting to ride Expedition Everest with Lucy and Alice. We screamed our heads off.
The next day we were headed to Hollywood Studios!
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