Animal Kingdom: The Best Themed Park of the Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney's Animal Kingdom is, in a way, the outcast of the four parks that make up the Walt Disney World Resort. It has the shortest hours, the least amount of attractions and is the newest of the four, thus giving it the most to prove. Being young, it's without that "legacy" the others can brag about.

But what it lacks in attractions, hours, and age, it makes up for in theming. The other three parks are okay when it comes to theming: Epcot with its World Showcase, Hollywood Studios with its Sunset Boulevard and the Magic Kingdom with just about ever land within its boundaries. But nothing can really compare to what imagineer Joe Rohde did with Walt Disney Worlds largest park, square-acreage-wise.

Being the newest park has its advantages, which is clearly seen in the detail of almost every square foot in the park. Walking up to the entrance gate, if you look down, you will notice the pattern of a tree. Walking through the gates and onto Discovery Island, you'll notice the hidden animal exhibits that hint to new guests at what they are about to experience. Then, once on Discovery Island, you'll notice the gigantic Tree of Life, which with its sheer size is impressive from a distance, but with its intricately detailed roots, is even more impressive from close up.

Go through the queues of Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids in Asia, and you'll be wowed with the amazing features that surround you and set up the story you'll fully experience once on board the attraction.

Expedition Everest takes you through what feels like a classic Nepalise courtyard, then takes you through what  a small, home made-feeling museum dedicated to the Yeti you're about to encounter. With its sculptures, displays, artifacts and interactive features such as the bells that can be heard ringing throughout the queue, the whole experience perfectly frames the main feature of the roller coaster and almost outshines the brief ride you're about to experience.

Almost the same thing can be said about Kali River Rapids. The queue is amazing, with its different areas setting up the whole story behind the ride. With it's fallen, Asian themed statues at the forefront of the queue, accompanied by the sound of chainsaws roaring in the distance, the clash of history and destruction theme is set up. Then you walk through its gorgeously themed queue, with a big statue of an cat greeting you, looking to be thousands of years old. There are the Bollywood posters, the old plates, the colorful chandeliers, the cobra fountain and the carpeted ceilings.

The amazing theming of the Tree of Life

Walk around Asia and you'll see the roads, marked with bicycle tracks, the boats packed, ready to sail down the river to trade. The Quick Service food stations meant to look like authentic huts or mobile vendor and are splendid.

Head over to Africa and all the shops and restaurants are housed in what looks to be an authentic African village. And unlike Frontierland and Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom, that's all you can see. There's nothing to distract from the story the imagnineers created for you.

And of course there's the Tree of Life. With it's hundreds of animals cleverly carved into the roots and trunk of the enormous tree, it epitomizes amazing theming.

With all this, one of the aforementioned faults of Disney's Animal Kingdom is really one of its strengths: its young age. It was built in a more modern age, with more resources available, and thus it feels like a newer, better, more shiny thing.

Next time, when you're walking around Dinoland, Africa, Asia or Discovery island, take a couple of minutes to observe the excellent theming of Walt Disney's World's youngest parks, and appreciate the most well themed, and possibly most "Disney" of the parks at Disney World.

Mickey and His Magical New Space

"Where's that place with Mickey and Minnie's houses where you can meet them and stuff?"

That's a question I frequently get, still, even though the Magic Kingdom's Toontown shut down mid-February. It's always a great opportunity to make some type of economy-related joke about Mickey losing his house, though a huge void has been left ever since: an official place to meet Mickey. It gave Mr. Mouse a great opportunity to dust off some outfits in his wardrobe, such as his colonial garb for his meet and greets in the Hall of President's lobby, and his farm-attire when he was near Splash Mountain. 

When you experience an event as monumental as meeting "The Mouse that Started It All,"having it happen behind Space Mountain, or under Splash  just lacks that extra special feeling. The location has a lot to do with it, it's kind of like realty, except less boring. 

No longer is Mickey a transient mouse, as his new meet-and-greet spot officially opened in exposition hall on April 1. Many new features are included in Mickey's new space, such as interactive art and the first ever Fastpass option for meeting a character. My frequent observation has shown that the Princesses always have a longer line than Mickey, which I find a little odd as meeting them is not as essential to a trip to Disney World. I guess that justifies, only a little bit, why it was decided to tear out a classic attraction in "Snow White's Scary Adventure" to make room for essentially a room to meet the princesses. 

We're a very cute trio

When I went to go visit Mickey in his new space, the stand-by wait time was posted as only being 10  minutes, so I waited, checking out the interactive art and queue overall being pretty underwhelmed with the whole queue experience. Mostly, with the queue, there was just a ton of red-velvet rope, and a couple pictures here and there. If there was an actual wait, it would have been a pretty boring time. And a closer examination of the interactive art revealed that some of the components of the image were pixelated. Pixelation is one of my biggest pet-peeves, it's almost the epitome of lack of attention to detail.  

Once inside Magician Mickey's dressing room, I also felt like it was lacking something. Maybe it was just too small, but I'll get off the negative train at this station. 

I did greatly enjoy all the innuendo's and references to Disney classic that occupied the space in Magician Mickey's dressing room. From the punny titles of the books laying around, to Madame Leota's crystal ball sitting on the shelf, glowing and making noise, to the notes posted on the bulletin board, a high level of attention to detail was paid on the whole room. A lot of it was what I feel is essential "Disney," a mixture of clever wit and magic. 

Boo! The new Haunted Mansion Queue

I've talked about my admiration of the classic Haunted Mansion attraction before, how I love it's mixture of campy fun, great storytelling and Disney magic.

Generally, when I talk about how I love just about anything Disney Parks, I'm talking about the Disneyland version. Well, lucky for me, Liberty Square's Haunted Mansion was built at just about the same time as New Orleans Square's, and the attractions are virtually the same. I may go as far as to say the World's version is slightly better, with it's haunted stair case scene. Now that it has the new hitchhiking ghosts and interactive queue, it's almost definitely the superior of the two manors.



Yesterday, I finally had some time off from my job at the Magic Kingdom, so what did I do? I went back to the Magic Kingdom. They've been getting quite the array of new features, so it made the most sense to go back to the place I spend 40+ hours a week.

First off, I went to visit Magician Mickey. More on that later.

Then, I went over to Liberty Square to visit the Haunted Mansion. Along with half the park.

One of the criticisms of the new interactive queue is that there's hardly anyone ever in the queue for the Mansion, seeing as it has an omnimover system, thus resulting in an extremely high rider capacity. Not the day I went. The stand-by wait time was posted at 50 minutes, which I ignored, because as the future often proves, it was a little exaggerated.

The Captain

Once I got up to the new and exciting features I came to, I was surprised to find that it was an optional part of the line. You could either go through and experience the new features, or go straight into the foyer and then the stretching room. I obviously didn't do the former.

What I found in the interactive queue was great. The touch-and-play instruments, the misty organ, the bookcase and the interactive poetry were great. Also, Madam Leota's living tombstone was very creepy, and thus fantastic.

My only negatives words on the subject would be that it was really more of an area than a queue. It was nice seeing everything in one fell swoop, but it would have been nice to see it while I was actually waiting in line, like "Space Mountain's: and "Soarin's" games. There was a tone of boring, chain-linked queue as a predecessor to the interactive part that could have been livened up.

Then, there was the other part of the Haunted Mansion that I came for, at the exact opposite end of the attraction: the new hitchhiking ghosts. I'll get to the point: they're amazing. I've always pantomimed petting or elbowing the previous, static hitchhiking ghosts, and now they do the same (kind of) thing to me! I went on a tour of the mansion twice, and I was a little annoyed that both times I got the bearded ghost, who both times put his beard on my face. The other ghosts seem to switch the heads of the guests it sits in between, and I don't know what the third one did. But it was cool, whatever it did.

People were raving about both the queue and the new hitchhiking ghosts, both seeming to be a huge hit. I though the imagineers did a great job enhancing a classic without changing it too much and respecting its legacy.

Have you been in the new queue or been in the company of a new hitchhiking ghost? How was your experience?

Living in this (Walt Disney) World

I live at Walt Disney World, as in, Walt Disney World is my home. When I want to go to the parks, I can just go. I can get on a bus, and be there within 45 minutes, though it should only be 10-20 minutes, but the bus system is horrible. Nonetheless, it's a lot better than the 6-8 hours it took me to get to Disneyland from my home in northern California. Though, I may add the idiom: good things come to those who wait.

It's something I always wanted: complete and unbridled access to the Disney Parks. And it feels...weird. When there's not that sense of urgency, that sense of fleeting excitement, it's almost just another day.

Now don't get me wrong, it's not just another day when you can go on Rock N' Roller coaster or see the gorgeous golfball Spaceship Earth, or you get to see a castle transform into a rocket and then take off. Really, just seeing a castle kind of makes that day a wee-bit more special than a typical day.

I'm going to be honest though, that pressure of a vacation, that sense of urgency, it really makes you look at things differently. I'm not saying I'm bored, because I'm not. I love having a main gate pass to all the parks here at Walt Disney World, but it's a different type of love than when you've got a Key to the World, and you're here with your family. It's different, not different in a way that is better or worse (maybe a little better, but not in a "I'm so negative about my current situation" kind of way), just different.

It could just be the fact that I'm spending 9 months at the U.S.'s most popular vacation destination, and I'm neither on vacation, nor is it a destination. It's a reality, not a vacation built on fantasy. That doesn't mean it isn't fun, though.

Do You See This Every Night?

Yes. I see "Wishes," "The Magic, The Memories and You," "The Main Street Electrical Parade" and the "Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade" just about every day I work. Not all of them in the same day, but almost always at least one of them.

For many people, experiencing something in such a repetitive manner could cause complete disgust and disdain for whatever that reoccurring thing is.

The Main Street Electrical Parade

Often times, I am that person who is seriously annoyed by the same thing. Some examples of this might be: the horrible music they play in the Utilidoor. Apparently, Sirius XM's stations have a 12 song playlist they stick to religiously. Or maybe the music in Tomorrowland. Or maybe people asking me what I have at my wagon right after they walked by the menu. That stuff can get annoying. But that stuff doesn't blow up, glow, shimmer, or transform a castle into a number of fantastical things.

Sure, the shows aren't as spectacular to me the fifth time as they were the first time, but they still have that shimmer of magic that only Disney can provide.

Wishes

One of the more fun things of seeing the shows dozens of times is that you slowly start to memorize the entire thing. For instance, I can tell what part of the "Wishes" is happening from the Westclock bus stop, located behind where the fireworks go off, just from what particular firework is going on that that moment. Or I can wave an imaginary wand and turn off all the lights in the park at the beginning of the Main Street Electrical parade, or say along with Walt "To all who come to this happy place, welcome" at the end of "The Magic, The Memories, and You" without even looking at the castle.

The fact that in a small way, all this makes me feel cool, is a little questionable, but that's ok. I'm a Disney nerd, I mean, you are reading my blog about Disney right now, so what do you expect?

Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival Topiaries

Today, the first day of the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot, I went on a topiary adventure. Most of the other stuff at the festival didn't really excite me that much.

But the topiaries, oh those topiaries. I've alway been fascinated with them. In fact, my whole family has been for as long as I can remember. When we stay at a hotel at Disneyland, it's more often than not the Stovall’s Inn Best Western, because of the topiaries, as as the "Best" denotes in Best Western, Best Westerns are the best in the west. In all other Cardinal directions, they're not as good. Nor do they have topiaries, which doesn't help.

I've been to Epcot quite a bit lately, to see Bill Nye, to experience all 12 of their rides, and because I just found myself there sometimes. Every visit, I've noticed the topiaries, and they have excited me. When I learned about the new Toy Story 3 sculpted-bush tribute, I about fell of my seat.

So, I had the day off, due to low attendance in the park and there being no need for me, so I took full advantage. My first stop was Hollywood Studios, where I did Rockin' Roller Coaster twice, since I went there last thursday, and it being a Fantasmic! night, there were 80 minute lines, and me having terrible luck, the single rider option was not available (Added to my log of terrible luck today, the first time I got on it, they sent 3 empty limos right past us, due to some technical glitch they were having.) I also went on Tower of Terror, drew Woody at the animation academy, and met Lotso. What does this have to do with topiaries? Nothing!

Then I took the ferry over to Epcot, and got down to the topiary business, much like I am now with my writing. For some reason, I chose to systematically go through the Flower and Garden Festival map, making sure I got a picture of every topiary AFTER I left the park. I discovered that I missed a couple. I have Friday off, too, so I'll get the missing T-P (topiary pictures, though now that I explained it, making abbreviating it seems to have lost its purpose). But for now, all I have are these 29 pictures. Enjoy.

The Resorts of the Seven Seas Lagoon

I've been here at the Walt Disney World resort for almost a month now. In that month, I've done a lot. And by doing a lot, I've made it so there are less things left to do that I haven't done before. Yes, that sentence you just read made sense. I've nearly exhausted the four parks, and just didn't feel super excited to go to any of them of my last day off. So what did I do? Good thing you asked, because I literally just wrote that question, and it was rhetorical, which means I'm about to answer it.

I decided that it was time to explore the resorts of the Walt Disney World...Resort. Where better to start than at the Seven Seas Lagoon, with the originals, the classics? What some people consider the best. I wouldn't know, because the only other resort I've been to was the Swan and Dolphin, where I stayed when I was 12. It didn't have a white sand beach, so it was not as cool. It did have a mini-golf course near by and access to two parks via boat, not just the one via Monorail. But the Swan and Dolphin will gets its own post someday. Today, we are going to talk about the Contemporary Resort, the Polynesian Resort, and the Grand Floridian.

I started off my day with the Contemporary. It's the flashiest of the three, being one big, unique building and having the Express Monorail running through it.

The Contemporary from the dock

At first, I was impressed by the Mary Blair Murals and the huge windows, but really, the Grand Canyon Concourse with the shops and the restaurants really isn't any different than any other place that has those things. What was cool about the Contemporary was the lobby, which looked much more modern than the Monorail floor, and the beach and pool outside. Being right there on Bay Lake was a great feature, and the pool had a very interesting shape and design to it. I'm big on pools, and this one impressed me. I checked out the convention center as well. It was just a bunch of space, like all convention centers.

I really dug the benches at the
Polynesian 

Next was the Polynesian, which I wasn't expecting a whole lot from. The Contemporary
and the Grand Floridian both have made a big name for themselves. The Polynesian: not so much. It's like the middle child, and also is physically in the middle of the other two. I was pleasantly surprised though. It's got a show, that I did not see, but I want to. It's got awesome water features, which I was impressed by, and it's got a great little stretch of beach, which I relaxed on, eating my lunch while listening to the Castle Party across the lagoon at the Magic Kingdom. Plus, it had the best pool, with the Volcano water slide, complete with smoking peak (and bathrooms in the bottom). The South Pacific theme was also great fun, having the whole resort feel like the a Tiki Room hotel.

The sun setting on the Grand Floridian

With the sun setting, I walked on over to the Grand Floridian. This was the resort I had the highest expectations for. It's the Creme de la Creme of the Walt Disney World resorts, and I expected to be impressed. I was, but not as impressed as I expected to be. It had the most to offer, with its beaches, pools, restaurants and shops. It had the best view of Cinderella's castle, and inside the main building was exquisite. But there wasn't that cool factor that the other two resorts had, just by the cheddar factor. The cheddar factor being that it costs a pretty penny to do anything that the resort, and expensive means exclusive means cool, if you're not the one being excluded.

If I had to choose to stay at one, I'd probably choose the Polynesian. I just got this sense that I was at a place of rest and relaxation when I visited. The other two were great, but they were almost a type of attraction. I hope to someday stay in all three, and rest and relaxation are not my top priorities, but that South Pacific serenity, it really rubbed me the right way.

Social Awkwardness and Kids in the College Program

I don’t mean to sound like I complain all the time. I mean, I have problems with many things, but I don’t complain. To me complaining is when you don’t like something, and you express your distaste for it without offering a solution. I have solutions. Therefor, when I “complain,” I’m actually offering haphazardly constructed criticism.

With that warning, I’m going to go into the area that some people might label as “negative” or “complaining.” For people who don’t like to read that, you can go on a run or go talk to your like-minded friends about how great everything is.

A pretty picture of Cinderella's Castle, because there's not really anything that
illustrates this story well, so this will have to do

College Program kids are weird. There are exceptions to the rule (me), but from my experience here so far, it’s definitely a rule. I’ve talked to non-CP’ers who work at Disney World, and they are the ones who put the idea in my head. With that idea, I’ve been observing, and my experiences have proven them right.

It’s not hard to explain why. Just think about what the program really entails. Going to Disney World. Which most people associate with fun. It’s fun, but it’s also a work. You think that second part would work as a sort of sift, a detractor of sorts. It doesn’t.

The program also gives you a job and a place to live away from home. For most people, they go to college to do this. People who didn’t go away to college go to Disney College, which isn’t really college at all. But it’s easier to get into than most four-year schools, and has a lot more appeal since it’s at Disney World.

You’ll notice when you look around at the name tags, most colleges aren’t four-years. They’re community colleges. Now, there’s nothing wrong with going to a community college. I have some very good friends who went there, and I’m one of the first people from my family to not go to a CC. Also, last summer, I went to a CC, so I’ve been there and experienced it. CC’s are great decisions when you’re thinking financially. They’re also a great decision if you don’t want to leave mommy and daddy and the comfort they bring.

So the CC’ers decide that Disney World is worth leaving mommy and daddy for a couple of months. One thing they don’t have in their bag of tricks is that whole living on your own thing, so most of them are in a bit of shock, which makes people act weird. Let’s be even more real for a sentence: there are also some people who go to a CC because they’re just not the most socially adept people in the world. Many of them decide to go to the CP, too. If you went to a CC and that offends you, I’m sorry...that I don’t care.

You ever walk into a room, look around, and say to yourself, “I’m the most normal one in here”? That's not a rare feeling for me here. And it’s not that I’m arrogant. It’s not that I’m not arrogant, either, but I’m not the only one who feels that way. There are many normal people here, or whatever word you want to use. Normal doesn’t really exist, but you should get the gist of what I’m saying. Socially inept might be better.

I can deal with it though. They’re just in it for fun. I’m here to leave a mark on the company, so people making fools of themselves in social situations means very little to me. That's my solution. For me, it’s just fun to comment on.

Job: Normal. Location: Amazing

 I get to work in a place where, when I’m cleaning a popcorn kettle, fireworks go off behind me. Sure, the former part of that experience isn’t the most glamourous thing in the world, but how many other places can the latter happen on almost a nightly basis?

The "Wishes" fireworks spectacular

Or a place where, when you’re breaking down your ice cream cart, the "Main Street Electrical Parade" goes by, with its spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination in thousands of sparkling lights and electro-synthe-magnetic musical sounds is amazing. It’s one of the most iconic parades of all time, and on certain nights it’s ten feet in front of where I work.

Or at around three o’clock, the "Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade will go by. If I’m working the Liberty Square ice cream cart, the music is deafening, but oh so catchy.

 I wasn’t huge on parades before I got here, especially the afternoon ones, as they are geared for the younger crowd. Fireworks, those can be enjoyed by everyone. Same goes for "The Magic, the Memories and You!" nighttime spectacular. But parades: they have a more specific demographic that they’re geared towards.

The "Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade", which has grown on me

Having seen the "Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade" about eight times now, I have been converted. The music is so upbeat and fun, it’s difficult to fight off the urge to dance, so usually I don’t. The 40-year-old dancers are a different story, but I let that little indiscretion pass and just enjoy the cornucopia of Disney characters passing by.

Or, a couple of times a day, some petite fireworks go off for the castle shows with Mickey and friends.

Or the fact that yesterday, Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, was visiting the park where I work. Nothing like that happened when I worked at McDonald’s.

Sure, there are parts of my job that are not so enchanting, but they are dues paid for the things about it that are so unique and fantastic. So I’ll clean my popcorn kettle and count my drinks with freezing cold hands, and behind me, the "Wishes" fireworks who will be running, and I’ll be excited that I am where I am.

Two Weeks into the Disney College Program

Today marks the two week milestone of me being in the Disney College Program. I am happy about this.

My Liberty Square Costume

These past two weeks have been fun, but I am definitely glad they are over. If you read my last post, I talked a lot about training. It’s over now, and I have officially earned my ears. I could take the little red ribbon off my name tag at this point, if I wanted to, but I don’t. I don’t feel like I know enough about the Magic Kingdom, which is a little frustrating. If I were at Disneyland, I could tell people about anything, anywhere in the park. Not so with MK, but that is the precise reason why I chose to do the program here in Orlando rather than in Anaheim. Knowledge is power, and I want to have as much power as possible.

On my schedule, I am set up to work at stands in Tomorrowland, Frontierland and Liberty square. Which means I had to pick up three costumes, which I think is great fun. Not only do I get to experience working in all over the park, I get to wear all the costumes of all the different areas. This might annoy some people, but to me it’s just one more part of the Disney magic I get to experience. Though the knee-high pants for the liberty square garb have a funky crotch.

I get to work in view of a castle. Awesome. 

Eventually, I’ll get to work in Adventureland and on Main Street, the latter which I am really looking forward to. This past week, I got to work at an ice cream stand in Liberty Square, and when I closed, I got to watch the Main Street Electrical parade. The fact that 20 feet in front of where I worked for the day, the Main Street Electrical parade went by, and I got to watch it, really puts into perspective the unique nature of my job.

I’m very happy to finally be done with training, and to get to be on stage by myself, interacting with the guests five days a week. I’m sure I’ll have a few bad days, but I’m optimistic about the future. When I’m working, the day flies by, and I barely notice I’m working. My feet and back hurt after a while, and those are the only indicators. I really am looking forward to the next six-and-a-half months of going to work at the Magic Kingdom five days a week.