Day 2: Disney's Animal Kingdom

Day 2--Sunday, October 16, 2005--Today was a wonderful day! We woke up late after a long first day, made dining reservations for the week, and set off for the Animal Kingdom. I thought I would enjoy this park, and it turned out to be my very favorite. As soon as we arrived, we walked through a lush garden with ducks and waterfalls. The girls loved the wildlife. Kailey kept saying, "LOOK! DUCK!" We strolled down the paths through the Animal Kingdom past the carved Tree of Life into the African section to obtain our fast pass for the Safari. We had two hours until our Safari, so we went to eat an African lunch of chicken sandwiches and mac & cheese ($35 for free [Raymond said not free since we prepaid] with the Disney meal plan). After our feast, we saw African dancers painted and in ceremonial garb playing music and having fun. The girls took a break and watched, and that's where the picture above was taken. We then found a cave with otters and large fish. The girls loved seeing the marine life. Then, we saw the magnificent "Festival of the Lion King," where gymnasts dressed like monkeys flew through the sky using rings and high bars. It was amazing. Kailey was scared at first, then she clapped and said, "look," and then she went to sleep. It was nice to be able to see a show as a family. Finally, it was time for our Safari. The fast pass is definately the way to go. We cruised past a very long line of people to the front and hopped on the back of our Safari vehicle. Immediatey, we saw African wildlife roaming free. We were lucky to see a hippo open his mouth under a waterfall and fall back into the water. The whole jeep was yelling and pointing, and Raymond got it on video. We saw warthogs, giraffes, and lots of other animals. Two zebras crossed in front of our vehicle and within inches of us. We then saw a white hippo and a proud lion on top of his kingdom. The elephants were at their watering hole, and we learned that the pink flamingos get their color from eating shrimp. After an exhilerating experience, we stopped for snacks--Mickey Mouse ice cream for Kara and Daddy, an ice cream cup for Kailey, an orange juice bar for Mommy, and a coke--5 credits off our meal plan ($15 savings). [Raymond is laughing at me.] Then we ran straight into the parade which just started. We got a spot in front and as Kara ate her Mickey bar, lots of people stopped to talk to her. A man pushing a large animal float asked Kara if she like her ice cream. Another one commented on her phone, and finally Mickey Mouse pointed to Kara from atop a float and gestured with his hand for her to call him with her phone. She had a look of pure joy and a feeling of being special (as she is our princess) when the characters spoke to her. As you can see, this day was spectacular--until Raymond decided to go see the special effects movie "It's Hard to Be a Bug." [...because there was only a 5 minute wait, Raymond defends.] Kara & Daddy sat near the front and Kailey & Mommy sat in the back. There were many scary parts and Kailey ended up crawling up my front while Kara came screaming towards me before the finale. An attendent escorted us out and gave the girls plastic bugs as consolation. They recovered well and we were off to the buses. Kailey walked and pointed to many fun things. We rode to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for our 5:40 p.m. reservation at the Boma Restaurant...a fine dining experience and a large African buffet. Raymond was in heaven, obviously, and the girls actually behaved themselves. The food was magnificent, as expected, and we topped the meal off with smoothies for everyone (final tally, another $88 for free). Thinking the day could not get any better, we capped the evening off with a stroll around the Animal Kingdom Lodge's private savanah, where we found a private viewing area. Kailey was let loose to roam free while we watched giraffes and zebras graze their evening meal. After the sun set, we headed back to the hotel for an evening swim. Kailey frolicked in the kiddie pool while Kara swam with Daddy in the big girl 60's Flower Power pool. We ate a midnight snack from the food court and went to sleep after a long, fun-filled day.