After a very disappointing evening at Epcot, I was pleased to enter the lush, green, organic landscapes of Disney's Animal Kingdom the next morning. Much like Rise of the Resistance, Flight of Passage was the primary target for the visit as my son had not seen Pandora. Would he think the ride or the entire land as enjoyable as I did?
There's something remarkably refreshing about this theme park! It's just so different from those that came before it. Obviously, Imagineer Joe Rohde and his team are to thank for this. Even though it opened on Earth Day in 1998 with too few attractions and an entire land axed, the good bones were certainly there. Improvements and expansion has only made it better- with a couple of exceptions. (I've got a beloved series on the creation and evolution of the park. It's up to eight segments, and it starts here. Part history, trip report and more with lots of rare concept art and tons of photographs. Don't miss it!)
Why there are no Audio-Animatronic Nav'i hunters
in the land or in river ride is something I do not understand.
Heading straight into Pandora, the World of Avatar, my curiosity was peaking as I waited for my son to share his assessment. He is not a fan of the movie at all, but clearly, the art of Imagineering impressed him. In previous visits, we had used Fast Pass, so I had never seen the full queue before. I was very impressed by it all: the slow and steady climb outdoors with magnificent views, and the gradual transition from other worldly jungle to scientific lab in the glow of night. Being inside was cool in more ways than one: It was already quite hot and humid this morning, and the blasts of air conditioning were a welcome relief at 8:30am!
Flight of Passage, uh (sorry, I couldn't help myself- I'm sure you get the joke if you've ridden it), is a ride I love. Yes, love. My son found it to be the best flying ride open the property, and I certainly agree. There's a beauty, serenity, and an exhilarating charm to it all that is not duplicated. A very wise decision to keep the attraction more in that realm than in a "something goes wrong" aspect that makes it extra special and different than anything else in this thrill ride heavy park. We started and ended our day at Animal Kingdom with this, and I could have ridden it a few more times.
Next up: Nav'i River Journey. It could have been more much more than it is. Yet, these indoor boat rides are among my favorite attractions at Disney. Take the caverns of Pirates of the Caribbean, toss in the mystery of Epcot's El Rio del Tiempo, and throw in the atmosphere of an evening Jungle Cruise ride. Now, you have an idea what to expect.
I find the Audio-Animatronic of the "Shaman of Songs" to be a very impressive but odd ending to the attraction. Why the huge budget and design with input from film creator James Cameron did not allow for some mechanical animals (after all this is Animal Kingdom) and a few Nav'i hunters. This just does not make sense.
My son captured Pandora perfectly!
From an even more critical standpoint, this is where Pandora fails. If you've seen the movie, you expect a beautiful planet environment. But you also expect to see Nav'i. If you haven't, bringing them in sets some context to what's around you. It wouldn't have taken much to even place a hunter or two back in the outdoor landscape with a bit of forced perspective to bring it all together. Place a few limited motion figures on a timed turntable type track for variety. If I can figure this out, the professionals should have been able to do it. That lack of a personal encounter element is a major misstep in the land's design. (It's getting corrected at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge as they bring in more character interaction, but it has taken a season or two of guest feedback to bring this life giving element to the land. But the lack of droids and non-human characters in the area is another issue altogether.) All said, I enjoy the cruise, but I could not talk the rest of the party into another ride. That says it all.
Beware the Yeti!
By this point, we were melting or so it seemed. A cold coffee drink at Starbucks along with a very large cup of water brought us all back to life. There were few tables outside Creature Comforts, so we ended up sitting on a planter.
Expedition Everest is the top coaster on the property for me, and we made the very wise decision to hop on it before eating. A walk on. God bless my wife! She braved a ride for my son's sake, but once we enough as she is convinced the track includes inversions. My son and I rode immediately again.
I love this ride, but when it gets to the second half after the Yeti breaks the track, it is now of my most loved coaster experiences. Maybe it is because of this that I refer to Expedition:Everest as Big Thunder on Steroids. Very fitting I think, don't you?
I've other referred to Animal Kingdom as "a giant Adventureland", and it certainly is so! But this trip, I began to see it as also being akin to really being the missing countries of World Showcase at Epcot. India, Nepal, Equatorial Africa- it's all here and in a more fully realized form. On my 2007 trip when I was by myself, I wandered every nook and cranny, exploring. Back then, the park was still lacking, but I could not deny the abundance of design detail to be found everywhere I looked.
There is a hidden Mickey on each of these murals.
Surprisingly, our son showed his nerdy "son of a wanna-be Imagineer" side and spent considerable time taking in details at both the Maharaja Jungle Trek and with the Tree of Life itself. With the former, it was looking for real animals, and with the latter, it was looking at the over 300 carved ones. Both impressive! Many folks overlook the trails, but they actually contain some of the most beautiful pieces of art to be found in the park. (And I have a rarely heard story about the creation of the park to share with you in my next chapter about this park...)
Kali River Rapids never fails to disappoint while leaving us with a smile on our face. Way too short, but also fun. Tiger River Rapids would have been so much better. Also much more expensive, unfortunately. (Find the story and some concept art on my series. The links are above.)
Not a Mickey in sight- just the way it should be!
Lunch in Africa at the Harambe Market was just the break we needed for some shade, rest for my very sore feet, and a scenic view of the train heading out to Rafiki's Planet Watch. Very atmospheric! An excellent meal was had at a fraction of the cost of eating at Tiffins, Yak & Yeti, or Tusker House. Splurging on a strangely spiced caramel apple from the sweet shop nearby, I thought of how satisfying it is to just relax and soak it all in. Animal Kingdom is a park to slow down and savor even if its star attractions are some of the best thrill rides on the property.
Want to increase ridership?
Replace this with a Carnotaurus!
That points to a glaring need for some greater variety in family rides with no height requirement. A classic dark ride or two, a slow moving outdoor jeep ride with some gentle dinosaurs, and even a small scale rickshaw type ride would round out the offerings, filling in the gap between animal trails and heart thumping thrills. It's a well kept secret that this is Disney's thrill ride park. Hollywood Studios may be on its way to competing, but it's got a ways to go to capture the crown.
Now an Animal Kingdom exclusive-
but it was once planned for...
...Hong Kong Disneyland? Really!
In an odd twist, I couldn't convince anyone to take a Kilimanjaro Safari in the heat of the afternoon, so It's Tough to Be a Bug almost ended up as our last attraction for the day. On a whim, we took one last ride on Flight of Passage, and then departed via Uber for Epcot. As I always do, I turned for one last view of the gorgeous Tree of Life before walking out. Even with its very clear shortcomings, Joe Rohde's baby is one great piece of Imagineering!
Going into the park from the main entryway
just feels different.
We had a 3:00pm late lunch appointment in World Showcase at an old favorite, so upon arrival in the deconstructed Future World, wandering through the maze of walls was a frustrating procedure. No matter. We arrived inside the Mexico Showcase and checked in at the San Angel Inn Restaurante. I'd be another 15 minutes before we'd be seated, but oh, where we landed was so worth the wait!
We did not ask for this table.
I saw it as a gift from God.
My wife and I hadn't eaten here in years, perhaps more than 20 to be exact. Being placed front and center and directly at the edge of the water gave me the classic EPCOT Center feels! Starting with the classic Queso Fundido (which was on the menu on our very first trip in 1983) and then the very large and tasty margaritas, this midday meal was just excellent. Really. Between the perfectly cooked rib-eye and fish tacos, classic enchiladas, stunning environment, and the excellent service, this experience was the perfect example of what Disney can accomplish when Imagineering sets its sights high, budgets aren't slashed, and then partners with the right firms.
We could not quit looking at the view, enjoying the small boats passing by the pyramid and volcano under the moonlight. Upon request, our waiter graciously took several photos of us, including his appropriately self-proclaimed "money shot" (above). He was younger and newer but told us he loved working there and that many staff had been in their employ for twenty years or more. It really was one big familia.
It seemed like a "full circle" experience, and I almost forgot this was restaurant sat on the edge of the Gran Fiesta Tour and not my beloved El Rio del Tiempo. A great decision, and money well spent. Our post meal ride on Donald's Mexican Adventure seemed appropriate.
Two hour wait for the lounge? No thank you.
A meal? Not at these prices.
Our son had not seen Frozen Ever After. he was curious about it, so we did endure the 30 minute wait. The verdict? Nice for kids but nothing special. My wife loves it, but he and I find it underwhelming at best and something unbefitting for a mega buster Disney film. Trust me, Tokyo will do it better. Don't they usually?
Slyly sliding in a little Marvel.
Inside the Norwegian Stave church, a nice little exhibit can be found that features Marvel characters- without mentioning Marvel at all. Those crafty Disney lawyers found a loophole to be sure, but what's inside is actually pretty interesting. These small museum types options bring so much to World Showcase. The suits really could throw us a bone more often and add cultural exhibits and rides every once in awhile.
If you're a Coke fan, it's a pretty great idea for a shirt.
Wanting to avoid the crowds closer to closing, we chose to backtrack and visit the new Club Cool and the Creations Shop to pick up a souvenir or two. I found nothing of interest, unfortunately. My wife grabbed a few trinkets for the little guys.
Count me in as liking the Mickey mural.
Merchandise aside, I see no reason to enter Club Cool again. I just dislike the new soda choices, and the once festive atmosphere is no longer there. It's a nice looking loss to the park.
Surprisingly, I found Creations Shop a pretty nice addition! The name does not make sense to me, but it is bright and airy, clean and new. Hopefully, not too much of Imagineer Zach Riddley's budget was used here.
By this time, it was getting later, just about 6:45pm or so, and we went for one more ride on Test Track. Then it was back to World Showcase via Canada.
This side of the park was a beast with all the Food and Wine Festival booths and crowds that came with it. We did not stop at a single booth. Thankfully, once we reached the area, Impressions de France was showing, so we popped in for one of my favorite films. The music is still absolutely glorious, but the film itself, as charming as it is, needs an update.
Moving onto The American Adventure, we had a difficult choice. See the last show or the full version of Epcot Forever. We chose the latter as we had not done one single night time show. I was underwhelmed.
Were the Disney suits playing with old school EPCOT Center fans by including classic park music, knowing full well we knew they would be relics from the past in this brave new cartoon filled park? I guess there was no winning for them either way.
Awe inspiring and patriotic.
Walking through the maze of walls (again!) eventually led us back to the entrance and Spaceship Earth plaza. Now mostly restored to its original grandeur and with some new enhancements, it is the most successful piece of the Epcot revisioning. Truly beautiful! I lingered as long as I could before heading to the bus. The park holds sweet memories- but will it hold a sweet future? Hard to say.
Tomorrow we'd visit to the Magic Kingdom. Then, our last day at the World before we would take off to Universal Orlando- where I'd be very surprised with what I'd find. Stay with me as a hard core old school Imagineering fan dissects the Universal experience.
(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)
