Animal Kingdom - Not Animatronics

Written on Monday, 1/13/2013, posted 1/15 when we're back on WiFi

Yes, the giraffe was that close

 We left Cedar Key on Sunday heading 150 miles to Orlando and WDW – one of the happiest places on earth according to the marketing.  We got a good start with all systems working as designed as we pulled up jacks, pulled in slides and drove away.  We arrived at Ft. Wilderness and checked in at the campground and headed for our assigned site.  Unfortunately, it was too small for us, especially given the folks across the road who parked their van in such a way that we couldn’t get our angle to back in.  Back to the reception center for a new site, this time one of their biggest and assurances that we’d have no problem getting into it.  It is a huge site, but all the roads here are really narrow and we did some jockeying around to get the right angle.  Several men stood by offering advice and help and were sure they were better than the navigator at directing me.  She disabused them of that notion and last I saw their ears were charred bits on the sides of their heads.

We got in, set up and took our bikes down to the dock to take the boat over to the Contemporary Hotel and the California Grill for dinner.  We were last there last year on their last night open before closing for renovations.  The renovations turned out beautifully and the food and service are still outstanding.  We ate at the bar where the very knowledgeable bartender turned us onto some new wines.  A fun evening ended with fireworks watched from the dock at Ft. Wilderness.

Monday we got up before light to get to Animal Kingdom for “Special Magic Hour”.  If you’re staying on Disney property, you get an extra hour at the beginning or end of the day when the riffraff are not allowed in.  We knew from last year that the animals on the African safari ride were active early in the morning so by 8:30 am we had parked, hiked into the park and were aboard the ride through the African exhibit.  

I know that keeping animals in captivity is controversial, and in a perfect world, all the animals would have undisturbed habitat to live out their lives naturally.  But the reality is that many of the species at WDW are endangered in their home countries and Disney gets credit from me for housing them in good habitats with companions and, of equal importance, emphasizing the conservation message repeatedly and effectively.  When I consider the millions of people who hear that message every year, I think what is happening here is pretty OK.  And, it’s pretty fun!  So fun that we got off the safari ride and got right back on to ride again.  Thanks to “Special Magic Hour” there was absolutely no waiting.  So lots of photos to share from today.

In addition to the ride there is a walking trail with gorillas and meerkats and other fun things.   Then a train ride out to the “Conservation Station” where some vet work can be observed and some goats and sheep encountered.  Again, Disney took the idea of a petting zoo full of goats and removed the feed that created aggressive goats and whiny children and replaced with a big basket of brushes which kids can pick up to brush the animals.  Additionally the animals have areas that are off-limits to visits that they can easily escape to. 

More giraffes

See the cool stork?

It was a good giraffe morning

Elusive Okapi on the Pagani Trail

Boss gorilla

X-ray of an Emperor Tamarin (small Central American monkey)  being examined

Quarantine exam of an Emperor Tamarin underway

We rode the train back and strolled to the car and came back to Chuck for some rest.  It was warmer today, mid-70’s so that was enough to send me to the pool for a dip while the navigator and cats napped.

Next post - Epcot and on the move.