Tag Archives: Animal Kingdom

2018, Disney, Disney Tips and Tricks, Disney World, Disney World Tips and Tricks, Disney World Vacation, Disney World Vacation Tips, Family, Food, Summer, Travel, Vacation, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World tips and tricks, Walt Disney World Vacation

Life is a Happy Song…..

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Welcome to summer!  I don’t know about you, but for me, these days bring lots of heat, lots of sun, and lots of activities.  One of my favorite ways to spend these days is by hopping around the parks of Disney.  Disney is truly my happy place and I can’t imagine not being in the middle of the magic.

When booking a trip, many people ask if it is better to buy a base ticket or the park hopper option?  While I can’t speak for everyone, I know my go-to choice is the park hopper ticket.  Here are the short and sweet benefits of purchasing a park hopper ticket:

  • Choices:  When you have a park hopper ticket, you have the choice to JUST stay in one park a day OR to visit multiple parks in a day.  It is up to you and how you want to spend your day!  Crowd levels, weather, or even just changing your mind on a whim can affect your overall experience each day, but having the chance to leave a park and go to another can make for a better overall vacation!
  • Extra Magic Hours:  Extra Magic Hours are an amazing treat for those staying on Disney property.  It gives you the chance to enter a park earlier than normal operating times, or stay later than normal hours.  These hours change daily, so be mindful of what parks offer each day.  Having the park hopper option means you can hit Hollywood Studios from 7:00-8:00am and then go to Magic Kindom from 9:00-11:00pm (or later some days!).  What an awesome advantage of staying on property.
  • Restaurants:  With a park hopper ticket, you have the flexibility to have a morning dining reservation at Magic Kingdom, followed by hitting a few rides, then heading over to Animal Kingdom for the rest of your day for your fastpasses.  There is alot of freedom with this option.
  • Bucket List:  The park hopper allows you to do as much as you want, for as long as you want.  Maybe on your bucket list is hitting all four parks in one day!  Maybe you want to experience fireworks at Epcot and head over to Magic Kingdom for late Extra Magic Hours.  It’s your choice!  Fill those buckets!
  • Park Hopper Plus:  With the Park Hopper Plus ticket, you get everything mentioned above as well as same day admission to:  Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, a round of golf at Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course (reservations required and subject to availability), Disney’s Miniature Golf at Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland courses, as well as the ESPN Wide World of Sports.

If you would like to get in the middle of the magic, it’s not too late to sneak in a summer getaway.  Contact me today to get your Minnie Box in hand and plans made.  debbie.lands@magical-vacations.com

2018, Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Disney World, Disney World Tips and Tricks, Disney World Vacation, Disney World Vacation Tips, Family, Food, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Travel, Vacation, Walt Disney World Vacation

Best Day Ever! (Animal Kingdom In 1 Day)

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Wrapping up the “Best Day Ever, Disney in 1 Day” series, today I am focusing on doing Animal Kingdom in a day.  Animal Kingdom combines my two favorite loves (aside from my family), and that is : animals and Disney.  Animal Kingdom also has some AHHHHMAZING food!  With the 2017 addition of the new Pandora- World of Avatar, things just got even better in the jungle!  Get ready for a swingin safari….here is Animal Kingdom in 1 Day.

But first…..Flight Time!

Without a doubt, Flights of Passage has become the #1 most coveted ride in all of Disney World.  Getting a FastPass+ for this ride isn’t a mere suggestion, it is a definite if you want to be able to ride this possibly more than once.  If you were fortunate to be able to score a FastPass+ for this ride, you have a couple of choices.  You can head straight for Flights of Passage as soon as the park opens (so that you will get at least 2 rides in throughout the course of your day), or, you may choose the Na’vi River Journey as your first choice and then hop in the standby line for Flights of Passage.  Either way, this is definitely a ride that you will want to do multiple times and the best time to catch it is early in the morning before the crowds hit.

Safari then Sweets

One of my favorite things about Animal Kingdom is Kilimanjaro Safaris.  I love the oversized jeep ride, the open air feel, seeing the animals move in their own spaces.  I love how close you are able to get to (some) of the animals.  You feel as if you are truly in another country, which is what Disney does best.  I suggest doing this early in the morning because that is when the animals are moving around the most.  You can also do this later in the day.  I have been on the safari during lunch hours, and that is “typically” when the animals are resting and not as active.

After doing all of this, you will definitely need some morning fuel to push through until lunch.  Why not take a pause for some sweets?  Here are a few suggestions:

  • Tamu Tamu Refreshments:  Chocolate Waffle Topped with Vanilla Ice Cream 
  • Restaurantosaurus:  Warm Chocolate Turtle Brownie 
  • Yak & Yeti Restaurant:  Fried Wontons or Sorbet
  • Zuri’s Sweets Shop: Cake Pops, Animal Cookies, Fudge, and several other delicious choices.  

Expedition Ahead!

After getting a little morning fuel, you have enough time and energy to trek ahead and do another ride before stopping for lunch.  This could be a great time to do the popular Expedition Everest, home of the Yeti!  This was a family favorite due to the climb, the view, the yeti, and the way in which you travel forwards and backwards.  Amazing experience.  We had alot of fun screaming out of my crew when we did this!  The “best” time to ride this is in the evening.  You can definitely try it during this time, and the best way to do this would be as a single rider  Then, head back later in the evening to do it again, maybe using a FastPass+ for it.

If time allows, you could sneak in one more ride before lunch.  I would suggest DINOSAUR.

Buffet with Buddies

Time for lunch, and what better way than to eat with some of your favorite Disney characters?  I suggest Tusker House.  It has delicous buffet style food and you get to see some familiar safari friends as you dine.  Mickey, Donald, Daisy and Goofy will make their way to your table, sign your autograph books, pose for photos, and just look so darn cute you won’t want them to leave.

It’s Showtime!

After lunch, the crowds tend to be pretty thick and it is definitely at its warmest time of the day.  One of the best ways to spend this time of day is by weaving in and out of the heat.  Watch a show, do a ride, then repeat.  Here is my suggested list of things to do during these hours:

  • Festival of the Lion King (one of my favorite shows ever!)
  • Finding Nemo- The Musical
  • Use your FastPass+ for Flights of Passage as a possiblility here
  • Maharajah Jungle Trek
  • Kali River Rapids (you will NEED a poncho for this ride!!!!)
  • Meet Disney Pals

Dinnertime Delight

By now, you have had a fun filled day, experienced things on so many glorious levels, but you will definitely need some down time to enjoy more of the fantastic food offerings that Animal Kingdom has.

If you chose Tusker House for lunch, a great supper meal would be Tiffins.  It boasts one of the best restaurants in all of Disney World.  Another option is Yak & Yeti Restaurant       (we love their Pork Pot Stickers) or Flame Tree BBQ.

Nighttime Novelties

Your first stop should be the Tree of Life Awakenings. The famous “Tree of Life” (as seen in my photo above) lights up in glorious beauty by the use of amazing animal projections.  Head over to the Rivers of Light Nighttime experience where guests can enjoy the beauty and magic of nature coming to life.

If you are able to experience the Extra Magic Hours, then you definitely want to head back over and try Flights of Passage…again.  You could even try to squeeze in the beautiful nighttime version of Expedition Everest.  Rides are so different at night, with everything you can see.

There you have it!  A “Best Day Ever” event for one day at Animal Kingdom.  Don’t forget to contact me to plan your Best Day Ever, whether it be at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, a Disney Cruise, a stay at Aulani, or jetting off on Adventures by Disney.  I can also make your dreams come true at Universal Studios in Orlando.  Find me at:  debbie.lands@magical-vacations.com or visit my website at www.magical-vacations.com/debbie.lands  See ya soon, pals!