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John and Donna Gross "The Full Mickey - At a Discount!" The Wall Street Journal
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We received an email from Disney's Animal Kingdom Group Education Coordinator noting changes to Animal Kingdom tours: Backstage Safari
Offered Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8:30am and 1:00pm. Wild by Design
Offered Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8:30am. |
Holiday Crafts Take Center Stage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Lodge
Jam-Packed Field to Confront New Obstacles at Disney’s Expedition
Everest Challenge Presented by Champion
Disney Animal Kingdom Yak & Yeti vegetarian
Disney's test of centralized FastPass distribution at Animal
Kingdom
A sneak peek inside Sanaa at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Serves Up Celebration Gathering As ‘Goodnight Kiss’ for Guests at Park Closing Time LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Disney’s Animal Kingdom guests get so involved in adventures with birds and beasts of many kinds that they tend to put off one of their priorities all day long: a little quality time with Disney characters. "So when guests come out of the park, they are absolutely determined to see our characters," said Chris Ambrose, general manager of entertainment at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In a classic example of giving guests what they want, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has launched Adventurers’ Celebration Gathering, an interactive experience near the theme park entrance each evening during park closing. Khaki-clad cast - including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy - gather to bid farewell to guests with a music-filled celebration. Cast members shake their pom-poms and urge guests to join in the street-party fun by dancing to the music and forming a conga line procession while Mickey, Minnie and Goofy keep the beat from atop their safari vehicle. "We’ve created a way for our guests to experience our characters ..… and it’s a way for us to have a fun, exciting way to end the day at Animal Kingdom," Ambrose said. (Source: Press Release, 04/15/09)
Sanaa Brings Flavors of India, Africa To Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Fans of Jiko-The Cooking Place and Boma-Flavors of Africa have a new reason to dine at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge as Sanaa debuts May 1 in the resort’s new Kidani Village expansion. The new Walt Disney World restaurant’s unusual name, pronounced "Sah-NAH," is the Swahili word for "artwork." With interiors inspired by African art and remarkable views of the resort’s Sunset Savannah through 9-foot windows, diners experience "the art of African cooking with Indian flavors" in the 150-seat, family-oriented restaurant located on the ground floor just below the lobby. Sanaa’s cuisine is a melting pot of tastes from the islands of the Indian Ocean that all are part of Africa - Zanzibar, the Seychelles, Comoro Islands, Mauritius and Madagascar. “ "These islands were on important trade routes with influences from French, Portuguese, Dutch, British, Arab and Chinese traders," said Chef Bob Getchell. "The diverse spices and flavors give us an endless array of options for Sanaa." The most indelible mark on the cuisine of the region was made by Indian traders who introduced curries, spice blends and breads. Central to African-Indian cuisine is the use of the tandoor oven, essentially a large clay pot similar to a pizza oven. The tandoor provides very high, dry heat that creates a crisp outer layer and moist interior. Along with meats, a favorite tandoor oven treat is the Indian bread naan, which is slapped directly onto the oven’s clay walls and allowed to bake until puffy and lightly browned. The Sanaa kitchen will have two custom tandoor ovens. Specialties include tandoori chicken, lamb and shrimp, slow-cooked curries, and braised short ribs. "Don’t think of curry as spicy," said Chef Getchell, "but as a centuries-old cooking method that allows flavors to fully develop in the meats, vegetables, and sauces." The base blend of seasonings for Sanaa’s curries include cardamom, chiles, cinnamon, cloves, saffron, coriander, nutmeg, fennel seed, cumin, tamarind, turmeric and more. The turmeric is what gives many curry dishes their characteristic yellow color. Appetizers such as lamb kefta with tamarind-dried papaya sauce, and unusual salads like okra, radishes and tomato, roasted beets, and carrot, orange and mint start the dining experience. Entrées include the tandoori-roasted meats, curries, and sides such as dahl (stewed lentils), curried crushed potatoes, stir-fried green beans and slow-cooked spinach and paneer (a mild South Asian cheese). Indian style flatbreads including naan, roti, and paratha are paired with chutneys, Indian style pickles and raita (yogurt-based dip). For guests who prefer more American flavors, there is a grilled pork chop and club sandwich at lunch, and grilled flank steak at dinner. Sweets are the final adventure, including mango pudding, cardamom-butter cake, papaya with sea salt and lime and vanilla-coconut rice pudding. The restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and from 5-9 p.m. An adjacent 24-seat lounge serves African wines, beer and spirits. For reservations, call 407/WDW-DINE. Kidani Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is part of Disney Vacation Club. (Source: Press Release, 03/31/09)
Picnic in Disney's Animal Kingdom
African elephant dies at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends at the Animal Kingdom ends Sept.
27 after 10 years of shows.
"After a 10-year run, the live 'Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends'
show at Disney's Animal Kingdom will close Sept. 27, Walt Disney World announced
Thursday." No replacement has been announced.
A Walt Disney World VP describes the quiet spots he enjoys at Animal
Kingdom and other Florida parks. Interesting.
"Federal investigators charged Walt Disney World with five safety
violations at the Primeval Whirl roller coaster that was the site of
a fatal employee accident last fall. They also fined the company $21,500."
Disney's Animal Kingdom celebrated its 10th anniversary Tuesday. The
Orlando Sentinel published these 10 fun facts about AK.
For another story, see:
Disney is making Primeval Whirl safer: "Walt Disney World is tinkering
with a roller coaster at Animal Kingdom to improve overall safety after the
accidental death of an employee there last fall."
"A fire Sunday on the Kilimanjaro Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom left
one woman slightly injured (actually an 8-year old girl) and the park's
signature ride closed for the day, park officials said." Kilimanjaro Safari reopened Tuesday. The truck's engine hose that had caught fire was replaced. (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-bk-safari0211108,0,2931716.story)
"Under a program run by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Disney scientists
and technicians are running a captive-breeding program of Key Largo woodrats
in Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park." You can also see the woodrats
at the Tampa zoo.
You can register for Disney's Expedition Everest Challenge starting
February 15. "Race through the dark, exotic terrain of Disney's Animal
Kingdom® Theme Park on a thrilling 5K trek in the shadows of the Forbidden
Mountain.
"A man has died after riding the Expedition Everest roller coaster
at Disney's Animal Kingdom."
"A Disney employee who fell off a platform for Primeval Whirl, a roller
coaster type ride at the attraction, died on Thursday." |
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Beth, our travel agent, was on hand for the premiere of Expedition Everest. We published the following report on our blog April 7. Here it is again if you missed it: "There sure were a lot of puffy eyes at Boma this morning during breakfast! That's because the big press/industry event to celebrate the grand opening of Expedition Everest was held last night at Animal Kingdom. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start with check-in. My 8-year-old daughter and I arrived (after having lunch at Trail's End in Ft. Wilderness) around 2:00 yesterday (Thursday). Check-in at the front desk was uneventful and nothing out of the ordinary. We headed to our room and found that we had a great location on the fourth floor overlooking the central savannah. We quickly unpacked and headed upstairs to the event hospitality suite. This was set up in the Vice Presidential suite on the 5th floor. Wow! Now THAT's a hotel room! Anyway, after signing in, I was given two complimentary 4-day hoppers with 4 water park + admissions. (The tickets expire in a few days and I apparently can't pay to make them not expire.) I also received a welcome gift bag. There was a big tray of assorted huge cookies and a nice beverage selection, so we each grabbed a cookie and a soda and headed back to the room to check out the contents of the gift bag. It was an Expedition Everest lunch bag covered on one side with white fur and the EE logo. Pretty cool. Inside we found two beverages from the Coke-Cola Co that we didn't even know existed. There was a t-shirt, a VERY nice watch, several light-up key chains and such, a special EE edition box of Nestle Snowcaps candy, a pack of Sharpie markers, and a compass/clock/clip from the Discovery Channel. After cramming everything back in the bag, we changed into swimsuits for a quick jaunt to the hotel pool. Refreshing, as always! Then we ran back to the room to change, and I took my daughter to Simba's Clubhouse. (This is AKL's childcare facility.) I had to help her select what she wanted for dinner from a menu, sign her in, and sign for a beeper. The staff was very friendly, and my daughter ran off with them without looking back. Then off to the bus for me. They had special buses outside for us that carried us over to a backstage entrance at Animal Kingdom. The park was closed by then, so it was a little odd to be the only ones in sight as we headed into the industry cocktail party at the Tusker House. The main room had three tables of food - including one with a mountain of shrimp (yum!) - and some high tables... the kind you stand at while you eat. The second room had a bar (open bar service all evening with beer, wine, and mixed drinks) and many tables with chairs. Each table had two types of center pieces. One was an ice sculpture with the EE logo etched into the center of it, and the other was a sculpture of a mountain with white carnations used to simulate the snow-capped peaks. Around 7:00 we were escorted around the park to the Asia section where we had to pass through a thick cloud of (dry-ice) 'smoke' and were subsequently greeted with street performers and a lineup of people draping colorful scarves around our necks. Crossing into the event area there were two directions to go, but both offered table after table of buffet items and countless bars serving exotic drinks like mocha martinis and mango cosmopolitans. (Plenty of beer, wine, soda, coffee, etc., too.) There were several bands playing, street performers all over the place, and of course - Expedition Everest which was available to ride all evening with no lines to wait in! (And no, I haven't yet worked up the nerve to ride. Apparently I didn't try enough of the cocktails.) We all got very cool lanyards with a 'pass' for the evening. One side was sort of an 'admit one' ticket, while the other side was a map of where the food, entertainment stages, open attractions, and evening finale were located. Nice touch. Another fun touch were the bags of white cotton candy 'snow balls' used as decoration. My daughter wasn't happy that she couldn't attend the event with me, but one of those 'snow balls' earned me her forgiveness pretty quickly. The theme of the evening was 'fire and ice.' The ice carvings, wandering people in parkas, and snow balls (plus a looming Everest) achieved the snow part, while the finale on the lagoon - a dramatic achievement in fireworks and flames - accomplished the fire part nicely. Other more subtle reminders of both - like lanterns on all the dining tables - furthered the theme. OK, on to the main event. After breakfast this morning we were taken by buses to the main entrance of Animal Kingdom and led by guide through separate bag-check lines, and then around the park and into the roped off area. (Expedition Everest doesn't open to the general public until 2PM today.) We were given small bottles of cold water, a Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund button, and a battery-operated flashlight/fan (on carabiner clip) as we entered. Not sure how I managed this, but I ended up right in front of the stage with a clear view of the podium. Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, was master of ceremonies. He started by announcing that last night five $100,000 checks were presented by the Disney Wildlife Conservation fund to some very special people: actors John Cleese and Isabella Rossellini, Jane Goodall, and two others including a Nobel Peace Prize winner and another person (sorry - had a hard time taking notes!), all of whom are very active in conservation efforts. Each of these people was on hand (except Jane who was here last night, but had a representative today). We were also introduced to the sons of the first people to climb Mt. Everest and a man from the Discovery Channel who talked about the many shows that will be airing in conjunction with the opening of EE. I forget how many new species of creatures were discovered during the research for this attraction, but it was a bunch. Can't wait to see these shows. Anyway, we then moved over to the front of the attraction where Disney's president and CEO, Bob Iger, did a brief introduction, and then Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teeter officially cut the ribbon - at which point amidst a great deal of 'smoke' the first train came flying down the side of the mountain with the cast of Disney's hit made-for-TV movie High School Musical aboard. Afterwards, guides were available to take people on tours of the park. I, of course, ran back to the bus and to the hotel to file this report! So it's officially open! I'm happy to say that my daughter enjoyed her time this morning with the sitter I hired from Kid's Nite Out, and we're now officially done with our grand opening events. I'm going to head up to the suite to grab a few sodas for our frig, and then we'll head out to a park. It's a gorgeous day, so I'm thinking maybe Typhoon Lagoon for a bit.... Well, that's all for now. Disney sure knows how to throw a party!"
Beth our travel agent, sent us this final note about her experience at the premiere of Expedition Everest: "We didn't set the alarm Friday night, but still managed to wake up fairly early and make good use of the morning hours. We headed out of our room about 8:15 and had just a short wait before the Epcot bus came. We quickly cleared the 'bag check' line. Here's a hint: Before the turnstyles open, the lines start to really grow, but if you pass through the bag check and head to the right, just excusing yourself through those lines, we found the ones furthest to the right to be substantially shorter, so when they DID open we got through pretty fast and could head straight up to the right of Spaceship Earth and over to the rope line at Innoventions West. It's important to be there because, after doing the countdown and dropping the rope, you're as close as you can get to The Land pavilion [where Soarin' is located]. We did our best speed walking up the incline along with the rest of the herd. I seriously felt as if I was getting a first-hand taste of the Disney marathon! Down the stairs, across the pavilion, and to the Fast Pass machines we went, grabbing two of the first ones issued for the day (return time of 9:45-10:45). Then we ran around and got in line and had only a 15 minute wait before we got to ride. After exiting, we went across to the Living with the Land boats - which can have a really long wait time later in the day - and quickly found ourselves aboard the cruise through hydroponic gardens and such to see what they're growing these days. They're doing some amazing things with pumpkins and tomatoes! Then we had a yummy breakfast from the The Land's Sunshine Seasons dining area. A large pastry and large muffin and two drinks were under $7 with tax, so it's a bargain. Then back to Soarin' to ride for a second time using our Fast Passes. We then met up with some friends from Naples to ride Spaceship Earth, and then back to the hotel to put on bathing suites. We arrived at Typhoon Lagoon in time for lunch, and even found two chairs! This was our first time there so I didn't know what to expect really. I learned that forgetting your towels is a costly mistake ($1 per towel to rent them), that no one bugs your stuff when you're not around (I left my park tickets and room keys with charge abilities in my pants pocket, but I wouldn't recommend that), and that grilled cheese pretzels are a great thing for lunch. I also learned that while TL is the better of the two water parks (in my opinion) for young children or those that don't swim well, there still isn't that much to do. My daughter was too big for the tike areas, and two timid for the heavy-duty slides. Even a sturdy 8-year-old can EASILY be knocked over by the powerful wave action in the wave pool. (We sat on a bench along the edge and still got smacked backwards pretty hard.) Castaway Creek, the slow-moving river of inner tubes that meanders around the park, is really tranquil and suitable even for most younger children and non-swimmers given the shallow water (about 3'), and during times when everything thing else has long wait times, it seems very easy to grab a few empty tubes floating fast. The park is really pretty, and a nice way to relax. Don't forget the sunscreen! We headed back about 4:00, changed clothes, and caught a bus to MGM and then transferred to a boat to the Yacht & Beach clubs to eat at one of my favorite spots, Beaches & Cream. Two thumbs up on the Caesar salad with shrimp. The side of onion rings was plenty to share. My daughter had a grilled chicken sandwich with fresh fruit, and then we each chose a dessert. My 'No Way Jose' was a peanut butter and fudge delight, while Emily's Mud Slide produced huge smiles from a very tired child. Warning, though... we had enough food for four, and didn't come anywhere close to finishing. What's more, we were using dining vouchers provided by Disney as part of the invitation to this special weekend, but without them the meal would have run us about $54 with tax and gratuity. That's for a chicken sandwich and a salad, two sides, two drinks, and two sundaes. Yet another place where the dining plan comes in handy - especially if it's free! Then we rode the bus over to Downtown Disney for some quick shopping before heading back to the hotel. We both slept like rocks, and I barely noticed the noisy thunderstorm that started around 3:30 in the morning. I'd had every intention of stopping in a park for a few hours before heading home, but frankly, my feet were pretty tired and that three-and-a-half hours of driving ahead of me would have put a real damper on things, so we just did a quick stop in the giftshop and headed out. Final hint: when in a giftshop ask if there's anything on sale. We picked up a really nice tote bag that had been $30 for just $10, and we got a gorgeous beach towel that had been $20 for half off. That's all for now. I have a bunch of emails to catch up with, so I'll be perched at the computer for the next few days (trying not to let the pixie dust wear off too quickly). A great trip from start to finish. Can't wait until they invite me to another special event!!! :-)"
Brian from England writes: "Just returned from a brilliant two week vacation in Orlando, and thought anyone going in the immediate future might like this tip:- In Animal Kingdom, Disney has just completed its newest ride Expedition Everest. Keep an eye out for the Yeti!!!"
Karen writes: "Hi John - We just returned from our Disney World vacation (Feb. 2-13) and had a wonderful time, as usual (this was our 21st trip - our first trip was in 1978 when my daughter was 2 yrs. old!). We stayed at The French Quarter, which we love. It is a perfect place for adults. Very quiet and small. The only glitch was the bus to Animal Kingdom. We went twice and it took 40 minutes each time. This seems to be the norm because my daughter also went on a different day and had the same long ride. The commute is pick up at the FQ, proceed to four stops at Riverside, stop at Blizzard beach and Animal Kingdom destination. I hope this report will reach someone at Disney so they can address this. We definitely would have gone to AK one more day if the ride wasn't so long. Thank you for your awesome site. I have received so many great tips. The November Affordable Disney special through Beth was the reason we found FQ to begin with. Thanks again." We've also waited quite a while for the bus to AK. Thanks again for your generous comments.
Click here for the official site for Disney's new roller coaster, Expedition Everest!
Renea writes: "We are going to Disneyworld on Thanksgiving this year until Sat. Dec. 6th. We have tickets to the Merry Christmas Show on Sun., Nov. 30th. We are staying at the Floridian and were thinking about going to Animal Kingdom on that Sunday because it seems to be the quickest park to see for the day. What do you think? Can we see it all by 5:00 p.m. without killing ourselves?" Yes, that should be plenty of time to see the most important things at Animal Kingdom.
The Cook Family writes: "just returned from a 10 day trip to disneyworld. It was great especially with the money saving tips you gave us... rumor has it that a "American Adventure" park is on the drawing board for Disney's fifth theme park in Orlando. will keep you posted with the details." Interesting idea - American Adventure Park!
Iain from Scotland writes about Animal Kingdom's Primeval Whirl: "Having visited Animal Kingdom only last month, I can say that there is room in each primeval whirl car for at least 2 adults and 2 children. I rode with my wife and child. I am 6'1" and 320lbs and my wife is 5'1'' and 180lbs. Our child is 7 and big for her age. There was easily more than enough room for us all. Great ride!"
Disney may start offering private parties and themed entertainment at the Animal Kingdom after dark. Disney had installed lights when it built the park. So it's set to go. "Right now we do special events in the other parks. We're trying to figure out what's right for Animal Kingdom."
Disney's new attraction at the Animal Kingdom, Primeval Whirl, has a height requirement of 48 inches, making it the highest at the park. Primeval Whirl resembles "The Mouse" roller coaster we grew up with at our local amusement park. It is a FastPass ride. Passengers board time machines that zoom past dinosaurs and asteroids.
Melisa writes: " I had a little problem with the Dinosaur ride in A.K. -- they never checked to see if we were seated or buckled in our car when they started to set the jeep off and my son was having a temper fit about sitting by himself on it and was actually on the floor of the jeep when it start to go. I was very upset with the attendants for never checking to see if everyone was seated. not only was my son not belted neither was I or my husband. When I stood up they slammed the ride to a halt and then started yelling at me for doing so. Well I gave them a piece of my mind and informed them of us not being belted - but neither attendant seemed to care that they were in the wrong - they seemed to enjoy putting the blame on us."
The Rainforest Cafe Safari Club offers discounts and priority seating. They have two locations at WDW (Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney) and their food is excellent. You can apply for a membership at any Rainforest Cafe. Membership costs $10. To apply, stop by the restaurant the day before you plan to dine since the benefits are not available immediately. Other benefits include a $10 discount on your next meal (that makes the membership free) and 10% off merchandise at the gift shop. They will also send you discount offers on your anniversary and birthday. It's worth joining for priority seating as lines at WDW can be pretty long. You can't join the club at their web site, but they have lots of other information there. Click here.
Kim writes: "Hello! Love the newsletter. I just have one question, my son will be 2 years old when we go to Florida and I would love to take him to Animal Kingdom. He loves animals. Will there be enough things for him to see or is he too young?" He will love the animals, dinosaurs, and the Disney characters at Camp Minnie/Mickey. He may not last longer than 4 hours. You may have to return to your hotel so he can take a nap and then return to the park later. Not too much later - the park closes an hour after dusk. Glad you like the newsletter!
Laura writes: I actually had one cast member tell me we had to leave the Pooh and Tigger area at Animal Kingdom because we ran out of film. She told us we couldn't take the time to reload and we had to leave. We just spent and hour and a half in the heat waiting to meet them, and the children hadn't gotten their autographs. I told the children to stay and get those (though if I had been fast enough I could have reloaded in that amount of time!!). Needless to say, we don't get autographs at Animal Kingdom anymore. By the way, on our way in to Animal Kingdom, there was Turk and another Character, plus safari Minnie and Mickey as we entered the park (around 8:15). When we came back later, they were gone.
The playground area can be confusing. I stayed with
the 3 year old while the older ones went on the Dinosaur ride (also too loud!).
I didn't know there was more than one exit area for the slides, and lost
my son for a while. The slides are very high, and you can't see your little
people make the entire climb. Once at the top, they can go through different
slides, 2 of which empty on the same side. Also note, that during off season,
people exit the dinosaur ride the same way they enter, so even though cast
members tell you the exit is off to the side, in the off season, that exit
isn't used."
Lockers Tina writes: "... what size are the lockers and the price for rental?" Each theme park and the Transportation and Ticket Center have lockers that rent for $5 (includes a $2 refundable deposit). If you have some items that won't fit in the locker, give them to the locker attendant at Guest Relations at Animal Kingdom. If you plan to park hop, you don't have to pay another locker deposit. See the locker attendant for particulars.
Rafiki's Planet Watch in Africa shows
visitors how Disney cares for the animals. The Station provides veterinary
care and serves as a research facility. Song of
the Rainforest
is located here: visitors enter a listening
booth and are immersed in rainforest sounds through the magic of "3-D"' audio.
Timon and Pumbaa have their own exhibit
in Africa. Guests can stop by and see real warthogs and meerkats in their
native habitat.
Although Disney planned to close Animal Kingdom at
night, it has installed lights in the African Savanna, so the
safari ride can run after dark (and you can see the animals). Don't know
what the animals will make of all this light during the night! Normal hours
are 7 am - 8 pm. Disney plans to use the lights during the busiest seasons,
like summer and Christmas. The Rainforest Cafe is the only full service restaurant at Animal Kingdom. You don't need to buy passes to the park to dine here. There is an entrance outside the park at the gate. Get your safari hat with mouse ears at the Outpost Shop (just outside the park) and your Minnie Mouse headband at Creature Comforts (just before exiting Safari Village, heading toward Harambe).
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