Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
253
Cool Trivia
Fun Facts
Two things you might hear during your day in the park: Bugs make up 80% of
the real animal kingdom, and cheetahs are the only great cats that purr. Both are
true.
out of view. There's also an Endangered Animal Rehabilitation Centre with colobus and
mona monkeys.
Rafiki's Planet Watch
Overrated
Frommer's Rating:
C
Recommended Ages:
All ages
Board an open-sided train (the Wildlife Express) near Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
for a trip to the back edge of the park, which has three attractions.
Conservation Station
offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Disney cares for animals (and the entrance mural
is loaded with Hidden Mickeys). You'll pass nurseries and veterinarian stations. But these
facilities need to be staffed to be interesting, and that's not always the case. Older kids
and adults will find the audio presentations at the sound booths pretty neat.
Habitat
Habit!
is a trail with small animals such as cotton-top tamarins. The
Affection Section
's
petting zoo has rare goats and potbelly pigs, but not much more.
ASIA
Disney's Imagineers have outdone themselves in creating the kingdom of
Anandapur.
The intricately painted artwork and detailed carvings are very appealing, and they even
seem to make the lines move a tad faster.
Expedition Everest
Frommer's Rating:
A+
Recommended Ages:
8-adult
If there's a knock against Animal Kingdom, it's that it doesn't pack a lot of punch in the
adrenaline department due to its lack of thrill rides. But naysayers have been quieted by the
2006 addition of
Expedition Everest,
Animal Kingdom's first true thrill ride. Your journey
begins in the small Himalayan village of Serka Zong, where guests board the Anandapur
Rail Service for a seemingly casual trek to the snowcapped peak of Mount Everest. Upon
departing, you'll pass through an Asian mountain range and dense bamboo forests, and
then move past glacier fields and pounding waterfalls. But your journey will quickly get off
track (almost literally) and become an out-of-control high-speed train ride that sends you
careening along rough and rugged terrain, moving backward and forward along icy moun-
tain ledges and through darkened caves—only to end up confronting the legendary Yeti.
Bet your adrenaline is running already. The meticulous and painstaking detail is some of
the most impressive in all of WDW. Prayer flags are strung between the aged and distressed
buildings, while intricately carved totems, stone carvings, and some 2,000 authentic hand-
crafted Asian objects are scattered throughout the village.
Finding Nemo—The Musical
Frommer's Rating:
A+
Recommended Ages:
All ages
Disney's new, live stage production is simply enchanting. Nemo, Marlin, Dory, Crush,
and Bruce (among other film favorites) come to life before your eyes. Live actors, in
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