As soon as school got out in June, Angeline and I headed up to Orlando with her cousin Brit.
We crammed as much fun into two days as humanly possible!
There is simply so much to do in Kissimmee, from Walt Disney World Resort, the water parks, shopping and entertainment at Downtown Disney, and last but not least – Animal Kingdom.
Being a family that really loves animals, Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom is usually our first choice when we head to Kissimmee!
Also? My daughter absolutely loves Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom!
It was in the high 90’s when we visited Animal Kingdom, but we came prepared with lots of bottled water and sunscreen. We alternated between riding rides and seeing shows that were indoors so that we didn’t get too over heated.
I love that Animal Kingdom has indoor – air conditioned – shows throughout the day so that you can escape the heat when you need to!
My favorite show? Finding Nemo!
While we didn’t happen to catch any characters out and about while we were in the park, Brit and I had fun goofing around, creating our own photo opps!
For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you may remember that we took another one of Angeline’s cousins to Orlando/Kissimmee with us last year. That was Brit’s little sister! They are taking turns going on vacations with us because Angeline loves spending time with them both so much!
The girls couldn’t stop talking about Expedition Everest! They did it twice!
Since I had just invested in a very good camera, I decided to try to catch a photo of the girls coming down the mountain! I began snapping as each group came down, hoping to be lucky enough to catch the girls.
I actually did! I was so excited! They’re the girls in the orange shirts with their hands in the air!
Luckily, we were able to time the rides and shows with the Fast Pass program so that we weren’t standing around waiting for rides. We would grab a Fast Pass, then head to a show, then once the show was out, we would head over to our time slot to ride. Then we would get a Fast Pass for another ride, and either go to a show or go to a ride with no line – like the Kali River Rapids!
The girls did the Kali River Rapids twice in a row: once without ponchos, then once with ponchos.
I didn’t ride it myself because I wanted to take photos, but I know from last year that this is a ride that even I can ride with my motion sickness issues.
And it’s a great way to cool down when it’s really hot – that water is nice and cold!
One of my favorite things to do at Walt Disney World at Animal Kingdom is to admire the landscaping and scenery. Disney puts such effort into their theme parks, you really feel like you are being transported to another place. I love the different countries represented in Animal Kingdom; the buildings, the street signs, the banners, the colors – everything is so lovely!
Of course, no trip to Animal Kingdom is complete with attending the Festival of the Lion King show! We missed it last year, so it was a top priority when we went this year.
The show was amazing!
The singing, the dancing, the costumes – I’ll let the photos speak for themselves!
Have you ever been to Animal Kingdom?
I received complimentary admittance for two into Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. All opinions are my own!
I so wish we could take The Dudes there. We’re going to Pittsburgh this summer. Decidedly less thrilling. Looks like you had a blast!
I still haven’t been to this park and I’ve been wanting to. Think I may have to find a girlfriend who wants to spend the day in the jungle with me, then go out and drink our way around the world at Epcot.
Oh, that brings back some memories! I can’t wait to take the boys someday.
It looks like all of you had a blast!
Unfortunately, it looks like I won’t be able to take my kids back there until they change their disability special pass policy. It used to be that, if you had a child with a disability, you could get a front of the line pass. Not anymore. And there’s no way my son can wait in a long line.
The Lion King show is one of my favorites too. I haven’t been on Expedition Everest yet though.
Love this park! Except for Kali River Rapids. 😉
I love the Animal Kingdom park too. Your plan to interchange the indoor and outdoor activities was smart. Lion King is my favorite show, but the gorillas are my favorite animal. I could spend hours watching them. Love the photos!
We missed seeing Animal Kingdom when we visited Disney last month. I was disappointed not being able to see it. but there’s always next time.
We love Animal Kingdom. It’s one of our favorite parks. Glad to hear they liked Expedition Everest. It looks like a fun ride. My kids would love to see the Nemo show next time we are there.
I love, love, love AK! One of my favorite parks!
Wow! It seems that you really had a wonderful time in Disney. Everything in Disney is so enchanting, how I wish to have a Disney trip with my family too.