{"id":1133,"date":"2011-02-03T12:00:07","date_gmt":"2011-02-03T17:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_guest\/?p=1133"},"modified":"2022-05-05T00:09:38","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T04:09:38","slug":"animal-kingdom-from-a-to-z-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/animal-kingdom-from-a-to-z-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Animal Kingdom From A to Z (Part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I left off with my A-Z look at Animal Kingdom with a stop at the Gorilla Research Camp. This time we\u2019ll swoop into letter H:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hanging with the Giant Fruit Bats<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t really care for bats. I\u2019m not afraid of them (unless one gets in my house), but I just don\u2019t find them all that appealing. Until \u2026 I go to Animal Kingdom.<\/p>\n

The bats are part of the Maharajah Jungle Trek, which is in the Asian- themed land, the Kingdom of Anandapur. As you walk along the Jungle Trek you come to an enclosure where at first your eyes lead the mind to believe that you are completely separate from the bats, but if you look carefully, there is no caging, wiring, or screening. You do not need to worry. Just take in their size (an almost 6- foot wingspan on their paper-thin wings) and watch them sleep, eat, and hang in the vines trying to stay cool. For some reason I especially like this area when it rains or they turn on the sprinkler system that they have. The bats look particularly beautiful, yes, beautiful, to me when their wings are slightly wet.<\/p>\n

There are often research assistants here as well, ready to help with any questions you may have about the bats.<\/p>\n

If bats just aren\u2019t your thing, there is a bypass to skip this section and move on to the tigers.<\/p>\n

I Spy \u2013Finding Hidden Mickeys<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Now that it\u2019s common knowledge that Hidden Mickeys are out there, we all see them here and there. But I think Animal Kingdom is a great place to look for them because the park offers so many self-guided opportunities like The Oasis, Maharajah Jungle Trek, and Pangani Forest. You have as much time as you like to look for Mickey.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I also think Rafiki\u2019s Planet Watch and Conservation Station are \u00a0great places to look. There seem to be a lot that I can find and I\u2019m not an expert\u00a0 seeker!<\/p>\n

Have a long wait between shows for Nemo or Lion King? Keep your eye on those bubbles or the stadium seating.\u00a0 You never know where Mickey will pop up! <\/strong><\/p>\n

Jiko<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I am not an adventurous eater. But I am adventurous when it comes to trying new Disney adventures. That can sometimes lead to a bit of a conflict. \u00a0In the case of Jiko, I believe I\u2019m up to the challenge.<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t yet been there, but on anticipation alone I feel comfortable putting it on my list. Jiko means \u201ca cooking place\u201d in Swahili. I most look forward to seeing the back wall as it has been described to me to change like the sunset. It sounds like a beautiful setting for an unbelievable dining experience.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s face it, we\u2019re there for the food. I\u2019m going to stretch my picky habits and try a little African-style fare. I may not be up for Wild Boar but I think I\u2019ll start with Taste of Africa (dips and assorted breads). Safe with just a touch of adventure.<\/p>\n

One of Jiko\u2019s most well-known entrees was the Oak-Grilled Fillet Mignon with Macaroni and Cheese. In 2010 the menu changed and the filet is now served with Fingerling potatoes. I have heard you can request the Mac and Cheese. Both sound good to me!<\/p>\n

Usually desert is tough for me- I\u2019m so full I can\u2019t do it justice. It seems like the menu has been in flux a bit lately but I’m sure there will be something there I can at least try- especially if it’s chocolate!<\/p>\n

The worst part about writing this in January is having to wait until July to find out about Jiko myself!<\/p>\n

Remember you can find the menu for Jiko at https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/walt-disney-world\/dining\/menus\/jiko-menu\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Kali River Rapids<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Giant inter-tube rides where a group of people move together down a rapids and get wet is great fun. At Disney\u2019s Animal Kingdom there is also excellent theming and a bit of education thrown in as well.<\/p>\n

We ride down the Chakranadi River, which is Sanskrit for \u201criver that flows in a circle\u201d and as we enjoy our splashed-filled ride we see and hear the destruction of logging companies around us. We see the environment eroded and burned away. We wonder what might have been.<\/p>\n

All of this is happening quickly while you are having a blast. It\u2019s not until you get off dripping wet, that just for a second you realize you\u2019re part of the problem. We\u2019re why they clear cut. \u00a0The lumber gets used by us every day. It doesn\u2019t ruin the ride. It does however usually make me give a donation to the Disney Conservation Fund.<\/p>\n

Laughing (In Spite of Myself) at It\u2019s Tough to Be A Bug<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is one of the attractions I don\u2019t want to like, but do. I\u2019m not a big fan of A Bug’s Life<\/span> characters (hence the title, I suppose), the 3-D glasses aren\u2019t a favorite of mine, and I know all the gags that are coming.<\/p>\n

So why is it on my favorite list? Because everyone (including children who are old enough not to be frightened by mildly scary things) should experience it once. You won\u2019t forget it. I guarantee that something will be memorable enough that you\u2019ll still talk about it, at least in passing, years later. \u00a0(We still try and figure out some of Disney’s secrets on that one, although they can keep their stinkbug secret.)<\/p>\n

Maharajah Jungle Trek<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

What I most appreciate about the self-guided tours at Animal Kingdom is that you can be in the park on a very busy day and yet areas like this remain quite peaceful. It\u2019s a great place to go and recharge when the crowds start to get to you.<\/p>\n

I enjoy looking at the plant life as much as the animals. Trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses: all of it; even the mosses have a relaxing beauty to them.<\/p>\n

But I know in this Indian jungle palace, the real stars are the animals. The gibbons, tapir, Komodo Dragon, and giant fruit bats all lead up to the real attraction- the tigers. Many people stop at the first viewing point but there are several along the way and many are often prime spots for watching a tiger taking a walk, catching a snooze, or even going for a swim. I always have to remind myself at this point that I am still in Central Florida. Look around. It won\u2019t look like it.<\/p>\n

Maharajah Jungle Trek<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

What I most appreciate about the self-guided tours at Animal Kingdom is that you can be in the park on a very busy day and yet areas like this remain quite peaceful. It\u2019s a great place to go and recharge when the crowds start to get to you.<\/p>\n

I enjoy looking at the plant life as much as the animals. Trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses: all of it; even the mosses have a relaxing beauty to them.<\/p>\n

But I know in this Indian jungle palace, the real stars are the animals. The gibbons, tapir, Komodo Dragon, and giant fruit bats all lead up to the real attraction- the tigers. Many people stop at the first viewing point but there are several along the way and many are often prime spots for watching a tiger taking a walk, catching a snooze, or even going for a swim. I always have to remind myself at this point that I am still in Central Florida. Look around. It won\u2019t look like it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After the tigers are some Elds Deer, which are endangered species, and some Blackbuck Antelope. You\u2019ll notice their twisted horns. You\u2019ll also notice several different birds. In the bird sanctuary, be sure to use a color guide to identify some of the birds. Last summer I could have sworn I found 100 of the same kind and none of the rest. Maybe you\u2019ll be a better bird watcher than me!<\/p>\n

Next time we\u2019ll look at singing clownfish and the wild tree in the center of it all.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I left off with my A-Z look at Animal Kingdom with a stop at the Gorilla Research Camp. This time we\u2019ll swoop into letter H: \u00a0 Hanging with the Giant Fruit Bats I don\u2019t really care for bats. I\u2019m not afraid of them (unless one gets in my house), but I just don\u2019t find them…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-walt-disney-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1133"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67370,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1133\/revisions\/67370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}