Animal Kingdom

After a slight delay Thursday morning, caused by "Big Mike" from the Disney discount ticket store next door to our resort taking his time getting back from the wholesaler, we started our Disney adventure at Animal Kingdom.



We had gotten tips from friends before our trip that it was critical to make the Kilimanjaro Safari our first stop of the day, since generally the animals prefer to be out roaming (and therefore more visible) in the morning. They were right!


There were 2 shows at Animal Kingdom: The Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo, The Musical. The lighting was very low during Lion King, and photography wasn't permitted once Nemo started. But here's a small taste (we were seated in the Warthog section of the arena, hence the picture of Pumba).


At ages 2 and 3, Emerson and Ivie had mixed reactions to the various characters, particularly when they were up close and personal. So you never knew what versions of the girls you were going to get after standing in line for the "character greetings" scattered throughout the park. Ivie loved Mickey and Minnie, for example, but was scared to tears of Eeyore, the most calm and laid-back character of all - go figure!

Mickey and Minnie

Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore


Goofy and Pluto

Since it was her first day experiencing the "magic" of Disney, Ivie was pretty much in awe all day. Here are some shots of her many different faces (mostly smiles, thankfully, even though she was worn out by day's end!).

We wrapped up our day at Animal Kingdom with Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade. All the characters, riding cool floats. Could there be anything better?


Since Animal Kingdom closed at 5p, we headed to Downtown Disney for dinner. With two tired little girls, we took the first option available to us. Planet Hollywood! The food was yummy and the atmosphere entertaining (and loud to drown out the girls!), so it was the perfect choice! Day one was deemed a success, and we headed back to the condo for a good night's sleep...