It was finally the day we would see the much talked about Pandora at Animal Kingdom. I was excited to see what all of the hype was about but not so much being at Animal Kingdom in the August heat. This is the one park we would probably explore more if we came in the winter time. I just do not do well with heat and for some reason Animal Kingdom is that one park I can't seem to find a place to stay cool. We arrived just as they opened the park.
Everyone was making a mad dash straight for Pandora even though the CM had warned them not to run. Didn't really matter because by the time you got around the corner towards the new land you realized that there was a sea of people just like you waiting to get in. It was the craziest thing I had ever seen. As the crowd started to get larger (yes, there were just as many people behind us as there was in front of us) the CM's started asking everyone where they were headed. We had a fastpass for Flights of Passage so our plan was to see the Navi River Journey first and then come back when it was time for the other ride. Lets just say I was never so glad to have a fastpass for a ride as I did that morning! The cast members directed us towards our ride while it seemed like everyone else was directed to a very, very long line for Flights of Passage.
The Navi River ride is cute and great for small children who can't get on Flights of Passage but it can appear spooky of your child does not like "dark" rides (we encountered one child who was not happy that her parents were making her ride lol). I agree with everyone who said its too short, but if you get there first thing in the morning and you are looking for something relaxing after fighting the crowds just to get in this area then its not that bad of a compromise. I know for me it was a great relief to not have to stand in line with all of the other people waiting to get to FOP. And we walked right on (later that day the wait time was ridiculous for both rides). As I am writing this post on June 12th the wait time is 60 min. for Navi River and 135 minutes for Flights of Passage. When we went people were waiting up to three and four hours.
When you come out of the Navi River ride there are these cool drums built into the "tree" formations. Be sure to check them out. At night (and maybe even during the day) I think you have an opportunity to be a part of a presentation that they do with them.
There were people lined up so far back that they were on the bridge between Pandora and the bridge that takes you to Festival of the Lion King.
My daughter being serenaded for her birthday.
One of my favorite shots from that morning!
Us exploring (aka getting lost lol).
Found this wall by accident even though it was on my bucket list for this trip. We kept getting different directions from the CM's as to which was the best way to get to the Tree of Life.
Found it!
Another favorite shot. I love the scenery at Animal Kingdom (just not the heat lol).
I was really surprised at how many animals we got to see on this trip. Sometimes when its this hot (I believe it was in the high 90's) the animals are not as active. Can you blame them? I have to admit nothing takes a candle to our first time doing the Safari. We had a guide from Africa and his accent made the ride seem more realistic. And I actually miss the poachers scene. All in all its still a great ride for someone who knows she will never go to Africa, but some of the magic seems missing with some of the changes that have been made over the years.
I didn't take any photos on our way back to ride Flights of Passage. We went through the Fastpass line pretty quick (our pass was for 11:45). And we were so excited to not have to wait in line that it didn't even cross my mind to document it (you can't videotape the actual ride anyway, and I was too busy holding on to the back of my "Banshee" to snap a photo with my phone LOL. ) But we did take photos at the famous Moss wall (Tip: which you can find right after you exit the ride and have come down the steps in front of the restaurant and shop).
We popped in the shop briefly. Grabbed a snack and some water out of our bags before making our way back to catch the Festival of the Lion King at 1:30.
I love, love, love the Festival of the Lion King Show. But again I was a bit disappointed this time around because I noticed some changes to the show (clearly I don't do well with change lol). I can't put my finger on it and may have to go back and look at one of my old trip videos but I think they have eliminated some of the songs because there seemed to be something missing. Also this was our first time seeing it in its new location. A few years ago I got to see the Broadway version of Lion King when my daughter and husband surprised me for my birthday. At the time I remember saying I actually liked the park version better. Now I am not so sure.
