Hakuna Matata

We had all good intentions of getting up early this morning and getting a jump on the crowds at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It was a nice idea, really. Still, when we finally showed up at the park just before noon, the animals were there waiting for us. No harm done.

Meeko, the adorable raccoon from Disney's Pocahontas, was among the first to greet us. Having noticed our anniversary buttons, he went straight for our wedding rings. Meeko just loves shiny objects! We managed to retain possession of our jewelry and hugged him goodbye. We were eager to see who or what else might await us beyond the entrance.

As we crossed through Discovery Island on our way to Africa, we paused for a moment to admire the Tree of Life, an intricately designed tree-shaped sculpture that features hundreds of animal images hidden within the trunk, roots, and branches. We had a lot of fun discovering the more well-camouflaged creatures. We even journeyed inside the tree to see a show featuring characters from A Bug's Life. They declared us to be honorary bugs!

In the Africa section of the park, we took a wild safari ride through forest and plains spotting freely roaming giraffes, zebras, elephants, lions, and other animals. The plot of the ride was a bit weak, but the animals were beautiful, and it was wonderful to see them in a more natural setting than those seen in most zoos.

Also in Africa, we took a self-guided walking tour which led us right past the gorilla habitat. The gorillas were difficult to find, as they were inside their caves seeking refuge from the heat of the day. We considered ourselves lucky when we managed to catch a young male out getting a cool drink from the waterfall.

Another walking tour, in the Asia section of Animal Kingdom, took us to a habitat shared by tigers and deer. We were shocked to find tigers and deer living in peace together, but our fears were quickly put to rest by a helpful guide. She explained that since the tigers are so well-fed by the zoo staff, they have become lazy and do not bother the deer at all. Why should they hunt when their meals are delivered right to them? The tiger pictured at the right might appear to be giving a mighty roar, but it was actually just yawning, having just woken from a little "cat nap." We also hung around for a bit with the bats, watching them climb, fly, fight, and... hang around.

The area of the park that we really look forward to visiting again when Kala has finished recovering from her surgery is DinoLand, U.S.A. There we found, among the many sculptures and dinosaur-themed carnival games (including Whac-A-Packycephalosaur), a bunch of rides which look like great fun. One is comprised of circular cars that spin all the way around as they follow a traditional rollercoaster track. Next time!

After a breathtakingly beautiful parade full of abstract representations of animals and some classic Disney characters, we had a lovely dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. It was not quite as romantic as our meal at Tony's last night, but the food was good and the service was excellent. Also, it was nice to spend a few more minutes with the animals (even animatronic ones) before heading back to our hotel.

We spent some time (and money) washing clothes, and are ready to get a good night's sleep.