By Lisa Green
I’m a little perplexed about something.
(If you can clear up my confusion, please do!) Why do so many people
skip the exploration trails at Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Is it
because they think it’ll be too much like a typical zoo experience and
they want more “Disney” things to do? Maybe some folks are afraid there
will be unpleasant animal smells? (There aren’t) Is it because there
are so many other things at Animal Kingdom to see and do they think they
don’t have time? (That one I could sort of understand) I have a theory
about it…I think people skip the trails because they don’t think
they’ll be exciting or that there’s nothing new or different to see. Of
course, if that’s the case, they’d be WRONG! Perhaps I could dispel
that nasty rumor once and for all…
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give to you, iFIVE great thngs about The Pangani Forest Exploration Trail: (Don’t worry, I will devote an entire future post to the Maharajah Jungle Trek).
1. Naked (Nekkid!) Mole Rats. Somewhat (okay,
VERY) disgusting, always fascinating! Along the trail you’ll come to a
research building full of fascinating exhibits – none more interesting
than those mole rats! They’re like some sort of horrible oddity – you
know what I’m talking about – the kind of thing you can’t look away from
but you’re freaked out by. Want to know more? See these Fun Facts at the Smithsonian’s site.
2. Meerkats
– These little guys (and girls, I suppose) are so fun to watch!
Popping up and down, playing sentry for their mob. They are cute and
funny and wonderful to see. Why would anyone pass up this opportunity?
Need more convincing? Check out National Geographic’s Meerkat facts
for kids here.
3. Hippos! There’s an underwater viewing area. You
can see hippos in the water on Kilimanjaro Safari, but seeing them from
below the water’s surface is just spectacular! Really!
4. The Aviary – Birds take so many different shapes and sizes!
They’re also smaller than some of the other animals on the trail, so
the stroller set may find them more interesting. Of course, if you’re
scared of birds you should avoid this area at all costs! Me? I think
they’re just ducky. (See what I did there?)
5. THE very best part of this experience – Western Lowland Gorillas.
Incredible. Fascinating. Also so fun to watch as they go about their
day – and seem to be interested in watching you go about yours. If
you’ve ever been
to a stinky primate house at a zoo, forget about it! These amazing
creatures are right there in front of you – with no bars or glass
obscuring your view. See the gorilla in the picture? He had a metal
dish/bowl for drinking water, but he stopped drinking to stare at
me…while I looked at him. I think we really connected there for a
while.
So, those are my reasons for visiting Animal Kingdom’s Pangani Forest Exploration Trail on every visit.
You should give it a try! Especially if you’re looking for any sort of
educational opportunities on vacation (if you took the kids out of
school to visit Walt Disney World, these trails are the stuff research
reports are made of!)
Have you explored the Pangani Forest trail? What was your favorite animal along the way?
This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at@life_of_green
Please check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on the Disney Exchange Podcast! -Nick
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at
Please check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on the Disney Exchange Podcast! -Nick
embarrassed to say I've never seen any of the animals at ak! whaaat ?
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