Animal Kingdom: Wilderness Explorers
Zoo + Rides = Animal Kingdom.
In case anyone is planning a trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom, we wrote this blog to tell you about some really fun educational activities that you can do when you're there.
The image above is of a rhinoceros with the words "Explore Animal Kingdom". There are rhinos at Animal Kingdom, but this photo was not taken there. I wasn't lucky enough to snap a great photo of any animals myself, so I turned to a stock image.
Up
Are you familiar with the movie "Up"? It is one of our favorites. The scouts featured in that film come to life at Animal Kingdom with their Wilderness Explorers program.
Here is a photo of our girls getting close to Kevin the giant beautiful bird from "Up". We caught Kevin unexpectedly on the bridge to Asia just before the show called "Feathered Friends in Flight". This is not a standard character encounter. The Wilderness Explorers walked beside Kevin the Bird, keeping her safe in the crowds.
Check out the Wilderness Explorers program. They have wildlife experts called "Troop Leaders" scattered throughout the park, ready to teach people about the animals (and some plants).
Earn stickers for your guidebooks as you go. The guidebooks are free and can be obtained at many of the Wilderness Explorers checkpoints. Here's a map from the book! It marks where one can find each badge.
If you go when there aren't crowds, the folks they choose for these roles are really knowledgeable and fun to talk to. Great at getting the kids excited about wildlife. We especially enjoyed finding the "Troop Leader" in the fossil dig area! I took this image from where I was standing with the Troop Leader. The dig site was huge! We were grateful that we were there when it was quiet.
On a birding trail one of the zookeepers had to get a large bird out of the walkway. Here's a shot. This zookeeper was really friendly. His name is Kirby and he uses wheels to get around. He joked with my kids that the Kirby from their video game is his cousin. I tried to focus on the animal in this photo, but I caught a shot of Kirby's nice wheelchair in the process. It shows how accessible all of the trails are within the park.
Here is a photo of our children engaging with a Troop Leader.
Dinosaur Fun!
We love dinosaurs. Especially our 4 year old. We had a great time with the dinosaur museum that fills the line on the way to the Dinosaur ride. We arrived there before the crowds so we really had a chance to savor and experience the museum. Even if you skip the scary ride, the museum itself is a delight! The displays are designed with little ones and adults in mind.
They have a big dinosaur, too.
Just a little bit away there was a play area that was set up like an excavation camp, where we dug for fossils.
Opening and Closing Time
The park opens early, so check the hours when you plan your trip! If you get there when they open, you can watch them feed the animals before everything opens. The park also closes early. The train to Rafiki's Planet Watch makes its final departure at 4:30pm. We caught the final Lion King performance at 6pm. By 6:30pm they begin closing down the rides. We walked out of the park at 7pm. With our early wake up time, and a full day of activities at the park, our Explorers were ready to go.
Plan Your Adventure
Do you want to plan a brainy trip to Disney?
Check out what Science With Kids has to say about this park.
We loved our time at Animal Kingdom!
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