Saturday, October 20, 2018

Ice Cream, Animals, and Everest

The moment we arrived at Animal Kingdom my anxiety was rising.  I prefer to avoid crowds, I dislike waiting in lines, and oh my word I am surrounded by strollers.  But then, as I was following behind Remi, she started to dance to the music and in my mind I was thinking this girl has no clue what she is about to experience. It just made me so happy!

Right inside the gate was the infamous Tree of Life.  It's a gorgeous site to see and just beyond that, bright pink flamingos.  I could have stood and watched these birds for hours.  But, I was on mission. The first stop was for the must have Mickey-Shaped chocolate covered ice cream on a stick.  Second stop, Kilimanjaro Safari, because animals.  Lions, giraffes, elephants, alligators, more birds and many other species living in a place that protects them from being harmed.  Roaming the open lands, no chains, no fences, no restrictions.  Just 110 acres of a real like savanna of East Africa. Fun fact; the entire Magic Kingdom park could fit inside the Kilimanjaro Safari, put that into perspective.

Next up and one of my favorites, Expedition Everest.  This thrilling Roller Coaster is themed around the Yeti protecting the Forbidden Mountain next to Mt. Everest. Its cost to build was a cool $100 million and took 6 years to construct.  You do not want to skip this ride.  It's the first coaster to switch between backward and forward sections during the same ride. Trust me, it's cool. There are some really cool artifacts too while you are waiting in line that includes a costume and ceremonial mask used in the annual Yeti dance and remains that were left from the ill-fated expedition of 1982.  The only pictures captured were found on a mangled camera left at the ruined campsite.

Prayer flags adorn the top of the mountain coaster, right before you start to go backward.  These flags are flown to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. The Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras will be blown by the wind and are often seen along the mountain ridges of the Himalayas. I love the purpose of these and having a set of them was the perfect addition to my loft.

















To be clear, I did not buy Mickey Ears...
See you this afternoon Magic Kingdom! 
Shona

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