Trip Report: “Disney Parks Around The World – A Private Jet Adventure” Day 22 – Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios

There are 12 Disney theme parks around the world split amongst 6 resorts. Over the past 21 days, we’ve visited 9 of them. Today, we added 2 – Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Welcome to the penultimate day of Disney Parks Around The World – A Private Jet Adventure

Coffee and pastries helped wake us up at the Grand Floridian Convention Center, where Disney Security took care of our bag check before boarding a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We got there at 7:30 am before the park opened for a first ride experience on Kilimanjaro Safaris. But this wasn’t your typical ride, as each vehicle had a member of Disney’s animal programs taking the microphone to give us a more intimate look into the lives of these amazing creatures. The animal programs team also delighted us by waiting for our vehicles to arrive to feed the Painted Dogs their meat bones.

Dr. Geoff Pye delighted us with stories about performing dental work on hippos with a customized water pick, overseeing 3 pregnant elephants, and learning that all of the lionesses on the savannah are spayed since their DNA is already well represented in the global species survival plan.

After the safari, we were driven backstage over to Rafiki's Planet Watch (the train was not yet running), where a buffet breakfast was waiting for us, with themed menu items like the “Hakuna Frittata.”

Each place setting included a pin for the Disney Conservation Fund, which we learned more about during a presentation while we are.

Dr. Mark Penning was the advertised guest speaker, but he was held up by international travel. In his place was Dr. Scott Terrell, Director of Animal and Science Operations. He leads a team of nearly 900 people who look after the animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Tri-Circle D Ranch, The Living Seas, Aulani, Castaway Cay, Disneyland, and Vero Beach. The previous day, several of Dr. Scott’s team members went to Vero Beach to assist with the release of 2 baby turtles, and he shared they’ve had a record-breaking year so far with over 1 million hatchlings. He touched on the environmental goals of the Walt Disney World Resort, which is currently around 40% operated by solar power, and nearly 100% of seafood served on property is sustainably managed. At Animal Kingdom, they’re working with Restaurantosaurus to be the first restaurant that’s completely compostable. And Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground is home to a glass digester machine that turns glass bottles back into sand, which can be used for beach renourishment. Some Cast Member costumes on property are also being made from recycled plastics.

Dr. Scott also bestowed us with our pin of the day, featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse dressed appropriately for a ride on Kilimanjaro Safari.

After breakfast, we split into smaller groups for tours around the facility. Our animal experience was with Willie the aardvark, who got to enjoy some of his favorite insect treats while we learned more about him. Willie is the first known aardvark with a big allergy, and under Disney’s care, he is on medication that can help him thrive off his natural diet.

We were reunited with Dr. Geoff in the Animal Hospital, where Guests can see animals getting their checkups. He recounted one of his favorite moments in that space, the birth of a white gibbon named Harper, who had to be delivered by c-section. He shared that Guests hoping to see an animal check-up can visit Guest Relations in the morning to ask for the day’s schedule, although that sometimes changes. And during a Q&A portion, Dr. Geoff shared that they’re currently partnering to create a respirator for manatees that will match their unique held breath pattern.

In the Science Center, endocrinologist Jess Karan talked about how they use feces to test animal hormones, while educator Kristen Sworen talked about animal enrichment programs. She passed around a “cheetah ball” that is being developed in partnership with Walt Disney Imagineering, a durable casing that can house a gyroscope to create constant motion. A plant-based 3D printer is used to create the exterior. Our tour concluded backstage in the Nutritional Center (no photos allowed), where rumors about table scraps becoming animal feed were disproved. Just like in Disney kitchens for humans, the kitchen preparing food for animals is sectioned off in stations to avoid cross-contamination of anything that shouldn’t be part of that animal’s diet.

Speaking of diet, it was soon time for lunch. We took the Wildlife Express train back to Africa and had a little bit of time on our own. A reserved viewing area was available for Festival of the Lion King, but we opted to use 2 of our 10 Lightning Lanes to experience the attractions of Pandora – The World of Avatar. Lunch was helped in Yak & Yeti in the restaurant’s upper level. Served communal style, we got to sample some of their best dishes, including appetizers like Wok Fried Green Beans, entrees like Korean Beef, and desserts like Mango Key Lime Cheesecake.

After lunch, our VIP Guides from the previous day were waiting to start our next adventure. Our guide, Shane, drove us to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where we parked backstage at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for a very special experience. We were taken backstage of Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run to see one of 2 pods for Guests with mobility challenges in action. It allows for a longer load time than the typical rotating pods while still offering the same experience, with the asteroid scene included on all journeys (you only see it on the regular pods if there’s a delay). These pods are on hydraulic lifts and a rolling track that slides them into the screened dome after boarding is complete. After seeing backstage, we got to experience the attraction ourselves.

We were also treated to a drink at Oga's Cantina. Most of us chose the Fuzzy Tauntaun, which comes with a foam that makes your lips tingle. After that, we were on our own for a few hours with our group of 10 and our guide. We experienced the following attractions:

Mirroring our dinner at Disney California Adventure on Day 2, dinner was held inside the Disney Junior Theater. Another catered buffet, the Adventures by Disney team took advantage of the LED screen to present a photo slideshow of the trip thus far.

After dinner, the plan was to see Fantasmic! with reserved seating. However, Mother Nature had other plans, with lightning and rain in the area. As a result, the performance was canceled, and we called it an early night, heading back to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

Side note: there was meant to be a second pin today, which we received the following morning. It features Chewbacca in front of the Millennium Falcon docked on Batuu. Until the last and final trip report, see ya real soon!

Disney fans will soon be able to travel the globe from the comfort of their homes with Disney Around the World from Ravensburger. We brought along an early review copy of the game and look forward to playing it during downtime on this adventure.

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