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I love reading Disney World posts on Pinterest. Does anyone else obsess over reading all things Disney so your trip will be just perfect! What I found was this, all of the information I had learned from reading countless blogs all went out the window when we were actually in the park.
See, I don't know about you but when you are actually in Disney World you aren't thinking about the best entrances to use or the secret walkway that will quickly get you to the Peter Pan ride before anyone else can get there! No, you are simply overwhelmed! You are overwhelmed by the amount of people everywhere or the fact that you are actually at Disney World!
Take a deep breath and check out these simple tips that you will actually remember when you are at Animal Kingdom.
1.Stop over planning. I know, I know, this goes against every single blog you've read about going to Disney World. Everyone says to over plan and have every second of the day ready to go. The truth. You'll get tired. Seriously. If you have every second scheduled then you've set up expectations on your day. Want to know what happens 90% of the time when we put expectations on something? We are disappointed. Don't do this to yourself. Give yourself grace! Seriously.
I'm not saying don't plan anything in fact if you don't schedule your meals or use your three fast passes you'll set yourself up for a miserable time. Don't do that. Be wise. Schedule your meals and fast passes but other than that just see what happens. Make a list of some of the things you want to do while at Animal Kingdom and go from there. If you only do one thing on your list then that's something. Just take time to really absorb all of the neat things in Animal Kingdom. There is so much to explore and see.
2. Watch the side shows. Simple, right? Some of the best memories we have from Animal Kingdom are the times we stopped to watch the side shows. We would see different performers doing different tricks and flips all over different spots in Animal Kingdom. Instead of worrying about making it to do this ride or eat this snack we stopped and smelled the flowers meaning we watched their performances! We laughed, we joined in, but more importantly we made memories that will last a life time.
3. Watch the Lion King Show. Can I just take a minute to tell you how truly amazing this show is?! Seriously. The cast members are Broadway performers who are simply amazing! I am so glad that I booked this fast pass. If you do not use a fast pass on this good luck getting in to see the show. The lines are extremely long and you will more than likely have to wait for while before getting in. BOOK A FAST PASS FOR THIS ONE!
4. Eat at Tusker House. My kids are little which means we didn't go to Disney World for the rides. Let's face it--we went to see the characters! My kids quickly found out that seeing characters meant waiting in long lines which in return meant grumpy children. Take all of the hassle out of that! Characters come right to your table when you eat at Tusker House! They even have a little musical parade where kids can grab an instrument and walk in a conga line with their favorite characters! Eat brunch at Tusker House. The food is excellent! You can try some crazy African dishes or you can pick from normal macaroni and cheese. When you pick a brunch time they are transitioning from breakfast to lunch so for a short time they have both options available. The best part? You get free tickets to the River of Lights Show that takes place that evening. It is even right next to the Lion King Show. Eat your brunch and then hop over to watch the show. Perfect combination!
5. Be on the lookout for special characters! While we were there Pocahontas (who is rarely seen) was in the tree of life taking pictures! Score! We wouldn't have known what special characters were out if we wouldn't have been checking the app.
6. Book two fast passes for the Kilimanjaro Safari. You need to go first thing in the morning and go again when it starts to get dark outside. This was SIMPLY AMAZING! You have to do this without question. You have to fast pass this ride or you will wait so long!
7. Buy your Disney items before you go! Can I just say this for a minute and nobody freak out? Disney world is expensive. Like new car expensive. You can make your trip less expensive buy buying souvenirs before you go! Seriously. I know you've seen blogs about this before but take it seriously. See these cute binoculars?
They have Mickey Mouse on them and Little Red and Big Red LOVED these things! See, I was stupid and bought them at Disney World. I paid $50.00 for two pairs of those things. If I would have purchased them online then I would've spent $18 (Amazon offers free shipping). I could've saved $32 but I wasn't smart. Don't be like me. Go here and buy some binoculars for your kiddos! Yes, they need these! Yes, they'll use them! They also need these bags to carry their own stuff in! My sister-in-law was smart and bought these for my kids before we left. The price is fantastic and the kids loved them!
8. Take breaks. If you don't stop and take some breaks then you will be exhausted by the end of the night and not use your free Rivers of Lights tickets you got for eating at Tusker House. Grab a snack and sit down for a minute. Kids are still full of energy? Grab your snack and head to DinoLand play area. The kids can play while mom and dad watch them go up and down the slides!
9. Pack water. This sounds silly right? You got the dinning plan which means you get the refillable drink mug. You can just drag that around the parks and fill it up?! Wrong! We didn't stumble upon one place to fill up our mugs while in Animal Kingdom. Every time we needed a drink we had to buy a water which took up a snack credit. BOO! Just throw some waters in your bag and keep your snack credits for snacks!
10. Finally. Take time to smell the roses. I know I've said this before but seriously. If you are busy rushing from ride to ride or place to place then you'll miss out on precious memories you could be making with your family. Slow down. Enjoy your day at Animal Kingdom!
Have you ever been to Animal Kingdom? Planning a trip soon? Let me know what is on your must do list?!
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