Happily Adventures After | Home of HAA Disney

Howdy Hey Everyone!

Welcome back to Happily Adventures After for another exciting edition of HAA Disney: Give Me A Review! We are thrilled to dive into today’s review of our Disney’s Animal Kingdom day! 🎉

If you’re new here, let me remind you that Happily Adventures After is your virtual concierge for all things Disney! From the parks to dining, rides, and entertainment, we’ve got you covered with real, honest reviews—just like the Hey Disney feature with Alexa at Walt Disney World and if you’re exploring off-property options, we’ve got those too!

Now, without further ado, let’s venture into the wild and wonderful world of Animal Kingdom.

Compared to our stormy April 2024 visit, this time wasn’t as rain-soaked, but Florida weather still had a surprise for us. Let’s dive into the day, rating everything on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the best)!

Spoiler alert: just like our April trip, the rain made a dramatic appearance! Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Morning at Reunion Resort: Comfort and Fitness

We kicked off our day with a much-needed restful morning at Reunion Resort. After a long travel day, sleeping in was the perfect remedy—especially for my mom, who had been awake for over 24 hours! I’m convinced the beds at Reunion are the most comfortable I’ve ever slept on. I’ve even tried tracking down the brand of their mattresses!

Once we were up, we stuck to our fitness routine with a workout from the Bodi app (formerly BeachBody). I love using this app while traveling because it helps me stay on track, whether I’m doing bodyweight exercises or strength training with weights. Then, we hit the road for our first run of the trip, heading toward Patriots Landing (our traditional running route at Reunion). The excitement of a “first run day” always gets us pumped!

After a great workout and run, we packed up and set out for Animal Kingdom around 11:30 am.

Arrival at Animal Kingdom: A Smooth Start

Taking the scenic “back way” via Sherberth Road, we arrived at Animal Kingdom by noon. We parked in the Peacock section, which seems to be our lucky parking spot for this park! After noting our spot (for once), we passed through security with no issues.

As we made our way into the park, the clouds were already rolling in. AccuWeather predicted rain around 2 or 3 pm, so we had some time to explore before the inevitable downpour.

First Stop: Dinoland USA!

Our mission for the day was clear: we needed to experience Dinoland USA before it undergoes its transformation into the Tropical Americas. We started with a quick pit stop at Creature Comforts (Animal Kingdom’s Starbucks) for a Trenta SummerBerry Refresher with Lemonade ($5.89 USD/$8.30 CDN). The drink was absolutely refreshing and a perfect companion as we strolled along the Discovery Island Trail.

My mom had never walked this trail before, so it was a great opportunity to appreciate the intricate carvings in the Tree of Life. It’s such a peaceful and beautiful spot, and we loved soaking in the tranquil atmosphere.

After the trail, we had a magical character interaction at the Adventurers Outpost where we met Mickey and Minnie in their safari gear! There was no wait, which made the experience even more special. Minnie even complimented my braids, comparing them to her ears—those little touches are what makes Disney so magical.

Snacks and Rides in Dinoland

We finally made it to Dinoland USA and our first order of business was snacks! We picked up:

• Dino Dig Ice Cream Sandwich – $8.29 USD/ $11.78 CDN
• Mickey Pretzel with Cheese – $7.79 USD/ $11.07 CDN
• Dasani Water – $3.75 USD/ $5.33 CDN
• Fountain Coke – $4.49 USD / $6.38 CDN

Total: $24.32 USD/ $34.54 CDN (plus tax).

The Dino Dig Ice Cream Sandwich brought back memories of the old McDonald’s Ronald McDonald cookies from the ’90s. The nostalgia was real, and the sandwich was delicious, though it melted quickly in the Florida heat. Paired with the Mickey Pretzel and Coke, it was the perfect theme park snack break.

Next, we headed to the Fossil Fun Games but instead of playing, I kept the ticket as a souvenir. Afterward, we hopped on Triceratops Spin, a whimsical Dumbo-style ride. The Disney Channel hits playing in the background made the experience even better—seriously, Cheetah Girls can make anything more fun!

The Storm Hits

Just as we were enjoying Dinoland, the ominous clouds made their return. A huge crack of thunder and a flash of lightning signaled that we were in for a downpour. And just like that, the skies opened up, soaking us in a torrential downpour—right on cue!

We took shelter in Chester and Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, where we waited for the storm to pass. Unfortunately, the rain cut our adventure short, but not before we had a blast reliving Dinoland one more time before it changes forever.

Headed Home

With that, we exited Disney’s Animal Kingdom and made our way back to our vehicle. Not getting as wet thanks to our newly purchased umbrellas, we attempted to figure out what we wanted for dinner back at Reunion Resort. Since our Luxury Villa is equips with a full kitchen, we thought about making something for dinner. We choose to go to a close by Publix to grab some of the absolute best Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese for dinner. 

We had this, coupled with their Fried Chicken and some other tasty snacks like their sandwich sliders. Post Publix trip, we made it back to Reunion Resort and then dried off and showered to get ready to go back to bed.

Though it was probably only 6pm by the time all of this happened, we needed our rest from our travel day. It all caught up to us! With that, we ate our dinner enjoyed our shows and then went to bed by 7:30pm. Getting all set and ready for another, fun and amazing Disney Day ahead of us!

Positives:

• Comfortable Stay at Reunion Resort: Those beds are a dream, and the on-site fitness center is a great bonus.
• Refreshing Snacks: The Dino Dig Ice Cream Sandwich and Mickey Pretzel never disappoint.
• Magical Character Interactions: Meeting Mickey and Minnie with no wait is always a highlight.
• Nostalgic Fun at Dinoland: Reliving the Disney Channel soundtrack and enjoying the last moments of Dinoland USA before its reimagination.

Negatives:

• Weather Issues: The unpredictable Florida rain hit us hard again, cutting our day short.
• Melted Ice Cream: The heat took a toll on our snacks, making it hard to enjoy them fully.

Overall Rating: 3.8/5

This was truly a day to remember, and I can’t wait to return and explore even more of the wild wonders at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Until next time, have a magical day and we’ll see you real soon!

As always have a blessed and wonderful day and I will see you real soon,

London

Reminders When Reading

Note: Tax in the Walt Disney World area is an additional 7% on your bill

Note: The Canadian Exchange rate quoted above is 1.42 CDN on 1 USD. This is what we paid at the time, not including credit card fees added, if applicable.