What in the World are we doing?

What in the world, you say, or should I say "what in the disney world" do you think we were doing here? We got stopped at the entrance of Animal Kingdom by their professional photographer and I had just asked some people nearby to take our picture in front of the Tree of Life. So they snapped what the professional guy took also :) This is highly out of character for one of us, don't you think, but then again we were in Disney World and anything goes along with being a character there!

This Tree of Life was fascinating with so many different animal shapes carved all over it. Not having children with us, I think we were able to focus on so many details around the parks that one could not do if you were looking after kids.

I have heard some people say this section is a glorified zoo, but we did not think so. It has so much more to offer in the shows and things about the countries from where the animals came from. We were very happy to be there as older adults and see all of Animal Kingdom and glad we took a whole day to do it too (Susan saw old friends of hers on this day and enjoyed the resort area).
I felt right at home with the monkeys here as I had been so close to many monkeys in Costa Rica last Spring :) Only thing is, in Disney they are swinging from the towers and ropes as opposed to the trees of a Costa Rica riverside.


We loved seeing the Lion King Festival Show as well as riding the African open-air safari jeep ride and the rustic express train to Rafiki's Planet Watch.
this was a little too close to be with the gorilla but there was a glass divider between us :)
I thought the mandarin ducks from the Asia area were beautiful!
the tiger exhibit was beautifully displayed also in the Asia section
and you know how I love birds! this one took my breath away!
each thing we went to had super technology involved and we marveled at how clever some of these shows are put together. The Finding Nemo Musical in Dinoland was done with puppetry (huge ones) and the people holding them were fully clothed in a costume that resembled their puppett. ... I loved all these details in Animal kingdom!
The Tam Tam Congo in Africa involved the audience with singing and dancing and of course we really liked that. Can't say enough about being in a clean pleasant environment with good wholesome fun and seeing laughter and music infused into a crowd (there were no animal smells except on the safari jeep ride)!

When I first took this picture, I thought I was highlighting the bamboo for which Jack has a personal relationship with (the Luau)! But as you can see, this was typical for him in the parks, telling me to "come on" and to "quit taking so many pictures" :)...
He may have his say so about a lot of things but I don't think he can change this part of me!