Mouse Extra

The Disney internet community is filled to the brim today with tributes and kind words for Disney’s Animal Kingdom on this its tenth anniversary.  Blogs, podcasts, and websites are turning their attention to Disney World’s fourth gate which up to now has largely gone unappreciated, ignored and often downright maligned.  And I do expect the usual suspects to issue some snarky and thinly veiled jabs on this anniversary.

It is certainly true that the Animal Kingdom opened as something much less than many had hoped.  We all heard rumors for years leading up to its opening of things like a mind-blowing dragon rollercoaster, but they were not there when the rope dropped.  Instead we had only a few attractions and lots of promises for the future.  I can not argue with the feeling that DAK opened as something less than it should have.

But where I disagree with the DAK-haters is in how things have progressed since then.   Even when I first entered the park back in 1999, I liked what I saw.  The feeling and atmosphere was perfectly presented.  I was blown away by the authenticity of the Africa section and I couldn’t take my eyes off the Tree of Life.  Not to mention that Kilimanjaro Safaris was perhaps the most exciting new attraction I had seen at Walt Disney World since the opening of Epcot Center.  Unlike the somewhat neutral feeling I had when the Disney-MGM Studios first opened, DAK hit a chord with me.  The potential was there.

Then the additions began to trickle in, and I became hooked.  The Festival of the Lion King is Walt Disney World’s best live show and I can stay for hours in the Maharajah Jungle Trek watching tigers romp around.   But it was Expedition Everest that put this park over-the-top for me.  It is an experience that is nothing short of amazing, combining everything that separates Walt Disney Imagineering from the rest of the theme park world.

These last ten years have certainly not been disappointment free.  But what we are starting to see is a park that can really be incredible.  Sure it needs something for the after dark hours and perhaps another e-ticket or a new land to make it even better.  But Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as it currently exists, is worth the trip.  It has incredible live shows, terrific thrill rides, and beautifully presented wildlife.  “Jambo Everyone!”

We will continue our tribute to this great park, and to help mark Earth Week, with a special article each day on one of the great animal species found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  Check back tomorrow for a look at DAK’s most celebrated four-legged star, the African Elephant.

Let’s do a couple of more construction updates for today, so you can get an idea of the work going on at two of Disney World’s major projects.  There seems to be an awful lot of work going on at the Mouse, and that is always exciting to see.

First, let’s start over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  For those who don’t already know, soon a full service sit-down restaurant and bar will open called the Yak and Yeti, named after a famous resort in Kathmandu, Nepal.  The photograph below, taken late last week, shows that much of the building is finished.  It appears only the face of the building is getting some final touches.

The photo below shows that this restaurant will at least have some beautiful woodwork to show off.  At first I thought there were doors, but since none of them were mounted in view I can not say for sure.  They could be just some detail work, either exterior or interior.

Now, let’s head over to Epcot’s Future World where construction continues on the icon Spaceship Earth.  The shot below does not show much, as most of the work is happening inside the sphere.  What it does show, however, is that so far little to nothing has been done on the exterior.  This does seem a bit surprising as a refurbishment of this magnitude usually includes some exterior reminder of what’s new inside.

Here’s something that bums me out.  The Tusker House at the Animal Kingdom is now closed, as it awaits a change-over to a character buffet in a few weeks time.  We knew it was coming, but something inside of me was hoping that better sense would prevail upon the bean counters.

The Tusker House was one of Walt Disney World’s finest counter service restaurants.  It had tasty food and a nice ambience and theme.  Those things may remain after its conversion to some extent, but I am guessing the ambience may change a bit, wouldn’t you think?  A nice chicken meal and a cold drink at the bar out back was a great way to cool off and unwind a bit.  However the word “unwind” generally does not apply to character buffets.  So we can forget that idea.

Perhaps I am being harsh on the character meal concept.  For one thing, I realize it works for Disney and their guests.  There’s no doubt about that.  People, especially young ones, love them.  But I don’t particularly care for it.  To each his own, right?  I have no kids and don’t find characters at my table to be anything but uncomfortable.  And I also understand that perhaps the Animal Kingdom needed a better character meal as many people complained about Donald’s Whateverasaurus.  But did that necessitate the complete dismantling of a perfectly fine and often crowded counter service option?

Let me also point out the price difference I am sure is coming.  Instead of having a nice place where one can get a meal for fewer than 10 bucks, we will now have yet another $24.95 buffet.  Thus further shrinking our ability to attend Disney World and enjoy it on a budget.  Am I making too much of this?

As development of the Animal Kingdom out of the dreaded “half-day park” status continues, construction on a very important piece in that plan moves forward.  Animal Kingdom is terribly short on worthwhile sit-down dinner options, and as I am sure you know, Disney is hoping the Yak and Yeti is the answer.

The signs say it is scheduled to open in 2007, but judging from the apparently early stages they are now in, it will likely be very late in 2007.  There are only seven months left in the year, and the frame work is not finished.

I walked passed the site a number of times this week, and the only thing I ever saw was some welding going on, and never a crew of more than 3 or 4 people were visible.  Now the barricade could be blocking others from view, but there was no audio evidence of other work besides the welding going on either.

Personally, I am not excited about an Asian restaurant, as this type of food is not my cup of tea.  The most important thing for me is that they build something which fits the theme and maybe even adds to it.  I think the Animal Kingdom has some of the best theme-work Imagineering has done in decades, and I would hate it to be sacrificed here.  The restaurant shares a name with a famous hotel in Katmandu, which at least hints to the possibility this may be as authentic as other parts of the park.  (I must admit, using the work “yak” for a place to get food seems somewhat…awkward)

What I am looking forward to, however, is what the success of this endeavor may bring to the park.  In order to keep people in the park long enough to fill reservations for dinner, Disney will need to add more nighttime friendly attractions.  This is a topic we’ve discussed here many times, but I think this restaurant goes hand-in-hand with any such plans.

I am back from a short, but much needed, trip to Walt Disney World.  I have plenty of updates, pictures, reviews and a full trip report to come so keep checking back, but I need to get some news out today.  My thanks to Mouse Extra contributor Mike for keeping the ship on course.

Intercot is reporting that Walt Disney World is planning some big changes for the Animal Kingdom’s Tusker House eatery.  It is now a very good counter service location, but will soon turn into a buffet.

Tusker House Restaurant at Animal Kingdom is being converted from a quick-service restaurant to a buffet restaurant. Beginning November 18th, it will offer a character breakfast buffet, called Donald’s Safari Breakfast, and a lunch/dinner buffet. Tusker House will be closed from August 20 through November 16, 2007 for the renovations.

This is a classic good and bad scenario.  We all know that character breakfasts are as much a part of the Disney World experience for many people as the attractions themselves.  Many complained Donald’s Breakfastosaurus was not adequate.  Making the change to a better venue, and perhaps enhancing the entire experience can only be a good thing for those who love character meals.  Also, the Animal Kingdom is woefully short of good dinner options.  If Disney really wants to turn this park into a full day experience, this needs to be fixed right away.  Having a good buffet, the new Yak and Yeti, and the Rainforest Café solves that problem.

But the Tusker House is fantastic just the way it is.  It is perhaps the best counter service restaurant offered in any theme park.  I’ll be posting a full review in the coming days, but the meals here are some of the best values you can find.  Now, what we’ll get is yet another $20-plus per person meal, instead of the affordable option it is now.  For those of us who don’t always want to pay a lot for a meal, and can’t bare the thought of another chicken strip or hot dog, this is bad news.

We do spend a lot of time and effort in preparing for our Disney vacations on where and when we are going to eat. What World Showcase restaurant are we going to do? Should we have our sit-down meal at lunchtime or dinner? How do we get to that resort for our 6 o’clock seating? Why is counter service at the Studios so bad? These are all questions we ponder as we book our vacation and get those ressies 180 days beforehand. While we spend so much time on our big meals, many of us leave some of the most important aspects of munching to chance. Hopefully, this article will help you get the most out of snacking around the parks.

First of all, no one should be permitted to attend the Magic Kingdom without getting a pineapple dole whip. It should come with the darn ticket. Citrus swirls (at the Sunshine Tree Terrace) and Strawberry swirls (at the Enchanted Grove) are nearly as good as alternatives. For those hot days, you can try root beer floats at Sleepy Hollow or fresh fruit at a couple of different locales. These are all good choices for a cool pick-me-up after a morning of running around the Mountains. And then there is the smoked, what appears to be dinosaur, legs. There are a couple of spots to get these massive sticks of turkey meat. People love them and you get good bang for your buck, too. Although I must warn you, it may be difficult to scarf one down while sprinting from Big Thunder to Space Mountain.

The snacking Mecca of Walt Disney World has to be the World Showcase at Epcot. Food is a very important part of your Epcot experience, whether its an ADR at one of the restaurants or strolling the promenade sampling food from around the world. The highlights of this journey start with churros in Mexico. These popular cinnamon fried dough sticks have made their way to the other parks in recent years. Nearby, you can head to the Kringle Bakeri og Kafe for Norwegian delights like the rice cream and vaffler or the kringle, a sweet pretzel. That boardwalk treat, the funnel cake, is the American contribution to this fattening trek. You also must try the Kaki-gori at the Japan pavilion. This concoction of shaved ice and sweet fruit flavoring is excellent. Finally, there is French pastries, those cholesterol busting desserts. At the Boulangerie Patisserie, you can sample croissants, éclairs, and mousse. Wine by the glass is available nearby to complete the experience.

At the Disney MGM Studios, snacking is even worse than its counter service establishments, which is saying quite a bit. Personally, when at these movie studios, I enjoy a big souvenir tub of popcorn, which is available under the big sorcerer’s hat. The Animal Kingdom has better prospects. The tea cart in Asia is a fine example of the eclectic choices that keeps things interesting here. There are pot stickers available nearby at the Chakrandi Chicken shop. The Kusafiri coffee shop in Harambe has pastries to go with good espresso and cappuccino.

There is nothing like a good snack and the choices at Walt Disney World are varied. At what other theme park can you enjoy Norwegian sweet pretzels, jumbo turkey legs, and Asian pot stickers? But don’t forget the typical fare either. There seems to be a counter, stand or cart everywhere you turn. At the numerous ice cream carts you can grab frozen chocolate covered bananas (which are good), Mickey shaped cookies & cream chipwiches (which are even better) and other similar delicacies. So when planning your Disney vacation keep all of this in mind. And don’t you dare forget that dole whip.

Today’s article is by Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra