Disney Quest: 14.7% Complete

Our new Disney passes started about two weeks ago now. If you know much about how that all works, you know you have lots of choices for what kind of pass you can get. Last time we had weekday select (we couldn't go on the weekends). That worked great, until Asa started his new job and only had weekends off. This time we got 'Theme Park Select' passes. Basically we're blacked out of various parks here and  there. It takes a little more planning for what you want to do- so while we can't go to the Magic Kingdom at all on a Saturday, or the Epcot Food and Wine Festival on a weekend (I mean, there's a lot of drunk people there then, anyway), we will be able to go to Epcot all summer (including our anniversary!!) and we're basically directed to the least crowded of the parks, so I will take it! 

I'm thinking this is like our 9th or 10th pass at this point (we've had them the whole time I've written my blog- we have a habit in this house of trying to look up the blog to see when things happened- but if it pre-dates the blog, we're out of luck). Anyway, when you're on pass 10- lets just say it's 10 because that sounds right- you've done A LOT of Disney. Almost all of Disney. 

But, I've realized there's quite a few things we've either never done, or haven't done for years. So I decided on these passes we should do EVERYTHING at Disney. And I mean every show, every attraction, every ride, every character meet and greet--basically every single thing listed at Disney under 'entertainment' and 'attraction'. I presented my idea to everyone. The boys were like 'everything? Like all the characters and shows?' and I was like 'YES! Lets do it!" and they were like 'um, no thanks.' I told them they might be missing out on something awesome, and Calib told me that if I found anything cool, I could just let him know. *sigh*BUT, Asa was on board. So, a date day project it is. I made a list, of all those things at all four Disney parks. 

Cross referencing the Disney App with the website (because oddly enough, they differ slightly)- here's our count: 

Magic Kingdom: 66 items

Epcot: 62 items

Hollywood Studios: 32 items

Animal Kingdom: 64 items

For a total of 224

Now, those lists will be ever changing- because Disney opens and closes things constantly. Star Wars land *probably* opens on this pass (it says 'fall 2019' so, we'll see). But, because of our passes black out dates, we won't be able to go even if it does open in the fall- so nothing 'star wars land' is on the list, since we can't get to it on these passes. 

 And then of course, sometimes Disney closes attractions. Sometimes you know ahead of time something is closing (see: Illuminations- we only have until this summer to see it), and sometimes things close out of nowhere (surprise! That character meet and greet ends TODAY!) If I hear something is closing, we'll try and get to it ASAP. 

In fact we started at Animal Kingdom because Rafiki's Planet Watch closed today (and because right now our Saturday park choices are limited to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom). First they said it was closing forever, then they said it might be seasonal, then they said it was 'under refurbishment', so we'll see. But either way, there were like six attractions listed at Rafiki's Plant Watch, so we had to get there.  

Now, there's a lot of animals listed as 'attractions' on the App (not as many on the website)- but if Disney lists it we have to see it. Of course we decided we have to also take a picture at everything, for documentation purposes, you know. So here we are at our first attraction: 

#1 Migratory Birds at the Oasis Exhibits 

The other animals around there including the parrots and the warthog-like-creature were our second attraction: 

#2 Oasis Exhibits

Calib said we were 'wasting fastpasses' on character meet and greets. I contend it's a great use of Fastpasses, because I really don't want to wait in those lines. Our first character meet & greet on this quest: 

#3 Meet Favorite Pals at Adventurer’s Outpost 

where we met with Mickey and Minnie in their safari attire!

The bonus of going to Disney on a Saturday is that some food kiosks are available that aren't usually open. We finally got to try out the chili shrimp mac & cheese at Eight Spoon Cafe. Let me tell you, this one is awesome, although I could have gone for more shrimp and more of that sweet chili sauce! 

Next up we went to see the 

#4 Flamingos on Discovery Island. 

The animals are a little tricky. First of all there's 'migratory birds' listed at like four different places. They list zebras at Gorilla Falls and zebras at Kilimanjaro safaris. But also, some are hard to take a selfie with. Case in point...

#5 Vultures (Discovery Island)

We could see it, but you can't get it in the picture- so we basically just snapped what we could, crossed it off our list and moved on. 

Up next we were headed to Pandora. I used my niece's refresh method on the app to nab some coveted Fastpasses the day before. Shout out to Gwen. I'm considering hiring her to make future fastpasses for me. She knows what's up, saving us from a 110 minute wait at the Na'vi River Journey. 

This is a tiered Fastpass, so if you get this, you can't get Flight of Passage (which the boys love). Basically, on a day when we're there without the boys is a good time to nab this Fastpass. I'm trying to save the rides they always request on Fastpasses for when we all go together. 

And with that: 

#6 Na'vi River Journey 

was checked off the list. 

There are a lot of random little shows listed under 'entertainment'. Usually, these are the things we either didn't know existed, or we walk right past it on our way to our usual rides. Asa and I decided if we're somewhere near one of those things around the start time, we should hang out and wait- that way later we won't have to go out of our way. After we got off the Na'vi River Journey we were just minutes away from the start time for the 

#7 Pandora Drummers- Swotu Waya

Did anyone else know all those drums kids bang on in Pandora are part of a show? I had no idea (although the stage up top that I'd never really noticed before would have been a clue). There's all kinds of little odds and ends there that make noise that I hadn't noticed before, and we even got instruments to join in . This one was a cute little show. I'd say stop by if you're there, but don't go out of your way for it. 

You know how I said sometimes Disney things come and go without any warning? Well, they took away the Lumpia for a hot minute and people went crazy- and then they brought it back! The Pongu Lumpia is this little cream cheese pineapple eggroll thing that's warm and crispy and sweet and delicious. Full disclosure: nobody in the family likes this thing as much as me. When they brought it back they actually lowered the price! Of course you get one now instead of two- but for me, that's perfect. 

We shared our Lumpia and waited for the next 'attraction' at Pandora: 

#8 The Pandora Utility Suit 

(Look how funny he is posing for our picture with him!) 

This one was fascinating to me, to how it moved, to how it was built- you get a whole little lesson. I would stop by for this one if you have a chance. Some kids seemed to get a little ancy around us, so maybe this isn't one for the little kids- but if I had the boys with me, I'd stop to show them this one. 

After checking off everything but Flight of Passage off of our list in Pandora (we'll save that for a day with the boys), we headed back to Africa and just happened to catch the 

#9 Karibu Sisters

 who sing and play various instruments (including shaking beans in a bowl)! There were lots of instruments they were handing out to kids, and they had gathered quite the little crowd of people around them.  This spot is used for like four or five different entertainment listings at various times of the day, so we'll have to be back here several times on our quest. I've seen most of these in passing, but if you're walking by at the right time, they're worth a stop and a listen. 

Next up we were headed to my favorite ride at the Animal Kingdom: 

#10 Kilimanjaro Safaris 

Now, I think Disney is kind of cheating here when they list their attractions- because a bunch of the animals listed as 'attractions' can only be seen while riding Kilimanjaro Safaris. Since you don't see every animal on every trip through (those lions can be elusive!) we'll have to go on this one a couple of times during the course of our quest. 

This time around though we were able to check off a few: 

We saw the 

#11 Hippos (Africa)

#12 Giraffes (Africa) -- we also saw the baby! It was super cute! 

#13 African Elephants (Africa)

#14 White Rhinos (Africa) 

Of course, there are plenty more animals on Kilimanjaro Safaris, but they aren't all listed, for whatever reason. 

Next up we decided it was time to head back to Rafiki's Planet Watch via the: 

#15 Wildlife Express Train 

Rafiki's Planet Watch itself is listed as an attraction, so when we arrived we could check off 

#16  Rafiki's Planet Watch

The trail from the train to main section is also listed as an attraction

#17 Habitat Habit 

So we stopped and read the signs and checked out the displays- although it was pretty lacking, probably because we were there the week before they were closing. 

At the end of the trail you'll find 

# 18 Conservation Station

The station was also starting to empty out, but there were still a few animals that called this place home. 

Sadly, Doc McStuffins and Rafiki left weeks ago, technically not even on these passes, so we didn't miss out. 

The only other attraction listed inside the building was

#19 Invertebrates at Rafikis Planet Watch 

Outside, some animals were gone- but there were still plenty of goats to pet at 

#20 Affection Section 

This goat kept eating the bench! 

I hope they find a new home for the goats, I'd be sad if I couldn't pet them when I visited the Animal Kingdom anymore. We got back on the train and headed back to the main part of Animal Kingdom. Even though we were headed to dinner, Asa said he was dying, so we stopped and finally tried the seasoned fries topped with Tzatzki Salad and Sriacha Ketchup at Mr. Kamal's. This is another one that is like never open unless you're there on a busy day. 

The fries were good, and the fresh cucumber and tomatoes in the tzatki was a welcome addition to a usually heavy sort of dish in the fries. I liked this one, but I'm not sure I'd order it again. It just didn't do it for me. That was ok though, we were headed to Flame Tree Barbecue to share the combination platter of chicken, ribs and pulled pork.  I wasn't actually thrilled with Flame Tree this time, they took away our discount for passholders, and it was just kind of dry and fell flat. Asa said not to give up on it though- it might just be because we ate on an off time (you know, the Polite Pig effect). 

After dinner we went up to take our picture at 

#21 Tree of Life

And back there, you might be able to see some of the 

#22 Migratory Birds at the Tree of Life

We were there to catch 

#23 Animal Encounters: Winged Encounters (Discovery Island) 

This show is less than 10 minutes long, and takes place on a little stand just off to your left if you're facing the Tree of Life. It's worth your time, maybe even to go out of your way. It's at quarter till the hour (most hours), so you have plenty of chances to see it. Asa and I thought it was one of the best of the shows we saw all day, as small as it was. I'm taking everyone to see this next time (even though Calib will HATE it- he's not a fan of birds flying over his head). 

We also caught 

#24 Viva Gia Street Band (Discovery Island) 

This one was kind of blah, nothing to unique, nothing that stood out, no real participation for anyone but kids- and even then the 'instruments' were just pvc pipe tubes in bright colors. 

Up next was a show I hadn't seen in years

#25 It's Tough to Be a Bug

It's not my favorite 3-D show at Disney (I mean, it has stiff competition with Philharmagic and Muppets), but I forgot how cute it was. I think we stopped going to this one when Hayden was like 5 and freaked out at the spiders that drop from the ceiling. 

Back behind It's Tough to Be a Bug, is 

#26 Discovery Island Trails 

It's really quiet back there- off the beaten path, and while the only animals back there are some tortoises and porcupines, the tree itself and all of the carvings (and the quiet slow pace) are worth checking out.  

Also back on those trails you'll find 

#27 Meet Pocahontas on Discovery Island Trails 

We got the added bonus of not just Pocahontas but Meeko, who really enjoyed the idea of taking a self taken picture (Pocahontas doesn't have a Photo Pass person with her- and we decided we'd take a mix of self taken pictures and letting the cast members take our picture. 

At the very edge of the trails on your way back towards Africa you'll find 

#28 Tamarins (Discovery Island) 

There are a couple of trails at Animal Kingdom to see animals as well, we usually do the rides and skip the animals (except for Kilimanjaro Safaris), so it had been years since we'd been through

#29 Gorilla Falls Expedition Trails 

Not only is the trail listed as an attraction, but there are some animals along the trail also listed. 

#30 Okapis (Africa)

The 

#31 Invertebrates 

at Gorilla Falls are housed in a little building along the trail- but they also had a tortoise that looked like Delano and my favorite animal, naked mole rats! Who knew those were here? Not me! 

You'll also come along the aviary for 

#32 African Birds (Africa) 

Although, those might have also been the one's you see on the safari, it's unclear- but either way, we had them both covered. 

The trail was pretty quiet, and shaded, and had a lot of the animals you can also see on the safari, like hippos. We also saw meerkats, but couldn't locate any of the zebras (so we will have to walk it again to find those). 

We did see

 #33 Gorillas (Africa)

along the trail as well. 

That ended our day at the Animal Kingdom. It's a big park and our feet were tired. 

But, we had kept up with our list all day (thanks google docs!) and we knew we had completed 33 of the 64 items at the Animal Kingdom, and 33 of the 224 attractions at the four parks. 

That meant we were just over 50% of the way done with the Animal Kingdom, and just under 15% done with all four parks! 

It was a super fun day, and we actually enjoyed Disney even more than normal. Not only were we trying new (or so old it's new again!) stuff, but finding it all was like this really fun secret Disney scavenger hunt. We were fans! 

Here's the list for the Animal Kingdom if you're interested in it all put together (Bold means we did it- Highlighted means it's been included in the blog). 

Animal Kingdom – 33/64 items
Rides
1. Avatar Flight of Passage
2. Dinosaur
3. Expedition Everest
4. Kali River Rapids
5. Kilimanjaro Safaris - 10/13/2018
6. Na’vi River Journey 10/13/2018
7. Primeval Whirl
8. Triceratops Spin

Shows
9. It’s Tough to Be a Bug 10/13/2018
10. Animal Encounters: Winged Encounters (Discovery Island) 10/13/2018
11. Burudika (Africa)
12. Festival of the Lion King
13. Finding Nemo- The Musical
14. Pandora Drummers- Swotu Waya 10/13/2018
15. Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe
16. Tree of Life Awakenings (Projection on Tree)
17. Up! A Great Bird Adventure
18. Viva Gia Street Band (Discovery Island) 10/13/2018
19. Donald’s Dino Bash

20. Dino-Riffic Dance Party!

21. Harambe Village Acrobats

22. Kora Tinga Tinga

23. Karibu Sisters Animal Kingdom- 10/13/2018

Character Meet & Greets:
24. Meet Favorite Pals at Adventurer’s Outpost X 10/13/2018
25. Meet Pocahontas on Discovery Island Trails 10/13/2018
26. Meet Russel and Dug at Discovery Island
27. Pandora Utility Suit 10/13/2018

Parades/Fireworks:
28. Rivers of Light

Other:
29. The Boneyard
30. Discovery Island Trails 10/13/2018
31. Dino-Sue (Dinoland)
32. Gorilla Falls Expedition Trails 10/13/2018
33. Maharajah Jungle Trek
34. Oasis Exhibits 10/13/2018
35. Wilderness Explorers
36. Fossil Fun Games ($)

37. Tree of Life 10/13/2018

Animals:
38. African Birds (Africa) 10/13/2018
39. African Elephants (Africa) 10/13/2018
40. Gorillas (Africa) 10/13/2018
41. Hippos (Africa) 10/13/2018
42. Lions (Africa)

43. White Rhinos (Africa) 10/13/2018
44. Zebras at Kilimanjaro Safaris

45. Zebras at Gorilla Falls Trail
46. Butterflies (Africa- but free roaming- have to spot them)
47. Migratory Birds at the Oasis Exhibits 10/13/2018
48. Okapis (Oasis) 10/13/2018
49. Tamarins (Discovery Island) 10/13/2018
50. Flamingos (Discovery Island)  10/13/2018
51. Vultures (Discovery Island) 10/13/2018
52. Tigers (Asia)

53. Black Rhinos (Africa)

54. Giraffes (Africa)- 10/13/2018

55. Invertebrates at Gorilla Falls - 10/13/2018

56. Migratory Birds at Maharajah Jungle Trek

57. Migratory Birds at the Tree of Life- 10/13/2018

58. Okapis (Africa)-10/13/2018

Rafiki’s Planet Watch Attractions:
59. Rafikis Planet Watch 10/13/2018

60. Wildlife Express Train 10/13/2018

61. Invertebrates at Rafikis Planet Watch 10/13/2018

62. Habitat Habit (outdoor trail from train) 10/13/2018

63. Affection Section 10/13/2018

64. Conservation Station 10/13/2018