Random Thread & The Interchangeable Inside Joke

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTION

On the surface, Flights of Wonder appears to be a light, whimsical show starring and about birds, but it has at its core deeper, more serious conservation themes.

The show begins with an almost mystical overview of our feathered friends, and a variety of birds gracefully swoop down from the set and over the audience's heads to the stage.

After this introduction, a trainer comes on stage and showcases the natural abilities of a number of birds, including macaws, a crowned crane, and different types of hawks.

The arrival of silly "tour guide" Guano Joe injects an amount of humor into the show, and he, along with the audience, gradually learns the importance of mankind's conservation efforts. Certain birds also perform some stunts, including a singing parrot named Groucho and a hawk who has been trained to snatch paper money from an audience member's extended hand. At the end of the performance, the handlers will bring out an American bald eagle and other birds.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTRODUCTION


At Kali River Rapids, you and 11 of your closest friends, are launched on rafts into the turbulent Chakranadi River for a wild, wet ride through a jungle jeopardized by illegal logging.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTION

As you wind your way through a very long outdoor queue area, you are can enjoy birds and artifacts brought to Animal Kingdom from Asia. The queue area is incredibly themed so pay close attention as you make your way to the rafts.

Once through the turnstiles, you are on a very large rotating disc that moves at the same speed as the rafts. You will get right into a raft, seatbelt yourself in and off you go!

Mist and scents of jasmine greet you at the start of the ride. The raft heads upwards and then down a water fall. The raft sloshs back and forth through a rainforest and temple ruins, but then you smell smoke! The illegal loggers are burning the forest!

Your raft twists and turns through the rapids until you finally are returned to safety.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTRODUCTION


The People of Anandapur and the Royal Anandapur Wildlife and Forestry Authority trust you will enjoy your walk and ask that you respect and honor these lovely creatures with behavior appropriate for peaceful co-existence.

Wander through the ancient ruins of India and see tigers, bats and birds and more on this self-guided walking tour.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTION



As you begin your journey through this magnificent area be sure to take time to look at the art and architecture surrounding you. Almost immediately upon entering the land of Anandapur, you will feel as though you have been transported half way around the world.

When you crossed the bridge into Asia, even before you actually enter the Maharajah Jungle Trek, chances are you heard the Gibbons!

The Gibbons are members of the ape family, not the monkey family. They have longer arms and no tails. Amid the temples and memorial pillars of Anandapur you will find the white-cheeked gibbon Hylobates concolor and the larger siamang Hylobates syndactylus. Both live in family groups.

The male gibbons are black and the females golden. The white-cheeked gibbon live in tropical forests in Vietnam with a life span of about 25 years.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

The Siamang inhabit the tropical rain forests of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra.

The Siamangs will likely be overhead and swinging from tower to tower. If you listen, you can hear the "hoots" that allow them to mark their territory and communicate. The Siamangs are the loudest land mammal, their vocal sac can inflate to the size of their head. They can actually get quite loud at times. Their voices can be heard up to 2 miles away.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Come around the bend into the first animal viewing area and discover the home of the Komodo Dragon Varanus komodoenis. Komodo dragons are indigenous to Indonesia and are the world's largest lizard. They seek warm areas during the morning and cooler areas during the day. The average life span is 20 years, however they can live to be 40-60 years old. Komodo Dragons are solitary animals except when breeding and eating.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Next along the path is the female Malayan Tapir Tapirus Indicus, an endangered species. Tapir skin is very tough, like a rhino, which attracts hunters.

Found in the deep forests in Asia, they are shy herbivores, feeding on bark, buds and leaves. When born, the Tapir skin color is all brown and later turns into the black and white you see here.

The Tapir you see here at the Animal Kingdom is 16 years old. She has very poor eyesite and relies heavily on her sense of smell. There is a small pool in the Tapir area so she can get some relief from the heat. They can grow as large as 600 pounds.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

The Bat Community, home of the Rodrigues Fruit Bat Pteropus rodricensis and the Malayan Flying Fox Pteropus vampyrus is next. (There is a bypass if you wish to skip this section.) You can see the bats hanging from the vines and trees in the enclosure. They also will sometimes wrap themselves in their paper-thin wings to preserve body hear or fan themselves to stay cool.

The Rodrigues are sometimes referred to as "golden bats" because of their mantle of golden fur that covers portions of their head, neck, and shoulders and contrasts sharply with the dark brown fur over the remainder of their body. Rodigues is a small volcanic island in the Southwestern Indian Ocean.

The Malayan Flying Fox is among the largest of the bats and has a wing span of 6 feet. This largely nocturnal mammal feeds on fruit and nectar.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

The most beautiful section of the Maharajah Jungle Trek is next which will bring you into the heart of India. It is called Tiger Forest. Paintings adorn the old crumbling wallsThere are several viewing areas for the Asian Tigers Panthera tigris.

There are 6 Female Tigers in the Maharajah collection. Be sure to visit the Tigers in the early morning hours. They can sometimes be found stretching on a tree trunk or playing in the water.

Some of the viewing areas are through glass. However, near the end of the tiger section is a bridge upon which you can get a good view of the Tigers and their Pond.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Looking left while on the bridge, you will see a field with Elds Deer and Blackbuck. The Elds Deer Cervus eldi come from Burma and eastern India. The Elds Deer are an endangered species.

The Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra are one of the fastest antelopes in the world. They can travel up to 50 miles per hour. The Blackbucks have the cork screw twisted horns.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Co-existing with the Elds Deer and Blackbuck are several species of birds. The Sarus Crane will get your attention quickly as they are the world's tallest flying bird. Males can grow to six feet tall with a ten feet wing span. Also in this area are barheaded geese and white wing wood duck, both native to South East Asia.

A beautiful peaceful bird sanctuary completes the Maharajah Jungle Trek. (Be sure to pick up a colorful bird identification chart.) Paintings on the walls and running water from the fountains provide a quiet serene atmosphere. In the pond, you might find Masked Plovers and Indian Pygmy Geese. The male Argus Pheasant can often be found strutting along the ground. Up in the trees you might find the King Parrots. There is generally a guide in this area, often with binoculars, who can answer questions and point out the birds.

As you exit the bird area, the sounds in the distance of the Kali River Rapids ride remind you where you are and what lies ahead during your day at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Birds and Animals along the Jungle Trek:

Amboina King Parrot
Asian Fairy Bluebird
Asian Tiger
Bali mynah
Banteng
Blackbuck Antelope
Blue-Throated Barbet
Collared Kingfisher
Crested Wood Partridge
Early Bluebird
Eld's Deer
Golden-backed Woodpecker
Golden Pheasant
Gold-crested Mynah
Green Jungle Fowl
Green-winged Dove
Green Peafowl
Green-naped Pheasant Ageon
Hooded Pitta
Hoopoe
Indian Blue Roller
Indian Pygmy Goose
Iris Lorikeet
Jambu Fruit Dove
Komodo Dragon
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Magnificent Ground Pigeon
Malayan Flying Fox
Malayan Tapir
New Guinea Masked Plover
Nicobar Pigeon
Orange-bellied Leafbird
Pheasant Pigeon
Pink-necked Green Pigeon
Plum-headed Parakeet
Red-headed Parrot Finch
Rodrigues Fruit Bat
Saurus Crane
Siamang
Silver-eared Mesia
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Spice Finch
Temminck's Fruit Dove
Timor Sparrow Finch
Treron Pink-necked Pigeon
White Cheeked Gibbon
White-collared Kingfisher
White-headed Munia
White-rumped Shama Thrush
Wompoo Fruit Dove
Yellow-throated Laughing Thrush
Yellow-vented Bulbul

 

[AmandaSparks730]

In keeping with the theme of the land, The Dino Institute was created to uncover the mysteries of the past and is staffed by students and scientists. The queue area contain exhibits and displays and a voice over introduction by Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Travel back 65 million years to the Cretaceous period in search of an Iguanodon dinosaur! Your time traveler will race through a meteor shower and come face to face with some rather large dinosaurs!

Dinosaur is the thrill ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTION


You wind your way through the entrance of the Dino Institute past fossils, lab notes and photos. You are invited into the rotunda with large murals, fossils and dioramas of the early days when dinosaurs inhabited the earth.

The waiting area goes through several different multimedia shows, lighting up different panels on the diorama, explaining how scientists believe a fiery asteroid slammed into the earth and devastated all known life forms.

Lights are brought up and you walk through the turnstiles into the Institute's Briefing Room. A live video conference is in progress hosted by Dr. Helen Marsh (Phylicia Rashad). Dr. Marsh introduces you to the Time Rover -- your transportation vehicle to the past.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Suddenly, you are listening to Dr. Grant Seeker (Wallace Langham) tell you how he needs you to travel to the end of the Cretaceous period to find the Iguanodon. Without spoiling the remainder of the pre-show... the doors open and you find yourself descending into the loading area (guests in wheelchairs will be directed to elevators by Cast Members).


You board the 12 passenger, all terrain vehicle, fasten your seat belt and are OFF!!! This is a very herky-jerky ride through time and space (there are no drops). When the light emerges, you find yourself in the prehistoric forests and dinosaurs are everywhere.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

The sky darkens once again and meteors come flying out at you. You speed through the alioramous as he enjoys a giant lizard. Your Time Rover is caught in the Meteor shower and has lost its headlights. You are face to face with a carnotaurus!

The radio signals that there are 60 seconds to impact! You dip and swerve still looking for the Iguanodon. The homing signal attaches to the Iguanodon just as a meteor hits earth! The force of the impact creates a tremendous vacuum, sucking everything forward.

ITS OVER! You survived! And not only are you alive and OK, but Dr. Seeker's Iguanodon came back with you!

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTERESTING FACTS

These are the largest audio-animatronic figures created to date!

Some of the dinosaurs you will see in the ride include: Saltasaurus, Parasaurolophus, Alioramus, and Styracosaurus.

When Animal Kingdom first opened, this ride was called Countdown to Extinction.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTRODUCTION


The Animal Kingdom has a mini-land next to DinoLand USA. This family-friendly area adjacent to DinoLand U.S.A. features a dinosaur-themed midway and carnival with games and rides.

Those wacky dino-maniacs Chester & Hester are at it again. First, it was tables, shelves and racks spilling over with dinosaur toys, trinkets and t-shirts at Chester & Hester’s. Now, crazed by anything cretaceous, they present Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama!, a fun fair complete with wacky midway games and rides. At this corny carny, guests can play Ringosaurus, toss beanbags into dinosaur jaws or hold on tight on Triceratop Spin and Primeval Whirl.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTIONS

Triceratop Spin is a hub-and-spoke style attraction (similar to Dumbo at the Magic Kingdom). Guests in 4-person vehicles (16) move up, down and around in a ride that magically becomes a giant spinning toy top. The top rises to reveal -- what else? -- a dinosaur!