Elizabeth Jones wrote:
> I'm taking my 5 yr old to Disney for the first time next month. We only
> have two days, so I'm planning on one day at Magic Kingdom and one at
> Animal Kingdom. I went to Animal Kingdom right after it opened and only
> a couple of exhibits were open. I know that I want to take her to see
> the Lion King show, but that's the only thing I remember that was a
> must see there. Anyone have any suggestions for a 5 yr old?
5-yo.'s can often be amazed by close proximity to ANY real animal that
moves, so you're in the right place. :)
Flights of Wonder (if you can sit up close, and maybe in the middle,
when the eagle swoops low over the audience) is family-friendly enough,
and more lightly-Imagineered than the story-heavy Kilimanjaro Safari
(which I've heard may be later rewritten to downplay the "poacher" plot,
and give us more of a peek at the aminals)--
The African and Asian Trails can be taken at your own pace, depending on
attention spans.
The Pocahontas show is definitely no Lion King >_< , but it's got enough
real-animal distraction (look, Meeko is a real trained racoon!) for the
youngest crowd...
Those who want closer contact with Poc, however, might try taking the
train to Planet Watch, which also has the petting area, some kids-museum
exhibits, a Sounds Dangerous-style audio on the rainforests (my favorite
forgotten attraction), and other ways to get away from the central park.
(And for those who haven't learned how to spot "unusual plant life" at
AK yet, be sure to be somewhere on the road between Harambe Village and
Asia, sometime on the hours between 9 and 11:30 am...)
Derek Janssen
ejanss1@ 
What to see at Animal Kingdom 
