One of the benefits of living with my daughter and grandson in Florida is having season passes to both Disney World and Universal Studios. Not only is it fun to watch his face as he enjoys the rides, but I usually get 20,000 to 25,000 steps in a day. Last week we visited both Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom and had a very pleasant day. I’d heard people complain about Animal Kingdom because the animals are sleeping when they go on the safari, but I learned that lions sleep about 21 hours a day. That means it’s not exactly Animal Kingdom’s fault. In fact, I like a siesta during the hottest part of the day, too. I think one of the cast members described it best as the laid-back park. Maybe it’s my age, but I like that about Animal Kingdom. Take the Na’ vi River Journey, for instance. The bioluminescent rainforest, the Shaman sending “positive energy out into the forest through the power of her music (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/animal-kingdom/navi-river-journey/),” and the lapping of the water are so calming, peaceful.

Other attractions that are laid-back are The Boneyard (grandbaby played there for hours), Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (until a bird tried to-let’s say- land on the grandbaby), a petting zoo, and the Kilimanjaro Safari. Some of the attractions that are not as laid-back are Kali River Rapids (We got soaked), Expedition Everest (We parent swapped), and the Festival of the Lion King. The latter was truly amazing! There was music, dancing, people on stilts, animatronics, and acrobats. Not only that, we got to sing along to our favorite Lion King songs. It’s so much fun no matter your age. Oh, and let’s not forget the food. Although it’s still fast food in many sections, it’s elevated a little. We ate at the Satu’li Canteen, and I just had to take a picture of our meal. It was so delicious.

After Animal Kingdom, we made it over to Magic Kingdom just in time for the fireworks, and to ride the People Mover, the Carousel, It’s a Small World, and the Seven Dwarves Mine Ride. Add to that some delicious Joffrey’s coffee and it was a near-perfect day.