Disney April 2026 – Day 2 – Animal Kingdom

Dear Liza Jean and James,

When Gizzy started planning this trip, she quickly decided that we would visit three Disney Parks – Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom on the last day.  We learned some things many years ago when we took your dad and uncles to Disney World. First, you stay on property, you go to the Parks early, stay only through the morning or early afternoon, and then go back to the hotel to rest.  If you stay too long, you get very tired. And that is no fun!  And if you have the energy, you can always go back in the evening.

You both love animals, which is one of the reasons we decided to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge.  And it is also one of the reasons we chose Animal Kingdom as our first park.  Animal Kingdom is also one of the least crowded parks, allowing all four of us to “ease into a rhythm”.  There are also lots of good shows at this park.  Animal Kingdom is all about the animals with the “Tree of Life” at its center. And because our friends Ken and Peggy, who we visit in Hilton Head each year, have a daughter and son-in-law who work at Disney, we were able to get VIP passes to two shows in Animal Kingdom – Festival of the Lion King in the morning and Finding Nemo in the early afternoon. 

James, as I lay in bed next you, I woke up in the middle of the night to check the weather again. When I looked at the map, there was a menacing green and yellow blob hovering over central Florida. Even though we had a very good travel day, my anxiety ratcheted up again. And to add insult to injury, the weather app indicated temperatures in the mid-70s with 100% chance of rain while at Animal Kingdom, 95% chance of rain while at Hollywood Studios, and 85% chance of rain while at Magic Kingdom. But starting with the day we leave Disney World, no chance of rain for the next seven days! Hmm, so much for sunny weather and going to the pool! The “silver lining” to all of this was that there was almost zero chance of either of you getting sun burned!

Each morning the “Hey Disney” voice allows you wake up to a Disney Character Greeting. This morning Goofy woke us up at 6:30 in the morning.  Because Animal Kingdom opens earlier than the other parks and does not stay open late, we caught the bus to Animal Kingdom at 7:15 a.m. and got to the park when it opened for guests at Disney Hotels at 7:30 a.m.  We immediately got a single stroller for Liza Jean and headed to the far end of the park to experience the Safari Adventure and walk the Gorilla Trail. We then headed to the Lion King show where we sat in the VIP first row and saw one of the most amazing shows ever.  I could have watched this show many more times.  It may have been even better than the Broadway version in New York City, which I will take the two of you to see some day!  James, your favorite animal in the show was the leopard. Liza Jean loved the flying monkeys.

Afterwards we visited Mickey and Minnie at the Outpost.  And this was the big surprise of the day.  We only waited 20 minutes before we walked into a room where the two of you were able to spend a few minutes alone with Minne and Mickey.  Both of you were star struck.  As good as the Lion King show was, that “alone time” with Minnie and Mickey will remain in my memory for a long time.  I will always treasure the video I recorded.

We then waited in line next to a wonderful family with five children for the Zootopia show, which replaced the old show – A Bug’s Life.  This show, like A Bugs Life, was a 4-D show that was literally immersive.  What made this show a great time was the line – you got to see all kinds of crazy animals, including Rhino Beatles, etched into the tree of life as you walked towards the theatre, which is located within the tree.  James, the other boys waiting in line, who were older than you, were very impressed with your knowledge of animals. When you pointed out the Rhino Beatle, one of the boys said “I did not even know that species existed.  How do you know all of this.”  You were so proud of yourself.

After Zootopia, we took a break. James, you enjoyed a Mickey ice cream while Liza Jean slept in her stroller. Because of the intermittent rain all day, it stayed cool. So, Liza Jean started calling the $1 plastic ponchos we had bought with us her “Coat.” And whenever she got cold, she called for her Coat.  She even took a nap in her Coat. 

After our break, we headed to the section of the Park where Finding Nemo was playing and settled into our VIP seats for another fantastic show.  Lion King was all about the costumes, music and choreography, Finding Nemo was all about the story – a parent and child. Some people even cry during this show…  After the show, we did some shopping before heading to the exit.  James, you were so nice picking out Pluto for yourself and Rapunzel for Liza Jean.  When she saw Rapunzel, she squealed with delight.  Liza Jean, you and Rapunzel would be inseparable the rest of the trip. And Jame, YOU are such a wonderful big brother. The two of you have a very special relationship.

On the way out of the park, we bumped into Pluto.  And Pluto was so excited that you had a Pluto Lovie which you had just acquired. So, we were able to spend a little time visiting Mickey and Minnie’s wonderful dog, and one of our favorite characters. Of all the characters running around the park, what were the chances that we would bump into Pluto with only three people waiting in front of us!  That serendipitous encounter was a wonderful ending to our visit that day. And to make the ending even better, our bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge pulled up just as we walked up to the bus stop.  And this seemed to happen during our entire stay.  As we headed back to Jambo House, I wondered if we were just lucky, or if this was an example of the incredible efficiency that Disney brings to everything. And despite the intermittent rain and clouds at the park, our enthusiasm, excitement and joy were not dampened one bit.  

Once we were back at Jambo House, we relaxed in our room, enjoyed a buffet meal at the lodge, and retired early for the night.  Liza Jean and James, I now realize that I am NOT a buffet person anymore.  So, as you get older, I realize that you both might prefer buffets.  And I can live with that.  I just want you to know that when I was growing up, I loved buffets. I even loved then as an adult – but not so much anymore. So, if you prefer buffets when we are together, I am ok with that.  But your Papa J has become a food snob.  It is now official.

You both fell asleep so fast – you were both out by 8 p.m. As Liza Jean lay next to Gizzy in their bed and James lay next to me in our bed, I began to realize that if you visit the parks with the right attitude and with realistic goals, magic can happen.  Even with the rain, it was not a stressful day with the two of you.  And so maybe there is something to the tagline “Disney World – Where Magic Happens”.  All I know is that I was beginning to have this sense of wonder and well-being.  Maybe it was because I really became present with the two of you.

So, James and Liza Jean, thank you for allowing me to enter your world of delight and wonder.

With much love,

Papa J

p.s. I also realized that I had not checked my work emails all day…