Today we went back to Animal Kingdom so that Daisy could visit Pandora and ride the Avatar rides.  We decided to go even earlier than last time to try and minimise the queues and this strategy really paid off.  We got to the security check at 750 and were waiting in line, perhaps 6 feet from the ticket check by 750.  They dropped the rope at 820 and we speed walked to Pandora where there was another rope line halt for perhaps 5 minutes.  We were then walked into a single line but with only perhaps a 20 minute wait so we were on the ride by 9am.  It was just as great as last time, perhaps better because we could take more in, and Daisy just loved it. Will try to do that again.

When we came out, the line for River Journey of the Navi’i was only 15 minutes which was a miracle.  We got into that and enjoyed that too.  I didn’t dare imagine we would get to enjoy both of them.  The river journey is really beautiful, lots of fluorescent plant life and strange animals and reptiles.  I really like it.

After that we walked to the Africa region and jumped right on to a Kilimanjaro Safari.  There were lots of animals out because it was cold.  I forgot to mention that!!!  Very clear sky again and sunny, but maybe only about 15C this morning.  It warmed up considerably by midday, but, definitely chilly this morning.  We’d had to dig our New York clothes out!  Anyway, the animals liked it.  We saw black and white rhino, giraffe, wildebeest, warthogs, lots of different gazelle and deer, cattle, flamingos, crocodile and elephant.  When we got off, the line was nearly 2 hours long!!!!! Today was just like that….. we were ahead of the curve all the way.

Next we went to the Festival of the Lion King show, always a favourite.  Such a galaxy of colour, good music and incredible circus style performers as well as the animatronics.  Leaving there we went to see the Finding Nemo show.  I really like this one.  It’s a fantastic puppet show with amazing puppets wielded by actors and singers.  Totally spectacular.

Left the park at about 1pm.  We’d parked there this time (paid the $20!!) just so that our early start was not put at risk.  Called into some shopping on the way back and then home for a few hours rest.  Everyone napped.

This evening we went to the restaurant Sana’a at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  We generally don’t eat at the Disney restaurants in the evenings, either in the parks or in the hotels because they are expensive and the food – generally – isn’t stellar.  But we liked the idea of trying this restaurant which advertised a mix of South African and Indian food, plus there is game viewing there as it is based within the plains of the animal park.  It was dusk when we arrived and there was quite a lot of wild life wandering around the part of the park that is within the hotel.  Wildebeest, 2 giraffe, deer, cattle, strange birds….. we stayed in the hide enclosure for about 15 minutes watching them.

Dinner was pretty good.  We started with a shared platter of 5 different forms of Indian bread together with 15 different chutneys/dips.  Some were pretty hot.  The bread was very good, authentic tandoori bread.  For main, I had spicy king prawn served with a spicy paneer side dish and rice.  Bob had a beef curry with rice and curried vegetables and Daisy had South African braii grilled lamb with apricots and spice, served with rice, cubed goats cheese and nuts.  All the dishes were delicious although I think Daisy’s was best.  My prawns were pretty spicy.  The restaurant was full which was nice to see.  Daisy enjoyed it but was annoyed because she wanted a glass of wine and got carded and had left her passport back in the apartment and they wouldn’t serve her.  Heyho!  Pretty tough to be refused a drink at 26!  That skin cream is really working out LOL