Walkabout The World - A Disney Podcast - Disney's Animal Kingdom June Walkabout With Host Jeremy

Episode Date: June 9, 2024

Tag along with host Jeremy this week for a walk around some of Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park on a 91 degree central Florida June day. Start off in Discovery Island where we hear some squawking from Kevin. Next, snag a bit of zen and a frozen Coke at Drinkwalla, before traveling on to Harambe, and seeking out some subtle bits of ambience along the way. Enjoy!   If you like what we do, consider joining our crew on Patreon. These wonderful people help us keep the microphones crisp and the servers warm at night.   Visit us a walkabouttheworld.com - find links to all the things - attraction episodes, Insta accounts of all the hosts, and even how to buy your own Walkabout shirt!   Look us up at @WalkaboutWDW on Instagram and drop us a note to say hi.   You can now also drop us at line at [e-mail]. Say hi, tell us how you found us, and give us some suggestions on things you'd love to hear. Please consider giving us a rating and review wherever you listen - it really helps.   Walkabout The World is a weekly Disney podcast, always recorded on property at Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort with the simple goal of making you feel like you are in the middle of the magic.

My dear theme park travelers, welcome back to Walk About the World and welcome back to Disney's Animal Kingdom. I'm not going to say it just because you thought I was going to say it. Welcome back to Animal Kingdom on a steamy, dare I say sultry, central floor today here in the city beautiful. It's been a while since you and I were at Animal Kingdom together, and I just felt like it was needed. Let's take a walk together. Here we go. I'm going to try to get a little bit of a Discovery Island, you know where you are. Tree of Life ahead. Island Mercantile to your left.

Discovery Trading Company, Riverside Depot to your right. Let's go towards the Tree of Life. So many blooming things in this park. Remember, this is a botanical garden as well as a theme park, and it's not a zoo. Natazu. Old school Animal Kingdom reference there. Okay, directly ahead, Tree of Life. To our right, a sea of bromeliads, bougainvillea,

and what I think is called firecracker bush. It's a beautiful thing. Food cart coming up. Here we go. I don't think they could make those any louder if they tried. To the right, I spy a Kevin. Let's head on over and see's go! We're not going to fall on her. She's a mother. I'm sorry. What a silly.

Yeah. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Since that's the way that Kevin is going, let's follow Kevin over towards the drink wallah in Anandapur. I'm going to go get my bag. passing under the gate to Asia whenever Kevin squawks inevitably you can see somebody freak out. Because, you know, we theme park travelers can be a bit oblivious. Discovery River underneath us.

Looking off towards the right, towards the Forbidden Mountain. Here directly in front of us, the Drinkwalla, one of my favorite places on Earth. You know that. See the boats down on the Discovery River arriving with all the goods that you can find in the drink wall. I know they don't sell cotton candy here, at least I don't think they do, but it smells like cotton candy. Man, I am thinking about a frozen Coke, though. It's about $91, and so that frozen coke is sounding good

let's walk over to the right of the drink walla there is a decorated tricycle here it's a delivery vehicle sign that says lower garden seating and let's overlook the discovery river a second you can probably hear my voice echoing a little bit because I'm in a structure here that is to the right of Drinkwala, and it is a wooden structure, ornately carved wooden structure. These wooden pieces hand-carved in Bali, brought over by the team, Jorodi and crew. And there's hardly anyone ever in here. It overlooks the Discovery River and

it's shaded and so it's a nice little retreat. Oh, there's Kevin again. Okay, I'm going to wander in and get a frozen Coke. You've convinced me. All right, I'll be back in a second. okay travelers i just had a moment of zen i was for the last 10 or 15 minutes seated at the lower garden of drink wallah and so behind and below the main Drinkwalla building, there is a sunken patio on the edge of the Discovery River. Multiple signs refer to it as the Lower Garden. And you're surrounded by trees, plants, and it's quiet.

And the details of the village of Anandapur really come into play when you can stop and set and grab a drink and just look. And you can see the telephone poles with the tangled wires and the broken and aged walls with years of different paints that have faded and ran down the stones. There's a statue to the right of the Indian deity Shiva, depicted here as the cosmic dancer, metal statue. There are signs that warn you not to disturb the offerings, and there are signs that also warn you not to let the birds take your lunch. And right across the way is the Yak and Yeti restaurant and the local food cafes, and you can smell the spiced food from here, the bustle and hustle of the travelers flowing by, but yet you're isolated, and it is just a wonderful spot. I encourage you, when you're here, to take five, take ten, sit down there at the lower

garden, grab yourself a frozen Coke or a tea from the Royal Anandapur Tea Company, which is right around the corner, and just soak it in. I didn't have the microphone on, frankly, because I was just, I was taking a moment. Sometimes you just need a moment. And so what we're going to do, I'm not going to spend a lot of time here in Anandapur today. However, there is a wonderful Instagram account called The DAK Guy. Shout out, DAK Guy. Incredible, prolific photography of this wonderful park. And he has made a post that looks very much to me like the signs here in Anandapur have been refreshed. And I'm going to take a right past the Anandapur local food cafes and take a look.

Let's go. Even from this distance, I can hear the drumming flotilla, which I hear is the only one left. Of all the flotillas to leave, they had to leave the drummer guys. Come on. Can you hear them? Oh yeah. Okay, drummer guys, just do it. Just do your thing. We'll wait. Okay, I've given you your time, guys. So I'm standing here at the intersection of two village streets.

They're not labeled, but to our left, you go past the Bhaktap poor market and on towards the collie river rapids if you go straight you're headed on towards the forbidden mountain and expedition expedition everest but at the confluence here is a grouping of signs pointing left and right to various things with a large and apparently ancient tree behind it and these these signs, as of a few weeks ago, were so faded, some of them were barely legible. And they have received a complete reverb, and they look magnificent. Seven summits, mountain trekking, Hotel Bukit,

this way to the spectacular Bat Cliffs of Anandapur. You can find the Bat House on the trail to our left. The Maharaja Jungle Trek. You have a sign here for Kali River Rapids. Rafting Expeditions. Welcome to Anandapur. We have wood carving, wood shop, and showroom. High class masterpieces, it says. The Flying Yak Air Transport is listed here on a sign, as is the Shangri-La Trekkers Inn.

An internet cafe. And also an advertisement for the Lantern Festival. Historic waterfront seating areas straight ahead. I want to be a part of the lantern festival. Anandapur Rail Services, it says, now serving circus on with routes to Darjeeling, Gayabari, Siliguri, and Jalpaguri. Forgive me if I've slaughtered those. Many of these signs, it says, were done by Bhavani Sign Painting, by the way.

Taking a quick peek into Bhaktapur Market. Let's go. Gifts, silk, and sarongs. Gorgeous dark wood building festooned with signs. See, I used festooned again. Prayer flags lining the upper edge of the roof. All kinds of goodies in here.

Things that as far as I know you can't get elsewhere. Lots of little statues. Depictions of Buddha Rama some really cool bamboo hats I'm whispering because there's other travelers around lots of really unique t-shirts in here that you can't get anywhere else. Statues of dragons, teacups. Just seems like a lovely little market you would find in your local village here in Nandapur. Okay, let's head across the way. Right across from the Bhaktapur market,

and where you can normally hear the gibbons, they're not out right now, but right across from there, there is a sign here in pale blue that says, Trekking Guide of Anandapur Township. And I just want to read off the things that you can do here in Anandapur. We have treks and shops and lodging. So under lodging, you can stay at the Lalita Guest Lodge, the Leopard Lodge, the Association for Tourism, the Kitaka Tiger Camp,

Hotel Chitua and Relaxed Tourist House, and then Hotel Bukit. The Relaxed Tourist House sounds like my kind of place. And then under treks and shops, you have Kali River Rapids, Chakranadi Chicken Shop. Hey, I kind of wish that was a thing. The Surusana Trekking, Maharaja Jungle Trek, Seven Summits Mountain Trekking, Mandala Gifts, Human Fit Tailors, Mr. Panika's Shop. I don't know what he sells. And, of course, An Andapur wood carving. All right, let's do an about face. Head back past the drink wallop, back to the...

Wow, the strollers here are really loud on this uneven stone but let's head back to the Tree of Life area and then on over towards Africa for a little bit because I'm just feeling the need to go to

that section of the park. Let's go. Oh, one little detail. So I've mentioned this so many times. I don't want to be a broken record, but you guys know that a wonderful local artist recreated the drink wall of sign for me. It's in my home office where I work every day. I see it all day, every day. Utterly love it. And I've surrounded it with signs, many of which were... There are signs from here that are recreated by producer Josh. Gorgeous.

And things from other creators. And then trinkets. Appropriate area trinkets, many of which I've aged. And when you go inside Drinkwalla, which is obviously from all the signs that you can see all over the thing, it's a Coca-Cola place. It's essentially Coke Corner here in Annandapur. But inside there are some large Coke bottles with what looks like Coca-Cola labels that have Hindi writing on them.

And I have searched and searched, and apparently that's not a thing. Apparently that is set dressing created specifically for the park because I can't find any evidence of such a thing actually existing. I actually bought recently a bottle of it's an Indian soda and placed that bottle on the shelf next to the sign. Anyway

here we are next to the stage where Chakranati used to play. We miss you, Chakranati. Next to the big banyan tree. Let's take in some atmosphere. Kampung Kampung Terima kasih telah menonton! Kampung Kampung Kampung There you go. What do you think about that? A little sitar music. Here reminiscent of Chakranadi. Sign right in front of it

says, Protected Monument Entry Prohibited. Archaeological Survey, Anandapur. So, this is by conceit an ancient area. Area of prehistory, perhaps, in Anandapur. That is protected.

Okay, let and fax. Passing upcountry landing to your left with a view of the Tree of Life across the Discovery River. Mr. Kamala's in Caravan Road open today I've already had my frozen coke but that kakegori looks great. I told you I was going to circle back past the Tree of Life, and I am, but I'm not going the way I planned. And... Instead of going back to Discovery Island, I just took the path directly from Anandapur over to Africa, pausing, as I often do at this wonderful waterfall, literally the only

person pausing to take a look. Take a listen deep breath in and out ah slightly breezy today so this little waterfall completely encased in vegetation swaying slightly in the breeze, and it is just, hey, you're on vacation. I'm not sure if you can make out the slight ambient music in the background, but these are some of the oldest Animal Kingdom tracks.

Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Had to stop. Not many areas of the park you can pick this stuff out anymore. And here as we enter the very outskirts of Harambee turn right and here's where you will see the brand new seating area that they have created covered seating much needed very beautiful thatched roof, brown stone. Hoteli Buradica. Harambe Market to your right.

Malamwingu Guesthouse to your left. This is an extended seating area of Tamu Tamu, by the way. the stone walls surrounding it carefully constructed to look ancient so well done plantings are beautiful practice respect for nature the sign says good idea large stone urn here with a pink

bougainvillea growing out of it just this park is a masterpiece Thank you. We've turned the corner here to see bicycle land and SIRS hardware. It does not matter who you are or where you are from, we are all children of the world. Could not agree more. The detail of this wall is just astounding to me. The layers of it. Because you can see the block underneath where the plaster has cracked and fallen away. And the paint used to be a yellow,

but is now faded to a cream. Food market painted over the plaster and the block that has itself faded. It just looks used and lovely. The Fikwa fellow across the way. He's not so hidden. Welcome to the town of, village of Harambe, Mombasa Marketplace directly in front of us. Oh my! Karibu! Welcome! Let's wander over near Kusafiri.

Something smells incredible over here. They have a harissa chicken wrap, which I think is what I'm smelling. Also, marinated pork flatbread and marinated chicken flatbread. Dang, that looks good. Also, a coconut-flavored iced coffee. Sounds awesome as well. No one inside the tower. Echo! Echo! It could not smell more appropriately enticing if it tried.

Man, making me hungry. Kampung Kampung O Pucaté, o Pucatá, o Pucatá, o Pucatá Tudo, tudo, tudo Thank you. Feels like a rambay. As we always do, let's give a shout out to our wonderful patrons. At the Beautiful Tomorrow level, we have Beck Castle, Bill and Aaron Zeese, Brian E. Grant, Derek at Satisfactual Sign Company, John Hamilton, Meredith Izzo, And at the Living Laboratory level, we have Thank all of you for your support. And if you would like to support our little venture here, you can do so at patreon.com slash walkabout WDW. That's it for me today.

That's it from the village of Harambe in Animal Kingdom. Thank you for coming along for this little journey with me. Wherever you are, I hope you're well. You can find us at our one and only place on the internets at walkaboutwdw on Instagram. Drop us a line there. You can send us an email at contact at walkaboutthew on Instagram. Drop us a line there. You can send us an email at contact at walkabouttheworld.com If you get a chance, leave us a rating or a review

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When we're in the parks, we feel like you're right there with us. Our only goal week after week is to go along with you on a little in-park family reunion and put you in the there by the way. We'll see you in one... On another episode of Walk About the World. Hey, see ya. Thank you.