Hunter’s First Week – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Camp
The highly anticipated Disney’s Animal Kingdom Camp week one finally came and went and Hunter loved every minute. This was Hunter’s third year in a row that he has attended the camp, for which he provides rave reviews each and every day he attends. This year Hunter will be attending two weeks of the camp, and he is fired up about next week because his buddy Austin will be attending as well.
The week provided a lot of Hunter & Dad time because we get to travel both to and from work together. We had some interesting discussions throughout the week as we talked about pet fish and pet snakes as well as solar power cars (blown away sometimes at how his brain works – especially at 8 am)!
At camp this week they got to do a ton of cool park and animal experiences including: Epcot – The Seas with Nemo & Friends (both the pavilion and the ride), Animal Kingdom Lodge (savannah safari), Epcot- The Land Pavilion (both the boat ride and the Behind the Seeds tour), and then Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the last two days where they rode Kali River Rapids, Expedition Everest and Dinosaur. Hunter normally opts out of both Expedition Everest as well as Dinosaur, but I have to say I was really proud of him for overcoming his fears and riding Dinosaur for the first time today! He did mention that he closed his eyes for the entire ride but hey… baby steps! They also provide animal experiences where an animal expert brought a creature and taught the kids about it. Hunter was in heaven today because the showcase was a pine snake.
I continue to be impressed every year that he attends at how amazing the Cast Members are, many of whom return to do this year after year. It was really great to walk up on day one and hear multiple Cast Members shout “Hunter!!” as we approached. You can tell they take time to get to know the kids, and it shows in how much they love attending this camp.
I am excited for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Camp week two as Hunter gets to go with his buddy Austin and share some of his favorite things with his best friend from school. I am sure the car ride will provide for some interesting dialogue and stories that I can share next week. I forgot to mention that the camp is only available to Cast Members and friends and family so you can’t find much information about it online.