DDW Pic 966. Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom

Today we say happy 16th birthday to Animal Kingdom. This amazing park opened on April 22nd, 1998. It is not a coincidence that Disney decided to open on Earth Day, as Animal Kingdom is themed entirely around animal conservation. It is the newest park at Walt Disney World and by far the largest. I took this picture today while enjoying some time walking around the Discovery Island trails.

DDW Pic 965. Grand Floridian Easter Eggs

Grand Floridian Easter Eggs

This morning, I made a quick stop at the Grand Floridian on my way to the Magic Kingdom. I wanted to get a picture of the annual giant Easter egg display before it is removed. Each of these edible chocolate creations weighs 9 to 12 pounds and stands 16 to 20 inches tall. This year, they have added a "Frozen" egg, which is certainly not surprising.

DDW Pic 964. Liberty Bell

Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell in the Magic Kingdom is an exact replica of the actual one in Philadelphia. In fact, it was cast from the same mold. I took this shot in Liberty Square while giving a tour about a week ago. You can see one of my young tour guests ringing the bell with the help of a Liberty Tree Tavern cast member.

DDW Pic 963. Dale

Dale

Although Mickey is the "big cheese," Chip and Dale are also popular characters in the Disney parks. They can be found in several meet-and-greet locations, and guests sometimes wait in long lines for pictures and an autographs with this duo. I took this shot of Dale on Main Street at the Magic Kingdom, as he rode by in the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It street party.

DDW Pic 962. Indiana Jones

Indiana Jones

This photo is from the finale of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Hollywood Studios. I've posted pictures from the show in the past, but I took this recent shot last week. Indiana Jones has been a fixture in this park, and has changed very little since it's opening in 1989. It will turn 25 in August of this year.

DDW Pic 961. Hub Construction

Hub Construction

They are doing some extensive construction in the "hub" area of the Magic Kingdom. Because of the crowd congestion during the parades and fireworks, they are filling in the moat in the area near Main Street to create more walking paths. The area in this shot includes the now demolished "smoking patio," as well as the Plaza restaurant in the background.

DDW Pic 960. Big River Grille - Panorama

Big River Grille

Today, my wife and I had a chance to try the Big River Grille & Brewing Works for the first time. It is located at the Boardwalk Resort and it serves lunch and dinner. They also brew their own beer at this spot. We sat outside, and there was a nice view of Crescent Lake. The food was very good and we look forward to returning in the future.