Where the wild things are

What could possibly cause Sydney to look so serious? To keep her hands planted so firmly on Mommy's and Daddy's legs?

She may talk a good game about being an animal rescuer like her favorite character Diego (is it sacrilegious to mention a Nickelodeon character while writing about a visit to a Disney theme park?), and she may ask to read Diego's Safari Rescue over and over again. But put her on a pretend safari ride where she can see real animals, relatively up close, and suddenly she's a little tense.

The Kilimanjaro Safari was easily my favorite part of our visit to the Animal Kingdom. Sure, the driver's script about searching for poachers and saving a baby elephant was silly (though Sydney found it captivating), but it's just plain cool to see so many magnificent animals lounging or roaming around.

How can you not be in awe at the sight of a couple elephants? Especially when you learn that the one on the right is pregnant?

I also appreciated the large amount of space, and the cleanliness of the space these animals called home.

The only other time I've seen a hippopotamus was at the zoo in Budapest. It was a fairly small cage with a disgustingly dirty, indoor pool of water. Granted, I don't think hippos mind the mud, but I've got to believe this wide open park-like setting is a healthier environment.

Take a good look AJ. This one's just a tad bigger than the ones on your Hungry, Hungry Hippos game.