by Beth Keating
Park Visit
DisneyBizJournal.com
December 17, 2023
If Hollywood Studios has the most vibrant and nostalgic of the parks’ Christmas décor, Animal Kingdom is perhaps the most understated, with soft whites, pale blues and silvers reminiscent of the tones of winter. And as you might suspect, it is highly tuned to animals and their various habitats. Luminaries light up at dusk in re-creations of the faces of the park’s inhabitants, interwoven with natural twigs, leaves and flowers.
But Animal Kingdom also has the most highly entertaining décor of all the parks, at least when the Merry Menagerie rolls into Discovery Island each day. The menagerie is also themed in the subtle winter hues, but these reindeer, polar bears, penguins, and foxes are so life-like that I hesitate to call them “puppets.”
The specially designed artisan-sculpted creations are hand-crafted using natural materials and fabrics, and you’ll even find a few miniature Hidden Mickeys worked into the designs. Each creature has its own name, and the puppeteers will be happy to tell you not only their animal’s name, but a little bit about each one.
It was easy to see that guests interacted with these life-sized sculpted pieces as if the puppets were real animals, and the puppeteers were superb at making the animals theatrically come to life. It didn’t take much to suspend your disbelief and interact with the puppets as if they had their own personalities. People were hugging them, scratching under their chins, petting their “fur,” and talking to them as if the puppets could understand. And maybe they did, because these animals responded to each individual in amusing and endearing ways, sniffing, nudging and cuddling.
The Merry Menagerie arrives on Discovery Island in front of the Tree of Life (between Island Mercantile and Discovery Trading Company) every day between 9:45 AM and 5:00 PM. The cast of critters rotates appearances, so you’ll see different animals with each rotation.
Alongside the puppets are strolling musicians, whose performers and instruments change up regularly, too. On our visit, the musicians were not only playing for guests, but also interacting with the animals, who would sometimes head bump the instruments, dance along to the sounds, or jump back and forth in tune with the songs. High energy music and performances, for sure.
In other areas of the park, the decorations are themed to the land they are found in. In Africa, the decorations are created from “found” objects, and if you aren’t paying attention, you may miss a lot of them. Doorways and windows are hung with reclaimed-object wreaths, and one especially fun wreath is made from an old bicycle wheel! In Pandora, the AMP suit has been dressed as Santa, and in Dino-Land, the dinosaur “bridge” is adorned in lights and a jaunty Santa hat and beard.
Among the other entertainment for holiday guests is a special visitor – Jolly Old St. Nick himself makes his way down the Discovery River several times a day on one of the boats in the flotilla. (Check the My Disney Experience app for specific times.) We found the best place to spot him was in the amphitheater near Expedition Everest, because you’ll get to see him twice: once when his boat enters the river at the beginning of the journey, and about ten-fifteen minutes later when the boats complete the loop and return to the amphitheater. It’s also where the boats come closest to shore, and Santa will call out greetings and comments to individual kids who are waiting (im)patiently along the railings. On the day we were there, Santa was the last boat in a series of four boats featuring Scrooge McDuck and Launchpad McQuack; Pocohantas and Meeko; and Pluto and Goofy.
Don’t be in a hurry to scoot past the oversized tree at the entrance to the park, either. As you are coming or going, peek into the fence around the tree, where you’ll not only see decorations representing the animals in the park, but a few friends from the Hundred Acre Wood as well. Catch some of the details in the tree ornaments, too, where you’ll see lots of the Animal Kingdom’s residents represented.
If you have a chance to visit Animal Kingdom before the holiday festivities are over, slow down and look around, because this park is definitely celebrating with the details. And maybe pet a polar bear while you are at it!
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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.
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