An often overlooked are of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Camp Minnie-Mickey. I personally visit it almost every time I visit the park, if for no other reason than to see The Festival of the Lion King. I highly recommend taking some time during your next trip to visit this area.
Camp Minnie-Mickey is designed to look like a summer camp in the Adirondack Mountains. When it is filled with park guests, it feels like it is the first day of the summer camp when all of the parents drop the campers off. It is full of activity from the Character Greeting Trails and the other character meet and greets and Gi-Tar Dan to the always popular Festival of the Lion King.
When you leave Discovery Island and head into Camp Minnie-Mickey you begin encounter bridges and building that have a very rustic feel. The railings for all of the bridges and the signs are all made of carved wood. You see a special waterfall that looks like the water is coming out of a dragon’s mouth. This may be a remnant of the rumored Beastly Kingdom. As you proceed along the trail, you encounter Daisy with Huey, Duey, and Louie who are out on a nature hike. You also find Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Pluto relaxing by the river and fishing.
Festival of the Lion King is inside a large (air conditioned!) theater in the round. The theater is supposed to resemble a camp hall. I think that if a bon fire was set in the middle of the theater, everyone would be ready to roast some s’mores. I could probably write a whole post about the show. The show is a live show with singers, dancers, gymnasts and even a flame twirler. It includes live music from The Lion King and even some audience participation.
The Character Greeting areas remind me of picnic pavillions with each area being covered. The only thing they’re missing is the picnic table. During the holidays, the trails are each decorated by the respective characters and they’re decorated with a personalized Christmas tree.
You also have common areas of the camp. You will usually see Thumper and Ms. Bunny hanging out near the exit from the Festival of the Lion. Wandering around, like a senior camper is Gi-Tar Dan. If you get a chance to, take a few minutes and talk to him. He may make up a song just about you!
If you have visited Camp Minnie-Mickey let me know what you think about it. I’ll be happy to share pictures of your favorite features in a future post!
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