25 very specific things to like about Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is entering silver-anniversary territory. The theme park will mark 25 years of operation Saturday. Rather than rehashing two of the attraction’s biggest draws — its animals and its deep dive into authenticity — let’s tighten the focus.

Here are 25 very specific things and moments to enjoy about Animal Kingdom.

• Lions basking in the sun on the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction.
• When the “Hakuna Matata”/tumble monkeys segment of “Festival of the Lion King” briefly breaks into “Yes, We Have No Bananas.”
• The almost invisible, tranquil porch of Nomad Lounge.

• Very visible (and vocal) visits from Kevin, the big bird character from “Up.”

[ 2020: Joe Rohde gives virtual tour of Animal Kingdom ]

• The dark, backward stretch aboard Expedition Everest.
• The Tree of Life carvings as seen from the pathways.

• Locking eyes (but not arms) with the sizable shaman animatronic in Na’vi River Journey.
• A bowl (beef, chicken, chili-garlic shrimp) of your choice (and design) at Satu’li Canteen.
• Drumming by street artists, drumming on the waterway, drumming by guests and prerecorded drumming.
• Not unrelated: People dancing in the streets.

• The overall walkability of the place.
• Seeing a menagerie of hippos, zebras, birds, monkeys and meerkats along Gorilla Falls Exploration Falls, capped by a sighting of Gino, a longtime gorilla resident.
• Then eyeing a tiger or two — and side-eyeing the bats — on Maharajah Jungle Trek.
• The odd backstage peek on the one-sided train ride to Conservation Station.

• The big puppet energy of “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue … and Beyond.”
• The array of distinctive merchandise for sale.
• The writings on the walls, touting imaginary businesses and events in the African village areas.
• The little fan on the console of Flight of Passage that adds to the airborne illusion.

• The Wild Africa Trek add-on tour, where I was once tethered above rhinos and hoped their vertical leaps were as lousy as they looked.
• The lush landscaping, some of which isn’t found in (Earth-based) nature. Then, at night, the bioluminescence.
• Place names that are fun to say, such as Otter Grotto, Pizzafari, Creature Comforts (a k a Starbucks), Thirsty River Bar and Restaurantosaurus.
• The tiered outdoor eating behind Flame Tree Barbecue restaurant.
• The tucked away patios that front Discovery River between the African and Asia lands.

• Memories of DAK past, such as “Tarzan Rocks!” and “Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends” shows. (Less happy flashback to open-air theater that was the original home of “Lion King” show.)
• The potential of the area where the Primeval Whirl coaster was.

Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters or the Theme Park Rangers podcast at orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/theme-park-rangers-podcast.