Lift us high above the deep blue sea

Occasionally, there isn’t a way to bring a photo safari to you; you have to go to it. That is precisely the prescription for today. I have heard complaints about the cost and weather compatibility of the tethered balloon experience, Characters in Flight, at Downtown Disney – West Side. While I think that this is an amazing value for guests seeking a bird’s eye view of Walt Disney World and beyond, I decided to seek out an alternative for readers. That search led me into Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and straight into Asia.There are plenty of photo safaris to be found in Asia, especially around Expedition Everest, but capturing this safari image is a challenge in and of itself. For starters, you must ask to sit in the front seat of the train. There is a special holding area for these seats, and you may have to wait for a few tea trains to leave the station, but the view is worth the wait. Once onboard, have your camera ready. As you climb past the temple and toward the mountain’s summit, there is a great view of the park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Kidani Village. Meanwhile, up at the top of the mountain, where you encounter the broken tracks, there is this vista.In this one image alone you can see Spaceship Earth, The Land, Soarin’, Imagination, the Yacht and Beach Club, the Swan and Dolphin, Coronado Springs, Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ RollerCoaster, and the Sorcerer’s Hat of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Oh, and just after you take the photograph, cling to your camera for dear life, as you are about be whipped backwards through the mountain at top speeds.

The experience of summiting Everest for this photograph is much less relaxing than Characters in Flight, but the view is reliable and comes with the price of admission. I hope readers will try both adventures and place their photographs side by side as proof of their adventures!