| During our last week at WDW, I happened to find a pamphlet
advertising Kidventure. I had never heard of this program (I
couldn't believe that there was something at WDW that I didn't
know about). I called and learned it was a new program that
started one day earlier (I was relieved).
I called (824-3784) and made a reservation for my oldest
daughter Jennifer (age 8) for July 4th. This worked out well
because we did not want to fight the crowds that day anyway.
This ended up being one of the favorite (if not the favorite)
things she did during her vacation.
This program is for children aged 8-14 and lasts about 1/2 day
(8:30 till 1:00). The cost is $25. The kids are with a
naturalist who guides them along the shores of Bay Lake by the
cypress swamp in Fort Wilderness. They caught (and released)
minnows and shrimp with a net. They found tracks (bobcat),
fossils, armadillo shells. The emphasis was on learning what
was going on around them and conservation. Next they went to
Discovery Island where they went backstage and were able to
handle some animals like monkeys, parrots, giant turtles etc.
Jennifer's favorite was to hold Quasar, the leg-less lizard
(looks just like a snake except that he has tiny ear slits).
They went to the animal hospital. They have crafts there on
the island and Jennifer made a plaster casting of Wood Duck
footprints. They were fed lunch (roast beef, peanut butter or
turkey sandwiches. Then they spent the rest of the time
touring Discovery Island with expert tour guides.
The day that Jennifer went she was the only person signed up
for the tour. There were two naturalists and Jennifer, talk
about individual attention. Kris, the tour director said that
the Kidventure program was new for the summer but was
identical to their normal educational program which is the
largest organized tour program in WDW. During the school year
classes are brought in for this program and they have had
10,000 kids through the program.
I arrived a little early to pick up my daughter and Kris gave
me a brief tour around the Island while we were trying to
catch up with Jennifer. It was nice to get an explanation of
the animals that you just don't get when you tour by yourself.
I think I saw more in that 1/2 hour than I did in both of
trips I made by myself combined. Kris told me that they were
thinking of starting a program in the afternoon for adults. I
would be interested, if only to be able to tour Discovery
Island with a naturalist.
Jennifer got to keep the plaster cast, the fossil that she
found, her Kidventure certificate, and a photograph of her
holding Quasar the leg-less lizard.
/Jim Pappas
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