My Extra Magic

This morning I was in a bit of a mood because of some things that I have no control over. I had a Disney Park Pass Reservation for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and my mood continued as I drove to the park. The car that cut me off and almost hit my car in the parking lot didn’t help, and my mood worsened when the same car almost hit my car again as I pulled in the space next to them and they opened the door all the way, not realizing that there were other cars there.

I went through security and then scanned my MagicBand. I was still mumbling under my breath as I entered the park.

I then received my first piece of extra magic. I saw that there was a Cast Member on the right, just standing there. I looked behind her and I saw DiVine. I had been to the park since her returned, but I had never been able to time it right. For a moment, things were back to normal, whatever normal is.

The main reason that I visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom was that I wanted to see character cruises. They are hard to time since Disney Kite Tails started, since they aren’t during the show. I saw one, and then just walked around the park a bit.

When I was getting ready to go, I had my other bit of extra magic. I found Kevin.

I knew Kevin was back, but I wasn’t sure where to look for her. I’m pretty sure that I walked right past her when I arrived. I am not a huge fan of Up (after the opening montage, which breaks my heart each time I see it) but I always loved seeing Kevin at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

The Kevin sighting is officially in Discovery Island, but you’ll need to head to near the entrance to Dinoland, U.S.A. Pass where Viva Gaia Street Band! plays on your right, and Flame Tree Barbecue on your left. Walk past those and Isle of Java on your left. On your right will be the restrooms. Kevin will be on a path on the other side of the restrooms.

The space where guests can stand is small, but the crowd wasn’t too bad. People were getting pictures in an orderly fashion, and a Cast Member encouraged everyone to get a bit closer if they wanted to take selfies.

I hear complaints all the time about how the magic is gone and that Disney only cares about the bottom line. DiVine and Kevin are two characters that bring in no extra revenue for Disney, but plenty of magic for guests. The magic isn’t gone, we just need to open our eyes.

I didn’t need any extra pixie dust to find some magic today. Just seeing a couple of characters that had been missing was magical enough. One of my magical moments today was unexpected, and for the other, I didn’t expect for it to be so magical.