I am a lot of things. A Disney fan. An English teacher. A writer. A procrastinator (this post is months late).

One thing I am not is a space geek. Yes, it’s true. I don’t follow all the NASA happenings. I’m not sure I could name even one current astronaut. Don’t get me wrong, as I look back there are several key moments in my life that point to my hidden geekyness. I just didn’t realize it until now.

In the second grade I fell in love with the stars while visiting the planetarium. In sixth grade I sat in a gym full of eager students and watched in awe as Challenger exploded. In high school I listened intently as my grandfather talked about seeing the first shuttle launch on television–”History in the making.” These passing moments in my life influenced my love, not for space, but for learning.

I learned a lot during the NASA Tweetup. I visited Kennedy Space Center for the first time. I not only went inside the VAB, but I know what VAB stands for (Vehicle Assembly Building). I heard an astronaut speak, I watched a robot perform, and I discovered a lot about myself: I’m not as shy as I originally thought, traveling alone isn’t so bad, and taking a risk is worth it.

One hundred and fifty strangers came together to see Discovery launch. In many ways, our lives have been forever changed by this one event. Some found romance, everyone friendship. Some are pursuing different career paths, and a few have made life-changing decisions.

What did Discovery teach me? Discovery taught me to continue to dream and learn and do new things.

The next NASA Tweetup is February 11, 2011 at NASA Ames. Follow NASA Tweetup on Twitter for more Tweetup information.

This past spring I took the Backstage Safari tour at Animal Kingdom. According to the tour specifics, we were going to take a “3-hour insider’s look at the innovative ways that Disney Cast Members care for its animal inhabitants.”

I, however, was looking forward to petting a white rhino. At least that is what I had read from past tour participates. Sadly, we did not get to interact with any of the animals, but I did learn a lot about Animal Kingdom and all that goes into caring for the more than 1,700 animals who call Animal Kingdom home.

The tour is billed as a walking tour, but we did a lot of riding around in a Disney van. Our tour started just outside the entrance to Animal Kingdom.

We met up at 8:15 a.m. for our 8:30 a.m. tour. There were seven of us on the tour, me, my sister, three girls on spring break, and two older women.

Our driver’s license was checked and then we were issued name badges and headphones. Guests must be at least 16 years of age to participate. Since they do check ids, don’t try to get around this one. We were also introduced to our guide, Kyle. He’s a secondary education major participating in the Group Education Intern program at Disney.

Theme park admission is not included in the tour price. With a 20% discount, the tour was $61.35 (this included tax). We swiped our park tickets and stopped in the center of the Oasis. I admit that I usually bypass the Oasis wildlife on my way to retrieve Fastpasses for Kilimanjaro Safari, but it was nice to take time to enjoy the Oasis and to learn about the details. For example, Disney aims to have 80% visibility of its animals. They layer the rocks so that you can see up into the animal viewing area. They also hide feeders and provide climate controlled rocks to encourage the animals to remain in view. In this picture, the “broken” tree stump is actually a feeder.

The animals selected for the Oasis are not from any one geographical area.

Babirusa

After pointing out the specifics of three different animals, we exited the park near the Rainforest Cafe. Before going backstage, Kyle told that we were not allowed to take any pictures backstage. He must have trusted us because we were allowed to carry our backpacks, bags, and cell phones.

One of the first things I noticed backstage were the bicycles. There were dozens of them all lined up. Because it can be hard to get from one area to another, Cast Members can hop on a bike. They call them Dakcycles. The entire perimeter of Animal Kingdom is lined with barbed wire fencing. Kyle said that the fencing was to prevent Florida wildlife from entering the park. While driving around, we did see wild turkeys and deer on the other side of the fence.

From the vehicle we saw 

• Where the Safari vehicles are stored and refueled
• The 90 acres where horticulture grows “snacks” for the animals. The rest of the food is shipped in each day.
• Dozens of trailers where birds and bugs are kept
• Boneyard with extra Everest pieces
• Imagineering trailers 
• The back facade of Kali River Rapids, Expedition Everest, and Dinosaur

We actually visited

• Elephant compound–We learned about the training of the elephants. They were actually giving two of them showers when we were there.
• Veterinary Services–The place is much bigger than what you see at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. They were working on an owl when we visited. There are 11 vets on staff and 14 vet technicians.
• Animal Nutrition–The nutritionists were measuring frozen mice for some of the animals. The other nutrionitionist was measuring salad materials. They made it very clear that the animals eat the same food that we eat when we visit the parks. The same truck delivers the restaurants their food and food for the animals.  
• Dry food Storage facility–We just stood in this climate controlled building and talked about the amount of food it takes to feed the animals.
• Wildlife Tracking Center–We passed around some shellacked animal poo and listened to some of the elephant calls that they recorded. Animal Kingdom discovered some elephant vocals that have never been heard of before. They currently have a researcher in Kenya researching elephants.
• Personal Kilimanjaro Safari tour–This was the highlight of the tour. I learned so much that I am writing a separate post just on the tour.

Each place we visited a Cast Member was on hand to tell us about the area. When we were in the buildings, there were bulletin boards (like the ones you find in school) describing Disney’s conservation efforts. We took a break halfway through the tour and watched a short film, ate snacks, and received an all gray souvenir cup.

It seems that they have done away with giving out pins. We did get a pin from the Wildlife Tracking Center.

I am glad that I took the tour, but I’m not sure I would go on it again. For me, the conservation message was a little too forced. After each location, we were told how Disney was helping the environment. Not that I mind someone tooting her own horn, but it almost seemed like a sales pitch. Before we entered the animal care building, Kyle pointed out some solar panels used to power the building. Then, right above one of the animal nutritionists, we saw an advertisement for a Florida company specializing in solar panels. I found this advertising display tacky, especially for Disney.

Overall, I recommend the tour to anyone who loves animals or Animal Kingdom. I did learn a lot of information that I hadn’t learned from Disney guidebooks.  I left the tour feeling like I got my monies worth, plus it ended at 11:11 a.m. so we had plenty of time to enjoy the park.

 Happy Travels!