Nearly a month after he made his debut, Bakso the baby Sumatran Tiger is now easier to spot within the Maharajah Jungle Trek offering at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Bakso was born back in late September and spent the first four months of his life in a backstage enclosure with his mom, Sohni. In late January, Bakso made his debut within the tiger exhibit at the Maharajah Jungle Trek – a self-guided walking trail with a number of animal exhibits.
Bakso was an instant rockstar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, demanding hour-long wait times for guests to catch a glimpse of the tiger who got his name from the Indonesian word for “meatball”. Now, operations have changed as demand has moderated for a view of Bakso. Here’s the latest!
Bakso Now Easier to See Following Operational Changes
As we outlined in our earlier article, the Maharajah Jungle Trek modified its operations due to large crowds wanting to rope drop and see Bakso. The trail reversed the flow of foot traffic, making it easier to create a queue for guests to enter for the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Bakso. When he first debuted on the Trek, Bakso was rather shy, unsure of his surroundings that seemed foreign after months indoors. That meant that a single, small viewing platform offered the best chance to see Bakso.
Over time, Bakso became more comfortable with his surroundings and started to explore more of the enclosure. If you’ve never been, the Maharajah Jungle Trek offers multiple windows and a single window-less viewing platform from which to watch the tigers. The door to the backstage enclosure is closest to the viewing platform, making it the ideal spot to catch a glimpse of Bakso. As Bakso started to roam the enclosure, he ended up making it easier for guests at the viewing windows to spot him.
Now, there is no line to view Bakso, and the flow of foot traffic has returned to the normal clockwise rotation around the exhibits. That means that guests can enter the trail through the marked entrance and make their way back to see Bakso about halfway through the trail.
When we visited earlier this morning, there was a decent-sized crowd near a set of windows where Bakso was playing. Because he can freely roam the exhibit, it’s not a guarantee that you’ll see Bakso, but with “lower” crowds and a more accessible viewing area, your chances are better than a couple of weeks ago. Here’s a look at Bakso playing with his mom as viewed through the 4″ thick glass that puts Sumatran tigers just a few feet away from guests.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
