AK Extra Magic Hour Observations

[Pugsley]

A couple of observations about AK yesterday. I was staying onsite but decided to drive to AK for early entry. First, I was surprised to find lots of cars lined up at the parking booths at 7:45am and the booths weren’t open yet. They did open at about 7:50. Then, I’ve never seen lines so long to get in to the park, and this was just resort guests. They were all the way out to the security bag check tables, which is really far at AK. I thought I’d be clever and go in through the Rainforest Café entrance, so I just waited on a bench until 8am when RC opened for breakfast. And then I found the back doors locked and was told they don’t let people go out that way anymore. So I ended up at the very end of the line. Oh well, the lines went pretty fast and I was surprised that I still made it on the safari without a wait. I was just shocked at the crowds though. There was even a line for the first train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Before 10am you could hardly move through the crowds and it was HOT. Kali was broken down and I don’t know when or if it ever opened. With that many people in the park and two major attractions closed (Kali & Lion King) I got the heck out of Dodge before 11am because I knew I wouldn’t be able to stand it much longer. Now keep in mind that I REALLY don’t like crowds, and maybe I’m just spoiled since I usually go in the off-season, but to me there was no extra magic at all!

 

[CalGal]

I went to AK last Friday for EMM and encountered some of the same problems plus another. Even though I arrived at the parking lot entrance at around 7:30-7:40, I did not get inside of the gates until after 8:15! In addition to the parking lots not opening until late, I got in to the absolutely worse line for security check. By the time I realized what was going on, I thought it was too late to change lines, since all the lines had gotten very long. I was wrong--I would have been better off to have been in any line that was 2-3 times as long as the one I was in. This one guy was having everyone take everything out of their bags. We had to open up camera bags, etc. I observed that the flow rate was no more than 1/4th the rate of the other lines. It's not that I minded the attention to security, but this level of security was not consistent with what we had seen at any other park, or what was being done in any of the other lines. Consequently, I recommend to anyone who is arriving at opening to pay attention to the security screeners.

 

[CamColt]

We were there 8/25 too, and I was also surprised at how crowded it was. This was the first park we hit for the week so we were really getting worried about crowds after that.
We went straight to Safari and had about a 5-10 min wait. We then managed to get to ITTBAB, but had to leave as all 4 kids were traumatized, LOL! We thought about trying for Kali, but Im glad we didnt now that I ready your post. We spent the rest of the time in Dinoland which was very busy. We ended up leaving around 12:30.

 

[randbmom]

We were there on 8/24 and the AK lines were insane, as was the heat. We couldn't wait to leave. I avoided EMH this trip, after a tip from a CM at MGM. She said the shows were impossible to see without FP only on EMH days. That's all I needed to hear.

 

[CK1]

I'm beginning to think that on early entry mornings, one does best to go to a DIFFERENT park instead!

We found August and AK to be entirely too hot to handle. Our pics of our family by parade time looked like we had all been running the Olympic Marathon (and LOST... by a big margin!!)

For our trip next August, we have already decided (a) no AK on Monday (our mistake last time... I understand that's a peak time for AK?) and (b) we're only staying half a day! We'll do the Kali (my son's favorite -- hope it's working when we visit, because he would be REGALLY bummed if it weren't!), maybe some things we missed last time (never did train up to Rafikis), let dh and BIL do Dino again, a few of the other rides / etc and bugaloo on outta there, over to another park by lunch time... maybe Epcot. Epcot always seems about 5 degrees cooler than the other parks... must be the little lake and those water fountains my kids adore at the Kodak pavillion!

THanks for the post!

 

[sandyneck]

We also were there on 8/25 and thought it was nuts!! We did get to ride everything we wanted, but we left around 11:00. Another thought on the EMH, when we went to MK for it, we waited 40 minutes to ride Space Mt. I was worried the whole time the park was going to be mobbed by the time we got off the ride. After the park opened, we walked on every ride without a wait of more than 10 minutes!! In the past it has always worked out for us to go the hour early, but not this trip. I am not sure why.

 

[Cindy B]

We didn't bother with a EMH for Animal Kingdom. I went on Sunday 8/25 ? to catch the lion king show before it closed --it was crowded. We went to the afternoon show I think a 2:45 and it was mobbed.

We went on Wednes/Thurs morning (can't remember what day) and it was walk on to ITTBAB, and Dinosaur, and Triceptops Spin, but Primeval Whirl was about 20 minutes. While waiting for my DS and DH on Primeval Whirl, DD and I decided to go on Dinosaur for a quick ride.. however the ride stopped and broke down. The lights went up and they had to rescue us out of the car, and walk us out...

After the Dinosaur fiasco, we left Dinoland, and went to Kali... Kali was running, and was at a 25 minute wait or so.. and we waited instead of waiting ove an hour for a Fastpass time. We had no problems with Kali, our kids got soaked!

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

We usually go the last week of Aug. into Sept but this summer we had to change plans. We left on AMtrak on Tues8/12 and arrived , into our ALL Star Movies on 8/13. Got our room very quickly. We were in Dalmations. I think it was close then the Fantasia. Cute place, we usually stay at the Music. Food courts were always PACKED. in fact the whole world was SUPER PACKED, it was like XMas almost. i think FTP did it. Our first full day Thurs 8/14 the Magic Kingdom was incredible. We are used to summer crowds and heat , but wow it was packed. Fri.8/15 we hit AK. all i can say is WOW> security line very long, waits were long. but we did a few FP. First time ever that we saw less animals. over the week end at AK we got a terrible thunder /rain storm, so parade was cancelled. It laster for hours and hours. We had rain almost all week , first trip ever. lol. We still had a GREAT time, but boy we left rain at home to go to more rain. lol. We did BB, had a good day, then wed we did TL.1st time. was there around 10ish, by 2- 230 they announded a STORM coming. So there went our short day. We LOVED it at TL. like i said we had fun , it was our wettest vacation ever. but it beats being home. we love the place.

 

[Duckster]

We went to EMH at AK in early August. After waiting through very large lines to get in, we were told that none of the rides opened until 9 a.m. Therefore the only thing we could do was shop. Shopping is definately not worth rushing to get to the park early and then standing in those large lines. None of theother parksoperated like this on EMH day. not sure why AK was this way.

 

[TZMOM]

We went Sunday 8/24/03 as some posters above did - we got down there that morning and I wanted to catch one of the last Lion King shows before refurb. It was crowded to get in - I think our time was around 12 or 1:00. After we left the show (loved it!!) we walked around and got on most rides/"stuff" w/a few minutes wait. My son didn't want to go on Kali this time - so I don't know about that. I was expecting much more people - we also went on Friday of that week (8/29?) and I didn't see as many people as I thought would be there either. We didn't get much time in AK last year (food poisoning from Planet Hollywood) but I liked this park - very relaxing. Isn't it funny how some think something's really crowded and others don't?

 

[randbmom]

THis was my fifth or sixth trip to AK, and it's funny but every trip has seemed perceptibly hotter than anywhere else in the World. I've been in the months of November, December, February and now August. I was uncomfortably hot in the "cooler" months and could only stay during this August rip thanks to two thorough soakings on Kali!
I am one of those "always warm" people, but does anyone else have this feeling about AK?

 

[Little MerGirl]

I'm one of those "always cold" people - and even I find AK much warmer than the rest of the World. I think it's because there are many more outdoor attractions. Most of the shows and rides in Epcot, MK and MGM are indoor/air conditioned which breaks up the wear and tear from the heat.

Even in February, we wore shorts and tee shirts to AK. The CM at the entrance turnstiles was wearing a jacket and gloves!

 

[elemusing]

We did EMH at AK in June. I was really disappointed as we have always done EE at the other parks and always thought it to be very time saving. But Rafiki's Planet Watch was supposed to have opened early and it did not for some reason. Then the only thing we rode before was ITTBAB. We didn't do the safari this time because we go every year and just decided to skip it this time. I really wish dinoland was open during EE. This is the area we love. After a nice steamy rain, it was dreadfully hot and we had had it. So we hit the character trails and then caught the first show of FOTLK and then trucked it out of there. The crowds we unmanageable. I was really disappointed as we didn't even make it over to the dinoland area.

Next trip, we will go on EE day but wait until official opening and head straight to dinoland. Or we will skip EE day all together there. I just can't get a handle on what disappoints me about AK. The crowds, the extreme heat, or a combination of both. EE just doesn't seem to work here.

Angie

 

[Snowysmom]

We try to avoid the park with the early opening and so far it has worked. We went to AK in July but went around 2:00. It was crowded but not to the point of being packed. Alot of people were leaving as we were arriving. We had about a 40 minute wait for the Safari, got right on Dinosaur and Primevil Whirl. There were tons of animals out on the Safari. It was very hot, humid, and sprinkling on and off. It was the best time we had at AK. From now on we will go in the afternoon. When we go, we go in July and this time we did notice the increase in the crowds from previous summers. The only park that didn't seem really crowded was Epcot.

 

[Ecdubfan]

We were at AK on 8/25 as well. The lines getting in were very long and we did not get into the park until almost 8:15 after leaving the resort at 7:30. We walked right on ITTBAB but then found a long standby wait for the Safari. Got fast passes and did most of dinoland as a walk-on right as it opened up. After the safari and finding Kali closed, we headed to EPCOT where we had a very relaxed remainder of the day. The EMH scared us away from them for the rest of the week.

 

[Cookie55]

I too was there on 8/25 and I have a question. Can anyone tell me why they don't open the parking lots until 7:45 yet the buses are going in lone before that. It seems to me that discriminates against those who for whatever reason choose to drive. We were the second car in yet when we got to the turnstiles the line was ridiculously long.