AK FP+ Strategy?

[Corbie]

Trip in late October, 2017. DD is an animal nut. DH and I saw Avatar (meh for us); she hasn't and may or may not see it before our trip. So, though Pandora looks awesome, it's not the same for us as the upcoming Star Wars land will be. We're also 'fraidy cats, so it's only 50/50 whether we'll attempt EE.

Before Pandora, I had planned to book it to Kilimanjaro Safaris at RD and ride it stand-by. My thinking is that animals usually are more active either first thing in the morning or at dusk/evening. I will try to somehow get a FP+ for FOP.

Would it be better to RD FOP and then do Kilimanjaro? Keep in mind our goal is to have the chance to see the most animals (hopefully active). We especially hope to catch the lions not snoozing.

 

[CinderellaDream]

I'm not sure you can ever plan on when the animals will be most active. I have seen the same advice to ride early in the day but I have also experienced just as many animals in the heat of the afternoon or in the evening. In fact, the most active I ever saw the lions in probably 15-20 safari rides was near dusk. I think the safari driver says that lions sleep 20 hours out of the day so it's really just luck as to whether you will see any activity from them or not.

 

[AngiTN]

There is no such thing as a time when the animals are most active. The keepers go out and bait them with food in strategically placed feeders all around the safari. The food it put out at all different times. Plus the call the animals in and out in various groups, now that they have a safari at night so there is always lots of animals moving about, going to feeders, taking breaks, etc. The only time I can say I don't like to do the safari is at night.
Otherwise, I've done one in every hour of the day, more than once considering how many times we've gone on it, and always seen something out and about.

 

[Klayfish]

Like others said, the safari is just random luck. We've been on the safari during all hours of the day and night and it's always different. We're here now and have been on it 4 or 5 times. Once was simply amazing...saw wildebeests rampaging in a pack, spring bok leaping all around them, the cheetahs actually up and running around, and the lions up and the male was literally roaring. All on the same safari. It was incredible. Others were far less active.

We don't do rope drops, not our thing. But from what I've heard, unless you show up 2+ hours before park open, FOP line gets long really fast. We were in AK this morning, we had a 10am FP+ for Na'vi. The line for FOP was already 240 minutes. Get a FP+ if you can. We lucked out...one night I was obsessively refreshing MDE and got a FP+ for a part of 5 on FOP for the very next day. Very lucky.

For the non-Pandora rides, my best advice for strategy is as follows... If you want to try EE, you can rope drop that with no problem. Like I said, we don't rope drop, but will show up 5-15 minutes after park opening, and EE is never more than a 10 minute wait. Same for Kali River Rapids, if you want to try that. Then make your first FP+ for the safari at 10am or so and plan the others after.

 

[DaniMoon]

We spent three days in AK in June. We usually try to hit the Safari, the earlier the better. But we did rope drop FOP twice (8 am opening, they opened Pandora about 7:40) -- we were off FOP at 8:05/8:20 and then walked over to the safari. It was pretty much walk on both times, and saw lots of animal activity. I did FP the safari one evening, 8pm (8:30ish sunset) and I really enjoyed that one. I have yet to do a night safari, we were planning on one, but the weather had other ideas.

 

[DaniMoon]

All the times we've been, the only time I haven't seen the lions just laying around, was evening/later afternoon. Just our experience. One morning the male was chuffing, but he wasn't moving around. I have heard that the night time safari is the best for the lions, but have no personal experience.

 

[Corbie]

I'm thinking of it like the zoo where we live. The animals are always most alert active first at dusk and then in early morning. That doesn't hold as true for the herd animals. Then again, that might be my subconscious balking at the idea of a loooooooooong stand-by wait at FOP!