AK touring strategy advice, spend entire day? Or half day?

[winifred]

We will be visiting Animal Kingdom for the first time in May, and the park hours are listed 9 - 6. I have two children, ages 7 & 3. My oldest LOVES animals and we have never been to a zoo / aquarium before. There's an excellent chance that AK will be her favorite park.

My current strategy is to be at the park at RD to do the safari standby, and I have afternoon fastpass+ scheduled for the character outpost, nemo and Kali. These are scheduled from 12-3. I booked a reservation at 5:30 at Sanaa.

I am wondering if spending 7+ hours in a park will be too much for my kids. For those who have toured AK, how long were you in the park? Any tips for low key activities indoors to cool off should we stay the day? What about a late arrival instead of RD?

Also, we are staying at the YC, so not sure how long the buses will take going back and forth should we leave earlier in the afternoon to then head back for our dinner at Sanaa.

Thank you!!!

 

[SLamott1973]

Ak is a fun park,its shady, easy to walk through and themed very well. We tend to finish the day there before closing with doing all we planned for. My son was 5 on our first trip and had no troubles lasting all day.

 

[cel_disney]

I am sure you will find things to occupy yourselves at AK for a day. It can be the most humid park but also has shade (all because of the trees). Nemo is a good break - 45 minutes sitting down .

There is alot of walking - everything is farther apart than in other parks - so drink lots of water!!!!

I am a little confused about your plans to get to Sanaa - I am guessing you want to change first? What is your transfer plan? I ask because you MAY need more time than you have allocated ... You would be in a serious rush I think with a 3pm departure from the park (heading to busses. waiting 10 min, then bus ride and walk to your room arriving at your room at 3:45ish?), the a quick change and leaving by 4:00 to get somewhere and then transfer to AKL? Seems tight...

 

[deakam]

Stop by the Wilderness Explorer booth at the beginning of the park. They give you a Wilderness Handbook and you can spend the day learning about all the animals and getting badges. We always spend the entire day at The Animal Kingdom.

 

[JillyBean1899]

Go on Kilimanjaro Safaris *FIRST THING* in the morning. And I mean be there at rope drop (or even better if they have morning EMH while you're there). The animals tend to be more active first thing in the morning before it gets hot. It makes a *HUGE* difference to see critters wandering around vs lying on the ground.

You can very easily spend the whole day there, especially if your kids love animals and have never been to a zoo before.

 

[winifred]

Thanks everyone! About Sanaa, I see that it might be cutting it close if we wish to change back at YC...I'll see if there is a later ADR available. This is our first trip to Disney as a family (and when I was there, AK wasn't constructed yet!)

 

[TinkerElsasMom]

Spend the whole day!! We are beginning our day before the park opens at Tusker House for breakfast and from there going right on the safari. Then slowly make your way around and don't forget to spend quality time on discovery island. Do flights of wonder (hilarious show) go on hone rapids.. Do the jungle treks... Ride Expedition Everest... Tons of stuff to do!!!

 

[mill4023]

Yep, definitely plenty to do to occupy yourselves for a full day.
Lots of people will say AK is a half day park.
But keep in mind that those are people who have been there multiple times and only want to do a few favorite attractions. For first time visitors, you will be doing yourself a disservice if you only plan a half day.

I was going to suggest Lion King as a good indoor break, but I forgot it is not running right now.

But Finding Nemo is still a good bet for a nice air conditioned show to do when it's getting hot out.

 

[2Tiggies]

I am another one who thinks AK is a full day park. With the shows and the parade, throw in some rides, lunch and character meet and greets, it takes some serious planning to get it all done in a half day. We find we need at least one full day or two half days to get through this park.

 

[bastos]

Don't run through AK!

When we first went, we RAN through the park, and "saw" everything - but missed TONS! Slow down and enjoy it. It's STUNNING!

Well - with the one exception - to rush to the Safari at rope drop. Then, schedule your FP's for Everest, Dinosaur, and Kali River Rapids.

As far as changing... If you really feel the need, bring clothes - and change at the resort.

Wife and I have 6pm reservations, and we are heading in park attire.

Now, if you were going to Jiko - you'd need to change. But STAY a while & enjoy the park!

 

[cel_disney]

Don't run through AK!

When we first went, we RAN through the park, and "saw" everything - but missed TONS! Slow down and enjoy it. It's STUNNING!

Well - with the one exception - to rush to the Safari at rope drop. Then, schedule your FP's for Everest, Dinosaur, and Kali River Rapids.

As far as changing... If you really feel the need, bring clothes - and change at the resort.

Wife and I have 6pm reservations, and we are heading in park attire.

Now, if you were going to Jiko - you'd need to change. But STAY a while & enjoy the park!

I was also thinking that going in park attire or freshening up at AK or AKL instead of trekking back is what we would do (if it was us)...we might even bring a backpack and put it in a locker with some washcloths and new shirts...

 

[mousefan73]

I see you are taking Disney buses, I would consider cabbing it from Sanaa back to YC.... especially after such a long day.
It can take 4-ever to get from AK to DTD to YC and back to AKL with the buses. I would bring clothes and change at the bathrooms downstairs by the pool. there are showers too. Going from AK back to YC to AKL is waay to long and with little kids too much stress IMO. AK is so close to AKL.. the lobby is also dark and cool, with a TV sectionfor the kids. you guys can get a drink and chill there first. nice comfy couches.

I wouls also consider cabbing it home after dinner.. Believe me worth every single cent.


We did AKL to POR last year after Boma. It was the longest ride ever plus the changing of buses and stopping at each DTD stop. took us 1.5 hours NEVER again.

Getting from resort to resort can be tricky. AK to YC to DTD to AKL to DTD back to YC,your looking at min of 1 hr to over 2.

 

[3boysNagirl]

Pp have said all I could tho I wanted to add plz make sure your lil ones make it into Turtle talk with Crush in Epcot if they like Nemo they will love this show

 

[1 DISNEY FAN]

We are spending a whole day. We have 8am res for tuskers and staying til 5ish then going to Sanaa for a 5.40 res. that's our plan whether it goes to plan who knows.

 

[richmo]

Typically, I'll spend about a half day at AK, but in your case, I would plan on staying the whole day. Many, including myself sometimes, just go for the rides (Everest, Safari, Dinosaur, maybe Kali) and leave. But, there is a lot more to do there that doesn't necessarily involve rides. The Nemo show, maybe take the train back to Conservation station and the petting zoo. Try not to miss Flights of Wonder, an unsung amazing attraction. Your kids might also enjoy playing in the Boneyard for awhile. Animal Kingdom is also a beautiful park, maybe minus Dino-rama. Sometimes its too easy to focus on the rides and not appreciate the surroundings. Have fun!

 

[cel_disney]

I totally forgot to mention the boneyard! Thanks to the PP for the reminder!

The Boneyard and the dig site are high on our list of places to visit in the hot afternoon! One side is a playground with great slides etc - my kids tell me they are hot though so test them out first. Then you can climb over to the dig site area - which is nice and cool and shaded - it's a place for the kids to dig up dinosaur bones with neat rock like sand and plenty of logs for parents to sit on! We definitely will be doing this on our next trip with kids who will have just turned 4 and 8...

And I agree with others - CAB it back to your resort! I realize this can be difficult with a kid that needs a carseat but the folks at AKL should be able to help you!

 

[mousefan73]

correct me if I am wrong, but arent cabs an exception for car seats?? or some have them. I would think a cab that serves WDW would at least have a booster in the trunk.

 

[dawnhaze]

I'm another voice in the camp for AK being a full-day park if you want it to be. AK is not a ride-heavy park, but IMO, there really is a lot of stuff to do.

Flights of Wonder and the Nemo show are both fantastic. The shows alone can fill a nice chunk of time. I wouldn't bother to FP the Nemo show but I don't know how crowded May is since I usually go in fall/winter.

The animal walking trails are pretty cool, and you can take your time through there with kids. Rafiki's Planet Watch/Conservation Station is also nice for kids, with a little petting zoo area and some camera views into the animal care areas.

I personally like to ride the safari once at rope drop and once later in the day. Since the animals do whatever they want, no two safari rides are ever the same. But definitely do it first thing in the morning if you're going to only do it once.

Dinner at AKL is a great way to end an AK day. I wouldn't bother going back to YC in between the park and the dinner. Sanaa isn't a signature restaurant, you'll see plenty of park clothes in there. You can freshen up in a restroom if you feel it's necessary. For a 5:30 ADR, you'll want to bail out of AK between 4:30 and 4:45 depending on where you are in the park when it's time to go. Walking from the back of the park can take a while just on its own. There are 2 bus stops at AKL, make sure you get off at the right one for Sanaa. The bus announcement tells you which one it is, if I remember correctly,

As for getting back to YC from AKL, a cab is definitely the easiest option. If you're leaving AKL before Hollywood Studios closes, you could take the bus there, and then take the very slow (and probably crowded because of the evening time) boat, or use the walkway, but that won't look inviting after a full day on your feet in AK. With two young kids, I'd call a cab. They should be able to help with the car seat issue, but I really don't know much about that since I have no kids myself.

 

[cel_disney]

correct me if I am wrong, but arent cabs an exception for car seats?? or some have them. I would think a cab that serves WDW would at least have a booster in the trunk.

Every state is different on the laws for when to require a carseat...but the laws of physics are the same wherever you are....

The research says - kids under 4 do not have spines/necks developed enough to withstand the sudden jolts/forces of most accidents without some type of damage. This is why 5 point harness carseat a are recommended until Age 4 at a minimum...

Bell services should be able to help you with a car that has a suitable carseat. You may have to wait an extra 10 minutes but for me - the safety is worth it. Also - in the past, we have been required to install the seat for the cab driver so just be a little prepared for that!

 

[fyreworks]

If you've never been, you should definitely spend a whole day there. There is plenty to see and do. Agree with the Safari ride first thing in the morning when the animals are the most active, although I did it at 6 p.m on Saturday and there were still quite a few to see out there. Rent or bring a stroller (even for your 7 year old) if you want them to last all day. It makes a big difference. Things are spread out and there is lots of walking. My kids loved the Tusker House character lunch buffet.