AK w a toddler --strategy help?

[Marci]

I have a very easy going kid who will be 20 mo for our trip. I was hoping for some thoughts on what to do and what to skip at AK.

We have a great zoo in our area at home and we are staying at AKL so spending our time looking for animals may not be the best use of our time... unless there are opportunities to get up close and personal with them

thanks for your thoughts.

 

[KimWDW]

IMO, AK has the least amount of stuff to do for the little ones. You can look at the animals. You can meet the characters in Camp Minnie-Mickey. Triceratop Spin is good for that age (it's Dumbo except dinosaurs). He may also enjoy Killimanjaro Safari's. The train ride to Rafiki's place where you can brush the goats. Other than that... no rides for that age.

The Lion King Show might hold his attention, but it may be too long for a 20 month old. I haven't seen the bird show, but maybe that would be good? And there's always the parade.

 

[Perditamarie]

This is a great park to do in the am and then hop to another or have a lazy afternoon at the pool. We like the Gorilla trails, safari, and Triceratop Spin. The Festival of the Lion King show is magnificent.

Also recommend the Boneyard playground for sand and slides --- great for the little ones to stretch their legs in a fun, safe environment. The Nemo show is nice too (if I could only pick one, it would be FOTLK). Have a great trip.

 

[mickeystoontown]

When our son was 2 he loved Animal Kingdom.

I would suggest you head straight for the safari. When you exit the safari, take the gorilla trail. When you leave the gorilla trail, go to Rafiki's Planet Watch. We've been able to get up close and personal with a two foot long alligator and a HUGE python. The castmembers let us touch the animals and gave us hand sanitizer afterwards. There are usually several characters at Planet Watch. Outside, there are some goats and sheep that can be petted and combed. A hand washing station is nearby.

By this time, you will probably be ready for lunch. I would suggest you go back towards the Tree of Life and stop at Pizzafari or Flame Tree BBQ.

Check out a park schedule. If Legend of the Lion King is scheduled in the next hour, head to Camp Minnie Mickey. There you will find character trails. Usually, you can see Goofy, Mickey, Minnie and Donald. Sometimes the characters from Brother Bear are there too. Go see Legend of the Lion King. There is constant movement and songs so your little one should be enthused with it all.

The afternoon parade is usually at 4:00 p.m. You may or may not want to check it out. It's bright and colorful and should hold your 20 month olds attention.

Next, head over to Dinoland. Ride the Triceratops Spin. (This land is skippable if you are not riding Dinosaur.) Check your park schedule. You could get in to see Nemo the Musical. We haven't seen it yet but the reviews are great.

From there, head over to Asia via the walkway from Nemo the Musical. Go thorugh the Maharajah (spelling?) Jungle Trek. There are tigers, hippos, deer and an aviary.

After that, you can take your time and explore all the animal trails if you'd like. I would really hate to see you guys skip the Animal Kingdom because you think there's nothing a small child to enjoy. The Animal Kingdom is definitely not just a zoo!

Hope this helps with your decision making process, Lisa

 

[mickeystoontown]

Wow! After reading my post, I sounded like a theme park commando. Actually, the Animal Kingdom is a real laid back kind of theme park. I was just trying to guide you in the direction of the best things for you and your family to do. Lisa

 

[lillygator]

we love AK for our girls...it is so laid back compared to the other parks IMO. The safari ride is good the Nemo show is FANTASTIC but the waits are long and the show is a good 42 minutes however my 2 and 4 year old sat through it fine. The Festival of the Lion King show is great...you can usually have great interaction with the characters at this park as well. Rafiki's Planet watch is ok - but like a small petting zoo.

 

[Marci]

Thanks guys! That really helped a lot. It is great to know what similarly aged kids enjoyed (and didn't) I know my husband and I would enjoy the shows, but I think we will have to play it by ear with him (or prepare to leave early).

Mickeystoontown--no, you didn't sound like a commando I thought it was very helpful.

I'm also glad to know about the boneyard--thanks Perditamarie.

 

[surfer_ed]

We took DD there at about 17 months and she loved it. Never even made it to the Petting Zoo. Too much to do. Didn't like the characters too much buyt loved Lion King, the walking trails and the Safari.

 

[dawnball]

We took my DD at about that age (17 months for her first trip, I think). She really liked AK. We visited the character greeting trails at Camp Minnie-Mickey during a showing of Festival of the Lion King. It was deserted, and she had all the time she needed to get used to the idea of bigger than life Mickey. The other attraction (well, at least if you're almost 2) that hasn't been mentioned is "The BIG Fountain". Right across from the exit for Kali River Rapids there's a large interactive fountain and a few waterspouts. She spent hours playing in the fountain. In fact, when you ask her if she wants to go to WDW she says "And play in the BIG Fountain!" and she's 3 now. It's a nice place to hang out while you babyswap rides on Kali. Triceratops spin probably came in second in terms of favorite attractions for AK.