Animal Kingdom a major Flop!

[hookedonears]

Animal Kingdom needs some major help. There are only 5 attractions that have general appeal to everyone. Expedition Everest, It’s Tough to be a Bug, Kilimanjaro Safari, The Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo the Musical. 2 of its major attractions: Dinosaur and Kali River Rapids are not good at all. Dinosaur is okay the first time you ride it, though gets old, very old after that. Kili River Rapids is horrible. Very few like to get completely drenched on a ride. Even without the drenching, it’s just not that good of a ride. The County Fair Area – Triceratops spin etc. are the most un-Disney like attractions in all of WDW. Disney did nothing, but add new attractions without spending money. Disney needs to spend some major bucks on this park not only adding, but re-imagineering a large number of the existing attractions.

 

[lorraine31]

I agree in part that AK does not have some of the appeal or major attractions that the others have, but I think your missing some of the appeal of the park. The park is meant to be all about the animals, so heading to the animal trails and up to Rafiki's Planet Watch to chill, are all part of the appeal.
I think that Dinosaur and the Kali River Rapids are both really good rides and the queues show that other people enjoy them too.

 

[heatherandnick]

Too bad you feel this way. We are a young engaged couple (30 and 24) and AK is one of our favorite parks. We go there more than any other park. The park has so much more to offer than just rides and shows. The animals, scenery, and architecture are truly amazing to us. We also LOVE Flame Tree BBQ (such a great QS place to eat). Aside from the attractions, the queueing (sorry for the spelling) areas are phoenominal.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess!

 

[ambertides]

Kali River Rapids is my husband's favorite ride in all of WDW. It's pretty high up on the list for me as well.

Also, very few times have we ridden that everyone on the ride wasn't having a great time, laughing and chatting.

 

[WVParkfan]

Wow. Are you just in a bad mood and want to start an argument, or are you really adamant about your opinions of the AK?

The Animal Kingdom is our family's favorite park, and I just don't understand how people don't "get it" when it comes to the AK. That used to bother me, but not anymore. Now I'm glad that some people choose to avoid the AK altogether. That makes it much less crowded for me and my family to enjoy.

 

[sigmaphi289]

I think you are missing the boat on Dinosaur and Kali River Rapids. My DD (5) makes us ride Kali about 3 times every trip and we never get tired of that experience. Dinosaur is probably the most intense ride Disney has to offer. Animal Kingdom just has a lot of E ticket rides and more viewing opportunties than the other 2 parks.

The carnival area seems weird and out of place.

 

[TillyMarigold]

Disney spent more time and money on that park than any other, and if people weren't so focused on rides-rides-rides, if-it's-not-a-ride-it's-not-worth-doing, they'd see that. It's a discovery park--the point is to discover it, not run straight from A to B to C and ignore everything in between.

Did you happen to notice that there are thousands of hand-carved and hand-painted folk-art animals imported from Oaxaca all over Discovery Island? Did you read the jukebox in Restaurantosaurus? Did you try to figure out what the underlying theme is to every building in Discovery Island? Read the informational signs in the queue to Expedition Everest? Do you like bats? Because if you do, it's almost a shame--the alternate pathway through Maharajah Jungle Trek is too brilliant to miss.

If you're determined to hate it already, then I won't tell you the brilliant and hilarious backstory to Dinoland USA, but surely even you noticed that the giant yellow cartoon-like Cementosaurus is meant to be a satire of the detailed, museum-quality brontosaurus skeleton that stands at the other entrance?

 

[heatherandnick]

Wow. Are you just in a bad mood and want to start an argument, or are you really adamant about your opinions of the AK?

The Animal Kingdom is our family's favorite park, and I just don't understand how people don't "get it" when it comes to the AK. That used to bother me, but not anymore. Now I'm glad that some people choose to avoid the AK altogether. That makes it much less crowded for me and my family to enjoy.

I'll second that!

 

[minniebeth]

Your post is totally subjective. We love Animal Kingdom. To each their own...
I only wish more people felt the way you do, as the only complaint I have is that it gets way too crowded.

 

[DisGirl23]

This past September was DBF's first trip to the World and he didn't really enjoy Animal Kingdom. If you're looking at it from an attraction stand point then yes, it really does pale in comparison to the other parks. However, it IS called ANIMAL Kingdom for a reason. And it is absolutely gorgeous!
Granted we can knock out that park in a little more than half a day, it is always on my list of things to do. I love the Dinosaur ride but, I could do with a little less soaking on Kali River Rapids... only because it appears I'm the only one who gets completely soaked whenever I ride it! But I still ride it! I just whip out the poncho first.
To each their own...

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

DAK is certainly a disappointment if all you care about is rides. The real appeal to DAK to me is the slower pace and the amazing animal elements. I love Kilimanjaro safaris. The Maharaja jungle trek is also an amazing way to do animal enclosures.

Each park appeals to a different demographic. If you like classic Disney and rides, you go to MK. If you like show business, particularly going behind the scenes and the chance to see some great stage shows, you go to DHS. If you like learning and experiencing different cultures, you go to Epcot. And if you like animals, you go to DAK.

Not every park is going to appeal to every guest, and that's okay. That's what makes WDW great- there is something for everyone!

 

[eliza61]

I love Animal Kingdom. It just has a different "flavor" then the other parks. I love exploring the park. I love how you walk from India into Africa and it seems to "blend" together. I think the rides here have some of the best designed "cues" than any other park. The cue through Kali river rapids is almost an extraction in itself.

Not sure what you mean as "un-disney" like attractions though? What in your opinion makes an attraction "Disney-like"?

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

The only part about AK I dislike is the carnival-type atmosphere where Primevil Whirl and Triceratops Spin are located. I don't like carnivals here at HOME, and it really makes this part of the park look cheap. The only thing missing is the carny guys......

Sorry you disliked your time at AK. Hopefully now you can focus on the other parks you DO like, and then spend more time there on your next trip!

 

[verticalchaos]

DAK is certainly a disappointment if all you care about is rides. The real appeal to DAK to me is the slower pace and the amazing animal elements. I love Kilimanjaro safaris. The Maharaja jungle trek is also an amazing way to do animal enclosures.

Each park appeals to a different demographic. If you like classic Disney and rides, you go to MK. If you like show business, particularly going behind the scenes and the chance to see some great stage shows, you go to DHS. If you like learning and experiencing different cultures, you go to Epcot. And if you like animals, you go to DAK.

Not every park is going to appeal to every guest, and that's okay. That's what makes WDW great- there is something for everyone!

Amen! I'd add this: If all you care about is rides, rides, rides, go to a park that specialized in rides only.

 

[hookedonears]

I think in my post that I said that: It's tough to be a bug, Lion King and Finding Nemo are some of the ONLY attractions WORTH doing and they're NOT rides.

 

[CathrynRose]

Totally disagree.

My husband and I would almost always choose AK (when we lived in Florida) if we didn't have the kids with.

It's such a beautiful, lovely park to take your time and take it all in.

I love AK.

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

And I completely disagree with you.

DAK is my favorite park in WDW. I think it's the most "Disney-like" in the sense that the imagineering and artistry behind the park is top-notch. A Disney character doesn't need to be slapped onto every ride to make it "Disney", what about the Haunted Mansion, the Liberty Belle, the Hall of Presidents, it's a small world, or Space Mountain?

I do agree that the Chester and Hester area seems like a poor choice, and I hate off-the-shelf rides and the carnival games, but you can't let that destroy your view of the whole park and all of its beauty.

The way to truly enjoy the AK is to take it slow and appreciate the beauty of the park, not rush around to and fro the (admittedly few) attractions.

 

[disneymom88]

I don't agree with OP either. My family and I are really looking forward to our AK day, and I can't wait to get into Kali River Rapids and get all soaked up!! that's part of the fun, especially in a hot Florida day. Hubby is even more excited about going to AK than MK

 

[iwrbnd]

You have to slow down to really enjoy AK!

 

[MichelleVW]

Sorry you don't like it, but my family loves it.