Animal Kingdom a major Flop!

[selina4disney]

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.

Well....there are many of us that appreciate the park for all it offers and don't consider it a flop at all. We spend two days there. Stop and smell the roses and you may find everything good is not just big rides.

 

[Tomh]

I like AK, but I don't think it likes me. I've been to the park two times now, one day each trip. Both times we've gotten torrential down pours for prolonged periods of time, lasting hours instead of the typical 20 minutes. Both times we've managed to accomplish just a small fraction of the things we intended to accomplish. In two full days spent there, I still haven't managed to ride Kali River Rapids, we missed Flights of Wonder both times, we haven't walked the Cretaceous Trail, and haven't ridden Dinosaur.

We have walked in rain so hard that the water on the pathways was 4 inches deep, gotten our shoes and feet so wet that I was willing to pay $15 to get two pairs of dry socks, hid under cover for literally hours because the rain was coming down so hard.

On the positive side, we got to go on the Safari ride both times, first thing in the morning while the animals were still pretty active, got to explore the trails around the tree of life, saw It's Tough to be a Bug, walked the Pangani Forest Exploration Trails, saw the Festival of the Lion King, and had plenty of fun looking at all the different animals, and watching Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade.

While I agree the park isn't for everyone, I find that it is a slower, more relaxed park, and has plenty to offer if you take the time to absorb it all, I just wish the freaking rain would cut us a break and let us get a little bit more done at AK.

 

[Mommy2Jameson]

Wow! Animal Kingdom is my son's favorite after MK! He always wants to "go to the park with all the animals!" And his favorite pictures to look at from the trip are not the ones of him and the characters, but all the great shots of animals that we got at AK.

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

Yes, your absolutely right. Flop is a little harsh. It has gotten some attention though. I would more truthfully say that it has fallen way too short of Disney standards.

And I would truthfully say it exceeds Disney standards.

 

[disgram]

I am sorry that the OP doesn't like the Animal Kingdom. My granddaughters and I really like the park. Each time we go, we do the "rides" and other "attractions" but we get more from our visit. There is very little chance that any of us will get to the various places represented in the Animal Kingdom so we enjoy the walks through these "countries". The girls and I find something new each time we are there. On one of the days that we are there, we get the card that is handed out to see who can spot the most birds.........another time we will count the number of different animals that we see and this changes with every trip it seems. We love strolling through the shops and looking at the little kiosks that have souvies that they have. We don't buy much but it is amazing to see some of the artistry that they have. And the special shows that seem to pop up out of no where are wonderful. The dancers in Africa are fantastic! The buildings are wonderful. The staging is a joy to see. Again, we find things that we missed the trip before. And as for the weather, yes it is hot there, but, when it rains, the park is something new. We get to see a new group of animals who come out to enjoy the coolness.
We are not AP holders and certainly don't live close to WDW but when we plan our trips, the Animal Kingdom is the first thing we always talk about!!!!
Now, if it were the Studios, then I might agree with you!

 

[dacky041208]

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.

I wish more people felt this way, I would love to have shorter lines at AK when we go.

 

[WDSearcher]

Yes, your absolutely right. Flop is a little harsh. It has gotten some attention though. I would more truthfully say that it has fallen way too short of Disney standards.

OK ... now this I TOTALLY disagree with!

The Disney standard is to create an environment, a story. It is to take the ordinary and make it somehow more magical or more memorable or more extraordinary. By that measure, Animal Kingdom takes the story of the animal kingdom and makes it more magical -- it is exactly on point to "the Disney standard."

• The animal areas are remarkable in their depiction of the African savannah. The animals are together in habitats as they would be in the wild; they have room to roam and exceptional care. The CMs roaming the trails have lots of knowledge to share about the species in the park.
• Places like Harambe village and the Oasis, plus areas such as the Tree of Life, are remarkably detailed, utilizing African and Asian artisans and some of the best animal-centric artists on earth. Not to mention the dozens of CMs from Africa who love to talk about their homes.
• FoLK and Nemo are world-class entertainment attractions that feature puppetry, flying, animatronics, characters, original music, amazing costumes and some of the best talent in the parks.
• Jammin' Jungle Parade is perhaps the most unique parade in all of the Disney parks.
• Conservation Station is a learning area as well as a place to watch real animal specialists do their work.
• The atmosphere entertainers are unique, from the Tam Tam drummers to the Village Beatniks, and I defy you to find fault in DeVine!
• Expedition Everest has perhaps the best queue of all the thrill rides in all the parks, not to mention the surrounding area with all its prayer flags and atmosphere.

Everything you mentioned in your opening post are all subjective "I don't like them" things. Just because you don't like Dinosaur doesn't make it "below Disney standards." Short of "only put things there that I like," how would you change the park to have it meet those Disney standards that you say it is so far from reaching?

 

[livie1205]

I also do not like AK at all....cant stand it.We gave it a few tries at dif times of the year and just do not enjoy it.I think it is funny because our very fav resort is AKL! GO FIGURE...

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

We go to AK every 3 years. We like it enough, but not as much at MK, Epcot or HS. Does it really matter? We don't do Sea World or Hearshey Park every year either. Some people love it,some don't and the rest fall in the middle like me.

 

[Violet Parr]

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.

I think that is as subjective as it gets. How does one qualify what is worth doing and what is not when the variables for each family are completely different?

VP

 

[DisneyFamily123]

The only thing I'd say is a flop is the carnival games - just seems so out of place. Another ride or two would help. Been to AK for 2 days in 2008, 1 day in 2009.

In 2010, we pretty much want to do the whole park and I'm having trouble fitting it all into 1 day, even with evening extra magic hours. It's going to be 2 days.

The BEST parts are the animal exhibits. I've been to 2 major zoos including the National Zoo (Washington DC). Animal Kingdom Park's exhibits - especially Kilmanjaro Safari and the Gorillas in Pangani are outstanding! All in a very natural habitat. We usually do the Safari twice - it's been a little different in the afternoon compared to morning.

We also enjoy the table service restaurants and that takes time too. Tusker House (Donald's breakfast and Lunch/Dinner) and Yak and Yeti are worth the trip. I don't care for Rainforest Cafe - we have that at home.

On our 2nd trip, I realized that some of the fun things can be missed if one is rushing. We and DS4 enjoyed some of the non-advertised fun like enjoying a cold draft beer (just me, not DS4) and listening to African music outside, watching DS4 play the several African drums outside, watching the character that looks like a walking tree (person on stilts very well camouflaged with brush and sticks). The "walking tree" as I call it often hides and will move very slow. I watched people walk right on by and not even notice.

 

[jak07]

OMG, really people?

He is entitled to HIS opinion and you are entitled to YOUR opinion!!

why jump down everyone else's throat when they disagree with what you say. This forum is meant to be a happy Disney place, not somewhere to criticise other's views and jump down their throats.

Where did the OP jump down throats? I saw everyone else jumping down his throat for his opinion.

Maybe he is having a bad day, maybe he just wants to vent, cut the guy some slack. If you don't agree with HIS opinion, then move on! He isn't trying to force you to believe what he believes. He stated his feelings and many people are trying to tell him he is wrong.

We don't all have to agree with one another. We all have opinions and preferences, that is what makes life fun. Can you imagine what life would be like if we ALL agreed 100%?

 

[Brave teacher]

OP - I respect your opinion even if I strongly disagree with you. It is our favorite as several others have posted already. Our days at AK have always ended up being the most magical days of every one of our trips. I do not live near WDW (10 1/2 hour drive). We travel to WDW once every year. I believe that every WDW guest is going to be drawn to different things as they tour the different parks. We are a family that loves to explore and discover things together. To us, those are the moments that are treasured most. Do I enjoy walking around wet after riding Kali? Not always. Do I enjoy seeing my children giggle with glee and excitement as we ride? Absolutely. If I must get soaked to see what joy they get out of the attraction, I will. I do require, however, that it is the last attraction of our touring day. Is it hot in AK? Yes, you are in the middle of Florida. I don't know how you expect this problem to be fixed. I guess we just tour differently. That's fine with me. Knowing that you dislike AK so much just means that you and your family are one less group in the crowd.

WDSearcher - You have made some excellent points. I completely agree with what you have said thus far.

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

I enjoy AK, but do agree that, from a ride standpoint, it doesn't offer as much as the other parks that everyone can enjoy. There are very few rides that my younger two can go on. My older two kids can keep themselves very entertained on the other rides.

That being said, we had one last day last year that was "unspoken" for. Unanimously, all of my kids chose AK. I was surprised. I will admit to being a little disappointed because our family gets split up frequently, and since I'm not a thrill person, I take the younger two. This meant we basically rode the safari and the train the entire time. That was fine, but I personally would have chosen something different, especially on our last day.

My kids LOVE it, though....and that's what really matters.

 

[musclemouse]

Our family of four went December 2008. My sons were 8 and 4. They did not ride the Dinosaur ride because I felt it was too rough and loud. I rode it after my husband and we agreed it was far too much for them. I had to hold my ears because of the volume. Loved the safari ride and missed all the shows because we are just not interested. We did make a point to see It's Tough To Be A Bug. We also did the character breakfast with Donald at Tusker - which was really awesome. But other than that we were pretty bored. But that's just us. To each their own, you know?

 

[geenerbell]

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.

Your quote about choosing AK if kids aren't with you is interesting to me. I feel that we've given AK several chances but it's still our least favorite. We are not big thrill ride people but we've always visited with kids in tow. So you maybe on to something. However, I've always loved animals but hate zoos. It makes me so sad.

 

[antsss]

Maybe you need to be more of a "zoo person" to appreciate it. We love the zoo so we are really into AK. My DS8 especially loved it!! I think it's the most beautiful of the parks.

 

[summerlady]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. For us, AK ranks 4th behind MK, Epcot, DHS, but we still enjoy it as a half day park. We like to take our time there rather than rushing from attraction to attraction, look around, slow down and enjoy the scenery, it's a beautiful park.

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

I used to think AK was a flop too. It grows on you. Now I absolutely wouldn't miss it. I definitely put it above DHS in my book.

Just my opinion. Give it another shot! It is a park with true capability for those "surprise" encounters that can't be imagineered.

 

[OrangeCat04]

I love Animal Kingdom It's my favourite park, and i love it because it doesn't have lots and lots of rides. I love all of the animals and the walking trails, they are usually quiet and peaceful. Expedition Everest is also one of my top 3 favourite Disney Rides


Try giving it another shot.. you never know... it might grow on you!