Animal Kingdom - good for elderly folks?

[annabelle]

We're considering the AK for our family - which includes my FIL who will need an electric wheelchair. We'll be going the 3rd week of June.

My concerns from reading what others have said about the AK:
>it's very large and spread out
>not much refuge from the heat
>few benches
>few restaurants
>animals not really out/active on HOT days
>narrow paths on trails (are the paths even paved?)


Aside from all of that... will we see animals that we won't be able to see at our zoo? We've got lions, tigers, giraffes, elephants and monkeys at zoos within hours from us. I know AK has special shows and rides.. but not sure even those are worth spending extra money for an extra park. We will be going with some children (9,7,5,4,1)... who I know would enjoy aspects of the AK... but still not sure it's worth the expense and inconveniences there might be for an electric wheelchair and my FIL who tires easily in the heat.

 

[pennylynn]

I can't say to much about the heat in June, having never been there at that time of the year. But there aren't many places to get into air conditioning that I can think of. None of the shows except "It's Tough to be a Bug" are inside, but they are shaded. The Dinosaur ride is inside and air conditioned but I think that's about it. The walkways are all paved. The paths that aren't paved are only if your exploring the trails around the middle of the park. You probably won't see many animals that you can't see at a zoo but the surroundings are so realistic that zoo's can never duplicate them. I love the Animal Kingdom and always spend a whole day there but I know that a lot of people don't like it as well as the other parks. If you are ever planning on going at a cooler time of year you might want to wait until then but if this is a once in a lifetime trip then go for it.

 

[copper68]

it will be hot in florida in june definitely.. but, it is a great park.. one that the kids would definitely enjoy.. have you considered buying a mini fan that could snap onto the wheelchair? i bought two for my daughter when we went last august to snap onto her stroller.. they were heaven.. you do need extra batteries, but the fans were great.. i think you should at least try it.. the safari was wonderful.. a giraffe was literally right beside me..

also, go early when it opens and plan plan plan.. (already know what you definitely want to see and the biggies and do them first) and go back to the hotel early afternoon

anyway, hope this helps..

 

[sunny04]

When we went in June last year AK was miserable. They keep it warmer somehow anyway, plus you have a lot of humidity from all the plants and water around the park. The paths are more narrow than in any other park, so the crowds seem worse too...making it seem hotter.

 

[rkmassa]

We went to AK in December before Christmas and we all hated it. My mom was in an electric scooter and found the walkways too narrow with the crowds. My kids didn't like the rides or the shows. DH and I hated to music they played in the BoneYard area, not Christmas music-loud and annoying rock music. We liked the safari ride, but that was it. We just skip the park now. We had friends that went in June and they hated the park too. Said it was entirely too hot and too crowded. Being there in December in the cool weather was enough for me. I can't imagine going to the park in the heat.

 

[yogibigdog]

Not enough to do yet at this park. My kids didn't like. I didn't like. We were there last June. Very hot! The only good thing is the safari ride. If it is too hot or late in the day the animals are sleeping and it is hard to see them. I am going to wait a couple of years before I go back to this park. After they add some attractions. Too many good things to do a the other parks.

 

[Bellefan66]

We were there in April,VERY hot then. I would think June,for an elderly person is pretty tough. I personally wouldn't go. Not that much to "do",alot of walking,and NOT alot of shade.I'd skip it.

 

[annabelle]

Thanks for the thoughts guys! This is what I was thinking... just needed some back-up from people who have actually experienced the AK.

I think we're going to do the MK one day... I'd like to skip the rest of the Disney parks after MK and do Sea World... seems like that would be easier and better for our group.

 

[ophie]

Actually, Festival of the Lion King is inside. FYI

 

[WDWFAN9]

I like AK a lot, but it is a difficult (but not impossible) park to manuever through with wheelchairs or strollers. In an effort to make a more authentic atmosphere some of the pavement is uneven, and some of the trails are narrow, which makes it harder to get around. Also, I've only been to SeaWorld twice, the last time in July 2003, and I did not think there was a lot of shade and there was not a lot of airconditioning either.

 

[eeyore0062]

My 93 year old grandmother loves Animal Kingdom. She likes going on the Kilomanjaro Safari, seeing Festival of the Lion King and Tarzan Rocks, watching the African Acrobats and seeing the Jammin' Jungle Parade. She has been to all of the parks with us, but I believe this is her favorite.

The most difficult park with her was the Magic Kingdom. There was little she was able to do, and it was just too crowded. She had a hard time transferring from the W/C to the rides, too.

We also did well at MGM! That and AK are the only ones we now take grandma with us to anymore.... much more "disability" friendly.

 

[BroganMc]

We're considering the AK for our family - which includes my FIL who will need an electric wheelchair. We'll be going the 3rd week of June.

My concerns from reading what others have said about the AK:
>it's very large and spread out
>not much refuge from the heat
>few benches
>few restaurants
>animals not really out/active on HOT days
>narrow paths on trails (are the paths even paved?)


Aside from all of that... will we see animals that we won't be able to see at our zoo? We've got lions, tigers, giraffes, elephants and monkeys at zoos within hours from us. I know AK has special shows and rides.. but not sure even those are worth spending extra money for an extra park. We will be going with some children (9,7,5,4,1)... who I know would enjoy aspects of the AK... but still not sure it's worth the expense and inconveniences there might be for an electric wheelchair and my FIL who tires easily in the heat.

I use a power wheelchair. My 73 yr old Dad will be using a scooter this year, previous years he walked. I burn in two seconds of bright sun. My dad's medicine made him lightheaded in bright sun. My siblings with their young kids are passing on AK. They quote much of what the "thrillseekers" here say - not enough to do there, too atmospheric, too much like a zoo.

But my dad and I will be making the trip there solo this year. We adore Animal Kingdom for the reasons others complain and ones they just completely miss.

Festival of the Lion King is a great show. We make that our first stop when with family. With your FIL in a power chair, they'll want to seat you earlier (5-10 minutes ahead of the crowd). They'll put you right up front where you get the best view. Your kids also have a good chance to be invited to join the dance. It's also under cover in a nice cool place.

Bug's Life is air conditioned and under the Tree of Life.

The Safari is a great ride early in the morning (when animals are about). Despite the heat, usually there are always some roaming.

Go to the Maharaja Jungle Trek to see more of the Asian flavor. (It does get hot in this walk-thru.)

Dinsoaur is easy to board but is a VERY ROUGH ride.

DinoLand is all in the sun and can get very hot. Don't leave FIL to wait for the kids to finish their rides there. He'll be hot, sweaty and ready to torture you. Also, take your kids to the Boneyard and expect to lose at least 2 hours while they play.

Take the train to the Conservation Station and see more of the Safari along the way.

Enjoy the music and atmosphere. Animal Kingdom is a lush, tropical park. It's meant for wandering and soaking up atmosphere with a few thrill distractions along the way. (I always enjoy a cooling ride on Kali River Rapids. If your FIL rides, they'll let his boat go around at least twice in a row if he wants.)

I predict your FIL will probably enjoy Animal Kingdom much more than the kids in your party. It is much more enjoyable to stroll in AK than get lost in Magic Kingdom (not so many screaming babies).

J

Oh, and make a Priority Seating for Boma's at Animal Kingdom Lodge for after the park. It is a great way to wind up your trip to the jungle.

 

[xterratri]

We also had a good experience at AK with my 75 yo Grandma with 2 artificial knees. We actually went on 2 different days out of our 7 day trip in Dec. (park hop lots- never spend full day in any one park) Enjoyed the shows, the Safari, Dinosaur, etc. That being said- it was December and cooler than average even for December. We'll find out how different it is in the heat this June but we will definitely be going.

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

My mother (69-going-on-90) hated AK. She walked as far as the Safari and enjoyed that, but complained about the heat and the length of the walk to get there.
She refused to go anywhere else, so we got her as far as a bench outside a shop near the entrance and rode Kali River Rapids, but felt bad and left after riding. By the time we returned a few days later she had started renting wheelchairs - and having me push. The walkways are not as easy as the other parks to do this - the pavement is less even and much narrower, so it can be almost impossible to navigate through crowds. She would not try any attraction other than the Maharajah Jungle Trek. While we were in line for Dinosaur, it poured and she couldn't find a covered place for the chair, so she just stayed put and got drenched. On our last day she simply stayed in the hotel room while the rest of us had one last fling at AK. Now, you need to separate her personality from our experience a bit, but I'd never take her back there - though the rest of my family loves it.

 

[BroganMc]

Thanks for the thoughts guys! This is what I was thinking... just needed some back-up from people who have actually experienced the AK.

I think we're going to do the MK one day... I'd like to skip the rest of the Disney parks after MK and do Sea World... seems like that would be easier and better for our group.

Just a note...

I'm able to do about 15 rides in Magic Kingdom. 20 are either no-go (too cramped and inaccessible) or I need lots of help (someone lifting me into and out of ride vehicles). By mid-morning till closing FantasyLand is a chaotic zoo. It's easy to lose patience there as parents and kids jockey for rides. (You'll get hit by more than a few strollers as you navigate by.) This the park to "commando tour". Or make multiple few hour visits during your stay to fully enjoy it. Either way, I think you'd be lucky to ride about half of the offerings at MK during a one day trip. There are wonderful favorites, and a trip to Disney is incomplete without a visit to MK. But this is the park your kids are most likely to enjoy and FIL will grow impatient with. Just too many damn people!

SeaWorld is fun. Mostly animal shows with a few rides here and there. It's a beautiful park to wander through but more like an oversized aquarium. I went last year with my dad. It was a nice addition to Disney but I wouldn't go in place of. (** One good thing that makes it tempting is that SeaWorld, like Busch Gardens, offer half price tickets for handicapped guests and one companion. That gives you two for the price of one entry.)

Epcot is a favorite for old and young. There are thrill rides for the kids (they'll be bragging about riding Mission:Space to friends), some good pre-school stuff (Figment, Living Seas, Universe of Energy) and the fireworks show (Illuminations) is a once-in-a-lifetime type experience. This year, the whole family (16 of us with kids, siblings and grandparents) will be meeting at the Storybook Princess Breakfast in Norway and go on from there. If you have any girls, you might want to consider that.

One park I've missed two years in a row is MGM. After you see the shows once and ride the thrill stuff, it gets kinda dull.

Whatever you do, I'm sure you'll have a blast.

J

P.S. One caveat about me. I went once to MK when I was 8 and that's all there was in "the World". Never thought I'd go again in my lifetime. A few years ago, I got a vacation club membership and I've been back every year since. ('01, '02, '03, '04, and twice in '05 planned). I've been to Universal, Sea World, Busch Gardens, all the Disney parks, and given the choice I'd spend all my time at Disney. The rest come close but can not touch the "feel" of Disney.)