Animal Kingdom...is it worth going to with a toddler?

[Dancermomof1]

Hi! We will be taking a vacation to WDW with our toddler (who will be 2 in May). We have never been to Disney's Animal Kingdom Park and were wondering if there are enough attractions we can see with our toddler to make a day of it? Thanks.

 

[Beavertails Queen]

I think it depends on your preference. I was at Animal Kingdom in Sept. with my nephew who is 2 yrs and 2 months and he loved it! Everyday he woke up saying "animals, more animals". He loved the safari ride, the walking trails, the flights of wonder show. I think that the animals were his favourite part of the trip. So if your toddler loves animals too then I think he would love it!

 

[pixie3]

Your preference.

Personally, we never liked AK with toddlers only because they don't sit for shows, they can't ride the rides, Bugs Life is too scary, etc. The animals are cool, but we go to the zoo at home. Yes, AK is a beautiful zoo but still a zoo. Also, there aren't a lot of places to be to escape the heat. I just wanted to spend my time some other way.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[eventamy]

Last February I took my then 4 year old and 9 month old daughters and we did Animal Kingdom for one day. I'm excited to take my little one even more this time (she'll be 22 months).
Things I'm looking forward to with her:
Triceratop Spin (like Dumbo but dinosaurs instead of elephants)
Kilamanjaro Safari
Finding Nemo Show (she loves music and dancing)
Festival of the Lion King (ditto above)
banging on the drums in Africa with her sister
Breakfast with Donald and the gang
Seeing the woman on stilts dressed as a plant, can't remember her name! (she was fascinated last time, big blue eyes!)
SEEING THE ANIMALS! All of us love animals and have a lot of them (horses, goats, dog, cats etc) but she is fascinated by animals and I can't wait to show them to her again!
Petting zoo (although our back yard is better then the one at AK!)
The train, she loves trains

So there's lots of things to do with a little one!

 

[TifffanyD]

Seeing the woman on stilts dressed as a plant, can't remember her name! (she was fascinated last time, big blue eyes!)

Her name is DeVine!

 

[HeidiGW]

My sister and I went in September with a 10 and 8 year-old girls as well as two boys aged 2.5 and 1.5.
While AK is my least favorite "park", it is fabulous if you view it as a hyped-up zoo.
I think its lower-key nature is better than the other parks for the toddlers.
Our boys loved it.
They can enjoy what's in front of them vs. screaming to go on the next ride, etc.
The animal paths are child-friendly...go at your pace. Behind glass, my 2year-old son was eight feet from three tigers. He had a blast holding a stick he picked up and growling "Lion King" at them. Thanks to Peter Pan telling Zachary he could fly, my son kept loudly saying he could fly over the male gorilla...but he did enjoy watching from a far...
The safari--we went in the mid-afternoon, expecting to see few animals--was incredible. There were more animals out and extremely close to the vehicle. Tots loved the whole bouncy ride.
Both boys did pretty well through Nemo, until a technical problem interupped the show. And were great during the last Lion King show of the day. LK is good because 1.) there is lots to look at all the time and 2.) it is loud--most noise and squirminess will go unnoticed.
The two-year-old did fine in "A Bugs Life," although he did not wear the glasses.
They liked the parade too.
We had a great day. Since the hours are shorter, we didn't push and stay too long either. I think you can have a really good visit. I wouldn't skip.

 

[HeidiGW]

My sister and I went in September with a 10 and 8 year-old girls as well as two boys aged 2.5 and 1.5.
While AK is my least favorite "park", it is fabulous if you view it as a hyped-up zoo.
I think its lower-key nature is better than the other parks for the toddlers.
Our boys loved it.
They can enjoy what's in front of them vs. screaming to go on the next ride, etc.
The animal paths are child-friendly...go at your pace. Behind glass, my 2year-old son was eight feet from three tigers. He had a blast holding a stick he picked up and growling "Lion King" at them. Thanks to Peter Pan telling Zachary he could fly, my son kept loudly saying he could fly over the male gorilla...but he did enjoy watching from a far...
The safari--we went in the mid-afternoon, expecting to see few animals--was incredible. There were more animals out and extremely close to the vehicle. Tots loved the whole bouncy ride.
Both boys did pretty well through Nemo, until a technical problem interupped the show. And were great during the last Lion King show of the day. LK is good because 1.) there is lots to look at all the time and 2.) it is loud--most noise and squirminess will go unnoticed.
The two-year-old did fine in "A Bugs Life," although he did not wear the glasses.
They liked the parade too.
We had a great day. Since the hours are shorter, we didn't push and stay too long either. I think you can have a really good visit. I wouldn't skip.

 

[Yen Sid]

My little ones have been going since they were born, I believe there is enough there to occupy them. As someone said you have the Safari, the walking trails, Flights of Wonder, the Nemo show. There is so much at AK to stimulate their senses that it should not be a problem to spend the day and have fun.

 

[missmun52]

at 2 my son really liked Ak. We loved Triceratop Spin, Nemo & Lion King shows, kali River Rapids (he is a little tall and loved the ride! it is very mild), the safari, and he loved seeing all the animals.

I think its a great park and would not skip it. It closes early so get there at opening and do everything, making sure you use the parent swap for the big rides your 2 yr old cant do with you. You can then spend the rest of the evening at the pool, down town disney (where my 2yr old started his pin collection and loved looking in the stores for pins, and making his own rice crispy treat at goofys candy store) or if you have hoppers at another park like MK.

 

[Dancermomof1]

My sister and I went in September with a 10 and 8 year-old girls as well as two boys aged 2.5 and 1.5.
While AK is my least favorite "park", it is fabulous if you view it as a hyped-up zoo.
I think its lower-key nature is better than the other parks for the toddlers.
Our boys loved it.
They can enjoy what's in front of them vs. screaming to go on the next ride, etc.
The animal paths are child-friendly...go at your pace. Behind glass, my 2year-old son was eight feet from three tigers. He had a blast holding a stick he picked up and growling "Lion King" at them. Thanks to Peter Pan telling Zachary he could fly, my son kept loudly saying he could fly over the male gorilla...but he did enjoy watching from a far...
The safari--we went in the mid-afternoon, expecting to see few animals--was incredible. There were more animals out and extremely close to the vehicle. Tots loved the whole bouncy ride.
Both boys did pretty well through Nemo, until a technical problem interupped the show. And were great during the last Lion King show of the day. LK is good because 1.) there is lots to look at all the time and 2.) it is loud--most noise and squirminess will go unnoticed.
The two-year-old did fine in "A Bugs Life," although he did not wear the glasses.
They liked the parade too.
We had a great day. Since the hours are shorter, we didn't push and stay too long either. I think you can have a really good visit. I wouldn't skip.

LOL!!! Zachary sounds like my little boy! Sounds like they really enjoyed it. I think we will give it a whirl! We are staying at AKL anyway so I think this is kind of a natural extension. I just wasn't sure if kids that young could ride any of the attractions. When I looked on the Disney website I was confused which ones little kids could ride??? Thanks for the info!

 

[Dancermomof1]

Thanks everyone! I think we are definitely going to give it a try. I just flipped on the tv and right now there is a Travel Channel program about AK park (now that is weird timing) I think it is a sign!! ha ha!!! Sounds like fun and we can't wait to go.

Oh, by the way, we are staying at AKL. Do you have to be on concierge level for those special safari trips they offer? Is it much different than the ones they offer in the park?

 

[geogirl0626]

Hi! We will be taking a vacation to WDW with our toddler (who will be 2 in May). We have never been to Disney's Animal Kingdom Park and were wondering if there are enough attractions we can see with our toddler to make a day of it? Thanks.

Animal Kingdom is my 3 year old's favorite park and been since we've been taking her. She loves to see all the animals and especially loves to brush the goats at Rafiki's Planet Watch. Toddlers can ride the Safari ride. I'm not sure about other rides. We mainly go early, ride the Safari, go see all the animals, go to Rafiki's Planet watch and then head to another park. My daughter also really like the Festival of the Lion King show. I'm sure she would like the Nemo show too, but we haven't gone there yet.

So I guess I'm saying that I think Animal Kingdom is a great park for a toddler!

 

[chunky_azz]

We just went in Sept and I only had 1/2 a day planned at AK cause I too was like it is just a Zoo, but OMG we absolutely LOVED it and my kiddos were 4 and 17 months and they loved it as well. Everyday my daughter wanted to know if we was going back to see the animals. We only got in our 1/2 day cause my son fell and hit is head really hard and we had to go back to the hotel for a rest, and we wanted to go back the next day but we had ressis at Magic Kingdom and we didnt have park hoppers, but next trip Animal kingdom will be a 2 day event, it was great.

 

[HeidiGW]

Zachary is a pistol, alright.
He really did have a great time and still talks about it daily.
Honestly, I think a week at the world really improved his speech. (His pediatrican says he's a bit advanced, but I think very slow compared to our three older daughters...I know apples, oranges...siblings speaking for him, yada, yada.)
BUT he was so excited about what he saw, Zachary really pushed himself to communicate what he knew/felt/observed/wanted.
Anyone who will listen hears, "I wanna go to Didney World. Peas, take me back to the room and go swim."
Have a great time. The AKL is soooo beautiful. We --even my fussiest eater--love Boma. Zachary ate like a champ, too!

LOL!!! Zachary sounds like my little boy! Sounds like they really enjoyed it. I think we will give it a whirl! We are staying at AKL anyway so I think this is kind of a natural extension. I just wasn't sure if kids that young could ride any of the attractions. When I looked on the Disney website I was confused which ones little kids could ride??? Thanks for the info!

 

[aheape1979]

Your preference.

Personally, we never liked AK with toddlers only because they don't sit for shows, they can't ride the rides, Bugs Life is too scary, etc. The animals are cool, but we go to the zoo at home. Yes, AK is a beautiful zoo but still a zoo. Also, there aren't a lot of places to be to escape the heat. I just wanted to spend my time some other way.

Good luck with your decision!

I totally agree with this statement. Our girls were 17 months and 3 1/2 years when we went last month. They were scared of Bugs Life, but liked the safari and the triceratop spin. Other than that, there was nothing spectacular about the park to us. We live about an hour away from a very good zoo, and our 3 1/2 year old even commented that "those animals are like the ones we see at the zoo."
Would I personally go back. . . yes to ride EE! We do not, however, plan to go back in September unless we have extra time and feel like we've "done everything", which I highly doubt!
Have fun!

 

[Dancermomof1]

Thanks everyone.. Does anyone know the difference between the safari offered in the park and the special ones offered by AKL resort? Thanks.

 

[eventamy]

One thing I forgot to mention earlier! Don't miss The Boneyard! My daughter liked it so much she actually brought it up again randomly the other day, she can't wait to play in there again and dig for bones!

 

[mindondisney]

When my son was 18 months we went to the petting zoo at AK. He brushed the tame goats with a little brush. It was so fun to watch him. This is one of my favorite Disney memories!

 

[LORI522]

If your toddler likes the characters, there are lots of opportunities at AK.