Animal Kingdom needs love

[toonaspie]

I sadly agree with this. For our condensed trip in Dec we're only going to be spending 5-6 hrs there tops the entire trip. Doing the safari at night as well as RoL should be interesting though. But everything else is pretty much the same as it was since I was last there in 2007. I only recently learned that Jungle Jammin Parade is no longer running there, a bummer cause I actually preferred that parade to MK's current ones.

As others have pointed out, it's beautifully themed and a relaxing park if you don't plan on doing much.

Dinoland was a result of massive budget cuts made to the park upon its creation. Those animals cost a ton of money to maintain.

 

[memo10]

AK is my least favorite as well. We always end up leaving after 3-4 hours.

 

[Klinger13]

It's our least favorite too. We're not big into shows, DH hates Dinosaur, DD5 is too short for PW and EE. We will go for a few hours each trip to do the things we do enjoy but really do wish it had more.

 

[FastPasser]

.

 

[SonicSunglasses]

TOTALLY DISAGREE. Animal Kingdom is my second favorite park. I can easily spend a whole day there. They have the best show on property: Lion King.

I totally agree with your total disagreement.

My wife and I were there last December, and we both fell in love with the park. The nighttime safari is something we really want to experience. And I want to do Everest after dark. I see a single-rider line in my future.

 

[kollerbear]

Dinoland was a result of massive budget cuts made to the park upon its creation. Those animals cost a ton of money to maintain.

Hahaha ohhhh I know what you mean now but initially thought you meant they'd planned on having real dinosaurs but they would have been over budget. Which is an idea that delights me.

 

[loves to dive]

AK was never meant to be an amusement park that was ride centric, it's all about the animals and learning about them. Like all the parks it has it's highs and lows and it requires one to slow down and actually appreciate the little things. I love stopping in all the nooks and hideaways that have viewing areas. Nomad Lounge has become my favorite place in WDW,, seriously so relaxing. I go to AK 2 or 3 times a trip and just wander around.

 

[Somnia]

Animal Kingdom is actually my 2nd favorite park behind Epcot. We spend a whole day there when we go, we're splitting it up this time and doing a morning and late evening. Can't wait to see the tree light up and ride EE in the dark!

 

[samsteele]

AK is my 2nd fav park after Epcot. I always schedule 2 full days to enjoy. I was there a few wks ago and the nightime safari is def worth it. The lions alone are much more active. The hyenas are also out then. If you can schedule your FP for late sunset, it's a great time to go. The Tree of Life Awakening thing is also well worth checking out even if for a half hr on your way out of the park after dark. I also really enjoy a quiet 45 mins on the Nomad Lounge deck for a Kungaloosh beer. Comfy sinking couches in the shade. Don't dis AK. Its a different vibe but well worth your time.

 

[kollerbear]

AK is my 2nd fav park after Epcot. I always schedule 2 full days to enjoy. I was there a few wks ago and the nightime safari is def worth it. The lions alone are much more active. The hyenas are also out then. If you can schedule your FP for late sunset, it's a great time to go. The Tree of Life Awakening thing is also well worth checking out even if for a half hr on your way out of the park after dark. I also really enjoy a quiet 45 mins on the Nomad Lounge deck for a Kungaloosh beer. Comfy sinking couches in the shade. Don't dis AK. Its a different vibe but well worth your time.

I love all those details, too, and my DH and I could easily enjoy it for 2 days. However, last visit I was pregnant. I was sure I'd still have a great time with my mom, but the Maharaja Trail was closed for rehab and honestly, that actually made me realize how few attractions/options are actually there that work for those who have any restrictions on them. I still had a great time with my mom-- we did the Gorilla Trail, we went to Rafiki's Planet Watch, saw FOTLK and FOW, we explored and took pictures and enjoyed the atmosphere, but it made me more sensitive to criticisms of the park since that was literally almost all I could do. There was almost nothing for me to reserve FP for.

AK might be my favorite park, and I think it's my DH's, too, but I think that once I go into the rest of my family (sisters, parents), even though they're also animal lovers, it's already lost some appeal. Imagining visiting with my daughter in the next several years even makes it less appealing, since there are so few rides she'll be able to experience. It wouldn't take much to round out the park to be better balanced to suit everybody in a family with a wider variety of preferences and needs. Not everyone likes to stand and watch monkeys for 45 minutes like me and my husband. I think having a slightly wider variety of things (yes, beyond the 2 rides planned for Pandora) would really make it easier to suit everyone's tastes and preferences in a family. It's so close to being just a PERFECT full-day-for-everybody park.

 

[samsteele]

Those are all very good & thoughtful insights. I see AK as a single adult. So your views are definitely valid & hopefully WDW will consider adding on to AK. Fingers crossed for all of us!

 

[Accident]

The first time I actually enjoyed AK was when I saw when the weather wasn't trying to fry me like an egg. I love ak at night, I love ak when it's not trying to kill me with the weather but I really hate AK and the lack of places to hide from the heat / sun.

I think AK really needs to get more attractions and these refurbs are really starting to show how little there is to do there. HS still looks like the better park to pick if you have to choose between them just because it's more rain friendly, more sun friendly and more things to do while there... I think they could really bump it up doing some refurbs to get more spaces to be out of the heat and sun and toss in a bunch more normal length attractions. I hate that it's basically all 1 hour attractions with 2 rides and a off the shelf, get it in any attraction park mini-coaster.

But I do enjoy it when things are right like weather and being able to stroll around and really take in the place.. I just want more than strolling around and seeing hte same couple shows and hitting the ride not being refurbed this month.

 

[Jennasis]

We love AK. Love the shows and find them all highly repeatable. We skip Kali since being that wet is no fun. We meander...we amble..we take our time to savor it. Just lovely.

 

[Tomh]

Animal Kingdom is by no means my favorite park. However, I don't think it is THAT bad. Everest is an awesome ride even without a working Yeti. Kali is ok. I love the safari, and am eagerly looking forward to the night time version of it. The tree of life awakenings look amazing, I can't wait to see them in person (I missed AK during our trip this past August, I decided to visit Celebration Hospital that day instead lol) Festival of the Lion King to me is the best show on Disney Property . . . well, maybe 2nd to LaNouba, but I don't really count that as it is something you have to pay for. Flights of Wonder is amazing. As previous posters have pointed out, the atmosphere, the detail, that is more what this park is about. There are unique food offerings that are worth a visit on their own. With the addition of ROL (opening soon I hope) the night time safari, the awakening show, and the dance parties it is easily a full day park, and when Avatar opens, it may well take more than a full day to really see everything there is at AK.

 

[DOOM1001]

I visit Epcot roughly 57 times for every 1 AK visit,I'm really,really hoping Avatar,ROL or something goes in that really makes enjoy the park more.I love Everest and Kali and Dinosaur are okay as is the Lion King show but the park still has always been my least favorite.DHS for example is chock full of old worn attractions but I really love the theme of the park,the old Hollywood theme just appeals to me,just compare the entrances of both parks as you come in,DHS just has more Disney flair while the entrance of AK still feels like a zoo.I even used to defend the carnival area of Dinoland,over the years I've realized I really don't like it,and dont get me started on the ROL replacement show over the summer,just plain bad!!

 

[ScrampShopper]

I'm making my plans for our Feb/Mar trip and trying to figure out how I can squeeze in a third Animal Kingdom day. I will most likely give up an Epcot day to have extra time at AK. We love AK, and it will be even better when ROL and Avatarland open up.

 

[cruisingtwins]

I think the only park that is worth it right now is MK. We are doing Disneyland next year and won;t go back to DW until all new lands are open.

 

[iceternal]

You guys talk about the atmosphere a lot and the theming ... But I went there today and so many places are hidden behind fences that it ruins a lot of it.

Seeing a fence and a worker behind doing his stuff really breaks the immersion in addition to all the closures . I really wouldn't recommend visiting the park for at least a month or two ...

 

[HopperFan]

what's the name of the villain in ITTBAB again?

HOPPER

So under-rated and unappreciated! And SERIOUSLY, if you don't know his name then ......

 

[AngiTN]

We are also Animal Kingdom fans. It's my favorite, even over MK. We can spend hours watching the antics of the animals on the trails. I could skip the rides and still have a full day at AK. Pandora is just going to take it from a 2 day to a 3 day park for us

ETA - Reading through most of the comments on those that don't care for it and none mention the animals. Do you all ignore them? Animals are never the same, ever. It's always different. I guess if you go to AK and skip the animals then no, there isn't much left and I can see how you wouldn't like it. But it is called Animal Kingdom so yeah, check out the animals and it may well change your views some. And if you aren't in to animals then it probably is worth skipping. AK is not about the rides. They are secondary

And the shows! Has some of the best shows outside of Broadway. Lion King can bring me to tears every time I watch it. The aerial work amazes me. And the bird show is another favorite. DH never wants to skip it. Again, with animals as the feature act it means it's never the same, those darn things are anything but predicable.