Animal Kingdom reviews

[disnut8]

We are Animal Kingdom lovers because, well, we like animals. We tend to stick to the attractions and trails that focus on animals so Camp Minnie-Mickey and Dinoland are out for us.

The trick to this park is to be able to take your time and not concern yourself with having to be somewhere at a certain time. Our FastPasses are for the Safari, Kali River Rapids (will not do that in cooler months), and Expedition Everest. For us, everything else is a stroll through.

We don't miss Rafiki's Planet Watch at all. Ever pet a pig? You can. Or a goat? They are all over the place. No FastPass needed.

We don't miss Flights of Wonder either. I thought for years it was "just another bird show". Heck no. No FastPass needed. Every seat can see a ton of things.

No FastPasses for either of the two main trails or the one around the Tree of Life.

A seat at the Flame Tree BBQ and it's heaven.

Again, the key is taking your time and not rushing. Appreciate the animals and learn about them. That's the beauty of Animal Kingdom.

 

[Beer Me]

It's my favorite park to hang out and take in slowly. You can do everything without going commando. Just look around. The place is gorgeous and there are so many little details.

This year we're having lunch at Tusker house and plan on staying from open to close. Last time we were there we rode expedition Everest about 4 times in the last 45 minutes of the day because everyone leaves early.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

Thank you! What is the Flights of Wonder?

For lack of a better way to describe it - It's a Bird show - but a gazillion times better then what you think. It is a funny, entertaining show with breathtaking and talented birds and a few other surprise critters. I think it's fabulous.

 

[McKelly]

Definitely go see it and form your own opinion. It's my favorite park behind Magic Kingdom. It's beautiful. We love FOTLK and the Nemo Show. We ride the safari at least twice. EE is a great thrill ride. And my kids..........well, they love watching their mother get soaked on Kali EVERY time! LOL. Can't wait to see what they do with Avatar!

 

[MsLisaG]

You've gotten some great responses, but I'll throw my opinion in too.

We love AK! It's actually DH's favorite park. We usually don't spend a whole day in the park, but you could if you take your time seeing everything. The theming is amazing, it has good food choices, and for a park full of animals - it is very, very clean.

Our favorites are Kali River Rapids, the safari, and Dinosaur. The walking trails are great, and have lots of things to see. If you get there early in the morning, you can go over to Rafiki's Planet Watch and watch some of the animals at the vet inside the building.

It's definitely worth checking out at least once, in my opinion!

 

[ZoZo]

AK is a two-day park for me! There is so much to see and do, and I spend two days there each trip. My favorites are the safari ride, Flights of Wonder, Rafiki's Planet watch, EE, FOTLK, It's Tough to Be a Bug, and the wonderful animal trails.

As others have said, it's nice to slow down and notice the little things.

• The carvings on the Tree of Life are amazing!
• Be sure to look for "DeVine", a performance artist who's "dressed like a tree" (she's easy to miss and walk right by, since she blends into the foliage around her).
• At Rafiki's Planet Watch, you can watch live veterinary procedures first thing in the morning. You can also watch a small stage show with "animal encounters" that happen several times a day; I've seen a hedgehog, several kinds of birds, and a porcupine up close! You can also talk to some of the animal keepers about the different types of food the animals eat (they have samples of the food they give to the animals).
• Flights of Wonder bird show is amazing! Nearly all of the birds are trained to fly on and off stage by themselves, in response to training cues. It's very educational and fun! Be sure to have a dollar bill handy, and you might get to be part of the show!
• Stop to talk to some of the cast members along the animal trails, and ask them questions about the animals.

There are lots of visitors who aren't really interested in the animals, and I think they're missing out on a lot of cool things this park has to offer. Some folks rush from headliner to headliner, without stopping to notice the smaller things. They're missing a lot!

 

[Deanie1]

I also love AK. I try to do Safari twice, once early in the morning (right after EE) and once in early afternoon. I usually see different animals by going twice. I guess if I rushed I could do this in half a day but I really enjoy AK and see all the shows and I like to enjoy the excellent theming. Also looking forward to the new land in 2017.

 

[Networth]

Good park, I look forward to the expansion even though I could care less about Avatar (come on Star Wars expansion!). The Safari is enjoyable beyond that I like watching the monkeys in Asia, strolling through the Oasis section and riding EE over and over. Dinosaur I find fun, along with Primeval Whirl. Yak & Yeti is great for food wish they took TiW though. Kali River rapids is fun I haven't been on it in years(soaking wet mid December no thanks). If you enjoy animals you will probably love the park. I have a good friend who is a veterinarian that loves AK. "It's a park based on her profession." To quote her.

 

[V2000]

Sounds like I should be exploring and taking my time. I am planning to go in October. It will be with my 15 year old daughter and my husband. Hopefully the weather won't be too hot. Looking forward to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween and F&W at Epcot too! So excited!

 

[CounselorX]

AK is our favorite park. The atmosphere and scenery is great. Expedition Everest is my favorite coaster at WDW. DINOSAUR is my favorite dark ride at WDW. Primeval Whirl is fun and my wife is cracking up laughing the whole ride. The safari is great of course, and all the trails and animals are just a bonus.

 

[TheLittles]

I really enjoy AK! There is a lot more to do now than there used to be! I go on Dinosaur, ITTBAB, Kilamanjaro Safaris, Everest, and I LOVE Yak and Yeti! You should definitely take the time to go.

 

[Oathkeeper13]

AK is one of my favorite parks. If you approach it looking to quickly conquer each ride and move on, then you will have a bad time. You need to look at it as an experience, move slowly and see what you discover on your journey. There are great animal trails, Rafiki's planet watch, and some other hidden Jews that a lot of people never realize are there because they are so busy complaining about the lack of rides. Approach AK as an explorer on an adventure, not as a tourist in a theme park and you will have a great time.

 

[CinqueTerre]

AK is also one of our favorite parks along with MK and Epcot. DHS is my least favorite.

AK atmosphere is great, I like the mix of rides along with animal viewing experiences. Also, the food options for lunch are pretty solid, much better than DHS.

 

[DizzDoll]

AK is one of my favorite parks. If you approach it looking to quickly conquer each ride and move on, then you will have a bad time. You need to look at it as an experience, move slowly and see what you discover on your journey. There are great animal trails, Rafiki's planet watch, and some other hidden Jews that a lot of people never realize are there because they are so busy complaining about the lack of rides. Approach AK as an explorer on an adventure, not as a tourist in a theme park and you will have a great time.

I hope you mean "jewels"!! Thanks for my morning howl!!!

 

[DizDaD7]

Sounds like I should be exploring and taking my time. I am planning to go in October. It will be with my 15 year old daughter and my husband. Hopefully the weather won't be too hot. Looking forward to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween and F&W at Epcot too! So excited!

Be sure to check the weather report the week you are there. The reason I say this is, it always is a little hotter here than the other parks. Therefore try and pick the mildest day to venture to AK. Just some food for thought..

 

[Cloudless Nights]

AK is our second favorite park (after MK)! Everest, the Safaris, FOTK, Dinosaur, Kali, etc. are all not to be missed. We love walking the animal trails trying to find the greatly hidden barriers between animal species and watching Flights of Wonder. The theming is amazing, and as a veterinary student who has worked in many animal care facilities, including a large zoo and aquarium, I guarantee it is SO much better than any zoo you've visited. We spend at least two days there.

Honestly, if we were to skip any park, especially with small children, it would be HS (even though TOT is my favorite ride). We could spend half a day at HS riding TSM, TOT, RNRC (once--it hurts your head!), GMR, Star Tours (once), and Muppet Vision and be happy with that.

As for it being hotter than the other parks, we've never noticed that. In fact, it often feels cooler to us because there is plenty of plant cover so you're not walking out in the blazing sun all day like in the other parks.

 

[richmo]

I would definitely try to fit it in!

Some must do's:
- Kilimanjaro Safari (Fastpass this if not there very early)
- Expedition Everest (if you're into roller coasters) (If there in the first hour or so, you could go standby, otherwise Fastpass...OR they have a single rider line that's often 10 minutes or less)
- Dinosaur (possible Fastpass...standby usually not too bad)
- Festival of the Lion King - just reopened in a brand new theater in a beautiful new setting in Harambe (Africa) - do not miss this one! - probably don't need a Fastpass unless park is really crowded

Should do's:
- Nemo show
- Kali River Rapids - did this two days ago and was totally drenched, but on a warm day it felt good. However, you can get thoroughly soaked so my recommendation is to schedule this to be your last Fastpass.
- Flights of Wonder - yes, its a bird show, but its really good. Tempted to put this into the "must do" list. No fastpass here.

Maybe:
- It's Tough to be a Bug - 3D show. OK, but sometimes kids get scared. Better than Epcot's current 3D show.
- Primeval Whirl
- Boneyard if you have young kids. Large playground; somewhat difficult to keep track of kids if you have more than one. Also can be very hot on a hot day.
- If you spend more than half a day, there's a couple interesting trails to walk: one is near the Safari in Africa, the other near Kali River Rapids in Asia.
- Train to Conservation Station, especially if you have young kids. This can be quite time consuming, so if you only have half a day, you might want to skip.

Skip (in my opinion):
- Chester and Hester's Dinorama - basically those games you almost can't win at a carnival. A little surprised Disney lowered themselves to this level.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Our favorite, by far. We could spend 2 full days there! Aside from having numerous attractions we love, there are SO many we like to do repeatedly. Love AK!!

 

[disnut8]

Sounds like I should be exploring and taking my time. I am planning to go in October. It will be with my 15 year old daughter and my husband. Hopefully the weather won't be too hot. Looking forward to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween and F&W at Epcot too! So excited!

One other thing - I've taken the Safari when we first get there, at high noon, in the afternoon and towards the very end of the day. I've never been disappointed. So you can book those FastPasses for whenever and I think you will still have a good time.

Oh - another thing - at Rafiki's Planet Watch, there is usually a vet procedure that happens sometime between 9 and 11 AM. If you get there early enough, you can ask at Guest Services what is going on if you are interested. We got there just after 1 PM one day and had just missed a three hour surgery on a warthog.

 

[Delirium]

People miss out on soooo much by limiting themselves to half day in a park. Disney World is about much more than rides and shows.

If you plan on returning to WDW in the future, try and do as much as possible in the park this trip and then you have a better idea of how much time you want to spend there in the future.

With it's short hours and time-consuming shows, it is actually very difficult to do everything AK has to offer in one day, let alone half-day. Granted, we still spend time seeing characters, which can be a time-hog, but we've split the park into two days the last two visits. We stay until about 4 each day and hop to MK for the night.