animal kingdom thoughts?

[2minny]

We went to animal Kingdom a few years ago, we were not impressed, it seemed to not have much to do. Anyone else feel this way? I guess we're not used to park hopping, we spend an entire day at each place. Animal Kingdom only needed 1/2 day in my opinion. Just trying to decide our itinerary.

 

[onecoolmama]

YUP!!! We feel that way too. Now I have heard that the Lion King show is not to be missed...and I have always missed it. Other than ITTBAB, the Safari, and my DH like Dinasour then we are out of there. I saw the tree lady once..that was cool, but I dont even like the rapids. So yes, with AK I have found that you love it or your not impressed.

Personally, I think the Carnival Part is extremely tacky. People pay $50 to get into this Disney Theme park and they run into a Carnival...I dont have to pay all that money to get to WDW to see that!

Disney is trying to spruce it up with a roller coaster, but I am not sure when that will take place.

 

[2minny]

It seems to lack a lot, seems empty to me. It seems Disney would have done a better job, it's a great theme! Maybe it's just such a huge change from the other parks, we expect so much from disney. Especially for the price!

 

[TammyC]

We allowed a full day and only saw about half the park. We have a 2 1/2 year old who was fascinated by everything. We spent 10 minutes at an otter display and made an unscheduled stop in Harambe to watch some acrobatic show. We did the Safari, train to Rafiki's, Tarzan, Lion King and Boneyard. Parents did ITTBAB. We did not make it to the bird show (which we have enjoyed in the past), Grandmother Willow show (thought DS might like) or any of the trails. We ate at Tuskers and enjoyed the parade. This was our son's favorite park!

 

[chager]

We enjoyed the park when we went. I did expect a little more, but it was REALLY HOT and I we were definately suffering from tiredness and grumpiness. We loved the Lion King show and Bug's Life 3D. Our son was given a passport (I think that was what they called it) and we HAD to get all the stamps. This was how we discovered the train and the animals at the other end. Unfortunately we were so miserable we didn't go back and look at anything past where he got his stamp. We also liked the safari ride. We went early in the day so we saw a few more animals then we would have probably later. It was already hot and we were told alot of the animals had already taken shelter from the heat though. I would say though that I'm not sure we would spend a whole day there. I would like to go back and revisit some areas though.

 

[disneymom3]

While we do not spend a whole day there, I would say that AK can be our favorite park depending on the day and our attitude. We always have a wonderful time there and it's a very relaxing pace. Our kids spend a lot of time in the dig site in Dinoland. We like the two kid friendly rides there too. I love the safari and we always do it twice. Don't do Kilamanjaro as DH hates to get wet. We also haven't seen any of the shows so I know we could be there for longer. (We have a three year old who has lots of weird fears. So--no shows.) I would not use a regular day pass to do AK but with an annual or UPH I think it is fun to go.

 

[catwho]

AK is our favorite park. We always spend 2 days there. AK is not a thrill park. It is also "nahtazu" (not a zoo) It is a totally different adventure. It is the park to ease the stress and madness of the other parks. Everything is at a different pace here.

There are 2 wonderful walking trails (one through Africa, one through Asia) that are meant to be meandered through, not sprinted. The gorillas and the tigers are the big attractions on these trails, but there is so much to see other than them. Take time to enjoy the aviaries, the naked mole rat displays, watch the fruit bats, search for the other animals along the way.

We have easily spent over an hour at conservation station. Brushing the sheep and goats, watching a training session with the sheep and goats, watching the vets do exploratory surgery and check ups on the animals. We take time to search for the over 30 hidden Mickeys on the mural. The animal handlers sometimes bring out large snakes and other creepy crawlies to talk about and sometimes let children (and adults) touch.

We eat leisurely at either Flame Tree in one of the pavillions near the water or after the lunch hour at Tusker House. We enjoy the music and preforming artists throughout the parks. We take time to visit with the CM's who are from other countries and try to get in at least Tarzan Rocks and FOTLK.

Talk to the Animal Handlers throughout the parks. They are a wealth of information! Take time to enjoy the Oasis. Take a stroll (not a race) around the TOL just to look at all the animals. We've even gotten to the entrance of TTBAT and turned around and walked back out just so we could hunt for more animals.

Wonders of Flight is a fascinating show and the birds are magnificent! There are tons of photo ops throughout the park. I think the last time we were there we counted 8 different gods and goddesses from other religions in various forms. Stop and look at the ground. Although it is all concrete, it changes depending on what area you are in.

As for Dinoland, the boneyard is great fun for the kids (although some more seating for adults would be nice) and the carnival is supposed to resemble a roadside carnival that one would have found during the 1950's-60's in the upper midwest. From the appearance of things, it seems quite easy for kids to win things at the arcade booths. We have never played any of the games, but after we were explained what the theme was supposed to represent it made more sense. Dinoland is where we spend the least amount of time.

Oh and there is a safari ride to LOL!!!

But seriously, if you are looking for thrill rides, there are only 2 maybe 3 (Dinosaur, Kali, and Primeval Whirl) and the safari. If you enjoy seeing divers cultures, enjoying ambiance, noticing attention to detail, and soaking in the atmosphere you can easily spend quite some time at AK.

 

[bobcat]

catwho said it beautifully! Ak is a wonderful park where you need to slow down to get the full impact. If you expect to just do the "rides" in this park yes you can spend 1/2 a day easily, but then you are missing out on what this park truely is. AK is a whole experience, from sights to sounds to smell to the "rides". Give yourself a gift and take it slow at AK.

 

[2minny]

I love the different opinions on this site, it makes it fun. We have "slotted" a day at Animal Kingdom while leaving early for dinner at hoop de do. So, this year we'll probably love animal kingdom and not want to leave, last time we were searching for more to do. I'll go into it with a more relaxed attitude this time. I wasn't sure what to expect last time and that's why I wanted some other opinions, it's gotta be good if disney created it

 

[Kate-n-sam]

after commando style days at the other parks, we find AK to be relaxing and everyone in our family enjoys it. We have 3 little kids so it's nice to just take a slow pace and see the sights. We spend probably an hour each in the walking paths of Asia and Africa, See ITTBAB, Ride the safari, Check out Kali and dinoland. Do a little shopping, watch a street show in Africa, usually with an ice cold one from the Dawa bar (our favorite spot). Dine al Fresco from Tusker house.

We always skip Camp Minnie Mickey and the train to conservation station. Not much for us there.

 

[catwho]

Originally posted by Kate-n-sam

We always skip Camp Minnie Mickey and the train to conservation station. Not much for us there.

Why not? Camp Minnie Mickey has character trails for meet and greets, Festival of the Lion King, Pocahontas and her Animal Friends. At Conservation Station there are sheep and goats to brush and visit with. They are *very* tame as they don't see guests as food troughs (like at other petting zoos) and they have facilities to wash and sanatize your hands afterwards. Inside the station are lots if informational activities, the nursery as well as opportunities to meet Stanley, Rafiki, Pocoahontas and sometimes Jiminy Cricket.

Since you have little kids, they would probably enjoy it. There is also a kids' station down the trail where kids can learn about their backyard animal neighbors and get their booklets stamped. Our ds loves the train and would probably just enjoy riding the train there and back as a way to relax for a bit.

I challenge you to give it a try. You might surprise yourself. Like I said before, it is a totally different pace and you can't think of it as your ordinary amusement park. It's a totally different experience.

 

[disneyatl]

We weren't too impressed in 1999. The safari ride was the best thing there and the Lion King show was really good. Looking forward to scoping it out again this year and seeing what is different. Our biggest complaint was the way the park is layed out. Everyone has to enter and exit the same way which made for traffic jams big time. Is it still layed out that way or can you cross over now through some paths or something?

 

[Selket]

AK is a wonderful park...much different than the others, but it is miserable there in the heat I think (at least with young kids!). Perhaps just plan on fast passes for any rides you want and take the rest of the time to look at the animals and in the shops. Going to the conservation station in the hot weather is brutal IMHO.

 

[catwho]

Originally posted by disneyatl
Our biggest complaint was the way the park is layed out. Everyone has to enter and exit the same way which made for traffic jams big time. Is it still layed out that way or can you cross over now through some paths or something?

It is still like that. But then so are all the other parks when you think about it. There is one entrance to MGM and one entrance and exit into RnR, ToT, and Fantasmic. Same with MK. Although there are lots of ways to get from one land to the next, there is still only one entrance in and out of the park and Mainstreet is a mess come opening and closing time. Epcot's main thouroghfare to and from WS gets pretty clogged during exit as well (although we mostly go either through the rose path or past the old Horizon's building when we leave). I think it has more to do with mass amounts of people trying to get to and from a particular area than anything else. If you notice, the crowds tend to ebb and tide with shows. For instance when FOTLK lets out there is a huge wave of people exiting Mickey Minnie. Same for Tarzan Rocks and Dinoland. If you try to time your exits and entrances around peak traffic times, it works better. We always try to be the furthest from the exit at any park at closing time and we slowly make our way to the front. Much less crowded and you get to enjoy not being jostled by everyone else (plus being one of the last to leave means you can find your car easier LOL!)

 

[Kapp]

It is most of my family's favorite park. However, we had some friends just come back from WDW (with kids the same ages are ours, 8 & 5) and they hated AK! They said it was boring and not fun at all. We totally disagree is always one of the 2 parks we have to hit again on a 5 day stay. It each his/her own but we recommend a visit to AK!

 

[disneyatl]

I should have explained myself better. I understand there is only once entrance and exit to the parks. What I meant was at the AK there is only one way to get in and out of the different lands. It becomes so congested because of it. When we were there in '99 there wasn't any way to cross over from one "land" to the next without having to go back out into the center area.

 

[catwho]

Correct. To go from Dino Land to Camp Minnie Mickey you have to go through Discovery Island. I like to think of AK as a big circle that has branches sticking out from it. The Oasis is the first branch. Entering Discovery Island, using the Tree as the hub, and going to the right is Dinoland (the next branch), then cross the bridge to Asia that has a branch to do the nature trek. Keep going around and you run into Africa that has 3 branches. One for the Safari, one for the trek and one for Conservation Station. Work your way around again and you get to the final branch, Camp Minnie Mickey. There really isn't anyway to make cut through's to the other lands because of the way it is laid out. They really wanted people to walk the full circle and do things as they came to them rather than hop from one section to the next.

Most people tend to go towards the right (heading to Asia first) rather than Africa (except right at opening when everyone is trying to get on the Safari first). Although the "rule" is "go to the left" this is one place where heading to the right will work in your favor. You will go with the mass flow rather than against it (which can be frustrating) Look at a map of AK and plot out your direction of travel. I believe Steve Soares site usually has time schedules for the entertainment about a week in advanced (and it rarely changes too much from one week to the next) So you could plot where you want to go working your way around so that you get to different things making the full circle rather than try to hop from one side of the park to the other. It can be a LONG way around.

Yes; it does get a bit congested right outside Camp Minnie Mickey and Dinoland, but it does seem to be worse right after shows let out. One year we were there and there was a technical (or rather animal) difficulty with Pocahontas and it was delayed. Both Pocahontas and FOTLK ended at the same time and there was a HUGE knot of people all trying to get out of the camp.

I think knowing that this is just how it is going to be can help eleviate some stress and help you be able to work your way around the park.

 

[chager]

After reading some of the posts I think we may have to try to spend more time at AK apparently we missed more then I thought. Of course my biggest memory is how HOT it was! So walking anywhere was not too fun. I did fail to say that we did a character breakfast there and it was ALOT of fun. Our next trip is planned for November if everything works out so hopefully we will be able to see more animals this time.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

There are some things we definitely like about the park, but we had to learn to slow way down to be able to enjoy them.

When we arrive we always go get fast passes for kilimanjaro safari - it's a must see first thing in the morning. We then go bak to the tree of life and see "it's Tough To Be A Bug". If we have time then we will go around to all the animal exhibits around the tree of like.

After the safari we usually go to the "jungle trek" (I think that's what it's called - it's right next to the safari) and walk through the exhibits there. We've intentionally spent lots of time walking through because it was relaxing and we wanted to see the gorillas.

We always ride Kali River Rapids - more than once - and always come out soaked. Great for those hot summer days. And we always do Dinosaur - at least twice.

Since they added the Triceratop Spin we try to hit that a couple times as well.

The girls are now too old to care about doing the dino-dig thing, but we did that as well when they were a bit younger.

Shows: Tarzan and Lion King are must sees. We thoroughly enjoy them both and make it a point to see them (they have recently enclosed the Lion King arena so the air conditioning should be better now).

It's a great park if you slow down and see it.

 

[jgmklmhem]

There is something about this park that changes for me everytime we go to it. Sometimes I don't think its worth even 0.5 a day and others I still haven't seen what I wanted at closing. I think you have to be in the right mood and mindset for this park to fully enjoy it. I also think this park is more enjoyable in milder monthes than summer ones. Since this park is the biggest and has the highest average temperature due to the vegitation it can be a bear in the summer and when we went in May I was very unhappy at AK, but when we went back this December it was my favorite park. I will however say that the layout doesn't seem to help congestion problems. The main street into Africa always seems over congested to me and then when they throw in street performers it makes it almost impossible to get through at least the times we have been there. I do agree that if you want rides this park might be a disappointment but it has its own little charms that make it Disney.
Quick fact: The area for the safari ride is larger than the whole Magic Kingdom.