Animal Kingdom- yes or no?

[blueangel]

Yes! If you love animals and wildlife. The enclosures at AK are amazing - you can get up close with some of the animals without that caged feeling. MGM has kind of fallen off the radar for us - we are planning on skipping it when we go in October. AK has something for everybody - EE and Dino for thrill riders, walking treks and Conservation Station for taking it in slowly, some really good shops, Festival of the Lion King, and some of the best CS food in the world. Tusker House, anybody? If you've been to MGM before, I say try AK. They do close kind of early - five or six almost every time I've ever been, so you can hop somewhere else if you have a hopper, or take in DTD afterwards.

 

[Fionasmommy]

Definitely AK!!! We love AK, it's our second fave after MK. On our fall trip we're planning most of our days for those two parks, save for a day or two offsite.

 

[indigoxtreme]

Go to AK in the morning as other have said. The Lion King and Pocahontas are great shows too. Its tough to be a bug inside the tree is great. Flame tree BBQ or Tusker House has great CS food. If you have Hopper ticket then do AK first and MGM second.

 

[TiggMan]

yes!!!!!

 

[TikiGoddess]

We didn't know if we would like it or not last year so we went the day we had to fly out. Turns out is was my oldest ds's favorite park. In Jan. we'll do a day and a half.

 

[zuzu310]

My mom (51) and I (23) went for a girls only trip last year for three days and we skipped MGM and AK. Personally, AK is my least favorite park. We skipped MGM because my mom doesn't really like thrilling rides (TOT or RnRC). It is of course a personal preference but if you only have three days I say skip it. There is definitely a lack of air conditioning in this park and the animals are pretty much listless for most of the day.

 

[JRawkSteady]

Yes! It's completely different from all the other parks! I definitely suggest you check this out. Highlights: Kilamanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest, Flights of Wonder, Festival of the Lion King, and the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

Ditto what most everyone else wrote -- Yes! The Festival of the Lion King alone is worth the hike/bus out to AK. The safari and Kali's river rapids are also fun.

fyi, our 2 favorite parks are MK and Epcot, followed by AK, and way way behind is MGM.

 

[jarrdisney]

I am an AK convert. I went for the first time a couple years ago and was not impressed. However, it was Aug and it was sweltering hot. Have a plan to go early and enjoy the park. It's beautiful and shows are great. IMO EE and Dinosaur are some of the best attractions WDW has to offer.

 

[jann1033]

it's my favorite and i'm past 50...imo it has the best themeing of any park and that alone is worth seeing imo but i love the lion king, the safari, the trails are fun and very informative...(theming is more realistic and different than mk since mk is fantasy for the most part)

 

[mickeyluv'r]

WE like AK too, and the new ride, EE, is not to be missed (If you like that sort of ride.) If you're not a fan of big rides, then AK is absolutely a great park - there is so much to see.

I also agree that you can see most of AK in less than a full day, depending on your style. The Lion King Show is the best show on property - and I'm not that into shows or parades. That alone is worth the price of admission! The bird show is also pretty good, but it's not unlike other bird shows I've seen before. The Kali River Rapids is fun on a hot day, but not unlike this same ride at other parks. Dinosaur is a great ride.

If I had to skip a park, it would be MGM. I know others love Tot and RnRC, but I can take or leave MGM.

Epcot is also a great park, and it often takes more than a day to get around it.

 

[bctripp]

I'd go to AK, and skip MGM. I've never really liked MGM. I love AK though.

 

[battricia]

I would not miss animal kingdom on any trip. It's my favorite park.

tricia.

 

[3boyzmom]

My family (DH, DS3, DS5, & DS8) all love AK. We usually spend a day and 1/2 there. That being said .... my parents HATE AK. They are in their 60's and fairly fit, but they don't like the heat or the walking. They are not thrilled with the food or the attractions. So, like the other posters mentioned, if you like wildlife and the outdoors, you really don't want to miss AK (they have some great rides and shows, too!). Otherwise, you may want to choose another park.

 

[mommy2savannah]

We visited AK in late May and left by 1pm. We didn't get on many rides because we really could not stand the heat. I'm not sure why it felt so much hotter there. However, my dh is a big complainer and maybe he influenced my feelings about this park. We probably would not return.

 

[Nasus]

I thought AK was cooler than Epcot or MGM because it has so much shade. The heat just steams off the concrete at Epcot and the asphalt at MGM. Granted those two parks have more indoor AC, but once outside it is baking in the sun.

 

[tlmdisney]

If its a decission between AK and MGM I would choose MGM, it is such a peacfull park. It seems to be the least crowded,(at least when we go) and all of the air conditioning is lovely. But EE is at AK and I am super excited to try this ride so I guess that it would be tough decission. one other thing to consider is the AK closes early so you get more time in the park at MGM.

 

[mordux]

We also love AK, for the theme alone and the variety of both kid stuff, and semi-adult stuff to see and do.

 

[sjams]

I am in the minority here and have to say NO! I don't like that park and neither did my dd(8) or ds(5) when we went last year. It is so much like our Zoo here in North Texas that it almost resembles it. So I can get that anytime I want. I have to say that I did see The Lion King show and it was good, but Beauty and the Beast at MGM is much better. IMHO! I will go this next time for ONLY EE. Just my opinion!

 

[CarolA]

My parks in order are

1. Epcot
2. AK
3. MGM
4. MK (GASP!)

90% of my visits don't even include a MK visit. However, AK is a must do.... I never leave the Safari without a big grin.