Animal Kingdom- yes or no?

[cindyfan]

I have gone with my DD's 3 times (girls only trips)..... I am in my late 40's, DD's are 29 and 15.
Go ahead and spend the few extra dollars to get the park hopping option....
Then do AK half a day and MGM or MK half a day.
A full day at Epcot is a must..... IMHO.
We love Epcot. Love to hit Future World in the morning. Shop, do lunch, visit all the countries in World Showcase and see lots of the side shows..... Then HAVE TO stay for ILLUMINATIONS!

 

[byoung]

Yes by me AK is one of farvorites.

 

[Armandocme]

I prefer AK over MGM.

AK has:
Expedition Everest (Very New Ride at the World)
Kilimanjaro Safari - My Favorite attraction at AK (go early in a.m.)
Festival of the Lion King - Very impressive show - like mini broadway show.
It's Tough to be a Bug - Very funny 3D show, must do at least once!

I don't think you'll go wrong with either choice. It just depends on what your interests are.

Have a great trip!

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Id take Epcot any day over AK, but if you have time AK is really different from other theme parks. I like it in its own way. If you have never been, you may want to check out the AK special on the travel channel. It was on last night, but you can check discovery.com for next time it is playing, then you can kinda preview the park before going and decide if it is "you".

 

[DaddyBeast]

Put AK at the bottom of the list, unless you are a coaster enthusiast (or a zoologist). EE is the reason to go to AK, and it is at best a 1/2 day park for you. Too bad it takes so long to get there and back.

I just booked a fantasy trip in my head for 3 days and 2 nights (traveling with my fantasy mom):
Day 1) Arrive at MK and take Keys to the Kingdom or another tour in the morning. Dinner at Hoop De Doo. Watch the fireworks.

Day 2) EPCOT FW in the morning. Tour the WS and lunch at Teppanyaki (or Yakatori). Downtown Disney to shop. Maybe go back for Illuminations.

Day 3) Checkout. MGM in the morning. Lunch at 50s PTC (with a chocolate shake). Try to get mom on ToT. Go home.

 

[mwerner2]

I think you should consider how much you like animals. My DD (19) loves AK so much that she get tears in her eyes just thinking about it, and she is not normally very emotional. She does love animals though. The rest of us also like AK, but you need to take it in at a much slower pace than the other parks. It is really a slow down and smell the roses type of park. Much of it's charm is in the little hidden areas and doesn't leap out at you.

 

[slo]

We've been to AK once and we didn't love it. But, I am not the majority, many many people love it. I would say, if you feel like you will regret not going, then you should go.

 

[grumpymakesmehappy]

I would definately go to AK especially if I've never been before. It is a beautiful park. We are going back in Oct. and have decided to just do EE, Bug's Life, and possibly the Safari. We were there in Jan. and did the whole park so this time around we are just hitting our favorites and the new EE. Give the park a try.

 

[bigthundermountain]

if you like animals better than AK would (obviously) be the best choice...there aren't as many rides as in the other parks but alot of things to do while you wait for your FASTPASS window to open for any of the rides. AK also seems to be less crowded than the other parks...or is it just me???????

 

[sunnyd11]

AK is our favorite park! The Best! But be there early, actually as soon as the park opens. It is the best time to see the animals.

 

[delilah]

My mom and I are going in sept.- I am 24- she is 44 should we go to Animal Kingdom or skip it. We have decided to only go to 2 or 3 parks- I want to go to Magic Kigdom of course and my mom says Epcot but I would like to try Animal Kingdom. What do you think?!

Speaking as a person in the age range of your mom, AK is probably my favorite park. Epcot is a close second. On the other hand, I have always loved things to do with nature and zoos. (I actually wanted to be a veterinarian when I was in college; went to human medical school instead). Not knowing your mom, it would be hard to speak for her.
My least favorite park is MGM. I have skipped it on trips, and not missed it at all. This is because my son is still too young for things that I would enjoy like RNR and TOT, and Playhouse Disney get quite tedious for adults, and you can only see Beauty and the Beast so many times before it gets stale. But, if she is the rare person who is 44 and never gone to Disney, MGM might be enjoyable.

 

[gems_smiling]

AK is brilliant. I think AK has more things to do if your not that interested in the WS part of Epcot (like me). So i would go to AK (even though my favorite ride is TT).

 

[joan4mickey]

Soooooooooooooo I just read this whole thread. We plan to visit AK on Wed. July 26. We have been once for 1/2 day and it was fun. We have been to the other parks several times and thought we haven't really done AK. 1. How crowded will it be? 2. We have only one day to do a park could we be making a mistake by choosing AK?
All opinions welcome. Traveling will be me and DH, DD17, DD15, DS13. We do love the outdoors, but hubby does tend to get hot easily.

 

[yankeepenny]

for our first visit (50 DAYS)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we are doing AK first!
then epcot, the 2 of MK
then mgm

 

[DisneyFan06]

I am actually going to Animal Kingdom on Saturday. Once I return I will be sure to post a report explaining the heat, the crowds, the wait times, and other such events. Therefore, it may help you with your future decisions. I live in Florida so the heat does not really concern me; however, I purchased a little fan that runs off two double A batteries. I plan to keep that in the bag for the times it is needed. (I heard rumors that it could get rather hot because of the enviornment.)

Last summer I been to Animal Kingdom only to watch the Lion King Show and do the Safari and then headed back to Magic Kingdom because it started to rain. I really enjoyed it and was upset I didn't do the whole park. So I am looking forward to spending the entire day there.

 

[DisneyJade]

snow white, my next trip to WDW is with my mom too! (me-27.. her-well i could tell you but i'd have to kill you).

here's what i think you should consider very carefully -- depending on when you are going in september, you might find the parks are not crowded at all! in that case, it would be wise to spend a few extra dollars to add "hopper" to your passes. you can do MK, then hop to Epcot on the first day... then do AK and hop to MGM the next day. you already know you can't see it all... but why not see a little taste of every park? just my 2 cents. let us know what you decide!!!

 

[yankeepenny]

I am actually going to Animal Kingdom on Saturday. Once I return I will be sure to post a report explaining the heat, the crowds, the wait times, and other such events. Therefore, it may help you with your future decisions. I live in Florida so the heat does not really concern me; however, I purchased a little fan that runs off two double A batteries. I plan to keep that in the bag for the times it is needed. (I heard rumors that it could get rather hot because of the enviornment.)

Last summer I been to Animal Kingdom only to watch the Lion King Show and do the Safari and then headed back to Magic Kingdom because it started to rain. I really enjoyed it and was upset I didn't do the whole park. So I am looking forward to spending the entire day there.

Have a wonderfull time, let us know what you liked/did not like!

 

[burnsbmca]

Least favorite park. VERY hot, no breeze. Narrow pathways and extremely crowded. DD 7 hated it. DH when asked if he wanted to go back sid "I'd rather put a stick in my eye" DS liked it because of EE.
Epcot and MK were the favorites. Favorite ride for me at all parks was Soarin at Epcot.

 

[Doc CW]

Animal Kingdom is my favorite park of all so I say go. If I had to choose between 3 I would choose AK, MK, and EPCOT. Good luck making your choice.

 

[deekaypee]

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.

I can't say it better, though I will add that I didn't expect to love AK as much as I do. I'm a big fan.