Animal kingdom

[sparkles_grrl]

Hey everyone hope your having a good weekend. We (bf and I)are travelling in january our second trip in 5 years- in which did epcot and universal studios. This time we want to finish the rest of the parks but i have heard mixed reviews on AK. Can anyone give me any info on AK and your experience there? Thanks so much!

 

[The Hendies]

We enjoy Animal Kingdom so much! True, we usually only spend the equivalent of one day there, but there is plenty to do. Our AK favorites are the safari, Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, It's Tough to be a Bug, Festival of the Lion King, and Pangani Trail. And IMHO, Flame Tree in the best CS on property! Enjoy your trip!

 

[Kakikomori]

When I was there a couple of years ago, I really enjoyed the shows, especially Flights of Wonder. The rides were fun, I enjoyed Expedition Everest even though I'm not much of a coaster rider. The lunch at Yak & Yeti was one of my favorite meals on the trip. The only disappointment I had was that there were hardly any animals in the Affection Section area. It was record cold temperatures that year though, so I wouldn't doubt that could have played a factor.

I would say that you can do the whole park in one day, but it is definitely worth doing. I had my doubts like you did, but I would rank it above Hollywood Studios for interesting things to do and see.

 

[justskip70003]

i find AK very empty for being the biggest park in WDW. i think it is a nice park but as compaired to the other 3 or the 2 waterparks for that fact i find it the least desirable park on property. the upsides are yak and yeti resturant and the festival of the lion king.

 

[stargazertechie]

IF I could ONLY pick one Disney park to visit on a trip, it would be AK, hands down.

It's not a ride park. It's truly a theme park. You have to approach it the right way to really enjoy it. It's not the type of park where you just sprint from ride to ride- the joy is in the details.

I personally feel the best 3 stage shows are there- Flights of Wonder, Finding Nemo, and Festival of the Lion King. You could make a full day out of that and a lunch, along with the walking trails.

The rides are fun, the animals are amazing, and the parade is out of this world!

 

[jformica]

Like anything else it's about you and your bf's preferences. We've gone to all 4 parks each year for the past 7 years. Animal Kingdom is our least favorite park. However, having said that, we still very much enjoy it. We have such a high opinion of all Disney parks so finishing last does not mean we don't enjoy it. The park is more of a "walking park" that requires attention to detail and a "soak in the experience" atmosphere. There aren't many rides so there's no point running all over the place like the other 3 parks. Expedition Everest is in our top 3 rides in all of Disney. Dinosaur is also a fun ride. Kilamajoro Safari's is a great experience as well. As far as shows, Festival of the Lion King was very good but we did not enjoy Finding Nemo. There are other experiences (as other's have mentioned) but we don't enjoy most of them. The dining is alright but nothing like Epcot or Hollywood Studios for that matter. If you haven't gone before you have to go!

 

[suzicute20]

We really enjoy Animal Kingdom. The shows are great and the rides are fun. Go on Kilamanjaro Safari at different times during the day - you will see different animals. If you make an AR, we really enjoyed Tusker House. If not, Flame Tree is very nice as well. January will be a great time to go because it can get a little hot at the park, but that won't be a factor for you. Have a great trip!

 

[cbg1027]

IF I could ONLY pick one Disney park to visit on a trip, it would be AK, hands down.

It's not a ride park. It's truly a theme park. You have to approach it the right way to really enjoy it. It's not the type of park where you just sprint from ride to ride- the joy is in the details.

ITA!

I call AK the 'stop and smell the roses park'. It is definitely worth a visit, and no matter what anyone here says, you will never know if you like it until you try it for yourself.

There are not many actual attractions, but it's the little details between the attractions that make AK so incredible.

Coming from the other parks, you expect to see something when you visit an attraction, but AK isn't like that for everything. When you go on one of the animal trails, you have to take your time and really explore and/or wait in order to catch a glimpse of some creatures. I love this aspect because it makes the safari and the animal trails a different experience every time I do them.

Some people say AK is 'just a zoo', but it's so much more than that. It's a zoo, it's a theme park, it's a botanical garden, it's an adventure...all with the Disney magic and attention to detail.

 

[jlevis]

DaVine alone is worth the time in Animal Kingdom. I love standing aside to watch people rush past her without seeing her. I suspect a lot of the "it's a half day park" people are among them.

 

[BYC]

AK is my absolute favorite park, and I would never miss it. That being said, I absolutely hate the Dinoland section. It is like a cheap traveling carnival. But everything else is just the best. The safari, Everest, and the not-to-be-missed Devine! Most people never see her, and she is one of the most memorable things I have seen anywhere at Disney. If you like animals, don't miss AK. Even if you don't like animals, go anyway.

 

[WDWFreak200]

Animal Kingdom is one of my favorite theme parks in the Orlando area. Not only does the park have a wide variety of wild animals, but the details are out of this world and the CM's seem to really enjoy working there, which always makes me smile to see someone enjoying their job so much. If you do head over, I strongly recommend you AVOID "It's Tough to be a Bug" unless you like being poked or prodded. I did it for the first time last year and I thought it was uncomfortable.

 

[pocahontasgal87]

I love animal kingdom, if ur a big animal lover like i am, then this is a must do theme park, the theming and landscape is phenomenal, there is expedition everest, dinosaur, kali river rapids, and much more awesome rides. the safari is just pure amazing, and as for the shows, I personally think the shows here the the best outta the other parks.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Animal Kingdom is good for a 1/2-day.
2) Longer if wait times for some items are long
3) But, for the most part, it is weak effort at a park.

 

[TimeLady]

Animal Kingdom is great. EPCOT is always gonna be my favorite and Magic Kingdom is classic, but for me, I'd much rather skip Hollywood Studios than AK. The theming is just amazing, even by Disney standards. Expedition Everest is my favorite E-ride and the safari is not to be missed. There's a lot more walking in AK than the other parks and there's a lot of "hidden" gems, so you miss a lot if you don't spend the whole day there. But it's definitely worth it!

 

[Magpie]

I don't understand how people can say that Animal Kingdom is a half day park, unless they skip all the shows and just run from ride to ride.

We were there a little over a week ago, and it was a real challenge packing everything into one day, 9am to 6pm. And by "everything" I only mean the shows and rides - there was a lot I missed. I had to plan very carefully to get all the shows in.

We arrived at rope drop. CMs were standing on the paths holding live critters in boxes. I wanted to stop and look at them, and chat, but my husband insisted on dragging us past. Despite him, we did manage to see a hairy tarantula, which my daughter said was "gorgeous".

We raced to Expedition Everest, rode and got FPs. Then off to the Kilamanjaro Safari, with my husband chomping at the bit the entire way, because our son kept wanting to stop and take pictures of the park and it was putting us behind our schedule. The entire day pretty much went like that, with us fitting rides and attractions in around The Festival of the Lion King, the Finding Nemo show, Flights of Wonder, the Jingle Jungle Parade and It's Tough to Be a Bug. We scarfed down a quick CS lunch, in order not to waste time.

We did get to ride Everest three times, but we didn't ride Kali River Rapids, or walk the Pangani Forest trail, or visit the Conservation Station, or explore any of the Character Trails and have our pictures taken. Next time we go back, I want to see if we can swing two days at Animal Kingdom, even if it means cutting out one of our Magic Kingdom days. (Horrors! )

Here's what I'd like to do, someday...

Arrive at rope drop and spend the first hour just checking out what the CMs have in their boxes.

Go early to the Conservation Station and see the vets at work and talk to the CMs about the animals.

Feed the (very fat) goats.

Talk to the CMs on the Forest Exploration trails as long as I like without my husband pulling me away because he's in a hurry.

Watch the drummers perform.

Find that lady dressed up as a tree.

Get some pictures with characters.

Eat at the Yak and Yet.

Take a backstage tour.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

If you ask 4 Disney fans what their favorite park is, you'll get 4 different answers. Everyone has their individual likes and dislikes, and if you've never been there before, you can't know whether you'll like it or not. In other words, go and make your own decisions. If you don't like it, then you know you can skip it on your next trip.

 

[NLD]

Love Animal Kingdom.

IMO it's the most relaxing and the most beautiful of the four parks. It just makes me smile as soon as I step inside.

It's all about the ambiance.

 

[wbeem]

The nice thing about Animal Kingdom is that it has working showers.


Animal Kingdom - 031 by wbeem, on Flickr

 

[nkereina]

My BF and I visited AK for the first time in September. We spent from 9am-2pm there and felt confident we did everything we wanted to do. We thought it felt the most crowded due to some narrow walkways, and it was the hottest/most humid park to us but you won't have to contend with that in January. I do think it's worth a visit because they have some good shows and rides, but I wouldn't schedule a whole day there. In the future, it will probably just be a morning for us. We will also avoid Rafiki's Planet Watch because waiting for the trains and getting out there was the most time consuming attraction for us, and we did not feel it was worth it.

 

[wbeem]

We will also avoid Rafiki's Planet Watch because waiting for the trains and getting out there was the most time consuming attraction for us, and we did not feel it was worth it.

I agree. The train didn't bother me so much because I was ready to relax for a moment, but Rafiki's was a big let down - a petting zoo. If you have little kids who will get excited petting an animal, it's a cool thing for them. If you're traveling with a party of adults...well, a goat is a goat.