Anyone else Hate "fair" part of AK??

[spooky1]

Are we the only ones?? The atmosphere was so "non-disney".

I paid good $$ to get into the park now they want me to pay $$ for games...that hardly ever win crapy prizes..

I 100% agree - its totally not Disney - and why the heck should we have to pay to play these games that offer cheesy prizes; I mean heck we paid a hefty price to get in. IMO the games should be free - OR at least we should get so many free-plays - then if we want to play more we pay. - We've walked through it several times, but NEVER played and NEVER will; not as long as they are charging.

 

[Topo Bella]

Due to some poor planning, we agreed to meet at the Boneyard, where my 2 yr old could play while my boys and hubby went on Expedition Everest. We quickly tired of the Boneyard and started exporing the area. I wanted to like it, I really did, but it just didn't feel very Disney to me. I don't mind midway rides and games, but I just expected something a little different from Disney.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

We were just there..and DH noticed this area is on a parking lot..was this part of the theme??? It appears like they just built this area on this space and never thought abt the parking lot....or is it part of the "theme" with the atmosphere...cause carnivals usually are in some big parking lot???
Nothing here excites me....except this is the place when I first stopped at a DVC kiosk!!! lol

 

[dawnball]

I love it. There's never anyone there. AK can be jam-packed, and I still feel like I have the park to myself. DD can ride Triceratops spin again and again and again with no waiting. It's lovely.

It is remarkably shadeless, though.

 

[DisDarling]

We avoid it every trip, just doesn't feel Disney to me at all!

 

[STEAMBOAT209]

I never really explored that area only because I grew up at the jersey shore and reminds me of the boardwalk. I don't want to go to disney and have it remind me of home.

I agree, it reminds me of the boardwalk rides and arcade games, I see enough of that all summer and don't need it while we are in Disney. We can be at any of the south jersey shore areas in less than an hour. We don't need it when we are in Disney.

 

[baby_becky716]

Omg I love the fair! I think it is because the first time I played a game I won the large stuffed animal lol I never win anything so...lol

 

[donaldsgal]

We were just there..and DH noticed this area is on a parking lot..was this part of the theme??? It appears like they just built this area on this space and never thought abt the parking lot....or is it part of the "theme" with the atmosphere...cause carnivals usually are in some big parking lot???
Nothing here excites me....except this is the place when I first stopped at a DVC kiosk!!! lol

Yes, the parking lot was part of the theme. AK was on undeveloped land before, so no parking lot would have been there. Just like the paths in the other areas of the park are in line with the real thing (the brown paths in Africa with footprints in the path), carnival rides are built on streets so that's why it looks the way it does.

I like that area. I think riding PE is hilarious, and TS is a fun, relaxing ride. We never do the carnival games. And I don't think liking it diminishes my appreciation for the classic Disney areas - the only thing at Disney that feels "un-Disney" to me is Pleasure Island. "Fun for the whole family" and "clubbin' it" don't go together for me, but that's just me. So I'd be bummed if they got rid of Dinoland.

 

[DanMedix]

While I like the rides, I don't exactly care too much for the carnival feel either. Walt definitely wouldn't have approved. I do, however, like the feel of the "boneyard". Perhaps that's the feel they should have gone for? A sort of "Archaeological" feel for the whole thing?

 

[ADP]

I sort of think what happned with this area is that Imagineering was given the challenge to build an area in Dinoland with a tight budget. When they presented there ideas to Disney management it was way over what Disney management had invisioned as far as scope and budget. Suddenly, one of the Disney Execs had a great idea of putting in carnival games as a way to bring in revenue which would help pay for this oversized and overbudget area.

Just a theory, but I could see it happen.

 

[Rustysmom]

We avoided that area before the kids started whining that they wanted to play the games. I live in Brooklyn and if I want to play carnival games, I'll go to Coney Island.

 

[remfaerie]

AK is the one WDW park I haven't been to yet, and I was shocked to see the carnie part of AK on the planning DVD. DH and I most definitely will not be going to that section. Not even to give it a try, it's not Disney-like at all. I really wish they'd put something else there, heck, give brother bear a ride or something!

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

I'll agree that it isn't typical Disney style but I think it's fine. I honestly don't remember there even being games. I just remember that my daughter must have rode the flying dinosaur ride 10 times. She really enjoys that area

 

[DisneyWorldWisher]

That is the worst part of any of the four parks of Disney World for me (Pleasure Island isn't in the parks, I would pick it if it was)

So tacky and cheap looking. Shame they couldn't all retheme it to be like the Dinosaur (the ride) area with exhibits and more fancy rides and stuff. (dreams hopefully )

 

[karylrocks]

The whole Dinoland area seems out of place to me in AK, I wish there was something else there instead.

 

[fairycat]

I sort of think what happned with this area is that Imagineering was given the challenge to build an area in Dinoland with a tight budget. When they presented there ideas to Disney management it was way over what Disney management had invisioned as far as scope and budget. Suddenly, one of the Disney Execs had a great idea of putting in carnival games as a way to bring in revenue which would help pay for this oversized and overbudget area.

Just a theory, but I could see it happen.

This makes me laugh since the whole boardwalk area at DCA was put in partially for this reason and that has a giant dinosaur too (ok it is supposed to be the ones that are out in the desert of CA but who cares). I haven't yet been to AK (I will in just under two weeks ) but I am guessing from the picture it will have much the same feel as the "midway" area of DCA.

 

[SammieG]

we love it! We always stop by and try and win some tacky animals.. my son has a bunch of them in his case by the time we go home!

Its never busy.. its noisy, exciting.. the rides are good....
yes its tacky.. but its supposed to be!

 

[Rescue Ranger]

Yea, the whole look to the Dinoland area is so every amusement park/fair you've been to-ish, but worse lol. I dont get it, it really takes away from the park. The ground should be like ground with fossils showing and digging, etc. It is very tacky and cheap looking. I hope they fix that up. Thats what I expect outta Disney. Not a huge step backward. And games? Thats so random, great to have it at Boardwalk, that's the whole theme, but this is ANIMAL Kingdom, a Walt Disney Theme Park. Very out of place. Whether its supposed to look that way or not, still doesnt fit. Love the ride Dinosaur though. I can see how that would make some very angry or upset.

I want Disney to hire more of DiVine's friends so they can all huddle together and camouflage it all

Otherwise, still have a Dinosaur area, but turn a lot of it into Cannibal Island from Pirates of the Caribbean, I think that would look great and offer a lot

 

[madbrad76]

I agree with most of the other posts in that this part of AK really doesn't belong. I could see something like this at DD or maybe DCA. It really dosen't have the Mickey Mouse or even AK feel to it. TS is OK but it is just like Alladin or Dumbo at the MK. The only part of Dinoland that belongs and fits into the AK theme is Dinosaur. The only reason we walked through this part of AK was to get to EE after having breakfast at Donald's Breakfastosaurs. I really don't like the idea of having to pay extra to win cheesy prizes either.

 

[stacy6552]

I do find it a bit lame. We really liked the archeology tent that had been there before.