Best Animal Kingdom Guide - Best Tips, tricks, Must do's, Please Contribute!!!

[mousescrapper]

You have alot of info already compiled....great job!

Here are my thoughts not sure what is repeat or if anything is new....

* I've visited AK each time I've been to the World and I consider it a must do!

My DH and I were there the first year it opened in '98 and it's always better every new trip

* IMHO it always seems HOT! Now I have visited in March, May, June, Aug/sept and it seems to be in memory the hottest day of our trip....now I don't know if it's because many areas are unshaded and the lush greenery just adds to the moisture and heat in the air...but plan to stop and rest and have plenty of water!

* do arrive at ROPE DROP.....or as close to park opening as you can. This trip we opted to arrive late after a late night out the previous day...and it was a mistake...whoops!

* FotLK is probably one of the best shows at WDW definetly see it, and arrive early to get closer to the front rows. Bring a snack or line distractions to entertain little ones before entering the theatre.

* things that don't need to be done each trip:
Nemo show
Parade
Train to Conservation Station (and yes you can bring and should your stroller on the train just fold it up)

* things I'd advise skipping w/ the under 5 crowd:
Bugs life show...pretty intense
EE
Kali river raft ride
Dinosaur
Primeval Whirl

* great things to do w/ the under 5 crowd:
Nemo show
Character greet lines in Camp Mickey and Minnie FYI do early in the day low lines and don't visit the area when a FotLK show is just exiting huge crowds
Drum playing area in Africa
Flights of Wonder
Boneyard...great play area!
the dino-dumbo...same condept and lesser of a line
Conservation Station KIM if lightening is in the area they will shelter the animals, even if it's not raining

* Good eats:
I have not eaten at any TS in AK...but look on the restaurant threads. We are thinking of checking out the Donald Breakfast though on our next trip.

QS: I've eaten at Pizzafari before having kids
Restaurantsaurus....nice it's inside and air conditioned, has good choices for finiky eaters (McD's) and has a fixings bar...
FTBBQ my DS last year declared the chicken leg kid meal was the best he had...the seating area is beautiful so many great details and plants!
Yak & Yeti ate there just this past trip and I give it I thought the food was great, very fresh and HOT. anytime a MOM of 4 can get to the end of her meal and it's still HOT is a good thing. There was plenty to choose from and we all enjoyed it. I'd eat there again for sure!

Last I'll leave you w/ some of my favorite pic's from our last trip:

PS a great pic op outside the park is byt the green welcome sign...we've taken a picture of our kids on each trip...it's fun to see them grow! and a great pic op inside the park is the "back" of the tree it's on a parth way bewtween Africa and Asia...it's a great shot!

In the Boneyard:

on the Safari:

a food shot:

during the FoW show:

at the Conservation Station:

Here's my family and a special friend:

My DD having some fun:

ENJOY the Animal Kingdom!

 

[fraggle1_rs]

Great thread - thanks

 

[bradk]

I PM'd you with links to highly detailed info on the kids discovery clubs, safari journal and planet watch

 

[JennyMP03]

Love your pictures, Mousescrapper!

I love Animal Kingdom. Aside from Magic Kingdom, it's my favorite park (which is not the norm among adults, I believe, but there's nothing adult about me when it comes to Disney ). I think it's incredibly beautiful, and my husband and I kept commenting to each other on how stunned we were by the beauty of the park. If I gave anyone advice, I'd say to make sure you walk around and really admire the greenery and animals. It is indeed hot, but it just adds to the jungle atmosphere.

 

[BabaGanoush]

Here are a few for things that have not been covered:

1. Pizzafari is a good CS place to eat when you have finicky eaters (pizza) and those who want something different than burgers/fries (Hot Italian Style Sandwhich or Chicken Parm SW). Just avoid the place like the plague between 11:30 and 1:30 - very loud and busy. Flame Tree is a great place for non-picky eaters as the 1/2 chicken is huge as are the ribs (dry rub - thus, a little on the tough side). Friends love the sandwiches but I think they are a tad on the small side. Restaurantasaurus is not my cup of tea but they do serve standard park fare that appeals to kids. Having said that, McDonald's is no longer served in the park and the chicken nuggets and fries are now Disney style.

2. The Kid's Discovery Clubs are good for kids that get into them. You can easily figure it out by experiencing one and gauging interest. They are learning activities (as opposed to arts and craft experiences like the Kidcots at Epcot). There are six activities and they can be time consuming so be prepared for some time investment if your kids insist on doing them all. Also, dont leave a land without finding the Kids Club if your kids are trying to find them all.

P.S. The cast members that work these (red shirts and khaki vests) are all interns from colleges around the nation and usually are extremely knowledgeable. They have an extensive training process and are often great sources of information (not only about animals but also about the park in general). Usually if I have a question about DAK, I seek one of them out. If they dont have the answer, they all carry radios and can easily find out.

3. My favorite snack is at Dino-Bites next to restaurantasaurus. It is a home made ice cream sandwich where you can choose the type of cookie and ice cream. It is huge.

4. Dont rush through the queues. DAK has some of the best out there. My favorites - Everest, Kali River, and Its Tough to be a Bug.

5. Regarding the parade, I am personally a fan and have seen it countless times. What I really like about it - it is VERY close and personal (as the pathways in DAK are quite small). Because of that, characters and parade CMs often interact a lot with the crowd. Also, it spotlights the VIP characters more than any other parade as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy all get their own personalized vehicle. My favorite place to watch it is by Creature Comforts on Discovery Island right before the Africa gate. It gets to this location fairly quickly and once the parade starts, you wont have a large crowd of other guests pushing in front of you because they simply cant get there. It is usually quite shady and there are several places to sit right along the parade route. Often overlooked.

6. Explore the Tree of Life. My favorite path in the entire park goes alongside the front side of the Tree and allows for some awesome up close views. It is also a great shortcut as hardly anyone is on it. I often run across cast members traveling down it as they can get across the park quickly due to the lack of traffic. To find it, look for a path on Discovery Island by the temporary Tattoo stand.

7. Cretaceous Trail is pointless. You can find some large dinosaur sculptures hiding amongst the trees and it is shady but thats about it.

8. Dino-Sue is cool to look at as you travel to Dinosaur! and KDC CMs will sometimes do presentations on it in the afternoon if you are interested.

9. The best time to ride the safari is whenever it is lightly raining. So - if it starts to rain midway through the day or looks like it is going to - try to get to the safari and be prepared for awesomeness. Activity levels skyrocket.

10. Conservation Station is cool but only do it if you are really interested or have a surplus of time. Easy place to meet Rafiki, Pocahontas, and Jiminy Cricket. Also, Pipa (Push's Recycling Cousin) makes appearances throughout the day. If you want to see a veterinary procedure, head there in the morning as that is when most in-hospital procedures are completed.

11. The Acrobats in Harambe are no longer performing so ixnay on that idea. You can still find DeVine roaming among the trees on the pathway between Africa and Asia. She creates crazy congestion though.

12. Skip the long lines at Tamu Tamu in Harambe. The food is not worth it.

13. A new program has started called Picnic in the Park. When you enter the park, you can place an order at a stand by Guest Relations for a full meal to be prepared and packaged in a take home reusable bag that can be picked up by Tusker House Rest at the Kusafiri Bakery. Then you can travel where ever to have a nice meal. The food options all sound great and are priced reasonably at about 8 bucks a person.

 

[Smile4Me]

Great tips everyone! Keep them coming!

 

[IMwink]

Just logged in.

I've got some editing to do to catch up with these tips.

Keep them coming.

This is exactly what I'm looking for. Info from guests that you just can't get off of reading a review from a site

Thanks

 

[dizluvah]

I have not read all the posts - just the summary at the beginning but I wanted to add

Recently Disney announced a "good night kiss" type event for Animal Kingdom at closing time...below is quote from press release (sorry could not find link but you can google it)

In a classic example of giving guests what they want, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has launched Adventurers’ Celebration Gathering, an interactive experience near the theme park entrance each evening during park closing. Khaki-clad cast – including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy – gather to bid farewell to guests with a music-filled celebration. Cast members shake their pom-poms and urge guests to join in the street-party fun by dancing to the music and forming a conga line procession while Mickey, Minnie and Goofy keep the beat from atop their safari vehicle.“We’ve created a way for our guests to experience our characters … and it’s a way for us to have a fun, exciting way to end the day at Animal Kingdom,”
End Quote

Also I have to dissent - I love the parade at AK it is my favorite at any of the parks. Also for us our only must do's are Its a Bug Life and Safari so I disagree about skipping Bug's Life if you only have 1 day. Happy Planning

 

[teach22180]

I think Conservation Station may be more for the younger crowd, where as adults and teens may want to focus other areas. But I've never been so I won't post that unless other DISers say that.
Thanks

Well...my 20 year old loved it out there and spent over an hour watching small surgeries. I just relaxed in the a/c and let her have her animal time. So, I think it's more for animal lovers than for a specific age group!

 

[amamax2]

subbing

 

[IMwink]

teach22180,

A Thanks for the info. That is why I said I wasn't going to post my opinion in my main post, but I guess I did in the "Things You Can Skip" Section.

Good catch, I will amend the post. I like your phrasing better. I guess I was thinking of Affection Section

 

[MHSweb79]

I don't know if the Imagineers planned this on purpose, what with the Africa tie-in, but AK is HOT HOT HOT! They've gotten a little too real with that one, IMHO.
Some say it's because the paths are narrow and the lush greens are allowed to grow wild, which cuts down on air flow. Others say it's because there isn't an air-conditioned shop leaking cool air out the front door on every corner. I don't know what it is, but in July you will fry at AK. Plan to drink extra water and try to nip into someplace air conditioned now and then, which will be harder than you think. Twice my niece got sick from the heat on two separate trips to WDW, and both times it was in AK. It's a real issue.
And finally, I think the Finding Nemo show is a "must see." Just a thought.

 

[IMwink]

Yeah, I kinda figured that.

It is one reason why I am kinda don't mind pushing my DDs (5&6) around in a stroller, because then i can bringa cooler and force everyone to hydrate often. This also helps with the energy levels later in the day. Most Guests don't drink enough, and so later in the afternoon they are tired. Or they come to he park later because they don't want to get worn out.

Drink Water. Often.

The only time I had a bit of a difficult time with my kids at a park was at MK, and that is because it did get hot, we were waiting for the parade and they were only 2 & 4, so I didn't pour water down their throats. But now that won't be a problem because they like to drink water and I'll be forcing it in them. regardless of Potty breaks, better hydrated and more potty breaks than a cranky kid.

I digress. that is another Post for Another time

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I would not miss the Nemo Musical, it's wonderful! I loved it and my children did too. It's the best show at Disney World, IMO.

 

[disneyfreak7]

Great tips keep them coming.

My TH ressies are at 1pm, but we get priority seating (PS?) for Nemo, so I will live with TH instead of Y&Y. I almost forgot why I caved so easily on that ressie.

Thanks for the Dinosaur tip. We went to Universal in March when I was back in leave and my DD5 (really 4, will be 5 two weeks before trip) got scared on the Jurasic Park Ride.

Did you go in a summer month when it is hot? I know the animals are climatized to Florida weather so I thought in JULY they would be hiding out in the afternoon. Not that it's all that important, we also did Busch Gardens in March, but our friends haven't.

What do you mean you get priority seating for nemo with your lunch at TH?

 

[IMwink]

I was told that reservation at the TH ADRs betweem 1PM to 1:40PM can get reserved seating tickets for Nemo 3:15.

 

[Tinkerbell63]

I have an ADR for TH. Primarily because we are meeting another couple and they wanted to go there. I kinda want to go to Y&Y

I am choosing the QS though and I am planning on The Flame Tree.

Are there any "Must Have" snacks (like the Dole whip is a "must have" at MK)?

There is a drink at ak called a berry tea.It`s on the way to ee. I have never tasted it but my family has.They say it is delicious

 

[IMwink]

Just updated with a few of the posts.


here are some link of a "secret" path by Robo

DAK ParkCU - Secret Path Center
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...le-Paths_1.jpg

 

[arielmomma]

I would not miss the Nemo Musical, it's wonderful! I loved it and my children did too. It's the best show at Disney World, IMO.

I absolutely agree with you! I don't think that Nemo is just for kids. Yes, my small children loved it- my wild DS4 at the time sat through the entire show silently in awe. I think I enjoyed it even more than they did. It is an absolute must do.

My husband would say to have the ribs and a corn muffin at the Flame Tree BBQ - It is his favorite CS restaurant.

 

[IMwink]

That's nice. I like a good Corn muffin with some BBQ.