Does anyone visit AK during the afternoon & stay till close?

[Liz]

We've always gone to AK in the mornings, arriving at park opening, but this time its just not working into our itinerary best that way. Do you think we'll still have a good experience going on two afternoon/evenings (not EMH days)?

 

[mommykds]

That's what were are doing this Oct trip. We have mnsshp party the night before our planned AK day. I know we will have to get a late start the next day so we are planning to get to AK around 11 or 12 & stay til closing. The park tends to empty out around 2-3 & the parade is at 4 so you can get on some rides/attractions if you don't mind missing the parade. You can also try to get on the last safari as the animals are more active late in the day rather than mid day.

 

[newholidayx2]

This Aug DS13 & I do have 1 morning planned at each of the 4 parks.
Besides that morn we're planning on 2 afternoons/EMH nights at Animal Kingdom

 

[mickeymom629]

We arrived Easter Sunday, and after checking in to OKW, we headed to AK around 2-3 p.m. It wasn't so bad. We were able to do the Safari with no wait--it was faster than any FP time I've ever been! And we saw lots of animals. My family went on KRR while I watched the parade. They went on Dinosaur! Saw Bugs Life 3-D. We saw Lion King. We ate. And we didn't even stay until close. If the weather isn't too unbearable, I think this is a good way to go.

 

[westjones]

I never thought about it, but we do usually only go to AK in the morning and then leave around lunch. Sounds like a lot of people must be doing the same. We may try a visit in the afternoon this summer. We were trying to figure out a time to go and afternoon and the only time we can do it. Thanks for the idea!
DJ

 

[SammieG]

this is usually the way that we see the park.. go at lunchtime.. and by 3pm the park is really empty! Its a little busier now that Jammin Jungle is later on..

Be warned though.. sometimes if you want to go in for a late lunch... by 3pm there is no food to be had - especially near Africa!

I never quite understand why people want to go so early to AK.. we love the fact you can walk on everything in the afternoon!

 

[Carol Ann]

Is there really no food open in the evening? Come the second week of June the park is open until 7pm daily and we were planning on a counter service din-din....

 

[scoutsmom99]

The past couple trips we have been heading to AKL around 1:00-2:00 and it has been fairly empty (traveling in off season (Jan, Sept, Oct)) waits for everything were less than 5 minutes or nothing at all! It is a great time to visit AKL.

 

[Leota]

We've done this a couple times & it worked out great. The crowds had all left for the day (this seems esp. true in the heat of summer) The exception to this was Spring Break & it seemed to remain crowded even in the afternoon and all the FPs were out for the day.

 

[88Keys]

From what I have gathered, the animals on the Treks and the Safari are usually more active early in the morning then in the mid-afternoon. I don't know how true it is.................

 

[stemikger]

Last August was my first visit to Animal Kingdom. I'm still undecided if I like this park. My wife and daughter said they could do without it on our next visit. However, we had to leave early - because unlike the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and MGM - there wasn't that many places we could escape the heat. Even when we went into one of the Gift Shops, the doors were open and they had the overhead fans on instead of air conditioning. We wanted to stay a little longer to see if we were missing something, but the heat and the lack of places to escape it got the better of us.

I left this park feeling confused. I felt like I was missing something or something was missing. I am going this August and doing the Donald Character breakfast at Donald's Breakfasterous after that I am going to see if I could do a few hours and give it another chance.

My quick estimation of this park is that it is going through some growing pains and that after the landscaping fills out more over the years and a few more good, quality attractions are added, it will come into its own.

 

[Disney's My Goal]

AK is our favorite park. We go to WDW in the summer and usually hit AK once in the morning for all the headliners and then go back for a couple of afternoons. Even with heavy crowds we find that if we head in around 3:00-4:00 the crowds are filing out while we're moving in. This allows us to really meander and enjoy the subtle charm. Without the throngs of people you can just linger along the nature trails and enjoy the small touches and close encounters this park offers.