Help me enjoy AK more

[PSUGuy]

I agree with all the above positive remarks, can't imagine skipping it. As for the 'carnival' atmosphere at Dino, not a carnival. You'd have to be a certain age to have experienced this but before Disneyland, WDW and other theme park wanna be places, there were hundreds if not thousands of attractions such as you see here scattered around the USA.If you were a kid in the 50s and 60s chances are your parents took you to one or more every summer. Some had bird or animal collections, some were actually educational and almost all were owned and operated by single individuals or families. This is what we had for summer entertainment before Walt changed the world. I can sort of understand a young'un not getting it. Others here have complained that Dinoland is 'tacky'. It's supposed to be, just as the ToT is supposed to be run down and neglected.

Bill From PA

 

[ZoZo]

AK is #1 for my entire family, but honestly if its not your thing, me telling you why "I" love it seems useless. Like telling a Michael Jackson fanatic why you're such a big Led Zeppelin fan. It's personal taste & that's different for everyone.

This is a very good point. OP, if you say you're "zoo-ed out," it might be a good idea to take a break from AK, so that you're more likely to appreciate it later. When you do go back, perhaps it will be more fun for you!

When you do go back, here are some of my favorite things that are a bit off the beaten path:

• Rafiki's Planet Watch. Love the beautiful mural on the wall inside the front entrance. If you go in the morning, you might be able to watch a live veterinary procedure! CMs sometimes come out with animals that you can touch and ask questions about. There's often a CM who can tell you about the types of foods they feed the animals; I talked to her for about 15 minutes on my last trip. There's also a small stage next the the petting farm where they bring out animals and talk about them. I've seen several types of birds, a porcupine, a hedgehog, and other animals. They usually do these little shows several times a day.

• I like to walk the animal trails and talk to the CMs, asking them questions. They're a wonderful source of info, and are happy to tell you all about the animals. They can also tell you about the great conservation programs AK is involved with.

• As someone else mentioned, look for Divine, a performance artist dressed like, well, vines! She's really cool.

• Street performers are very fun, and interactive with the crowd.

• I like to take some time and walk around the Tree of Life, looking at the carvings.

FYI, I'm a long-term volunteer at my local zoo, and always love to interact with our visitors. I love it when they ask lots of questions about the animals. So don't hesitate to talks to the CMs when you see them!

 

[asbyrneva]

I definitely enjoy hearing about why some of you love it! I'll make sure we do at least some of the trails and I hope that doing the wilderness explorer badges will get us to see more parts of the park. It's definitely something I appreciated at P&F in Epcot - it draws you into all the nooks and crannies of a country.

Just like the wilderness badge experience they have CMs around the trails and in Oasis to talk about the exhibits. We have a large zoo right near us but having a CM explain all the details about the gorillas or a lizards jaw is amazing. While I don't do the trails every time I appreciate the level of commitment they have in education not just displaying animals. DS loved asking questions and learning more. Also I haven't done it but posters on other threads have talked about seeing the "behind the scenes" at conservation station - even animal surgery. Not sure its my cup of tea but could be fascinating!

 

[larryz]

At Rafiki's Planet Watch, you can sample the pellets they feed the animals... if you dare.

 

[MomofKatie]

I agree with all the above positive remarks, can't imagine skipping it. As for the 'carnival' atmosphere at Dino, not a carnival. You'd have to be a certain age to have experienced this but before Disneyland, WDW and other theme park wanna be places, there were hundreds if not thousands of attractions such as you see here scattered around the USA.If you were a kid in the 50s and 60s chances are your parents took you to one or more every summer. Some had bird or animal collections, some were actually educational and almost all were owned and operated by single individuals or families. This is what we had for summer entertainment before Walt changed the world. I can sort of understand a young'un not getting it. Others here have complained that Dinoland is 'tacky'. It's supposed to be, just as the ToT is supposed to be run down and neglected.

Bill From PA

That's what I love about the theming of Dinoland! Those who complain "it's tacky"- it was meticulously themed to look that way. The Dinoland section is as much a masterpiece of theming as the World Showcase, Frontierland, or the Africa and Asia sections of AK. Nobody else seems to get that. Even the Primeval Whirl ride is great- it is made to echo the Dinosaur ride. The backstory for Hester And Chester's area is really awesome.