How long to "do" Animal Kingdom?

[stites1]

This August we'll be going to AK for the first time. Since this is the park no one in the family (myself, wifey, and 6 year old boy) has ever seen, we plan to do it the first day. I was wondering how long it'll take to see the park. My son won't do Dinosaurs of everest, so we'll skip those lines. Our dinner ressies aren't til after 8, so we wanted to go check in and see the hotel before supper. Will we be able to see it all in one day and leave after the parade? Thanks, you all have been a great help thus far.

 

[DisneyFan06]

I was watching on Travel Channel. Animal Kingdom is the largest park. I am not sure. I never really been there for the whole day, just one occasion to see Lion King - so I am not sure.

 

[cleo]

You can 'see' it all by then, if you rush around from one 'ride' to another. But if you want to appreciate the park I think a full day is necessary. It's one of the most beautifully detailed parks, with something to see over every bridge, wonderful little paths to follow and intricate works of art all over the park to discover. I know lots of people say they 'do' AK in half a day, but it is my opinion they miss a great deal of what the park is about when they don't slow down and look around a bit.

 

[la79al]

My suggestion? Get there at opening. Put your son in a stroller. Do as much of the park as you can. When you are ready for a break, go to the Boneyard and let your son play until you are revived. You should be able to do most of the park in one day. I'm not sure how much time you will get to spend at your hotel though. I would also suggest not missing the Lion King show at AK. Both of our little darlings loved it.

 

[gbanton]

You can easily do the park and get back in time for your check-in and dinner. The first time we went we got throught the whole thing by mid-afternoon and we were taking our time. I also would vote for getting a stroller, this is a very large park with lots of space to cover.

 

[grinningghost]

If you're skipping the biggies, you should have no trouble at all. Just plan your touring ahead of time. AK is a very confusing park, the layout is kind of weird, lots of pathways and dead ends. The last thing you want to do is walk around from one end to the other over and over. You'll die from exhaustion.

If you'd like a nice, cool place to have a quick lunch - I'd suggest Pizzafari - it's an often overlooked gem in WDW - I love it.

 

[babywewe]

I was there last wed. It was CRAZY busy. In some ways it seems like a small park. The walk ways are small and with a lot of people it gets cramped. We did a lot of the animal trails (which was mostly empty)... did Dinosaur ride, EE, and the safari.

 

[Jules76126]

It is entirely doable in one day. We usually get to the park early in the morning and hit the rides before a line builds. Even with seeing a show (Lion King not to be missed) and looking at the animals we were out before lunch. It really depends on what you want to see and how much time you spend on the walking trails and such. Animal Kingdom is my least favorite so we usually spend less time there than anywhere esle. However I believe that even with taking your time you should be done by the middle of the afternoon.

 

[Amirah95]

It takes us one day...skipping:

Pocahontas
Pangani Trail
Rafiki's
Flights of Wonder
Maharajah Trek
Boneyard
Tarzan Rocks

And we try to save the character meet and greets for last.