Na'vi or Safari??

[ForeverJ]

Hi everyone! I'm trying to sort out my animal kingdom half day and would really like some help on choosing a touring plan that will work best for my interests. (Please forgive me in advance for the long post)

I would like to see the following shows/attractions in Animal Kingdom:
- Flight of Passage
- NRJ
- DINOSAUR
- Everest
- Safari
- Festival of the Lion King
- Nemo Musical

First touring Plan:
1. Rope Drop Safari (9:00-9:30)
2. Festival of the Lion King (10:00-10:30)
3. Expedition Everest Fastpass (10:30-11:00 - will make the fastpass time slot from 10:00-11:00)
4. Finding Nemo Musical (11:00-11:45)
5. Dinosaur Fastpass (11:50-12:20 - will make the fastpass time slot from 11:15-12:15)
6. Flight of Passage Fastpass (12:30-1:00 - will make the fastpass time slot from 12:30-1:30)
7. Leave Animal Kingdom for the day
** Note, this plan doesn't allow me to ride NRJ

Second touring plan:
1. Rope Drop NRJ (9:00-9:30)
2. Dinosaur Standby (9:30-10:00)
3. Safari Fastpass (10:15-10:45 - will make fastpass time slot from 10:00-11:00)
4. Festival of the Lion King (11:00-11:30)
5. Expedition Everest fast pass (11:45-12:15 - will make fastpass time slot from 11:15-12:15)
6. Flight of Passage fast pass (12:30-1:00 - will make fastpass time slot from 12:30-1:30)
7. Leave Animal Kingdom for the day
** Note, this plan doesn't allow me to watch Finding Nemo the Musical

Sooo.. which touring plan would you choose and why? I figured if I rope drop the Safari then I wouldn't have to make a fastpass for it and can use the fastpass for DINOSAUR instead. If I make a fastpass for the safari, then I would have to do NRJ and DINOSAUR standby - which I'm not sure how quickly crowds build up for these 2 attractions and whether I can have them both completely by 10:15.

Any Suggestions would be helpful!! TIA

 

[WIll C]

We found the Safari to be underwhelming. Granted, a lot depends on the animals and the driver but while we saw a good amount of animals the driver was not good. We were speeding around and it was very bumpy. I understand the need to keep things moving but it was not what we expected. I'd rope drop it and get it over with.

Na'vi was a lot better of an experience. It was short but we had a FP and loved the ride. Waiting an hour plus would have really lessened the experience though. We unfortunately missed Dinosaur and FoP.

I have to say, the Walking with Giants elephant tour was amazing. That was a good experience and for $30 was well worth it. It does take an hour or more.

 

[Klayfish]

No need to do Dinosaur standby. It's SO easy to get as a 4th, 5th, 20th FP+, so just do it later in the day, maybe the last thing you do? Grab a FP+ for it when you're ready to get on. NRJ line will build fast.

I very much disagree with the PP about the safari. We love it. You never know what you'll see, but it's a must do for us. Not that PP is wrong, it's personal opinion, but we really like it.

 

[NJ Goofy]

I would not waste a FP on Dinosaur. While I enjoy the ride the stand-by wait would be much less than the Safari. For us Safari should not be missed, you are in AK and it gives you the ability to see REAL animals. While I would try to get on Navi, to me it was standard Disney boat type ride. If I miss it this trip I wouldn't be heartbroken. I would FP Safari, FOP & EE and then see if you can fit all of the other attractions in. You may have more or less time than you schedule dictates. The walking trails are also pretty cool, especially to see the tigers and gorillas.

 

[NH-to-FL]

First, to DISboards!

It is good you are assembling a plan, especially if you want to do a lot in a short period of time.

I am curious, are you staying on site? If yes, then you have a chance at getting a FP for FoP at your 60 day window. Especially if your AK day is a few days into your visit. If not staying on site, then I would not make a plan based on getting a FoP FP. Even if staying on site, you will likely struggle to choose a time and will probably have to accept a time for a FoP FP and then make other plans around it.

If I might, I'll propose another possibility. Plan to be early to rope drop, 90 minutes early would be best, and rope drop FoP then Navi River. If you are early to rope drop and near the front of the crowd you can be finished both rides by 15-20 minutes after park opening. Make a list of prioritized attractions and when your FP window opens look for FPs for your "must do's". Which ever "must do" you don't get, head to that attraction right after Navi River. Except for the Safari you should be able to get one or perhaps two attractions in before your first FP.

Even with the early to rope drop plan you might still have difficulty squeezing all of your list into a half day, especially with both of the shows. For instance your first plan was to squeeze Everest FP between the Lion King and Nemo. That is very tight. Even with a FP it will take 15-20 minutes to get through Everest. That really does not leave enough time to walk between the attractions.

So, in summary, be early for rope drop for FoP and Navi then arrange your plan based on the FP's you can get.
Wishing you a visit!

 

[siren0119]

One thing about safari, if you're just going through the regular lines and not paying for one of the experiences, it's better to either go early, or late in the day. Middle of the day is naptime for a fair number of the animals. We were there a few weeks ago and hopped on KS after 5pm, there were TONS of animals and they were all pretty active. Even got to see the baby hippo!

 

[DisneyGirlMI]

I would vote for the Safari. But my family loves the animals. We were underwhelmed by NRJ. That said, I agree with the above and skip a FP for Dinosaur and would get a FP for the Safari instead.

 

[gharter]

If you are going to do Navi, I would RD. Its an OK ride, but nothing great.
I love the Safari, it is a must do for us.
My big concern with your plan (and there may not be a way to get around it), you are spending a lot of time criss crossing the park. Its a fair walk from Navi to Dinosauer, then up to Safari, then back to EE.
Getting a FP for FoP can be difficult depending on how far into the trip you are. And if you can get a FP, getting the exact time you want is pure luck.
Of the 2, I would go with the second.

 

[kaetra]

Chances of getting a FoP fast pass at all are low. You can rope drop FoP then take the bridge to Safari and still see animals during their more active morning hours. Arrive at least a half hour before gates open (so 1.5 hours before park opens) to rope drop FoP.

Good luck!

 

[NH-to-FL]

Oh yes, I forgot... in answer to your title question, Navi or Safari, I would definitely chose the Safari. We ride every visit to the AK. I seldom ride Navi River.

Navi is interesting but it is just a indoor dark boat ride. Lots of simple black light effects and other more high tech visual effects. The audio-animatronic Shaman is impressive but it is just a quick view at the end of the ride. If you can get it early with little or no wait great. But if you are constrained for time I would not invest time waiting to ride it.

 

[bryanb]

I would consider the Safari the signature attraction for Animal Kingdom. Not only does it take up the biggest mass of land, it's kind of the park's thematic reason for existing at all. (Other than, of course, it's high degree of profitability. )

To be honest, I wasn't a fan of Avatar and certainly not in favor of building a whole AK land dedicated to a fictional film. But I have the admit that FOP is an amazing ride, and the whole area is well done. Na'vi River Journey, which I don't love, is perfectly fine if you can see it without a long wait. It's not too hard to pick up a same-day FP for the attraction if you do it early, so I would go with plan #1 and then keep checking throughout the day to pick up a NRJ fastpass. People cancel them all the time, and the ride is high enough capacity that you should be able to get lucky.

 

[monarchsfan16]

Na'vi is quick. Hit that at rope drop, then go to Safari. Most people will still be in line for Flight of Passage, and you'll walk right onto Safari. When I was there in August, Pandora was open when they let us in the park before 9 (8:40?). I was off Na'vi and at the rope at the bridge to Harambe before they dropped the secondary rope at 9, and walked straight onto Safari. So, it's entirely possible to go with your first plan and still do Na'vi.

 

[CAQDaddy]

I would rope drop NRJ and then head to Safari. Also, we have found Dinosaur standby to be reasonable for most of the morning.

 

[g-dad66]

In your touring plan one, I don't think you can possibly make the Lion King, Everest, Finding Nemo sequence.

You're exiting Lion King at 10:30 in thick crowds, and you will need to get to Nemo by at least 10:55 (10:50 would be better), and it is a long walk. If you hoof it, you can probably make it OK, but there is no way you could squeeze in an Everest ride during that 25 minutes.

 

[Tksolomom]

Hi everyone! I'm trying to sort out my animal kingdom half day and would really like some help on choosing a touring plan that will work best for my interests. (Please forgive me in advance for the long post)

I would like to see the following shows/attractions in Animal Kingdom:
- Flight of Passage
- NRJ
- DINOSAUR
- Everest
- Safari
- Festival of the Lion King
- Nemo Musical

First touring Plan:
1. Rope Drop Safari (9:00-9:30)
2. Festival of the Lion King (10:00-10:30)
3. Expedition Everest Fastpass (10:30-11:00 - will make the fastpass time slot from 10:00-11:00)
4. Finding Nemo Musical (11:00-11:45)
5. Dinosaur Fastpass (11:50-12:20 - will make the fastpass time slot from 11:15-12:15)
6. Flight of Passage Fastpass (12:30-1:00 - will make the fastpass time slot from 12:30-1:30)
7. Leave Animal Kingdom for the day
** Note, this plan doesn't allow me to ride NRJ

Second touring plan:
1. Rope Drop NRJ (9:00-9:30)
2. Dinosaur Standby (9:30-10:00)
3. Safari Fastpass (10:15-10:45 - will make fastpass time slot from 10:00-11:00)
4. Festival of the Lion King (11:00-11:30)
5. Expedition Everest fast pass (11:45-12:15 - will make fastpass time slot from 11:15-12:15)
6. Flight of Passage fast pass (12:30-1:00 - will make fastpass time slot from 12:30-1:30)
7. Leave Animal Kingdom for the day
** Note, this plan doesn't allow me to watch Finding Nemo the Musical

Sooo.. which touring plan would you choose and why? I figured if I rope drop the Safari then I wouldn't have to make a fastpass for it and can use the fastpass for DINOSAUR instead. If I make a fastpass for the safari, then I would have to do NRJ and DINOSAUR standby - which I'm not sure how quickly crowds build up for these 2 attractions and whether I can have them both completely by 10:15.

Any Suggestions would be helpful!! TIA

I think Plan 2 is the best. We are rope dropping Na’vi, then EE, then Dinosaur. You should be done NRJ before 9:30 if you are there before park opening. Depending on when you are going Dinosaur is not opening until 9:30 (people’s FP have been shuffled because they changed the operating hours). I would definitely hit EE on the way there. Plan 2 also has a lot less crisscrossing. If you don’t get a FP for FOP be at the park at least an hour early and RD it, then Na’vi.

 

[Haley R]

I would rope drop Navi, then go to safari, then try Everest right after that. This is all dependent on you getting a fp for fop though.

 

[OB1]

Safari. Always different so you never truly know what may happen. Last time we rode it one of the female lions was really talking it up. Really neat.

It is a shame you only have planned 1/2 day. There is a lot to see and experience in this park. Tough to do it on half a day unless it is a totally dead time of year (which I doubt). You will have more to experience on your next trip!!!

 

[siren0119]

It is a shame you only have planned 1/2 day. There is a lot to see and experience in this park. Tough to do it on half a day unless it is a totally dead time of year (which I doubt). You will have more to experience on your next trip!!!

Second this! When we brought our kids last year we only spent half a day at AK and it was one of the only decisions I regretted. When we went back this fall we did a full AK day and I still felt like we didn't get to everything!

 

[ForeverJ]

Thank you all for your suggestions! I will be spending an evening at AK without fastpasses prior to my scheduled half day which 60+5 days out, so I'm more confident that I will be able to get a fastpass for FOP - though I realize this isn't a guarantee. I believe we will RD NRJ and then head over to the safari to ride Standby before watching the first show of FOTLK. My partner has made DINOSAUR and FOP must-dos (even though they've never been to WDW) so I feel more confident making sure I have fast passes for those attractions. I will however change my last fastpass from Everest to Safari since riding standby for Everest usually seems to be doable in the morning and will be less crisscrossing around such a large park.

 

[lilfaeriebrat]

In august when I grabbed my fastpasses at 60+8, I wasn't able to get FOP until day 7. A lot of people do 7 day trips so a 60+5 is difficult to get a FOP fastpass. Since you mentioned doing and evening without fastpasses prior to your fastpass half day, try grabbing FOP just before closing. As long as you're in line before park closes, even 10 minutes you will get to ride.

And to the original question: Safari Safari Safari. I will usually go on it at least twice when I'm in the park.