Possible to navigate AK w/o backtracking?

[Lorelai]

The plan - AK EMH / June
Arrive well before 8 to wait for the opening. Staying at AKL.

I will have *just* come off phys. ther. from knee surgery & can't do typical, out of our minds, running all over AK to hit all the things we love multiple times. Prob also can't just go for attractions based on wait times on the app.

We haven't been since Pandora. Need a solid navigational plan (including which FPs to choose) to hit as much as possible in a once around way.

Thanks!

 

[kniquy]

Get a FP for Pandora/FOP in the afternoon. Start your touring at rope drop and start going towards the Dinosaur ride (most rope dropper are heading towards pandora so this hopefully avoids the mass crowds), then to Everest, Kali and then on over to the Safari plan for a FP for late morning. You can hit the maharajah jungle trek after Kali and after the Safari it dumps you right by the Gorilla falls trail. Plan for lunch after the Safari/gorilla falls trail with a lunch at tusker house (table service) or hit Satuli QS in the pandora area. You can only choose one FP for the pandora rides so people usually vote for FOP. This either means skipping Navi river or waiting for it. It does tend to have shorter waits than FOP but they are still very long.

If you want to hit any shows this would involve figuring out the times of the shows to see where you will be when the shows are going on.

You can print out park maps on easyWDW site -- i have found it helpful to plan things based on how the park is laid out. Just google easywdw park maps it should bring it right up.

The above is our plan with touring with our 4DD - she will be walking at a slow pace and our goal is to minimize and back tracking

 

[officerjudyhopps]

By no means an AK expert so experts fill in where I’m missing things but our Animal Kingdom route this year was Pandora, Africa/Safari, Bugs Life. Bugs Life exit is right next to Asia. Asia for Yak and Yeti, Rivers of Life, then stop by the tree while leaving. To us it made most sense because it kind of make an odd circle. I’m sure we missed a lot but when you have a cranky three year old with you, you’re ok with missing things lol (For example, this was the first year that Kali River Rapids as running when we were there and we wanted to do that but the three year old was in a mood so we skipped it)

 

[Lorelai]

Get a FP for Pandora/FOP in the afternoon. Start your touring at rope drop and start going towards the Dinosaur ride (most rope dropper are heading towards pandora so this hopefully avoids the mass crowds), then to Everest, Kali and then on over to the Safari plan for a FP for late morning. You can hit the maharajah jungle trek after Kali and after the Safari it dumps you right by the Gorilla falls trail. Plan for lunch after the Safari/gorilla falls trail with a lunch at tusker house (table service) or hit Satuli QS in the pandora area. You can only choose one FP for the pandora rides so people usually vote for FOP. This either means skipping Navi river or waiting for it. It does tend to have shorter waits than FOP but they are still very long.

If you want to hit any shows this would involve figuring out the times of the shows to see where you will be when the shows are going on.

You can print out park maps on easyWDW site -- i have found it helpful to plan things based on how the park is laid out. Just google easywdw park maps it should bring it right up.

The above is our plan with touring with our 4DD - she will be walking at a slow pace and our goal

Thank you so much! I really like this plan.

At first, I was trying to find a way to begin with the safari, but it just seemed that would be counterintuitive if I'm trying to reduce the walking. I don't know why I was so set on safari first, I probably read somewhere that the animals are more active early on.

But this plan is great, and I will choose FPs for Safari mid to late morning and for FOP mid afternoon. I keep hearing that this new FP system (new to us, since we were last there in 2012) doesn't reduce wait time like the old FP system. I guess we will find out!

 

[Lorelai]

By no means an AK expert so experts fill in where I’m missing things but our Animal Kingdom route this year was Pandora, Africa/Safari, Bugs Life. Bugs Life exit is right next to Asia. Asia for Yak and Yeti, Rivers of Life, then stop by the tree while leaving. To us it made most sense because it kind of make an odd circle. I’m sure we missed a lot but when you have a cranky three year old with you, you’re ok with missing things lol (For example, this was the first year that Kali River Rapids as running when we were there and we wanted to do that but the three year old was in a mood so we skipped it)

Thanks for the guidance...and I remember well the cranky 3 year old age! You have to just be willing to change it up and adjust as you go. Now I am in the somewhat angsty teen years with one... and that's a whole other dichotomy. But it all makes for beautiful, funny and shaking our head memories.

So, any Fastpass words of wisdom? We haven't been since 2012 so we're are new to this even more advanced planning - we have a 15 yr old, 19 yr old and two 24 year olds...EE, Safari and FOP are my thoughts.

 

[kniquy]

EE, Safari and FOP are my thoughts.

when booking FP make sure FOP is your number one - try to put your AK day for at least day 3 or 4 of your trip. People report having better luck when it is further in your trip. I am really hoping you are staying on site with booking FP as soon as your FP time opens. 7am at 60 days. If not FOP might just be a stroke of good luck to get.

 

[Lorelai]

I am on site, so I will book at the 60 day mark - however I have no idea how this really works. I survived making all my dining reservations on the app for the first time, but it sounds like booking FPs is far more hit or miss than booking dining...at least from what I've read. I haven't been since 2012, the carefree days of grabbing fastpasses while arriving in the parks.

I guess the big question is...if we can't get FOP FPs, can we just go right there at opening and wait? Do they even have stand by lines anymore?? It would throw my knee sparing plan off, but it would be our only option to ride it.

 

[SM1992]

We booked AK fastpasses last week for Early May. Our AK day is day 3 of our trip. There were plenty of FPs for all attractions, however the first available FOP was just after 12:00 P.M. When choosing your FPs, make sure to choose FOP first, then fill in the other 2. Yes there's still stand-by lines, and being an EMH day should help, if that's how you need to do it. ( I guess you could then do kniquy's plan in reverse!?)

 

[StratMan]

I guess the big question is...if we can't get FOP FPs, can we just go right there at opening and wait? Do they even have stand by lines anymore?? It would throw my knee sparing plan off, but it would be our only option to ride it.

As SM1992 said, you can definitely ride standby if you can't get Fast Passes. By all accounts, showing up an hour prior to opening is your best bet for getting to Pandora and having a reasonable wait time. Hopefully, you'll get your FPs though. As a last resort, some folks have reported getting in line for FOP near closing time and found the waits pretty short. I wouldn't count on it though.

 

[Lorelai]

We booked AK fastpasses last week for Early May. Our AK day is day 3 of our trip. There were plenty of FPs for all attractions, however the first available FOP was just after 12:00 P.M. When choosing your FPs, make sure to choose FOP first, then fill in the other 2. Yes there's still stand-by lines, and being an EMH day should help, if that's how you need to do it. ( I guess you could then do kniquy's plan in reverse!?)

Yes, actually reversing it is a good idea!

Thanks for the into. I am feeling a little thrown off, planning wise, trying to adjust to the new acquiring FP situation, but I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised by how streamlined it is.

 

[Lorelai]

As SM1992 said, you can definitely ride standby if you can't get Fast Passes. By all accounts, showing up an hour prior to opening is your best bet for getting to Pandora and having a reasonable wait time. Hopefully, you'll get your FPs though. As a last resort, some folks have reported getting in line for FOP near closing time and found the waits pretty short. I wouldn't count on it though.

Sounds good! If we can't get the FPs, we will go old school, Black Friday style touring and arrive early on EMH day to head straight for it.