Psh... someone please talk me into visiting the AK.

[Bunless]

Yes, DH and I love zoos, and yes we love AK, but for more reasons than the animals. The first trip we took there, we did the recommended one day. Last time we did two, next time we're planning on three days.

EE, Dinosaur!, Nemo, and Lion King are some of the best attractions at WDW, imo. I also love the spinning mouse trap ride.

Through out the park, the art direction is so clearly realized from beginning to end, and the animals serve the art direction, and vice versa. Even if you are not a zoo person, the total immersion that is provided is stunning.

The biggest downside of AK is the food. We love various Asian foods, but find Yak and Yeti terribly lacking. We love African and middle eastern foods, but hate buffets.

If you're there, and it's raining, that is when you should go to AK. The animals love the rain and are more active, plus, the crowds get smaller.

The McDonald's (or substitute burger joint now) in that section is probably my favorite building in the United States (including Fallingwater, sorry FLW), with the flawless transition between Quonset Hut garage, Airstream Diner, National Park lodge and Forestry service bivouac - completely filled with artifacts tied into the backstory(o'saurus). A collection of Star Spangled War Stories comics in the trading post inspired me to collect a complete series.

I'm totally going to look more closely at this place in January. I would have never given it a second glance since it was McDonald's prior to.

 

[Kphoto]

Like all the other art type people - I love the detail!!! I can spend the whole day just taking pictures. Check out the lodge if you haven't been there yet.

Karen

 

[Disneywedding2010]

One of my favorite shows at Disney is the Lion King. If I were to go to Animal Kingdom and only had time for one thing that'd be it. I like looking at all the different animals and I don't feel as rushed at that park.

 

[Businessgypsy]

The biggest downside of AK is the food. We love various Asian foods, but find Yak and Yeti terribly lacking. We love African and middle eastern foods, but hate buffets.

I always think of in-Park food recommendations in the context of Disney. It's overpriced and underspiced, but when you're there all day it pays to recalibrate your measuring device. (I cans write doggerel?)

In AK, I always get the 1/2 chicken from Flame Tree Barbeque. Extra beans, no corn on the cob. Enough to split between 2, rotisserie roasted and with very slow cooked, meaty beans. $9.49 "Real" food that won't leave you in a fried/sugar coma. Pair with a Safari Amber beer (the alcohol doubles for a quick sticky hand rinse when you're done) and hang out on the beautifully planted terrace to watch passersby. Ducks will tug at your seams in an effort to cannibalize their fellow poultry and Ibis will be after your beans, but they are pretty low key if you ignore them. Not bad, and it beats slogging around your own grub. At least I think so. Been meaning to explore the portable gourmet thing.

At Yak and Yeti, it's mussels at the bar. Get some fries and you've gone crossover moules et frites.

 

[aml3679]

Loved AK - my DH and I were not planning on going there and we were riding the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and were talking with a man and his daughter who said how much they love it. Glad we went. It is a more adult looking park in my opinion. Please go.

 

[Kphoto]

I always think of in-Park food recommendations in the context of Disney. It's overpriced and underspiced, but when you're there all day it pays to recalibrate your measuring device. (I cans write doggerel?)

In AK, I always get the 1/2 chicken from Flame Tree Barbeque. Extra beans, no corn on the cob. Enough to split between 2, rotisserie roasted and with very slow cooked, meaty beans. $9.49 "Real" food that won't leave you in a fried/sugar coma. Pair with a Safari Amber beer (the alcohol doubles for a quick sticky hand rinse when you're done) and hang out on the beautifully planted terrace to watch passersby. Ducks will tug at your seams in an effort to cannibalize their fellow poultry and Ibis will be after your beans, but they are pretty low key if you ignore them. Not bad, and it beats slogging around your own grub. At least I think so. Been meaning to explore the portable gourmet thing.

At Yak and Yeti, it's mussels at the bar. Get some fries and you've gone crossover moules et frites.

All right, now how do I get the drool off my keyboard?

Karen

 

[Ro Z]

I think you should at least try it. If you are not impressed you can hop over to another park. IMO you will be more than impressed. We have been many times since AK opened and this trip we saw things we didn't know were there. Dino and EE are great rides. The safari is differant each time you see it! The shows are fantastic. I didn't think I would like Flights of Wonder (I am not a bird girl) I had to be talked into it. Was I ever wrong. It is a must do each time.
Enjoy!

 

[Bunless]

All right, now how do I get the drool off my keyboard?

Karen

I know, right?
Suddenly my meal is planned for January.

 

[Fantasmiss]

I'm not an AK fan, but it's definitely worth experiencing!!

Pick out a few things you want to see/do/ride, and just leave for a different park when you've done it all.

I love animals, but hate wasting WDW time watching then when I live near a zoo..

But I LOVE the parade, Nemo musical, Safari, most of ITTBAB, Flame Tre BBQ and the character greetings, and actually I do like seeing the gorillas. So we do half a day and then go to a different park. This time we'll even do 2 half days!

I don't know why, maybe because I don't really enjoy zoos, but I have never had interest in visiting the AK.

I want to visit the AK this trip in Jan, but can't get excited over it because I keep thinking that it is a giant zoo.

Please talk me into it... or out of it.... either way. I just want to know if it is worth my time as a person not into zoos.

 

[sasmmb]

I'm not a big zoo person either. We usually hit AK every 2nd or 3rd trip and spend 1/2 to 3/4 day there. That being said, if you've never gone, you really should. You say what you don't like (zoos), but not what you do like, so it's a little harder to figure out what to suggest. So the things I like there are Expedition Everest (EE), Flights of Wonder (good comedy and the birds are amazing), Maharajah Jungle Trek (read http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2009/10/maharajah_jungle_trek_1.html for an amazing idea of the backstory). And I think that's one of my biggest problems with AK in general, is there are tons of backstories but they are so subtle that you completely miss it if you don't have some kind of reference documentation. There is an Imagineering Guide to the AK which makes this park much more interesting.

 

[elbodans]

i'm assuming since this is posted in the adults and singles thread, you are going alone or without children--correct? if so, i cannot agree more with what many people on here said about the detail--which you can totally appreciate as long as you have the time (read: you don't have a kid with you). i went to AK on my own one morning this past november, and it was GREAT. it was my first (but not last) visit, and i literally just wandered around for two hours taking photos and marveling at the INSANE attention to detail. it is truly amazing and a wonderful park to go to on your own. i only went on two rides--KS and Dinosaur--and saw 'tough to be a bug' (which was great). loved KS (though you might not, but that's fine, skip it!) hated dinosaur (SO LOUD) but really i would have enjoyed myself just as much just sightseeing! have a great trip!

 

[Chuckers]

If you eat lunch at Tusker House between 1pm and 1:30, you can get preferred seating for the 3:15 Finding Nemo show. I believe if you eat lunch from 1:30 to 2 pm, you can get the seating for the show after the 3:15 one.. but I am not sure.

 

[JenSop]

We absolutely LOVE AK!

It is NOT "just a zoo." Man, it really irks me when people say that.

The animals are there, but in such a natural way, that it never feels like they're on display - they're just doing their own thing.

And I couldn't agree more with Businessgypsy - what an eloquent summarization of not only AK, but of why I love everything about Disney - the details, the backstories, the theatre of it all! It's wonderful to be totally immersed in such amazing creativity!

Expedition Everest is probably my all time favorite roller coaster. We love all the attractions with the animals, as they're never ever the same. Every time you go on the safari, you're getting a different view of the animals. Every time you walk through one of the jungle treks, you see the animals in a different way.

On my last trip in October, I got to see the baby gorilla - wow, that was a real highpoint for me! And we got a great view of the baby elephant in July.

We usually visit AK about 3 times on an average week long trip.

 

[tripletmommiesrock]

I to am not a huge zoo person, but there is alot to do at AK besides look at animals. The Lion King show is a must if you like shows and the DH and I love EE.

That said, if your worried spring for a park hopper and if you don't like it go to another park.

Also, the Tree of Life is beautiful and even as an adult I like the Bug's LIfe show inside.