Safari or Everest First?

[tuliptwirls]

I will be going to AK on a Sat in Sept with a crowd level of 7. I have a few questions. I was thinking of heading straight to Everest and riding with my daughter who is six. We will rider swap while my husband waits with 3 year old and infant. First question, after we ride can we get another rider swap ticket if my husband now waits in standby line with daughter and I wait with the littles (this way we can use both rider swap tickets after lunch)? Second question, would we have time to each ride with daughter and make it over to the Safari before the line for Safari gets too long (40 minutes and up?). Third question, or would it be better to do Safari first and Everest second? We are saving our fps to use in MK later this evening.

 

[Drusilla99]

I would do Everest first. Not sure about child swap.

 

[Dimaline312000]

I agree with Drusilla, Everest first but I too am not sure about the child swap. Have a wonderful time!!

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

I would do Safari first. I think the line builds up faster there. Not sure about child swap.

 

[JimmyV]

Other than the first month that Everest opened, we have always done the Safari first, and then headed straight to Everest afterward. And every single time that we have done that, (and I mean every single time), Everest has been a walk-on for our first ride, and either a walk-on, or a wait for the next train for our second ride. And we could have ridden a third time with less than a 5 minute wait each time. In my experience, the line at the Safari builds more quickly, so it is best to start there.

 

[soniam]

Safari. Last week we went to AK in the afternoon. All of the Safari FP+ were gone, and ~5pm the posted wait was till 30-40 min. DH and DS did EE at 2:30pm, and the posted wait was 20 min. We actually got FP+ for it when we arrived at AK. There are a lot more people who will do Safari, and a lot, like me, who won't do EE. Plus, if it's hot, the waiting line at Safari does not seem to have much breeze and gets hot and stuffy. It will be cooler in the morning.

 

[stormer]

We always do the EE first because we like to ride it a few times. We usually ride it anywhere from 3-6 times as soon as we arrive.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

We have skipped AK for the last several trips, but are returning there in May. I remember how at opening everyone would rush to EE, I guess that is not so much the case anymore.

 

[SnackCredit]

Everest has a good single rider line with a quick wait. (last week, I waited 10 minutes as a single rider in the mid-afternoon when the standby line was an hour)

 

[LaurenT]

Strongly recommend that you do Safari first! If you are there 30 minutes before the park opens and head straight for Safari, you'll be on quickly and everest will still be a very short line. Everest has always been a short line for the first hour or two every time I've gone ... And I've gone a lot! If you do everest first, I guarantee a long line at safari when you get there - even if it's a level 5 day...

 

[Terra Nova guy]

I always go to the Safari first, mainly because the animals will be a little more active first thing in the morning before the heat of the day kicks in. I don't have much experience with rider swap, but I wonder if you get the same cast member at the front of the line, would they remember you and will they give the same family a second rider swap ticket?

 

[mc-hokie]

Has anyone been on Safari for 7am EMH? Will be in AK on Wed. 4/8. Curious to know how active the animals are this early.

Saving FP+ for afternoon at HS, so trying to plan best for Safari and a few Extra rides.

 

[wisblue]

Has anyone been on Safari for 7am EMH? Will be in AK on Wed. 4/8. Curious to know how active the animals are this early.

Saving FP+ for afternoon at HS, so trying to plan best for Safari and a few Extra rides.

The Safari may not be operating right at 7 AM on Wednesday the 8th because the sun is just coming up around then.

If you go directly to the Safari at 7 you might have to wait 15 minutes or so for the first vehicle to be loaded.

 

[seus-mouse]

We have had good luck doing Safarii first, we do rope drop, then Kali then Everest...Everest again...then Kali, then dry off at Yak and Yeti counter service Lo Mein.

Have fun,

Hol

 

[dkrauss]

I'd try to FP both first. Safari is best when its cooler so I'd go there first (first trip of the day if possible ) Then off to EE if you get there before 10am you may get to ride back to back. If that doesn't work you have the FP+'s. If you only get one for the FP...........do the other first! Easy pease!

Doug

 

[DisnutDave]

Has anyone been on Safari for 7am EMH? Will be in AK on Wed. 4/8. Curious to know how active the animals are this early.

We have always heard that the animals are most active in the morning.

For the OP, if you don't mind using the single rider line at EE, then there's really no reason not to go there second. In September, that may not even be necessary, the standby line might still be short.

 

[jsebsirois]

I would also go with the Safari first. EE, even if it's still very popular, get longer lines later in the day so you should be just fine to ride the Safari and then head to EE.

 

[DisneyPeachNJ]

Safari! You have a better chance of seeing active animals first thing.
The line for Everest won't be bad 30-40 minutes after opening.

 

[kiford]

I concur with Safari first. We've always found that we can still get on EE with relatively short lines after Safari. Sometimes we've even been able to go right back on again. But shortly after HS opening, Safari starts to get really long lines and they never really decline.

 

[soniam]

As far as animal activity being greater in the morning on Safari, I disagree. I have done it at various times throughout the day without any rhyme or reason to the activity. In fact, on one ride in the afternoon, we saw the most animals that we have seen so far.