what do you think about Diasneys animal kingdom

[kaekae]

We have not been to animal kingdom in our past visits. (never seems to be enough time) But hopefully we will be able to on our next visit. We will have 3 year old ds this time. Just curious to hear about animal kingdom because I haven't heard much about it. Would love to hear several opinions and your experiences.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

I love DAK- Yes it doesnt have the thrill of other parks but its a great slow down and see everything park- The safari ride is awesome the little paths are great place to animal watch- The Tarzan and Lion King shows are very good- Plus there are several rides to round it all out-

-em

 

[MaryKatesMom]

We love AK and your son will absolutely love the boneyard!! There are some great spots to take his picture. My DD's who are 6 and 4 now still love it there. The safari is a must and Festival of the Lion King is a must. Both are very well done and we enjoyed our dinner at Rainforest cafe.

 

[kaylajr]

AK is a wonderful park
it is the first park we hit everytime we go

MY DD's were 6 and 8 last time and LOVED it


The tree of life is beautiful and the animals are great to see

the Lion King show is a must see

some people will say it is a 1/2 day park but we always need a full day at least there is so much to see and do

 

[d96j97]

AK is definitely not our favorite. There are a few (in our opinion...a few) neat things to do at AK but nothing to keep you there all day. We have 2 DS's (ages 6 & 7) and we did this park in 3 hours total on EMH a couple weeks ago. We liked "Bugs Life", "Khali River Rapids", and "Kiliminjaro Safari". Besides that, not a whole lot interested us. I know we are different than some, I guess that is why they make different parks. At Dionland, we thought it was too much like a local carnival that would come to your hometown.

I would definitely not skip it if you have not been there, you may love it ....just my opinion.

 

[jbwolffiv]

My Dw and I love it there! I strongly recommend the safari, Tarzan Rock, The Lion King and the Boneyard. We also feel that Flametree BBQ is the best counter service food in all of WDW, but we also like BBQ food. We never miss that! You might think about the Bugs Life movie, it can be kind of scary, we are going to take our 3 yo DD this summer. Good luck!

 

[JESW]

Our family likes the park and has done almost everything there. It's especially good when your little one is in a stroller and you can walk through a lot of things. Our kids are 5 & 9 now and just want to go play in Dino Land.

That said....we have decided to skip it next trip since it is just so darn HOT there, especially in the summer.

Have fun!

Jill

 

[wannabee princess]

We love AK! I would say don't skip it!

For a 3yo I would say that the animals would be top draw. Go on the trails - they are not like any zoo! The animals are great fun to watch.

Also, there is a character area that is not usually crowded (Camp Minnie Mickey) and you tend to get some great interactions.

In Dinoland, you have a ride that is almost exactly Dumbo, but without the long line! My boys like to get off and get right back on. It is called Triceratop Spin.

Also, don't miss conservation station. The train ride is usually a hit with the little ones, then you get to a petting zoo type of area, and sometimes animals inside the building, or characters.

Get to the Lion King show early, sit down near the front. There are "audience participants" chosen early.

The parade is a animal themed one (unless it changes in the next 2 years).

 

[airhead]

Infact,its definitely our favorite and we plan to spend atleast 2 days there!

 

[Mickey76]

I love Animal Kingdom. It might be my second favorite park, MK being my favorite. Kilimanjaro Safaris is a must as soon as you get into the park (go early). There is a lot to see at AK and there's a lot to do, although some people will disagree with me on this. I'm not too fond of Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama area, but the rest of the park is pretty cool. Give yourself enough time to see and do everything, because there's a lot. You might actually learn some new things about the animals while you're there, too.


Mickey76

 

[seashoreCM]

The purpose of Animal Kingdom is to present animals. Disney has gone to great lengths to have the animals in reasonably natural habitats and reasonable viewing distances.

Most of the animal viewing areas are walking trails where you can proceed at your own pace. It has been said that Kilimanjaro Safari (the riding animal tour) is best done early in the morning since the animals are more active then.

If you take the time to see the animals, you won't make it out of there in half a day as some folks say.

I wasn't too thrilled about the carnival atmosphere at the back of Dinoland, not because of what it is but rather because it costs extra to enjoy. (Universal Studios Florida also has a carnival area, with extra costs, down by the Jaws ride) Primeval Whirl didn't seem to be adequately decorated to a Disney standard (is it still unfinished?).

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[mrsltg]

Animal Kingdom is my favorite after MK (nothing will ever top that!). I have spent a lot of time at that park. It's great to people watch as well as animal watch (sometimes it's hard to tell the difference!). Some of my favorite things to do are the safari, kali river rapids, watch street performances, Festival of the Lion King, and eat lunch at Flametree BBQ with the meal vouchers. We also really enjoy strolling down the well thought out paths. All in all, it's fantastic!

Erin

 

[BethC1952]

DAK is our second favorite park (Epcot's World Showcase is our favorite). We love taking the time to soak up all of the atmosphere and to talk to the cast members in each area. Last December, we spend a wonderful half-hour with a young CM in the tiger area who explained a lot of the artwork on the walls, and a lot about how they care for the tigers.

We took our 3 1/2 year-old granddaughter with us on that trip, and Animal Kingdom was her favorite park. She loved Kilimanjaro Safari, and thought the bats and the naked mole rats were just the coolest things she had ever seen...and the tigers were OK, too.

Beth

 

[frannn]

After doing our favorite rides & shows at MK and MGM twice, I think AK is a great change. We love Tarzan rocks and Festival of the Lion King. I have to beg DH to see Its Tough to Be a Bug, but its worth it because its really very cute. The parade is nice, and since it ends around 4?, we go for dinner afterwards at RFC. We have used the lunch vouchers there twice and shared a yummy meal. I would spend more time there if I could convince DH to do everything again....

 

[FozzieMom]

I had to reply because AK is one of my favorite parks. My ds 3 loved it last year! The safari is a definite highlight as is the Lion King show and river rapids. I love the theme and think the shopping is also great. It is a unique place. Whenever I am there I feel like I am in a very exotic locale. We also loved Donalds Breakfastasaurus. It was one of the best character breakfast we went to because my kids got lots of attention.

Don't miss it!!!

 

[Aimeedyan]

Truth? Been there once, done that, won't be returning until they open up that new coaster. And when I have kids... I think they have some great things for little ones, like characters and play areas and animals. Just doesn't interest me, or my family, right now.

We did the park in a morning, and I had no desire to return this time around. We hit all the parks except it.

That being said, I think your child will enjoy it... there seem to be alot of cool things for kids, and its a beautiful park. Def give it a shot, different strokes for different folks!

 

[sodaseller]

We also love AK. My DD7 loves Primeval Whirl, the "Wild Mouse" RC. We also love "Pocahontas and her Forest Friends", a really cute show. Flights of Wonder is also great. Much, much to see there.

 

[GarrettJD]

We enjoy Animal Kingdom, but, having said that, it's probably my least favorite of the four parks. I've only spent one day there, however. We have some more time planned there for our next trip, so maybe my opinion will change.

I think AK is worth is if you use a hopper pass to visit early in the day, then finish your day at another park. However, I don't believe it is worth the one-day, one park admission price. What we're doing is two AK mornings until 2 or so, then taking our afternoon break, then hopping to another park about 5 or so to finish the day.

At the Animal Kingdom, we really enjoy the Safari, Dinosaur, Festival of the Lion King, and the (underrated IMO) Flights of Wonder. Most of the other stuff is fun, but I can take it or leave it. I'm REALLY looking forward to Expedition Everest, though.

Bottom line is, give AK a try. It's fun and really different from the other parks, and it might become your favorite. I know I'm looking forward to being there in a week or so.

 

[Cinderella37]

The first year it opened, I admit we were a little disappointed with the scope. It is hotter than the other parks, so drink extra water, etc. (the heat doesn't bother us, as we go every July, but we often hear people complaining at AK).

The park has gotten better, and will surely improve when Expedition: Everest opens. We don't think there is enough to do in the park and it definitely needs at least one more full service restaurant. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for Beastly Kingdom. We spend one day out of 11 here each year in July and one day out of 5 in December to take pictures of the decorations and the characters in their Christmas outfits.

That being said, there are a few attractions that are standouts: It's Tough to Be a Bug, Dinosaur (which I will always call Countdown to Extinction), and Kilimanjaro Safaris. The animal trails and viewing areas are better than any zoo and the landscape and design of the park is amazing.

 

[judyfromkansas]

I didn't stay in the AK very long during my last WDW visit, but I liked "Tough to be a Bug" a LOT.

I DO hope, however, that AK will eventually become what it was once envisioned - as a place that features mythical beasts as well as real ones. It'd be cool to walk through a fantasy forest full of unicorns, dragons, griffins etc.