What do you think of Animal Kingdom?

[LoveMyLAP-BAND]

Hello all,

I am in search of opinions of Animal Kingdom. I am going on the Disney cruise in January with my mom and my three kids- ages 8, 4 and 3. We are staying at the Nick Hotel for three days after. My cousin just started working at Disney and can get us free passes for one day.

Because of the young age of my youngest two kids, I have ruled out EPCOT and MGM- I just don't think they'll get it.

I am debating between MK and AK. I have never been to AK and I think it would be a nice day for the kids. I don't know if the little ones can handle a long day at MK- and the two youngest are not 40" (for a lot of the MK rides).

So I am seeking your opinions about AK. Is it "Disney" enough?

 

[krystyana]

If you can only do one park I would definately go with the MK for that day. I just wanted to point out though that our 4 year old loves all of the parks but his hands down fave was MK.

 

[xraydave]

If you're going for "Disney enough" MK can not be beat. If you want a different experience, give AK a try. I've seen so many posts here discounting (no pun intended) AK, yet it remains one of our favorite parks. We enjoy the animal experiences. From the safari to the walking paths, from the "tough to be a bug" 3-D movie to the live action shows of the lion king and tarzan it's definitely Disney. IMO it's a more relaxed day then MK. You won't find the shear number of rides but there are so many more things to experience. I'm positive your kids will enjoy the boneyard play area. It's a neat playground that allows the kids to explore on their own. When it comes to character greetings, we've found that AK has many more opportunities to meet less traditional characters. eg: Stanley, Pocahontus, Flick, Rafiki etc.. Disney doesn't do anything small so you won't be disappointed if you choose AK.

 

[ciera321]

Though I love AK, with kiddos that age and only one day, I would head to MK. If they can't last all day then leave early, but that's the park for that age of kids!!! Have a great time!!!

 

[MagicKingdom05]

My favorite two parks are MK and AK. I love AK and try to go there more than once each trip.

 

[PKS44]

AK has too little to justify the full price for a one day ticket...go with MK...especially with the ages of kids in your group.

 

[xraydave]

My cousin just started working at Disney and can get us free passes for one day.

This would justify it for me.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Between MK and AK I would personally go to MK. I just love the magic feeling that i get when i walk thru the gates. Ak is very nice and if your kids have never been to AK, then you might want to give it a shot. Some people love AK, others hate it. I am on the fence. I like some parts of it and others I don't.

 

[MommytoMJM]

AK is our favorite park hands down, we spend the most tiome here.... We love the relaxed pace and animals, the characters in Camp Minnie Mickey and the Oasis... We just love it, we have a 4.5 year old daughter.

 

[Mahusky]

Definetely do MK!!!

 

[danny1649]

Jungle Cruise,Buzz Lightyear,Dumbo,Magic Carpet Ride,POTC,Small World,Peter Pan,Snow White,COP,Mickey 3D,Winnie Pooh Ride,Indy Speedway,Tom Sawyer Island,CBJ,HM,Parade,Mickey's Starland,WDWRR,Tree House,Castle,Pooh Playground,Tea Cups,River Boat Ride,TTA, I think your kids could do all these and have a great time.

 

[Terri C]

We love AK but if I had to pick one it would be MK. Both are fun so you will have a great time either way

Terri

 

[DisneyJen0504]

Definitely do MK!

 

[CarolA]

AK is my second favorite park (Epcot leads) and I have done it twice with kids your age and they loved it.

However, if I was only doing ONE park with kids that age I would do MK.... (And it is actually the one I like the least personally) For kids nothing else will compare and the joy on thier face makes it worthwhile.

 

[PKS44]

AK is our favorite park hands down, we spend the most tiome here.... We love the relaxed pace and animals, the characters in Camp Minnie Mickey and the Oasis... We just love it, we have a 4.5 year old daughter.

No offense meant to this poster...different strokes for different folks....these are the things one often hears from fans of AK---as someone who is less impressed with this park especially as a park that is charging over $50 for one day and one day only as the OP suggests they will be touring---as being worth the same price as MK, or Epcot or MGM, (or six flags for that matter)

I read this as follows: with my thoughts in blue....

... We love the relaxed pace (in other words, slow down--there is not much to do here. we can take plenty of time and still do everything we want) and animals,(how is it nahtazoo? My zoo has more animals and it costs nothing to get into...even more expensive zoos cost half as much...) the characters in Camp Minnie Mickey and the Oasis...(characters..well we don't really care, but doesn't every park have characters? How is that unique to AK?) We just love it,(we don't.).

 

[the kabuki]

If you only have one day, then I would pick MK!!

Love AK too, but if forced to choose than MK would win

 

[cjb71870]

We love AK. And we are regulars to the parks. MK is no doubt the place for kids, but it is also the most crowded park. For obvious reasons, it's for families.

 

[kydisneyfans]

For only 1 day-MK is the pick-there is so much to do there with kids that age. You would probably see more characeters than in any other park, plus, depending on hours of operation, you could split the day, go back to the room and take a nap.

I would not discount AK though-the safari is great, the Lion King show is the best on property-and keeps the attention of the kids. The dino dig area is nice for the little ones. But short operating hours would wear the kids out and the day may not be enjoyable.

There is definitely not enough at MGM to justify an entire day for kids that age, and Epcot should be reserved until they are older.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I don't really care for AK, the only things I really enjoy there are Festival of the Lion King and It's Tough to be a Bug. The rest of it Izazu

 

[PamNC]

I LOVE the Animal Kingdom. It's amazing and very unique. It's more than a theme park. It's an adventure. That's how I view it. The foilage and the detailing of the African village is amazing. However, if I only had a one day pass, I would choose the Magic Kingdom. That's where it all started.

PamNC