Will EE save AK?

[sters]

While the Animal Kingdom is not my favorite park, I do try to get there to see Tarzan Rocks and the Festival of the Lion King, two of the best shows on WDW property! I also enjoy the Safari Ride and love the whole potching theme. I didn't notice that the trucks startled any of the animals away. I got a chuckle seeing the lion perched on the rock just like in the Lion King! I learned later that the rock is climate controlled to encourage the lion to sit there!!

I agree that the trails are too narrow, especially if you're pushing a stroller or wheelchair. And, in my opinion, AK pretty much sucks in the rain. There is no place to escape, especially with young children. The playground in Dinoland is awesome for the kids, but the rest of Dinoland is kind of tacky and lacks the Disney charm. For some reason, that was the look they wanted... a roadside attraction of the 50's and 60's. Just don't care for the theming, but that's me. I think the addition of the new thrill ride will do a lot to boost the currency of the park and as the park expands, hopefully Disney will design better areas to sit and view the animals as the OP has suggested.

I like the idea of having a sea land, along the lines of Seaworld only more Disney, featuring Ariel and Nemo for example. I've heard rumors that Disney plans to develop a whole park for this at some point in the future, but having just a land at AK seems to make sense to me.

 

[Disneyfanatic01]

You know...DH and I do like to go to AK when we visit. We usually do AK for 1/2 of the day then go to another park or DTD. Something that we all have to remember is this...WDW was opened in 1971 and some of the most popular rides weren't even ready to go at that time! Tom Sawyer Island and Pirates of the Caribbean didn't open until 1973, The Astro Orbitor and Space Moutain didn't open until 1974, Splash Moutain in 1992, The Timekeeper in 1994, Buzz Lightyear didn't open until October 7, 1998. These attractions are some of the most popular and I can't imagine MK without these rides! If you think about it, AK is on it's way to becoming a great and wonderful park. It will just take some time for some wonderful new rides to be added and eventually it will become a "Full Day Park".

Just my 2 cents!

 

[johnsonet]

P.P.S., Since I don't have to pay to get into Target, Old Navy, etc., I expect it as a matter of generating business; but after paying to enter a park, I don't need something hawked to me at the end of every ride/attraction as a a captive audience.

You don't pay to get in but you do pay to get out. They don't ask you if you'd like to open an account if you leave without buying anything I spend a heck of a lot more money at Target than at the Animal Kingdom... When I've just spent $175 on goods there they are still asking for more. That was my point.

 

[mamapajama]

We enjoy AK a lot but much less on very hot days. It is my least favorite park when it is really hot and then MGM. We don't usually spend the entire day. We've never actually made it there long enough to watch the parade! And yes we have AP's so I don't know how I'd feel about the $value if I paid for a one day pass. We also never spend a whole day in MGM either.

As we go back and back, our favorite parks change, as I'm sure everyone else's do too. Lately we've all been really diggin' Epcot now that the kids are a little older (DS 8 years old is still on the fence about this though, lol). DH especially likes WS best as he's getting on in years (he's almost 36!!!!! LOL) he finds he is liking the thrill rides less & less and appreciates other stuff more.

I do have to say, though, that I am pretty easily entertained. For instance, there aren't many movies I've seen that I can say I didn't like at all. I don't always need Oscar quality, I just want to escape for a little while and most of the time I do. I guess I have the same attitude towards WDW. I'm just happy to be there. A bad day at WDW (although I've never actually had a BAD day) is better for me than a good day at home.

 

[paladin]

As others have said, to each their own, but AK is one of my favorite parks. It is indeed a magnificent place for details and taking your time. I love the rides and shows, but even more I love taking time to enjoy the animals and their surroundings. AK to me is a joy.

 

[ashjohnson80]

I love AK too! It's one of my favorites and I couldn't imagine going to Disney and not going to AK. Its still a fairly new park so I'm sure that they will continue to add things to it.

 

[kakiegirl]

If I had to pick just one park to go to it would not be AK. However, we really enjoy it my dd who is now 5 has a great time there. She enjoys going around to the kids interaction stations and we enjoyed collecting the conservation buttons. It has been over a year since we have been but I don't believe the contriubtion requested was very much and it goes to a good cause. However, we never felt pressured to contribute if we didn't want to. If you have little ones Camp Mickey is a great place to meet and greet the characters and usually the lines aren't to bad. We haven't seen the Lion King show yet (rained out last time we were there). However, it was neat because when they cancelled the show because of rain alot of the characters from the show came out and mingled with the audience my dd loved that. Nor have we seen the parade we look forward to doing both when we go in June. Oh and of course if dd has her way we will ride the rapid ride about 100 times thank goodness for fast pass.

 

[tomerin]

i honestly think that AK gets a bad rep sometimes. as someone who had been fortunate to have visited Brookfield Zoo in Chicago and the Bronx Zoo in NYC i have enjoyed visits to the zoo all of my life. when i went to AK i was not looking to see a zoo type place. i am not saying that anyone here has said this but i have heard this listed as a criticism of AK by caling it a glorified zoo and a bad one at that.

i look at AK as an experience. as soon as we get into the park i get the feeling that i am in a bit of an exotic place. the landscape and theming as well as the animals are as much a bit of the attraction as are any rides. My DW and myself are looking ahead to the time when we go alone to WDW and are reallly looking foward to enjoying AK wthout the kids. just 2 middle aged kids wandering around aimlessly and happy doing it!!!

on our last trip i honestly was suprised as to how much our DSons enjoyed AK. they enjoyed the trails, which i was really hoping that they would like, and of course, the rides. seeing Devine really made everyones day. so as a family AK is a must do as is MK, MGM or Epcot.

i do see that anyone who goes to AK with children can feel it is not a whole day park. we always make it a half day trip because after 4-5 hours in the summer heat i can sense that the kids are getting a bit bored. so we leave and make plans to be back another day. works great for us because we always take long trips to WDW.

so to all of you who dont like AK... Dont Go!!! more room for me. just kidding here . go and enjoy AK

 

[t-roy]

The first time we went to AK was a hot, crowded day and I vowed never to return. I just kept saying with all the manmade jungles, greenery and land you would think they could have incorporated more fans or some kind of cooling system. I know it’s meant to be a jungle but even then you’d catch a breeze every now and again. I have since changed my mind after returning for another visit. I couldn’t imagine going to WDW and not seeing ITTBAB or FOTLK. Dinosaur is now my son’s favorite ride and Flame Tree Barbeque is my favorite counter service. I still think the park bottlenecks in too many places and with the Disney ingenuity and knowledge of traffic patterns, the powers that be could have laid out the park better. I enjoy the park more now for it’s slower pace and respect for the animals. It took a little time to fall in love with this park but we have and now it is a favorite.

 

[krystyana]

I absolutely love animal kingdom....as far as the whole conservation thing...no one is telling you not to feed, clothe, or protect your children but in a place filled with people I think it is a wonderful thing to teach about our impact on the world and how we can make it a better place for all of us to live. Especially when alot of the teaching is focused on children who will be the future decision makers. In my experience they show simple things that everyone could do to make difference, not really putting anyone out. I think it's a good message for kids and adults that they are part of the bigger picture. I think it's just as magical as the rest of the parks, just in a more earthy way!

 

[rayelias]

Little promoted fact - it costs more and takes more natural resources, in the form of energy, to recycle a piece of paper than it does to produce one from new wood?

Sorry this is a little off topic, but this quote made me think of another oft ignored point.

Those completely "electric" cars that the environmentalists used to tout as the savior of the atmosphere... You know, the ones you plug in for 12 hours and get maybe a 60 mile drive out of them, but they're 0% poluting? The polution caused by creating the electricity to charge these cars were something like 300% of the polution caused by a gasoline powered car.

Probably different now, with the new hybrid engines. But, the point's still valid. Most people don't take the BIG picture into consideration.


And, another interesting point about recycling... much of the stuff that we put out to get recycled, at some point during the process, gets contaminated by non-recyclable materials, and winds up not able to be used for recycling anyway!

Quick, someone push me off my soapbox!