Would you skip AK?

[cmph]

I wouldn't skip AK, b/c I personally love it. Also, my nutty kids and niece re-rode Kali in Feb over and over (obviously no one else in the park wanted to!!) and think that is probably their favorite ride, so there is value there no matter who you are. But I can totally see doing it for a half-day only, focusing on the awesome shows. I'd hate for you to miss it and find out years later that you loved it - the atmosphere is just very different than the other parks. We nearly did that, and ended up with a super-abbreviated first experience that we regretted. So maybe give it a try, but plan something else for the other half of the day that she'll love. Maybe the Cinderella and friends character dinner at GF that evening, or some other resort dinner experience... something non-parks-related. Especially in Dec, seeing the Christmas decorations in the deluxe hotels would be magical for a 6yo!

 

[IrishNYC]

I wouldn't skip it. It's much more than a zoo. We go to the Bronx Zoo as well as other zoos at least once a month, and AK is nothing like any of them. I regret not spending more time there last year, and can't wait to go back again next year.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We love it. We love the food. Would not miss it.

 

[Planogirl]

I wouldn't. I'd skip DHS and Epcot before AK. But it's a matter of taste of course.

 

[Disney_1derland]

AK is as much about the cultural experiences as it is the animals. But, it's definitely NOT a zoo. It is so rich in experiences that you will not get anywhere else. However, unless this is a once in a lifetime trip, it's definitely ok to skip it. One of the greatest things about WDW is that it grows and changes with you as your family grows and changes.

If you think it's unlikely that you'll ever go again, I would take the time to experience it. It's beautiful and peaceful and so rich in culture. The cast members in Harambe are some of my favorite people in all of the parks. Their spirit and love for their culture is such a wonderful thing to share in.

 

[Kingdome8]

If I had to skip a park it would be animal kingdom. I like the park and def a few rides and shows we love. But if had to picking to skip. It would be AK

 

[Shanti]

So we're going to WDW in Dec for 6 days (no park hoppers). My daughter is 6 and likes to be involved in planning. We were talking about AK and she's not really into zoos, dinosaurs or roller-coasters, but the Star Wars stuff and Princesses are big deals for her. So she said to me "Mom, what if we just skip AK and do an extra day at MK instead?" We've never been to AK as this is her and DH's first Disney trip and I went so long ago AK hadn't been built yet.

I'm totally fine with it because the only thing I wanted to do at AK was eat at Tusker House but that's not a deal-breaker. Do you think it's better to take the AK day and make it a MK day instead? We were planning 2 days each at MK and Epcot (for princess meets and Frozen stuff etc), 1 day at HS (for star wars stuff) and 1 day at AK. But if the animals are of no interest (and I personally have issues with zoos anyway) I think it makes more sense to allot that day for MK. We're planning to rope drop all parks so 3 days in MK might give us a more leisurely pace. What do you think?

If neither of you are really interested, then don't go. No, it's not worth your going just to eat at Tusker House (although I like Tusker House, and Animal Kingdom for that matter). No need to do every park- focus on the ones you really like.

 

[pa. dad]

We would never skip AK, it is not a zoo, the atmosphere is amazing. My DH is not a big zoo fan, but finds the safari like being transported, plus with the new night show that is coming, it may be the thing to see.

I agree that the Ak is worth a day and it is more than a zoo. There's lots of interesting things to do at the AK.

 

[JimmyV]

I think that it is great that you involve your 6 year old in the planning. If she isn't yet interested in AK, then go with her plan. Just because Disney builds something doesn't mean that everyone has to enjoy it. Someday, she may think differently at which time you can give AK a try. But there is no need to force the issue now. And I am not saying this because I don't enjoy AK. To the contrary. We love it and would never skip it. But that is irrelevant to your family's decision making process.

 

[Kimberly9701]

We are skipping it in December to allow for another MK day.

It's nice..and yes, I agree it's not a zoo- and we did like the safari.. but my child wasn't overly impressed with the animals. Why? Because we have a fantastic zoo here which we have annual passes. So I don't think that was too different for him- compared to an MK experience.

What we did love-

Tusker House. Expedition Everest. Dinosaur. And the tree was pretty cool.

I decided that it's not worth to go back again this year. He said he would rather do an extra MK day- but he did ask if we could just "stop in real quick to ride Everest"lol.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I think that it is great that you involve your 6 year old in the planning. If she isn't yet interested in AK, then go with her plan. Just because Disney builds something doesn't mean that everyone has to enjoy it. Someday, she may think differently at which time you can give AK a try. But there is no need to force the issue now. And I am not saying this because I don't enjoy AK. To the contrary. We love it and would never skip it. But that is irrelevant to your family's decision making process.

JimmyV makes a lot of sense.

My DD (9) loves Animal Kingdom, but she did not love it when she was 6. She really started liking it a couple of years or so later when she discovered Expedition Everest. She also loves Kali, Primeval Whirl, and FOTLK- and she first appreciated KS when we gave her a camera and let her take pictures. It became a far better ride for her then.

You might want to show your daughter videos of the making of ROL and tell her about the new nighttime entertainment and activities, too. I think it is great to involve her in the planning. See what she thinks. If she doesn't want to go this year, you can save AK for later when Avatar Land opens.

I adore AK and many people find it to be their favorite park. On the other hand, I know some people who don't care for it at all.

Whatever the case may be, I hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

We usually never skipped AK, and we ALWAYS left after lunch there just wasn't that much to do for my kids and they were ready to leave by lunch time. Anyways last year I thought we would just skip AK altogether since my kids weren't interested and I wanted an extra day at MK. Boy was I wrong! My older DS was now old enough to get AK and the entire trip I had to hear from him how we skipping AK and now he couldn't ride Everest and he couldn't believe I planned the trip like that lol. Anyways to say the least our next trip we will be going to AK lol we are even considering staying at AKL, but everyone is different and if she wants to meet princesses then there is only 1 princess in AK

 

[MadHookUp]

I would suggest doing what we did on our December trip. Forget park hopper and get tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Plan Animal Kingdom for the morning, and the party at night. That way you can do both and get the added benefit of being there for the party.

 

[Kimberly9701]

I would suggest doing what we did on our December trip. Forget park hopper and get tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Plan Animal Kingdom for the morning, and the party at night. That way you can do both and get the added benefit of being there for the party.

I actually thought about doing this on our trip.. We're staying at CR and won't have a car..or else I would do a quick trip in for Everest and a few others. We are hopping on our HS day..to Epcot and then back to HS.
On our party day I though a relaxing day with breakfast at 1900 park fare and then a late lunch at Whispering Canyon.
I think that's a wonderful suggestion for the OP though! That way they can at least experience it and see if want to make a full day next time.

 

[StuckInKS]

We gave up AK on our last trip for another MK day, bringing our total number of MK days from 4 to 5. There is just so much to do at MK and it closes later than AK, so for us its just a better deal. We had planned on doing one day at AK this trip, but now with the ROL delay we may skip it again. I hate using on of our days on AK since it closes so early, but if we had hoppers (or APs) we'd probably do it anyway and just hop to MK after it closes.

ETA: The idea of getting MVMCP tickets for an extra MK day is a great idea. Plus, I missed the part when you said December. By then the AK night activities will be going on and they sound really cool. Who knows, maybe they will even have some of Avatarland available for soft openings by then?

 

[Chucky!]

It's up to you, your daughter sound a bit like my kids, into Star Wars and Princesses and not into animals at all. We definitely wouldn't skip HS and 3 days at MK is awesome too.

We didn't really go to see the animals, we have an amazing zoo here in Sydney, but the theming at AK was beautiful and the Lion King show was amazing, and I definitely think it is worth a return visit on our next trip.

We are planning AK to be a bit of a slow day, arrive at midday see Lion King and Nemo shows, meet some characters, rides Kali River Rapids and Safari have some cool beverages and dinner at Tusker House and see the new night time show and entertainment.

 

[KathyNY76]

I wouldn't skip it. It's much more than a zoo. We go to the Bronx Zoo as well as other zoos at least once a month, and AK is nothing like any of them. I regret not spending more time there last year, and can't wait to go back again next year.

Just goes to show everyone has an opinion. We went to AK for the first time in Jan and my kids were thoroughly underwhelmed. They kept saying, "we could do this at the Bronx Zoo!"

I'd personally love a third day at MK - where I arrive after sleeping in, use my 3 FPs, have lunch and then hit a couple shows and do some shopping.

BUT, I am glad we went to AK on our Jan trip. Lion King was great, Tucker House was great. DD got to meet Pocahontas. Everything else was 'meh' to us. I'm not sure I'd plan for 'meh' again - especially when the kids are not interested. The last think I want to do at Disney is fight with a bored 6 year old!

If you think you will be back again, AK will be still be there. If this is your once in a lifetime, I'd probably do it just to have done it.

 

[dachsie]

I decided to skip AK one year and totally regretted it. It's one of my favorite parks. You may totally wear yourselves out if you do 3 days of running thru MK. AK is more relaxing and has great shows. I would try it, esp if you don't know when you will be back

 

[Nancyg56]

Of course it is okay to skip any park on a trip, but I always wonder if people skip AK because they have no idea what it is.

For me, AK is the only way I will ever travel to the exotic lands that are represented in this beautiful park. When I enter I am transported right out of Florida and dropped in the middle of a place I only dream about visiting. My family takes the safari, wanders through the animal trails, hits the character M&G (we did when our DGD was young) and enjoys the shows that are outstanding. AK is not a zoo. I hate zoos, although I will take the girls to the Southwick Zoo periodically.

It seems to me that if none of your family has ever been to AK, and if you are basing your decision in large part on feedback from a 6 YO who has also never been, you may be missing our on what could be a favorite part of your Disney experience. My adult DD remembered Epcot form when she was there as a teenager. Hated it. All I heard when we were planning a family trip to bring our then 4YO DGD was how horrible Epcot was and that she would go but she would not like it. Turns out Epcot is her family favorite park. Had I listened to her we might have just seen Illuminations and got the heck out.

Again, you can do whatever you want, but I always think that planning to skip any Disney park before you ever walk in is a shame.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We absolutely love AK, so no to that. OTOH, we don't really enjoy DHS, and they've recently killed off some things we DID enjoy there. So, I'd be fine skipping it now, but ONLY because we've been.

Even knowing what I know now about DHS, I still wouldn't choose to go back in time and skip it in favor of a 3rd MK day. And here's why - even after extensive research, we completely overestimated how much we would like DHS, and we completely underestimated how much we'd like EPCOT.

There's just no way to know what you'll think of any park until you actually experience it yourself.