Would you skip Animal Kingdom

[TGM]

If you (and your family) are the kind of people that love the Disney magic (not that there isn't any in AK), and love the characters, rides, parades, fireworks, and nighttime shows, skip Animal Kingdom. It lacks in all areas, except for animals. It is my least favorite park, and I would rather be in Hollywood Studios anyway, over Animal Kingdom.

As you read the other comments, take into consideration that these are people who have been to Disney numerous times, and have time to wander around, and look at birds, and enclosures where Cast Members are the only ones in the room who claim to see animals.

 

[Positively Bashful]

Chiming in with another "don't skip it" vote, especially with a small child. Our family was at WDW in June with six kids ranging from 2 to 9 years old, and even though it was hot as all get out Animal Kingdom was great. We didn't arrive until an hour after park opening and stayed until an hour before closing and never even made it to Asia! This is the perfect park to let the little one set your pace. We signed the troops up as Wilderness Explorers and they had a great time collecting badges (yes, even the three year old...most of the requirements are designed that little ones who can't read are still able to accomplish them.) The animal displays are beautiful and the shows (Nemo and Lion King especially) are some of the best to be seen at Disney World.

 

[Golden Rose]

We've done multiple trips to WDW when both our kids were 3. AK actually turned out to be our son's favorite park at that age. He likes animals and always has, and he still loves AK. Our daughter loves animals, but isn't the same level of animal fanatic that our son is, but she also loves AK. She prefers MK, but AK is second for her. The park my kids liked least at that age (in both cases!) was Epcot. Epcot was the grownups' favorite, but the kids' least favorite. At 3, DS only loved the Nemo and the Living Seas pavilion and the Land pavilion.

DHS is surprisingly good for preschoolers. Mine liked Disney Junior on stage, the honey I shrunk the kids playground, the Little Mermaid show, and now the Frozen show. (We did the playhouse disney, now disney junior character breakfast at Hollywood and Vine for both kids, and to our surprise, both kids HATED it at that age. They were both scared of the adult sized big head versions of the characters they loved on tv and in the show.) DS later went through a phase of wanting to skip DHS. After he outgrew Disney Junior and before he was into Star Wars, he didn't care about it, but at 3, he really liked it.

 

[challada]

I think it depends alot on what your kid enjoys. When my kids were little, they loved animals....and Lion King....so we definitely made AK a priority.

When my youngest was very little (like not quite 2), AK was the best park of our trip. We had the luxury of all of the characters coming up from their meet and greet paths during the Festival of the Lion King (which we were too late to get to). My kids had about 20 minutes of one-on-one time with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip and Dale, and Donald all together while the crowd was in the show. They danced with them, played games and just made it absolutely magical. Our family still talks about the experience.

Now that my kids are teenagers, they still want to do AK at the top of their list. Now, they love the coaster and animal encounters. We don't dig in the Boneyard anymore, but my kids can point out areas that they remember playing in when they were little.

The thing about AK is that it is the one park that really requires you to slow down and catch the small things around you. My family knows that my personal dream is to just be left on the safari for the whole day....driving in circles to see it again and again! LOL

 

[Dug720]

For me (granted solo adult here) I would skip the shell that is DHS before I'd skip DAK. And even when I was little one of my favorite things to do was go to the zoo (I know DAK is NOT a zoo) and see animals.

 

[sharonped]

No way. Love AK

 

[emme24]

I know I'm in the (vast) minority here, but I don't really like AK, and would happily skip it every time.

That being said, my younger daughter is an animal freak, and would be seriously disappointed to miss. My other kids could go either way.

So, I guess it all depends on what your kids are really interested in.