Unimpressed with Animal Kingdom

[KBLovedDisney]

Yeah, dude you visited the park at a bad time. Before Covid happened, it was a 180 degree difference. Things were a lot more upbeat (not to mention "open) with what others have said, street performers and more things that were engaging.

You definitely went at a bad time.

 

[Lilofan]

I've heard the animals like to go out and play in the rain but I've never actually seen them since when it rains we seek to find cover from the weather.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Saying you have been to WDW 15+ times, yet it took you 22 years to get to AK, may be part of your disappointment. It took me a couple of trips to really appreciate all that AK had to offer and to enjoy its uniqueness from other parks. Going in I went without the expectations that it was going to be like the other three and at first couldnt find enough to hold my attention. Now I look forward to going for a full day and include it in as at least one other return day in our trip calendar. Like you, Ive had trips where there were less animals out and in view, others I've seen many. It can depend on the time of year and even the time of day. Being hit or miss comes with knowing they arent caged and are kept in a natural environment which is part of appreciating it being different than the old fashioned zoo visits. I'd say give it another chance and go back when theres more going on and you may be surprised that it will grow on you.

 

[Disstevefan1]

As Shania Twain once said...That don't impress me much...

I was very disappointed in AK and the over all time I spent at the park. I am glad it took me 22 years to get here because honestly, it was not at all what I expected. There were not many animals, and not many rides. While Avatar was my favorite land, even the river ride was boring. The food was terrible! Not sure if it was because of covid changes or what but it was bad.

The good's were it was a beautiful park, a lot to visually see, but man, WHERE, ARE, THE, ANIMALS? Like, no where to be found.

I would say its a great park to walk around it and have a nice stroll, but as far as everything else, very boring and not worth the price...

Sorry to be a Debbie downer, but has anyone else had this similar experience? I've been to Disney like 15+ times...

Expedition Everest and Flight of passage, both located on AK are two of the best attractions in all of WDW. In my opinion, Flight of Passage is currently the best attraction in all of WDW.

 

[mdcpr]

Sorry to hear, that's our favorite park. I wonder if the lack of entertainment really affected your experience. When we last November we were dancing and singing with the bands, did almost every trail and had amazing meals at Tusker House and Tiffins. We even appreciated the cheeziness of the carnival-like games.

 

[HongKongFooy]

been to WDW 15+ times, yet it took you 22 years to get to AK,

extremely rare........so unusual it's quite hard to believe. How many out there would take 15 WDW trips and presumably see 3 out of the 4 main parks, skipping the same park over and over.......especially in light of the park hopper option that so many do.

I mean we all pretty much have our favorite and least favorites of the 4 but even the "worst" of the 4 gets tapped on some level considering 15 trips.

Statistically this scenario is off the charts.

 

[Raineman]

It's called "Animal Kingdom". I think expecting to see animals is a fair assumption.

And you can see animals there, the whole northern half of the park is full of them-not sure what your point is.

 

[The Colonel]

I like it for what it is. A half-assed zoo with a few rides. It's no Bronx Zoo that's for sure. But the Bronx Zoo doesn't have FOP, EE, or Dino. I've always been underwhelmed by the safari and at this point can take it or leave it. How many times can you see the lion sleeping on the rock? On the other hand, the food is certainly better than all the other parks with the exception of Epcot. And the shows are OK. I like it, but it's my number four.

 

[larryz]

Pack it in pack it out, have at it.

Why, did they get rid of all the trash cans in AK?

 

[Fox&Hound]

I understand where the OP is coming from. I enjoy AK but my family would place it fourth on our list as well.

I love Pandora and even though I was skeptical the land really is breathtaking. Flight of Passage is by far one of my favorite rides in the parks, but I do not care for the boat ride at all. Seems like a wasted opportunity.

Then there is Everest which is great but Dinosaur is just okay for me, a lot of bumping around and not much to see. I despise Chester and Hester's, and while the shows are great (Nemo, Lion King, and Tough to be a Bug) I have just done them so many times and they do not have as much repeat value for me.

I agree with an earlier poster that AK really could use another E-ticket people eater.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

And you can see animals there, the whole northern half of the park is full of them-not sure what your point is.

You chided the OP for expecting to see animals and said the park is not a zoo.

Now it's "full of them". So is it not fair for a novice to expect to easily find them?

 

[Tom Morrow]

What's wrong with golf courses?

I don't generally need to pay a hundred bucks a head to go on a canopied nature walk.

It's not that I "wasn't paying close attention"...It's that I'm on vacation and not at a theme park as a paying customer to do work, which is what Disney apparently themed DAK for. If I wanted to pay someone a hundred bucks for the privilege of doing my own work, I'd hire a...oh, nevermind.

Either way, both have a giant bush in the center.

AKA "I couldn't be bothered to look away from my phone to enjoy the thing I paid 100+ bucks a pop for."

DID you do the animal trails? Or did you skip them? You didn't answer this.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I like it for what it is. A half-assed zoo with a few rides.

Lmao, what an absurd over-simplification. More thought was put into the design of every inch of DAK than entire normal zoos.

 

[MonorailCoral]

AKA "I couldn't be bothered to look away from my phone to enjoy the thing I paid 100+ bucks a pop for."

DID you do the animal trails? Or did you skip them? You didn't answer this.

Yes I did, and I also did the safari. The "pilot" on the "radio" was cute. You know what doesn't cost a hundred bucks for a superior drive-through safari, and I can DRIVE MYSELF? Lion Country Safari near West Palm Beach for a FIFTH of the price.

You misjudge me with the phone thing. My eyes were very open and attentive to my surroundings, and my mind was saying at every turn: "I paid a hundred bucks to see that tree?" "I paid a hundred bucks to take a train to a petting zoo?" "I paid a hundred bucks to look at that stagnant river?" "I paid a hundred bucks to visit a carnival?" "I paid a hundred bucks to look at that ape behind glass when I could have done the same for far cheaper at Miami Metrozoo...I mean...ZooMiami?"

The list goes on and on.

Lmao, what an absurd over-simplification. More thought was put into the design of every inch of DAK than entire normal zoos.

"This concrete sidewalk was made to look like mud and has an imprint of a leaf." Wow.

And it doesn't take this idiot to see that the train should have looped and connected around the property. That was a GIANT mistake. HUGE lack of any thought there.

But I guess they didn't see the forest when they were looking at the trees. Pun intended.

 

[aliceismad]

You chided the OP for expecting to see animals and said the park is not a zoo.

Now it's "full of them". So is it not fair for a novice to expect to easily find them?

I know some folks who visited AK and didn't enjoy it that much. They liked EE and KRR. They also said they didn't see many animals. So I asked them about Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek (my personal favorite part of the park) and they shrugged and said "Oh, yeah, we didn't really wanna walk any farther and there wasn't anything down those so we didn't do them." I mean, Disney has maps that clearly point out where the animals are, although yes you may not actually see that animal every single visit. I also think the Discovery Island and Oasis areas also get overlooked sometimes because people are trying to get from Point A to Point B, and that's not really how AK works the best, at least not in my experience.

 

[Parker in NYC]

It still beats modern-day whatever-it-is Epcot. But then, so does a good milkshake.

 

[MAGICFLOP]

As Shania Twain once said...That don't impress me much...

I was very disappointed in AK and the over all time I spent at the park. I am glad it took me 22 years to get here because honestly, it was not at all what I expected. There were not many animals, and not many rides. While Avatar was my favorite land, even the river ride was boring. The food was terrible! Not sure if it was because of covid changes or what but it was bad.

The good's were it was a beautiful park, a lot to visually see, but man, WHERE, ARE, THE, ANIMALS? Like, no where to be found.

I would say its a great park to walk around it and have a nice stroll, but as far as everything else, very boring and not worth the price...

Sorry to be a Debbie downer, but has anyone else had this similar experience? I've been to Disney like 15+ times...

You broke the cardinal rule in here, every aspect of WDW is wonderful, even the restrooms smell like heaven... you even got likes and the famous "Angry" responses... LOL

I was an AP hold for 15 years, I made 2 trips to AK and never lasted even 3 hours.. I do plan to return in 2072..

 

[Tom Morrow]

Yes I did, and I also did the safari. The "pilot" on the "radio" was cute. You know what doesn't cost a hundred bucks for a superior drive-through safari, and I can DRIVE MYSELF? Lion Country Safari near West Palm Beach for a FIFTH of the price.

You misjudge me with the phone thing. My eyes were very open and attentive to my surroundings, and my mind was saying at every turn: "I paid a hundred bucks to see that tree?" "I paid a hundred bucks to take a train to a petting zoo?" "I paid a hundred bucks to look at that stagnant river?" "I paid a hundred bucks to visit a carnival?" "I paid a hundred bucks to look at that ape behind glass when I could have done the same for far cheaper at Miami Metrozoo...I mean...ZooMiami?"

The list goes on and on.


"This concrete sidewalk was made to look like mud and has an imprint of a leaf." Wow.

And it doesn't take this idiot to see that the train should have looped and connected around the property. That was a GIANT mistake. HUGE lack of any thought there.

But I guess they didn't see the forest when they were looking at the trees. Pun intended.

Well for starters, Kilimanjaro Safaris hasn't used Wilson in at least the better part of a decade, so perhaps you haven't been there in that long and your memory is cloudy?

But if your entire takeaway from the park is: TREES! GROUND!, then either you're trolling, you have zero awareness of your surroundings, or you are very dense. I'd add in a bunch of pictures of the amazing thematic detail found throughout the park, but, you're probably trolling so it's not worth it. If you're not, you can do this yourself.

 

[bryanfze55]

As far as theming and details go, AK is the best theme park in the United States. For a zoo/safari experience, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is better... although it’s equally as expensive if you buy an upgraded safari.

 

[DVCakaCarlF]

The Africa and Asia areas put world showcase on notice...pre COVID, the atmosphere, entertainment, noises, etc. I remember going to harambe nights dinner and just standing in the middle of Africa in the evening taking it all in.