AK...so much more than rides. Ruined us from going to local Zoo's!

[Philhar-Fanatic]

We LOVE the Animal Kingdom, the rides, the atmosphere, the animals, the Safari Amber beer. We've talked to several other people that could really just do without it. We've been told, we can go to a Zoo anytime. We think the exact opposite, the thought of going to a local Zoo now is just funny to us. This leaves me wondering, are we alone in seeing the MAGIC that is the Animal Kingdom? :lookaroun

 

[YuggYuggWDW94]

Although AK is probably my least favorite of the parks, I still love it. It beats any zoo i've ever been to. There is so much to see , but for those who aren't into shows it lacks rides. For me, I love it. I think it isn't lacking as far as animals are concerned (ie. its better than a zoo). What the problem is, is that people shy away from spending too much time in AK when other parks have so many attractions. I would rather go to MK being that there is no shortage of rides, and I can easily spend the entire day there. With AK I end up doing things a few times in a row and then I check out for the day.

 

[Devin36]

Nope, I'm right there with ya for the most part.....I just wish they had built beastly kingdom & did something a bit more with the dinosaur area....but it is still a very young park with plenty of room to grow in size. I don't think of it as a zoo with a few rides as some people might...

 

[UPbeekeeper]

Being an animal lover, I really wish I could get excited about Animal Kingdom, but I can't. I just can't put my finger on why. I don't dislike the park by any means, but I just find myself not wanting to stay very long and just hopping to another park. I'm going to give it another try on my next trip. I've heard that experiencing the park in the evening gives it a fun twist, so I'm going to try that.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Well they did use the NAHTAZU phrase for sometime...Then it stopped...Sad really. I even remember the commercial that mentioned it.
http://vimeo.com/25256194

 

[fractal]

Our family loves AK. There is some much detail in that park to be enjoyed.

Looking forward to seeing Avatar Land and hopefully a fixed Yeti.

 

[Mickey_777]

AK doesn't ruin my free local zoo experience but but if we're within couple of months of visiting WDW, we won't go. I'll save my animal viewing appetite for then.

 

[cheezbat]

I like animals and love the zoos. Animal Kingdom is very nice for the zoo part, but being one of the four major Disney parks in Orlando it's just not enough.

They could use many more animal exhibits if they want to be better than most major zoos. They could use many more attractions and rides if they want to rank up there with the other parks. This is the problem...there isn't enough to keep you there all day. For those of you that want to argue that point, look at MK...there's enough for you to do in TWO DAYS. That's a full day park. You shouldn't have to do EVERYTHING in a park to make it a full day. Who wants to see Finding Nemo, Festival of the Lion King, Flights of Wonder, and It's Tough to Be a Bug EVERY visit? there needs to be more rides, more shows, and more animal exhibits to really boost this park. I've done EVERYTHING in the park and been done and gone by 3pm.

Animal Kingdom is very lavish by zoo standards, but as a theme park, it falls short.

 

[fosse76]

I like animals and love the zoos. Animal Kingdom is very nice for the zoo part, but being one of the four major Disney parks in Orlando it's just not enough.

I somewhat agree. The atmosphere is unmatched. But it needs more, and while I love the design of the animal enclosures, they aren't viewer friendly. Though the lion exhibit doesn't have a "pride rock" here at the Bronx zoo, we at least have lions that are VISIBLE!! And the trail at the Bronx zoo where they have the Okapi and gorillas, in my opinion, is far better designed than that at DAK. I mean, I get what Disney was trying to do, but what's the point if none of the animals are visible.

Animal Kingdom is very lavish by zoo standards, but as a theme park, it falls short.

Only by themeing standards. What makes zoos better is the ability to see the animals. At Disney there are too many places for them to hide. I've taken safari trips where none of the marquee animals were visible. No elephants, no "glimpse" of lion hair, no cheetahs, no rhinos, no crocodiles, no mandrills...I think we did get to see a giraffe though. I know that they are trying to incorporate realism, and allow the animals more freedom than the local zoo...but nonetheless this isn't reality, and I didn't stand in line to see Thomson Gazelles and a bongo.

 

[Blueskyze]

I love Animal Kingdom! I'm also a big fan of going to the zoo (we have a membership to our zoo, which is about an hour away), but to me it's so much more than that. It's a much more leisurely paced park than the others - not a place where you rush from ride to ride, but if you slow down and enjoy the scenery, it's awesome! So many cool things to take pictures of, and if you want a snack, you can't beat the ice cream cookie sandwich from Dino-Bites. And Nemo is a must-see - it's my favorite show in all of WDW!

 

[SobchakSecurity]

Though the lion exhibit doesn't have a "pride rock" here at the Bronx zoo, we at least have lions that are VISIBLE!! And the trail at the Bronx zoo where they have the Okapi and gorillas, in my opinion, is far better designed than that at DAK.

A Bronx Zoo to Animal Kingdom comparison is probably a bit unfair; one is managed by the world's foremost zoological society, while the other is managed by the world's largest media company. Plus viewing animals in gorgeous Beaux-arts buildings complete with Gustavino tiles is something Animal Kingdom can't compete with.

I pretty much don't compare Animal Kingdom to a zoo, because I don't go for the animals. I go for the atmosphere and attractions, and while they are awesomely executed, the park still needs a few more.

 

[puntagordabob]

I agree..no zoo as I have ever seen comes even close to Animal Kingdom!!!

For those hankering for more at DAK.... I believe Avatar is just the beginning.... (thinking positive!)

 

[imagineer boy]

Well they did use the NAHTAZU phrase for sometime...Then it stopped...Sad really. I even remember the commercial that mentioned it.
http://vimeo.com/25256194

I miss that! I actulally think that was a pretty good marketing technique too.

 

[Philhar-Fanatic]

I agree with fractal and blueskyze. There is such attention to detail in this park, so much to see and appreciate. It's not about the rides, it's about just slowing down and taking in. This is the only park that we do this in. Seems that when were in Magic Kingdom, which we love, we just hop from place to place because were always excited to get to the next ride. I love that at Animal Kingdom we can just take our time and soak it all in!! I could literally sit on a bench and watch the gorillas for 30 to 45 mins. We love to sit and watch the tree lady move. We have watched Lion King once and Nemo once and we've been three years in a row. The parts we love are way outside of that. It's all the beauty that is beyond the rides and shows. I do have to say that we hopped the train to Rafiki's and Conservation one time and it left ALOT to be desired, but that doesn't dampen our view of the park any. We just don't hop on that train anymore!

 

[pumpkin7]

i really didn't like animal kingdom that much. to be fair, it's probably to do with the fact that it rained, heavily, for the entire day. it started off nice and we went straight to the rapids. as soon as we got on the rapids, RAIN. so we were soaked for the entire day and it was just miserable; wet feet, wet clothing, wet hair and no opportunity to get dry. bleugh.
i did enjoy everest and dinosaur, but other than that, i hated it.
seen as it probably was just the weather that ruined it last time, next time we go, we'll give it another chance.
and yes, rafiki's area is terrible! never ever going on that train ride again lol

 

[MickeyPeace]

AK is my favorite park. Like other posts have stated, it's not just about the rides here.
One of my favorite places to be in any Disney park is Asia in AK. Just walking, exploring, eating, having tea is fun. Which other theme park can offers a complete environment like this?
AK has mastered the art of immersion.

I bet many people who think AK isn't a full day park don't bother to include Rafikis Planet watch in their day. There is so much to do there.

 

[lebeau]

I somewhat agree. The atmosphere is unmatched. But it needs more, and while I love the design of the animal enclosures, they aren't viewer friendly. Though the lion exhibit doesn't have a "pride rock" here at the Bronx zoo, we at least have lions that are VISIBLE!! And the trail at the Bronx zoo where they have the Okapi and gorillas, in my opinion, is far better designed than that at DAK. I mean, I get what Disney was trying to do, but what's the point if none of the animals are visible.


Only by themeing standards. What makes zoos better is the ability to see the animals. At Disney there are too many places for them to hide. I've taken safari trips where none of the marquee animals were visible. No elephants, no "glimpse" of lion hair, no cheetahs, no rhinos, no crocodiles, no mandrills...I think we did get to see a giraffe though. I know that they are trying to incorporate realism, and allow the animals more freedom than the local zoo...but nonetheless this isn't reality, and I didn't stand in line to see Thomson Gazelles and a bongo.

This. Exactly.

If I want to see animals, we have a great local zoo with some degree of themeing. But, we can actually see the animals. Lots of them. Very easily. If my goal is to see animals, my local zoo is superior to DAK.

If my goal is to ride rides, DAK wins. But then I have to compare the DAK offerings to other parks in Orlando and it comes up wanting there.

What you wind up with is 1/2 of a very lavish zoo where the animals are kind of hard to see and 1/2 of a Disney theme park. It's not especially satisfying to fans of either zoos or theme parks. But if you ever really wished you could do a little of both in one place, DAK is right for you.

 

[walterdisney]

I completely disagree with anyone that says AK is like a zoo, just because they both have animals doesnt mean anything.

AK is a beautifuly themed park and has some of my favorite attractions in it. While it isnt my favorite park it still beats any zoo anywhere. I think the food choices and overall theme beats out the studios as well.

And the park isnt just for viewing animals, Disney cant control where the lions and elephants go. If you havent noticed the animals have minds of there own.

 

[Becky]

Zoo's rock Check out the Columbus Zoo Manatee Coast. It out themes Disney's Manatee exibit by a wide margin. Check out the World's largest indoor Jungle,Desert Dome and Kingdoms of the Night in Omaha. Check out Pittsburg and Cincinnatti's Zoos.

For animal viewing all of the above beat Disney. That said I do enjoy AK.

 

[jlevis]

I agree with fractal and blueskyze. There is such attention to detail in this park, so much to see and appreciate. It's not about the rides, it's about just slowing down and taking in. This is the only park that we do this in. Seems that when were in Magic Kingdom, which we love, we just hop from place to place because were always excited to get to the next ride. I love that at Animal Kingdom we can just take our time and soak it all in!! I could literally sit on a bench and watch the gorillas for 30 to 45 mins. We love to sit and watch the tree lady move. We have watched Lion King once and Nemo once and we've been three years in a row. The parts we love are way outside of that. It's all the beauty that is beyond the rides and shows. I do have to say that we hopped the train to Rafiki's and Conservation one time and it left ALOT to be desired, but that doesn't dampen our view of the park any. We just don't hop on that train anymore!

I couldn't say it any better. MK is the heart and soul of WDW but AK is where you can stop to smell the roses.