Missing out on the Animal Kingdom.

[Chase24]

Good Afternoon All,

My Family will be traveling to WDW in Nov. and we have one 3 yr old. We are staying on site for 6 days. In the interest of not over-doing our visit, would we really miss out by not seeing the AK? The other 3 parks are a must and my wife wants to see Downtown Disney and Typhoon Lagoon.

Thanks in Advance,

AB

 

[stitchlvr]

We have a wonderful zoo in our city, with one of the largest aquariums, desert dome, indoor jungle etc. Comparing that to our visit to AK, as I said earlier our first impression was that it was only a glorified zoo (Nahtazu!). If you are going for the focus on the animals and not the Disney factor, while its a great "zoo" experience, its not a big deal if you have a great zoo nearby at home like we do. You have to look at the other experiences to really get a greater appreciation for the park. There are definately things you can skip (I suggest skipping the Pocahontas show, the walking trails if you have a nice zoo, and possibly the Dinorama area, although with a young one, she may enjoy that area). Dinosaur the ride may be intense for her, and she may be too short for it and for Kali River Rapids, which I recommend if you can do that. And even though I have not seen it, I've heard that Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade is pretty fun. Hope that clarifies my earlier post.

As far as Typhoon Lagoon...if you like water parks and that sort of thing, I say go for it also. We went when my youngest was 2 and there was so much for him to do even at that age. They have a section just for little ones, plus the Castaway Creek has tubes with the centers filled in so you can sit the little one on it and still enjoy that experience. I don't know if it can really be compared to the resort pool. I really enjoyed TL (more than Blizzard Beach). :sohappy:

 

[barnum42]

There are definately things you can skip (I suggest skipping the Pocahontas show, the walking trails if you have a nice zoo,

Pochahontas is really just a kid's show, but as you are traveling with a child they may enjoy this.

As for the trails - I personally love the gorillas and tigers and so spend a lot of my time here The tigers tend to be most active in the last hour of the day, but it can involve waiting patiently for some time to see them at play and I suspect your average three year old may not be up to this. Though if you go to the bachelor gorilla group at about 4:30pm you will see the three younger lads sitting at station whilst the old boy heads to bed in peace. If you go to see this, check with a cast member earlier in the day to verify what time it is scheduled as it can be anytime between 4:30 and park closing.

 

[GenerationX]

If I were going to spend a morning at the Animal Kingdom with a three year old (which I've done a couple of times), my itinerary would look something like this:

1. Get there when the park opens.
2. Go straight to Kilimanjaro Safaris and ride it.
3. Walk through the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail.
4. If a Festival of the Lion King show is about to start, go to it, then The Boneyard. If not, go to The Boneyard first, then the show. While Junior is running around the Boneyard, Mom or Dad cuts out for Dinosaur Fastpasses.
5. Mom and Dad go on Dinosaur, using the Switching Off method.
6. Grab lunch at the Pizzafari before heading out.

If you decide to stay a little longer, I'd recommend the Flights of Wonder show, then maybe Rafiki's Planet Watch (although the petting zoo is kind of small).

 

[dandaman]

My first reaction to AK was that it was just a glorified zoo. But I was wrong. There is so much more to it, and I would definately agree with the others, find a way to spend even half a day there. Its worth it. Festival of the Lion King and the safari ride are MUST SEEs!

You want must-sees? Watch that endlessly looping "Top Seven Must-Sees At Walt Disney World" show they have on the resort T.V.'s. :brick::lol: That girl must have skipped the cup and drank the whole coffeepot...

 

[stitchlvr]

You want must-sees? Watch that endlessly looping "Top Seven Must-Sees At Walt Disney World" show they have on the resort T.V.'s. That girl must have skipped the cup and drank the whole coffeepot...

what? No love for Chrissa? (I think that was her name...I should know considering how many times we watched that show...over and over...) :hammer:

I agree, with a 3 year old, Pocahontas might be just fine, especially if you have a whole day at AK. But if time is a consideration, and you only have 1/2 a day, that's one of the things I would recommend skipping. If it came down to Pocahontas, FotLK or Tarzan, FofLK is #1, Tarzan #2 and Pocahontas #3.

The walking trails are lovely, don't get me wrong. Again, just a suggestion when time is an issue, especially if you have a nice zoo back home. In our case we also have a wonderful gorilla exhibit, so the animal parts just don't excite me as much as they should. (If anyone is every in Omaha, NE area, don't miss a trip to Henry Doorly Zoo (www.henrydoorlyzoo.com). I like AK for the rides and shows more than the animals.

 

[barnum42]

If it came down to Pocahontas, FotLK or Tarzan, FofLK is #1, Tarzan #2 and Pocahontas #3.

The walking trails are lovely, don't get me wrong. Again, just a suggestion when time is an issue, especially if you have a nice zoo back home. In our case we also have a wonderful gorilla exhibit, so the animal parts just don't excite me as much as they should. (If anyone is every in Omaha, NE area, don't miss a trip to Henry Doorly Zoo (www.henrydoorlyzoo.com). I like AK for the rides and shows more than the animals.

Can't argue with the show 1,2,3.

I had a look at the link - that's an impressive gorilla exhibit. Were I local, I'd sooooo have a year pass

 

[stitchlvr]

Yea, we're pretty spoiled here with our zoo. And when you can get a family annual pass for around $50 it can't be beat!

 

[Laura]

In July we were able to do 80% of the attractions at Animal Kingdom in less than 3 hours. I'd agree with everyone else and say you could spend half a day at Typhoon Lagoon and half a day at AK or something like that.

I don't particularly care for AK, but I love the Dinosaur ride so much that I MUST visit each time hehe.