I have. DAK handles crowds very well in my opinion.
So far he has confirmed he is “still there.”
World showcase can not handle crowds well. It was bad on the weekend in February this year let alone on peak holidays like nye.
We are saying the same thing. It’s hidden both by its location, and by its facade.
I think I saw on Joe's IG he's also on board for Splash. Will have to check.
If only WDW provided something that you could use to help navigate the park. You know, something like a map.Just to provide a non-regular perspective on AK - I've been two or three times. I literally cannot recall which. By the second or third time (whichever), I figured out that if I just go find Africa, I can spend all of my time there watching FotLK (repeatedly), the drummers and the acrobats.
Otherwise, I for sure cannot find my way around the place.
I've seen the UP show once - don't need to do that again.
I've been to Pandora once - went on NRJ, too short, not enough animatronics, saw a guy in a robot suit, walked into the cafeteria and didn't see anything appetizing to eat. Looked around the land and thought, well, that's green all right. But the rest of the nature trails in other parts of the park that I got lost on with more natural foliage looked nicer.
Saw some gorillas somewhere. Don't need to do that again.
Saw Everest from afar. Can't ride it.
Never saw where the safari or river rapids attractions were. Or if I did, I missed that that's what I was passing by.
Never figured out where the Dinoland, train to the island or wherever, or Nemo shows were. Don't think I saw any table service restaurants anywhere. So I grabbed food from snack carts.
So yeah, my experience of AK is that Africa has great entertainment. Oh, and the Tree of Life looks great from afar. Never figured out if there's a way to get near it.
The place seems like a maze to me.
So is the park confusingly designed or am I stupid? Guess the jury is out.
All reactions IMO of course.
shame you didn’t try anything at the canteen, one of the best counter service restaurants on property. I’m glad you saw the entertainment in Africa.Just to provide a non-regular perspective on AK - I've been two or three times. I literally cannot recall which. By the second or third time (whichever), I figured out that if I just go find Africa, I can spend all of my time there watching FotLK (repeatedly), the drummers and the acrobats.
Otherwise, I for sure cannot find my way around the place.
I've seen the UP show once - don't need to do that again.
I've been to Pandora once - went on NRJ, too short, not enough animatronics, saw a guy in a robot suit, walked into the cafeteria and didn't see anything appetizing to eat. Looked around the land and thought, well, that's green all right. But the rest of the nature trails in other parts of the park that I got lost on with more natural foliage looked nicer.
Saw some gorillas somewhere. Don't need to do that again.
Saw Everest from afar. Can't ride it.
Never saw where the safari or river rapids attractions were. Or if I did, I missed that that's what I was passing by.
Never figured out where the Dinoland, train to the island or wherever, or Nemo shows were. Don't think I saw any table service restaurants anywhere. So I grabbed food from snack carts.
So yeah, my experience of AK is that Africa has great entertainment. Oh, and the Tree of Life looks great from afar. Never figured out if there's a way to get near it.
The place seems like a maze to me.
So is the park confusingly designed or am I stupid? Guess the jury is out.
All reactions IMO of course.
Just to provide a non-regular perspective on AK - I've been two or three times. I literally cannot recall which. By the second or third time (whichever), I figured out that if I just go find Africa, I can spend all of my time there watching FotLK (repeatedly), the drummers and the acrobats.
Otherwise, I for sure cannot find my way around the place.
I've seen the UP show once - don't need to do that again.
I've been to Pandora once - went on NRJ, too short, not enough animatronics, saw a guy in a robot suit, walked into the cafeteria and didn't see anything appetizing to eat. Looked around the land and thought, well, that's green all right. But the rest of the nature trails in other parts of the park that I got lost on with more natural foliage looked nicer.
Saw some gorillas somewhere. Don't need to do that again.
Saw Everest from afar. Can't ride it.
Never saw where the safari or river rapids attractions were. Or if I did, I missed that that's what I was passing by.
Never figured out where the Dinoland, train to the island or wherever, or Nemo shows were. Don't think I saw any table service restaurants anywhere. So I grabbed food from snack carts.
So yeah, my experience of AK is that Africa has great entertainment. Oh, and the Tree of Life looks great from afar. Never figured out if there's a way to get near it.
The place seems like a maze to me.
So is the park confusingly designed or am I stupid? Guess the jury is out.
All reactions IMO of course.
I think you could make similar claims about Disneyland. Western and fairytale parks were not new, nor were attractions based on exotica. Aside from combining these different experiences, what really set Disneyland apart was its commitment to realizing that idea. Even realism was part of it. There’s the story from John Hench about Walt insisting on using leather straps on the stagecoaches despite them not being visible. The Mark Twain and Columbia were both celebrated for for reviving long dormant forms of American shipbuilding. C.K. Holiday and E.P. Ripely are a similar sort of detailed recreation. The park was full of realistic elements that went beyond the standards of other themed entertainment venues. Main Street, USA and World Bazaar at the Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris share many design elements but I would argue that Disneyland Paris has the superior, more romantic and more vibrant street because of its greater realism. Its materiality and tectonics are more authentic and smaller details that suggest a past all build to create a distinct versions.
This is where I think it is important to not conflate ornament and detail. A detail supports the story while ornament can be purely superfluous.
Tony Baxter would be the first to tell you he owns Rocket Rods. He admits he should have pushed back when GM pulled out instead of trying to salvage an idea that no longer had the resources to work. I also think that is a bit of ego talking. I’m not sure the likes of Pressler and Eisner would have had any qualms about handing him a pink slip if he put up too much of a fuss.
As originally conceived, Disney’s Animal Kingdom was supposed to be sort of like Tom Sawyer’s Island: The Park. There was no directional signage nor even a park map. The intent was that guests were to get a bit lost and explore the park, discovering things along the way and not running back-and-forth from ride to ride. This can work for an attraction like Tom Sawyer Island or Adventure Isle but it can easily become trying as the entire experience. As part of its focus on nature the park also eschews the “weenie” oriented design. You don’t have these clear vistas to visual icons, but most people navigate by visual references. With the park mostly being landscape its look was too similar to orient oneself. It was too much of a corn maze with too many dead ends.
There are very few things stateside that are comparable to Tokyo Disney Sea, Disney's Animal Kingdom is one of them.
now isn't it true that the "complete Kali rapids ride " is totally different then what we have today and that it was supposed to be twice as long and a much better ride and that the BEAN COUNTERS cut this ride in half.. isn't that close to being true..?
