Overlooked Animal Kingdom!

tdpolo26

Active Member
i have to agree with every saying its not a half day park it really can be a couple day park... now your in shape with two people you may be able to do the park in 4 hours... but you will miss most the shows. basically you can ride a few rides and leave.... but if you like the ambiance, theming, shows, parades, and general wandering you could spend a day or two there. personally it is always a park we dedicate a minimum of a day too maybe more.
 

Beholder

Well-Known Member
I love AK, I love the unrivaled attention to detail, and I love the seemingly endless trails and pathways to explore. However, I really understand those who wish for more in the way of attraction/rides. My daughter has a friend who's 16, and she went to the AK for the first time about 3 weeks ago. She loved EE, Dinosaur, and a couple other things, but didn't mention the animals or "theme" at all. She did mention how it didn't seem like there was much to do. Now of course, she doesn't represent everyone, but this may be a more common reaction than Disney would like. It is a theme park, and they charge what they charge, so people may expect the same level of attraction offerings that the other parks offer.
 

JiminyandTink

Well-Known Member
I love DAK, it's definitely the most relaxing park for me (it almost forces you to slow down a bit). That being said, I still probably rank it last on my list of WDW parks, but it's really like choosing between your kids for a pixie-duster like myself.

Adding to my original post... I tend to go off-season so the limited park hour definitely factor into my DAK ranking... hopefully Avatar Land improves this.
 

erasure fan1

Well-Known Member
I went for four days a few weeks ago.

  1. Magic Kingdom
  2. Epcot
Most of my time.

One afternoon took the boat from Epcot to Hollywood Studios.
My last day I realized, missed many shows, Tower of Terror and Rock n Roll roller coaster, so I went back to Hollywood Studios.

Did miss Disney's Animal Kingdom altogether and have no regrets.

Now a friend asked me about Disney's Animal Kingdom and said yes you need to go...... he never been to the park. I been to the park and I decided until they add something or I have lots of spare time Disney's Animal Kingdom is the park I miss.
We went for 8 days last month and ended up not going to animal kingdom at all and like you I don't regret it. We were there for the last weekend of star wars weekends and because things were so busy we decided to max our time at the other parks. I love AK, and if they added maybe 4 attractions, 2 larger scale and 2 medium, it would probably end up being my favorite of all the parks. I really have to side with the people who say its just a 1/2 day park. Very few people, myself and family included, like everything a park has to offer. For this reason its a half day for us. If you did everything you can spend a day but if there are a few things you don't care for, the time it takes starts to dwindle fast. More power to the people who like to "explore" the park, I just can't do that every trip, I need a few more attractions to justify my going and taking away time from the other parks.
 

STITCHGEFAN

Member
I love the Animal Kingdom and it baffles me how the park can go so unpopular. The scenery and the design is something else, but they have some very good rides too. Dinosaur is my favourite Disney ride! Whilst KS, KRR and EE (although not what it was) are all great too.

I hear a lot of people claim that there is a lack of things to do but I strongly disagree. On our trip there last week we arrived for opening and left at closing (7 I think?) Having just finished everything we wanted to do. We did the Wilderness Explorers book and it was fun and entertaining.

Ok, so there are areas that could do with changing. (Dinoland is tacky and should be at a carnival rather than Disney) but there are rides at other parks that need much more TLC than anything at AK.
 

jw24

Well-Known Member
AK is my third favorite park but I still like it as a whole. I think a lot of people stereotype the AK as being a Disney zoo to begin with and as people have stated, it is expensive to visit and the MK and Epcot are much bigger draws. Still, I love the theming and they have some really great entertainment like FOTLK, the Jungle Jammin Parade and even the legendary Guitar Dan! Plus the KS allow you to take unobstructed photos of the animals and not a lot of regular zoos offer that. (Though I know Six Flags Great Adventure is doing their version of KS!) The AK has only been around since '98 so it's fairly young compared to the other parks but it's still one of the top ten most visited theme parks in the entire world.
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
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Beholder

Well-Known Member
I think one of the "problems" that AK may have is it truly is full of unrealized potential. Disney just has not pushed the boundaries of what this park can be. So much has been left on the table in terms of what could've been done. The world of prehistoric animals has barely been realized, underrepresented areas/animal life from around our current world, and outside of the Yeti, nothing to speak of in the mythology/fantasy front. The attraction line up should be spectacular. Personally, I'd love to see AK as the natural worlds EPCOT. Unique attractions, focus on the science of the animal kingdom, using relevant issues (conservation, endangered species, etc.) to help tell an intriguing narrative with amazing and imaginative attractions. And an amazing menagerie of mythological creatures.

But, to be absolutely clear, I LOVE the Animal Kingdom. I just think I see why others may not so much, at least some of the reasons.
 

ginadee

Well-Known Member
AK is my favorite park. It was also the favorite of my friend who had never been. FOTLK is my all time favorite attraction. Its always taken me a full day just like all the other parks.
 

SPMTCP2003

Member
Original Poster
I think one of the "problems" that AK may have is it truly is full of unrealized potential. Disney just has not pushed the boundaries of what this park can be. So much has been left on the table in terms of what could've been done. The world of prehistoric animals has barely been realized, underrepresented areas/animal life from around our current world, and outside of the Yeti, nothing to speak of in the mythology/fantasy front. The attraction line up should be spectacular. Personally, I'd love to see AK as the natural worlds EPCOT. Unique attractions, focus on the science of the animal kingdom, using relevant issues (conservation, endangered species, etc.) to help tell an intriguing narrative with amazing and imaginative attractions. And an amazing menagerie of mythological creatures.

But, to be absolutely clear, I LOVE the Animal Kingdom. I just think I see why others may not so much, at least some of the reasons.

I agree, on some aspects. But have you ever been back to Conservation Station at Rafiki's Planet Watch? (I would understand if you and many have not due to the rather absurd way to get there via a train. When will they add a walking trail?! But I digress) It is one of the few places in the world where you can go and watch live action medical procedures being performed on the animals. Really amazing.

Kilimanjaro Safaris, too, has a storyline heavy in conservation, endangered species, and poaching. In fact, when the park first opened, the end of the ride used to feature the baby elephant's slain mother, killed by the poachers you began tracking halfway through the trek. It did not take the imagineers long to change the end of the story to your safari bus saving the baby elephant. The in-your-face poaching fallout proved to be a bit extreme for the guests, especially younger ones. o_O
 

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
I think one of the "problems" that AK may have is it truly is full of unrealized potential. Disney just has not pushed the boundaries of what this park can be. So much has been left on the table in terms of what could've been done. The world of prehistoric animals has barely been realized, underrepresented areas/animal life from around our current world, and outside of the Yeti, nothing to speak of in the mythology/fantasy front. The attraction line up should be spectacular. Personally, I'd love to see AK as the natural worlds EPCOT. Unique attractions, focus on the science of the animal kingdom, using relevant issues (conservation, endangered species, etc.) to help tell an intriguing narrative with amazing and imaginative attractions. And an amazing menagerie of mythological creatures.
I think this just about hits the jackpot!

I find DAK a very frustrating park. I try to enjoy Disney parks for what they are, for what is, instead of thinking of what could've been or what was. Just for my own sanity. But at DAK, I just can't help but decry all the unrealised potential. So much should've been just a bit better. Which is not a problem per se. Very much in Orlando and in life in general should've been just a bit better. However, the frustrating this is, that if only DAK were a bit better it would've been magnificent. How is this park not the greatest park in the world?

DAK is so agonisingly close to being divine! Yet it always disappoints. Mostly it is a lacklustre experience.

And I don't mean travesties such as the nets and the Yeti. But how they managed to have dinosaurs in a theme park and not be amazing. How Kali is the world's only raft ride that isn't any fun. How the exploration park has the most boring strecth of walkway in any Orlando park. How there is no area like DLP' Adventure Isle, with suspension bridges and caves and tunnels and waterfalls and winding paths. (Disco Island comes close, but is too tame, too neat. You never truly venture out into the wilderness). How the old Bay Lake Discovery Isle remains the greatest wildlife experience WDW ever had, with better aviaries and bird watching than DAK.
 

Uddy

Active Member
So many people look at all WDW parks just for the big ticket rides. To me, the theming of the entire park is an attraction (With NO lines!). In a world that is obsessed with constant stimulation, you would think this would be the perfect park. Every step of this park is an E ticket ride. Emerse yourself in the story of the park. Slow down and look around!
 

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