Sunday afternoon at AK

[PARichards]

First-time family trip w/4 girls, ages 8, 6, 4, 4, 2nd wk of Sept. We're driving down, planning to arrive on a Sunday in time for a 2:30pm ADR @ the Tusker House. After a long drive, the kids are usually starving, and I'm sure they'll be eager to meet someone special, so hoping that our plans satisfy both requirements. Now, several Q's:
1. How long should we plan from entering WDW to AK's TH? We're staying at AoA, but weren't necessarily planning on stopping there first. Just want to make sure we allow plenty of time so we don't miss the ADR. DH wants to, literally, hop out the car, set foot in AK, eat&greet. So just trying my best to make fantasy a reality.
2. What's there to do in AK after 4pm? I understand it doesn't stay open late, and all the blogs recommend going early in the morning, etc. We have 5-day park hoppers, so aren't married to having to *stay* @ AK, just looking for fun things we might miss if we take off "immediately" after our meal is over... (And, also, how far in advance will we be able to look up just how late the park will stay open when we go?) Does it make sense to encourage the exhausted/cranky driver to go check in at AoA on his own, while I stay behind with the tiny-legged ones, traipsing through the park?

 

[JohnD]

If you arrive that Sunday and are going directly to an ADR at 2:30, with the park closing at 5pm on both 9/7 and 9/14 (don't know which day you'll be there), you really won't have much to do. I would anticipate at least an hour at TH, leaving you with only a little more than an hour left in AK, if that. If you really want to maximize your time in AK, I would cancel the ADR at TH if I were you.

I would instead arrive in the park, maybe grab counter service from Flame Tree BBQ, then make use of FP+ wherever you can get them until closing at 5. For the children, I would recommend Safaris and Festival of the Lion King at Least. You can best gauge Everest and Dinosaur as appropriate for your children. You also have Flights of Wonder, Nemo, and Tough to Be a Bug shows. The rest are walking trails to see animals (one in Africa, one in Asia), the Rafiki planet watch, "fair" rides in Dinoland, and Kali River Rapids. Grab an ADR at park close at the AK Rain Forest instead (haven't been there but it's a "kid-friendly" restaurant).

If your first day of the 5 day park hopper is that day as scheduled, then it is definitely a waste, at least for AK. I understand the kiddies may need some rest but that PH ticket will only have value that day if you plan on another park that evening.

 

[docdebbi]

it is a long walk to TH, of course you chose the one furthest from the entrance. i would allow 30 min from parking to restaurant if you hightail it. lunch should be about an hour, and you don't want to rush the m&g. since you will be right in afrika, i would do the safari while you are there and croos over to discovery island and do It's a bug's life. then you will be almost passing dino land so i would pop in and do dinosaur on your way out
remember, you only have to be in line by 5, not on the ride. if you don't want to do dinosaur, it's a further walk/not on the way out, but it's a great time to do kali river rapids. we try to do this as our last ride of the day so we don't walk around wet all day

 

[Master Yoda]

I have to agree with @JohnD . Going to Ak that late is a serious waste. Not only will you have very little time to do anything, but the majority of the animals will be waiting to go off display. If you have to go to a park, hit something like MK of Epcot that will stay open later.

Personally, I would hit the food court at AoA then let the kids hit the pool and get an early start the next day.

 

[mcurtiss]

yeah, you need at least a whole day in the AK. Personally i find the place a little exasperating in terms of getting around from area to area, so you do end up burning a little time.

 

[PARichards]

I would LOVE a whole day at AK! I think the girls would love it, too. The DH? Not so much. Now, after reading about the 5pm closing, I remember why I suggested scheduling for an ADR on arrival: The Dude wanted to "get AK over with" and I remember saying, " well, it looks like it closes earlier than the either parks," and then Dude not caring, pfft. So then I suggested a character meal to guarantee we would do/see things at AK, on the off chance we don't make it back. Because if left up to DH we won't go there twice, even with PHs, I was reading yesterday about some of the AK shows that said they have start times after 5pm, which got me thinking we had more time inside AK that afternoon. So nevermind *that* Q.

As for wasting a park ticket...

We intend to check in and doing dinner at...Epcot? HS? Point is, we were planning on using those PHs, just no hard plans, yet. HS is DHs fave, and also doesn't stay open superlate, it seems, which I think DH was counting on to encourage an early-ish bedtime, so we can get an early start on Day 2. Anyone have a fave Quick Service in HS or Epcot we could hit for dinner?

 

[PARichards]

it is a long walk to TH, of course you chose the one furthest from the entrance. i would allow 30 min from parking to restaurant if you hightail it. lunch should be about an hour, and you don't want to rush the m&g. since you will be right in afrika, i would do the safari while you are there and croos over to discovery island and do It's a bug's life. then you will be almost passing dino land so i would pop in and do dinosaur on your way out
remember, you only have to be in line by 5, not on the ride. if you don't want to do dinosaur, it's a further walk/not on the way out, but it's a great time to do kali river rapids. we try to do this as our last ride of the day so we don't walk around wet all day

Yes, I chose the restaurant hoping it would allow us time to walk through the park . Glad to hear you only have to be in line by 5, that means we might do one other thing besides eat there- not trying to push my luck with cramming a whole bunch in such a limited time.

 

[JohnD]

Hmm. Well, your call. There are things to do in AK. Unlike MK, it's not the type of park to hit "commando style". There are things to enjoy if you let it and this might be a time for your DH to step back and think of the kids' enjoyment. It's a family vacation after all. FOTLK will be playing again in the new theater. That is MUST DO. Personally, I think it's the best show in all of WDW. I'll leave it to you to figure out what else you can do in AK with the timeframe that you have.

As for quick service, where there's Pizza Planet (self-explanatory) and Fairfax Fare (BBQ) in HS and all kinds of places in Epcot, especially around WS. See http://allears.net/dining/menu.

 

[PARichards]

There are things to enjoy if you let it and this might be a time for your DH to step back and think of the kids' enjoyment. It's a family vacation after all. FOTLK will be playing again in the new theater. That is MUST DO. Personally, I think it's the best show in all of WDW. I'll leave it to you to figure out what else you can do in AK with the timeframe that you have.

I am kinda counting on my MANipulation skillz to get us (my kids and I) what we want out of this vacay. DH has simply dismissed the AK as "just another zoo, and don't we go to one at home all the time?" while everything I'm hearing/reading is telling me our family would love it. A good friend was just saying we shouldn't miss the FOTLK, and now I don't intend to! I've got 5 months to make DH believe it was his idea that we see it, so I'm not worried. Maybe. Lol!

 

[JohnD]

I am kinda counting on my MANipulation skillz to get us (my kids and I) what we want out of this vacay. DH has simply dismissed the AK as "just another zoo, and don't we go to one at home all the time?" while everything I'm hearing/reading is telling me our family would love it. A good friend was just saying we shouldn't miss the FOTLK, and now I don't intend to! I've got 5 months to make DH believe it was his idea that we see it, so I'm not worried. Maybe. Lol!

You can sell him on Everest at least (easy). Maybe Dinosaur. Kids will love getting wet on Kali River Rapids. Yes, the Safari, walking trails, Rafiki's Planet Watch, and Flights of Wonder are the "zoo" in AK. Then the shows are FotLK, Nemo, and Tough to be a Bug.

 

[PARichards]

Turns out KRR is one of those few rides the 4 yr olds are tall enough to ride with the whole fam (they are very petite), so I'm excited about it! (He can't say "no" to his babies!) Should we be reserving FOLK tickets in advance? I see on the website it's closed, so no dates/times schedule yet? Or is this a show that we can get in line for? I'm not such a planner by nature, and enjoy the ambling-about-and-taking-in-the-scenery thing, so I'm really apprehensive about (feeling like) having to schedule so much in advance! We got our Disney confirmation/what to do next booklet a couple of days ago, and they seem to be really pushing the FP+ ...or is it just me?

 

[JohnD]

FotLK is due to re-open on July 1. When I was last there, I just planned on what time I wanted to see the show and got there about a half-hour in advance. But FP+ is completely rolled out by now. Given your timeframe of 2:30-5:00, if there is a FP+ for FotLK, then I would go ahead and use one of the three for it and get it scheduled. You'll be able to plan the rest of your time in AK around it. Your 60 day window should open up sometime mid-July.

 

[tlev]

I have a 7 year old daughter. Animal Kingdom is her favorite park. It has been since she was 4. Hopefully your MANipulation can work. I think it would be terrible if you did not spend a full day at AK.

 

[PARichards]

I think I'm going to push for an itinerary that includes a "free" last day, meaning we'll have seen each park by Day 5 so we can take a poll to see which was the fave and go back. Something tells me it might just be AK. I might go ahead and covertly grab a Safari FP+, hm...

 

[tlev]

I think I'm going to push for an itinerary that includes a "free" last day, meaning we'll have seen each park by Day 5 so we can take a poll to see which was the fave and go back. Something tells me it might just be AK. I might go ahead and covertly grab a Safari FP+, hm...

We ususally do the same thing. I leave it up to my daughter to choose and she always picks Animal Kingdom! Have fun on your trip!

 

[PARichards]

Back for more "your arrival day sucks" abuse!

Ok, so the plan for DAK day is (for now):

Noon arrival at AoA for MagicBand activation&etc.

1pm DAK arrival (we will drive from AoA to DAK to save commuting time, but we're giving ourselves an hour from resort arrival to park arrival as a cushion)

2:30pm ADR Tusker House

Initially I was hoping to watch the JJ parade after lunch but now that's gone, we will probably do the Safari after lunch, assuming the animals aren't all passed out from the heat.

That's all I've got. What do we have time to do prior to lunch, assuming we hit the park entrance at 1? Explore the Tree? DinoLand?

Yes, I understand we won't have time for much, and I'm ok with that. Just want a little help creating a touring plan that makes the best use of the time we *will* have there.

Things we'd like to do with our FP+: Kilimanjaro Safari, KRR, FotLK if it's back, otherwise Nemo show. We (by which I mean I/me) would like to end our day with the latest show available, so we aren't taking up park exploration time watching a show. But from what I can see, the last Nemo show times are typically an hour before the park closes- does that give us enough time to see a show and hit KRR? Wouldn't want to sit through a show soaking wet, that's for sure.

And if KRR is something people do earlier in their day: what are your best "how not to get soaked" tips?

TIA!

 

[mcurtiss]

for KRR, I just put our socks and cellphones in the lockers and wore a poncho. i barely got wet, but teenagers across from me got drenched from head to toe.

 

[LAKid53]

I would LOVE a whole day at AK! I think the girls would love it, too. The DH? Not so much. Now, after reading about the 5pm closing, I remember why I suggested scheduling for an ADR on arrival: The Dude wanted to "get AK over with" and I remember saying, " well, it looks like it closes earlier than the either parks," and then Dude not caring, pfft. So then I suggested a character meal to guarantee we would do/see things at AK, on the off chance we don't make it back. Because if left up to DH we won't go there twice, even with PHs, I was reading yesterday about some of the AK shows that said they have start times after 5pm, which got me thinking we had more time inside AK that afternoon. So nevermind *that* Q.

As for wasting a park ticket...

We intend to check in and doing dinner at...Epcot? HS? Point is, we were planning on using those PHs, just no hard plans, yet. HS is DHs fave, and also doesn't stay open superlate, it seems, which I think DH was counting on to encourage an early-ish bedtime, so we can get an early start on Day 2. Anyone have a fave Quick Service in HS or Epcot we could hit for dinner?

Methinks the "Dude" needs some reeducation with regards to AK. Why drive directly to the park after a long road trip? I would, quite frankly, ditch the ADR at Tusker House on Sunday, go check in at the resort first in order to make sure everything is working (by that I mean the Magic Bands if you got them in advance) before going to any park. Tusker House is a brisk 15-20 walk from the entrance to the park. And we never drive to the park unless we have to (an early character breakfast before the buses start 45 minutes prior to park opening).

If AK closes at 5PM that day, you will have little time (depending on how full the parking lot at AK is) to do anything else other than eat - Tusker House is going to take up at least 1 hour and you need to include waiting to be seated. I agree with John D, eat quick service at AK - either Flame Tree is good (big, big portions of very good ribs or 1/2 of a large chicken) or quick service for Yak and Yeti - love their noodles.

That time of the afternoon will be too late for the Safari ride (still will be hot in Orlando in September and many animals will be walking back to their evening abode) and what else is left? Everest? Kali River Rapids? Dinoland? You won't have much time after a table service meal to do anything in AK before it closes at 5PM. Hence, quick service meal, get FP+ for Everest, Kali and Dinoland. Then go back to the resort for some R&R and head over to MK for evening stuff in order to use that park hopper option - once you've used the FP+ at AK, you can pick up more at MK at the kiosks. And if you go to MK around dinner time, the wait at some of the rides shouldn't be too bad. I would go to AK first thing one of the other days you are there to ride KS - usually first thing in the AM standby is not too long - maybe 10 to 20 minutes. Then you can head to other parks and not use up a precious FP+ just for Safari.

 

[cw1982]

I too think your family would be much happier that evening at Epcot or MK if you hang out at the hotel first to relax and rejuvenate, but if that's not an option...

Can you switch your AK day with MK, Epcot, or HS? AK is really best done in the mornings, when the animals haven't given into the heat and retreated for the afternoon. The other three parks are all open until at least 8 pm (MK is open until 10 with EMH until midnight that night, Epcot is open until 9, and HS is open until 8) on 9/7. If the Sunday you're talking about is 9/14, Epcot is open until 9 and HS is open until 9:30 thanks to EMH. I just can't imagine using any part of a ticket, PH or not, on rushing through a park to make ADR's and then rushing out in hopes of riding one, maybe two or three at most, more rides before going elsewhere. I wouldn't even use a free ticket that way, especially since you're planning to hop to another park later. Considering how long it takes to go from one park to another (keep in mind time to park and get to the parks from the parking lots, which tend to be crowded), that plan just seems like it'll be more rushing around than anything. After a long ride in the car that morning, the kids are probably not going to be up for all that rushing around, especially the younger ones.

Or, could you drive down the day before and stay somewhere cheap that night so that you can wake up refreshed and be ready to hit AK closer to opening time?

As far as DH thinking AK is just another zoo, he is sadly mistaken and I hope you're planning to show him some youtube clips from the rides, pictures from the attractions (Google should work nicely for this) and show him the attraction descriptions on Disney's site.

I love the idea of having the last day be a "free day," but I wouldn't rely too heavily on the kids wanting to go back to AK for that time slot; you never know how much they'll love the other parks as well

 

[LAKid53]

I too think your family would be much happier that evening at Epcot or MK if you hang out at the hotel first to relax and rejuvenate, but if that's not an option...

Can you switch your AK day with MK, Epcot, or HS? AK is really best done in the mornings, when the animals haven't given into the heat and retreated for the afternoon. The other three parks are all open until at least 8 pm (MK is open until 10 with EMH until midnight that night, Epcot is open until 9, and HS is open until 8) on 9/7. If the Sunday you're talking about is 9/14, Epcot is open until 9 and HS is open until 9:30 thanks to EMH. I just can't imagine using any part of a ticket, PH or not, on rushing through a park to make ADR's and then rushing out in hopes of riding one, maybe two or three at most, more rides before going elsewhere. I wouldn't even use a free ticket that way, especially since you're planning to hop to another park later. Considering how long it takes to go from one park to another (keep in mind time to park and get to the parks from the parking lots, which tend to be crowded), that plan just seems like it'll be more rushing around than anything. After a long ride in the car that morning, the kids are probably not going to be up for all that rushing around, especially the younger ones.

Or, could you drive down the day before and stay somewhere cheap that night so that you can wake up refreshed and be ready to hit AK closer to opening time?

As far as DH thinking AK is just another zoo, he is sadly mistaken and I hope you're planning to show him some youtube clips from the rides, pictures from the attractions (Google should work nicely for this) and show him the attraction descriptions on Disney's site.

I love the idea of having the last day be a "free day," but I wouldn't rely too heavily on the kids wanting to go back to AK for that time slot; you never know how much they'll love the other parks as well

CW, I agree with you about AK - best to do in the AM. But I wasn't sure how tied they were to TH & AK the afternoon they arrive. We always like to take that first afternoon to unwind after the road trip - usually go to Downtown Disney and catch a dine-in movie at AMC. But then we are APs and don't have to worry about tickets we purchased not being fully utilized.