Unimpressed with Animal Kingdom

[gobstoper27]

It took a while for me to appreciate AK. Now its in my top 2. I went in September and noticed so many things that I missed over the years. We're always so busy running here and there and wasting most of the day standing in line for flight of passage. I think it may grow on you eventually. I heard its best to do safaris earlier in the day at least that's when we have the best luck. The food is usually outstanding there as well, maybe everything was just out of alignment when you visited ☹ it doesn't help that the performers and shows are down

 

[LastoneOn]

As Shania Twain once said...That don't impress me much...

I was very disappointed in AK and the over all time I spent at the park. I am glad it took me 22 years to get here because honestly, it was not at all what I expected. There were not many animals, and not many rides. While Avatar was my favorite land, even the river ride was boring. The food was terrible! Not sure if it was because of covid changes or what but it was bad.

The good's were it was a beautiful park, a lot to visually see, but man, WHERE, ARE, THE, ANIMALS? Like, no where to be found.

I would say its a great park to walk around it and have a nice stroll, but as far as everything else, very boring and not worth the price...

Sorry to be a Debbie downer, but has anyone else had this similar experience? I've been to Disney like 15+ times...

You're favorite land was a make believe land.
You demand the animals line up along a fence or window or the place sucks.

Ok.

 

[arich35]

Only have been once back in December and we loved it but we are also big animal people. I'm so sad all the fun street entertainment will be gone for awhile and we probably won't get to experience it in May. It is probably going to be a very different experience then what we remember from 10 months ago

 

[LastoneOn]

It's called "Animal Kingdom". I think expecting to see animals is a fair assumption.

Have never not seen any over the course of many years, different times of year, morning or afternoon. And I'm sure I'll see them all in a few months.

 

[LastoneOn]

You chided the OP for expecting to see animals and said the park is not a zoo.

Now it's "full of them". So is it not fair for a novice to expect to easily find them?

that dog don't hunt

 

[LastoneOn]

Yes I did, and I also did the safari. The "pilot" on the "radio" was cute. You know what doesn't cost a hundred bucks for a superior drive-through safari, and I can DRIVE MYSELF? Lion Country Safari near West Palm Beach for a FIFTH of the price.

You misjudge me with the phone thing. My eyes were very open and attentive to my surroundings, and my mind was saying at every turn: "I paid a hundred bucks to see that tree?" "I paid a hundred bucks to take a train to a petting zoo?" "I paid a hundred bucks to look at that stagnant river?" "I paid a hundred bucks to visit a carnival?" "I paid a hundred bucks to look at that ape behind glass when I could have done the same for far cheaper at Miami Metrozoo...I mean...ZooMiami?"

The list goes on and on.


"This concrete sidewalk was made to look like mud and has an imprint of a leaf." Wow.

And it doesn't take this idiot to see that the train should have looped and connected around the property. That was a GIANT mistake. HUGE lack of any thought there.

But I guess they didn't see the forest when they were looking at the trees. Pun intended.

I don't think you're serious person You're simply mocking everything people have said they enjoy about the place and being absurd about environmental features like a river. I suppose you like all the smooth colored concrete, the stagnant "river" around the castle, the artificial lakes and all of that of the other parks? And you of course know AK isn't a zoo. You're been round here since 2015 and act like its all so new to you. Phony.

 

[MonorailCoral]

Well for starters, Kilimanjaro Safaris hasn't used Wilson in at least the better part of a decade, so perhaps you haven't been there in that long and your memory is cloudy?

Thank you for confirming that there was no need to take another safari ride after my last one in 2010, and that the attraction's entertainment value had only declined since.

But that was far from my last DAK visit. Friends and family who hadn't been still wanted to check it out...They even went on the safari and came off saying much of the same things I did: Lion Country Safari in near West Palm Beach is a far better...and much cheaper..."animal kingdom" experience, and there isn't otherwise a whole lot of value to the park besides a few rides, some animal pen walk-throughs, and a whole lot of walking to get nowhere.

But if your entire takeaway from the park is: TREES! GROUND!, then either you're trolling, you have zero awareness of your surroundings, or you are very dense. I'd add in a bunch of pictures of the amazing thematic detail found throughout the park, but, you're probably trolling so it's not worth it. If you're not, you can do this yourself.

Thematic detail...OOH, take my money!!

"Honey, we should come back next year for more of the...thematic detail!!1"

Where do I get a CD copy of those cultural noises they pipe through the hidden speakers??

Here's a random broken-down bus, finely crafted by Disney's best culturally-appropriated and environmentally-smuggen imagineers of the 1990s.

Wait...couldn't its rust runoff find its way into the animal pens??

 

[NelleBelle]

Is there an aversion to walking?? I’ve noticed in several posts that there have been complaints of Rafiki’s train not taking them all over the park. Now they’re complaining about walking. Yet they didn’t like KS where they could RIDE to see animals. Just rent a scooter and call it a day—then you can whip through the crowds at high speed, rolling over feet, kids, elderly to really ensure you don’t see any animals

 

[mdcpr]

Hey, but did you at least go to Nomad Lounge. Just chilling and having some drinks there would have made the day more enjoyable.

 

[The Colonel]

Lmao, what an absurd over-simplification. More thought was put into the design of every inch of DAK than entire normal zoos.

Not at all. If you're there for the animals, there are better places. The theming and back story doesn't enter into it. I like the place for the most part. But observing and interaction with animals is not the reason.

 

[eliza61nyc]

As Shania Twain once said...That don't impress me much...

I was very disappointed in AK and the over all time I spent at the park. I am glad it took me 22 years to get here because honestly, it was not at all what I expected. There were not many animals, and not many rides. While Avatar was my favorite land, even the river ride was boring. The food was terrible! Not sure if it was because of covid changes or what but it was bad.

The good's were it was a beautiful park, a lot to visually see, but man, WHERE, ARE, THE, ANIMALS? Like, no where to be found.

I would say its a great park to walk around it and have a nice stroll, but as far as everything else, very boring and not worth the price...

Sorry to be a Debbie downer, but has anyone else had this similar experience? I've been to Disney like 15+ times...

Every one has their favorites. I can't understand the love for Epcot, pretty much the only thing we use it for is a place to eat. No harm

 

[Ginzuishou]

No animals? Good. zoo's are just animal prisons anyway, although Disney probably has the best prison for animals as I am sure they have lots of area to roam, get the best care, and get the best food.

 

[Michaelson]

No aversion to walking myself, but regarding the train, I, too, wish it went around the park, but not because it saves steps.

My grandson and I are railfans, and as long as the MK railroad is down, that short train ride at AK is just barely enough to scratch that itch. A longer ride would be MUCH better.....that is, until the MK Railroad is up and running again. ;-)

Regards! Michaelson

 

[HarperRose]

extremely rare........so unusual it's quite hard to believe. How many out there would take 15 WDW trips and presumably see 3 out of the 4 main parks, skipping the same park over and over.......especially in light of the park hopper option that so many do.

I mean we all pretty much have our favorite and least favorites of the 4 but even the "worst" of the 4 gets tapped on some level considering 15 trips.

Statistically this scenario is off the charts.

In defense of the OP, I've been a 1-2x yearly visitor for almost 15 years (always with a PH or AP) and I've been to DHS five times. That park holds no interest for me, so I spend time on my vacation doing what I want to do.

 

[HarperRose]

Well for starters, Kilimanjaro Safaris hasn't used Wilson in at least the better part of a decade, so perhaps you haven't been there in that long and your memory is cloudy?

But if your entire takeaway from the park is: TREES! GROUND!, then either you're trolling, you have zero awareness of your surroundings, or you are very dense. I'd add in a bunch of pictures of the amazing thematic detail found throughout the park, but, you're probably trolling so it's not worth it. If you're not, you can do this yourself.

It's ok. Really. Not everyone has to love AK or EP or MK or DHS.

It's ok for people not to like it.

 

[HongKongFooy]

The Tree of Life...who cares.

Me......
the third best Disney park icon of the 12.


The defunct MGM water tower, BAH and current Paris Studios deserve the "who cares" remark.
But Tree of Life amazes.

 

[HongKongFooy]

In defense of the OP, I've been a 1-2x yearly visitor for almost 15 years (always with a PH or AP) and I've been to DHS five times.

I can't really agree with you here.....

5, in the context of this specific conversation, is astronomically different than never, nothing or 0. The two scenarios of 5 visits vs 0 are night and day based on my observations of park goers.

Your story is somewhat uncommon but not extremely uncommon like the OP.

 

[HarperRose]

I can't really agree with you here.....

5, in the context of this specific conversation, is astronomically different than never, nothing or 0. The two scenarios of 5 visits vs 0 are night and day based on my observations of park goers.

Your story is somewhat uncommon but not extremely uncommon like the OP.

I don't find it uncommon at all. People visit the places they are interested in. OP was not interested in AK, so they didn't go there. It isn't a big deal and certainly not worth the angst some are having about it.

 

[Tom Morrow]

It's ok. Really. Not everyone has to love AK or EP or MK or DHS.

It's ok for people not to like it.

It’s fine to not like it. To make claims that it’s half-assed, cheap, lazy, JuSt a BuNcH oF tReEs, etc. deserves to be called out. Although that poster is likely trolling.

 

[HarperRose]

It’s fine to not like it. To make claims that it’s half-assed, cheap, lazy, JuSt a BuNcH oF tReEs, etc. deserves to be called out. Although that poster is likely trolling.

LOL It doesn't seem fine by the way you're reacting. You're personally offended because someone doesn't like Animal Kingdom.