Grizzly Hall 71
New Member
Honestly Mickey's Jammin Jungle is my second favorite parade. Behind Block Party Bash.
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What's up with the Animal Kingdom Parade?
- Thread starter Grumpy_Midget
- Start date
powlessfamily4
Well-Known Member
LMAO Did you really sneak this in when no one was looking??
I have never viewed the AK parades so now I am definitely going to have to check this out when I am back at the world in November.
SAV
Well-Known Member
Wow, different strokes for different folks, I guess!
I LOVE Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade! Both the standard version and the Christmas version known as Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade!
I find it to be an extremely fun and festive celebration of animals, and I find the music extremely catchy! I think the parade fits the theme of the park PERFECTLY and I prefer it to Celebrate A Dream Come True and MUCH more than Block Party Bash!
Also, I never understood the stigma of AK supposedly being a "half-day park". I can be a hard-core open-to-close type of parkgoer, and, going at my usual efficient but thorough and comfortable type of pace, have never COME CLOSE to doing everything this park has to offer in a half-day. In fact, I've never finished the park on any FULL day when it closes at 5 PM or 6PM. Only on days with a 7 or 8 PM close have I done every attraction - ride, show, and animal exhibit - without feeling rushed. Of course, I can easily spend at LEAST 1/2 hour in the Affection Section and still not want to leave, at LEAST another 1/2 hour in Conservation Station, and spend AT LEAST 1/2 hour EACH on the 4 main animal trails in Oasis, Discovery Island, Africa, and Asia.
Throw in the 3 shows (Flights of Wonder, Lion King, and Nemo), the Safari, It's Tough To Be a Bug, Everest, Kali, all of Dinoland, the parade, and I don't think it's even mathematically possible to do all this in a half day, not that I would ever try because the whole point of AK to me is to slow down and get in touch with Nature and savor the animals!
I think the only way it could possibly be done would be to rush through the self-guided animal exhibits, but to me these are the heart and soul of the park and I would not get nearly as much out of the experience if I did this.
Also, in addition to the numerous self-guided animal attractions, AK is VERY rich in theming details such as architecture, propping, and music loops, and these can be enjoyed much more by savoring them rather than rushing by in the rush to get on the next "major ride".
I agree 100%. MJJP is the best parade on property. I love the music, the colors the floats and theming. It's a good time parade. I also don't get how people call it a half day park. There is sooo much to see there. The essence of the park is to explore, not run from ride to ride. It's gorgeous there. The detail is amazing.
But hey, I'll let everyone rush to get through and leave so the park is nice and empty for me to enjoy it.
WVParkfan
Member
Won't be completely empty, because it is our family's favorite park. It's the first park we'll go to on our upcoming visit in 2 weeks, and we'll hop over there at least 3 times on our visit!!
As for the OP, I don't know what you look for in a parade, but we think the Jammin' Jungle Parade is the best in all of Disney. Lots of character interaction, and a totally inclusive theme about using music to communicate across cultures. Beats another float with Cinderella for us.
I hate parades. Only caught this one once (and only because I was headed to the Safari and was trapped). But this parade is THEMED, and very artistically done. The floats aren't designed to be actual-to-form, but rather real-world-inspired representations of parades in Africa, which DON'T look like Macy's Parade floats. They aren't cheap at all. Seriously, some people in the previous posts need to get a grip.
This is where I have to disagree. I can easily finish EVRYTHING the park has by 1pm...depending on crowd levels. If you make judicious use of FastPasses and don't keep running back and forth across the park, it is very easy to get through. The exception, of course, is if you stick around for the parade.
I myself have never felt rushed. PlanetWatch (or whatever they are calling it) rarely has anything ever going on when I get over there, so I spend at most a total of a half-an-hour there.
For the two Maharaja Jungle Trek and Pangani Trail, yes. It is very easy to spend at least a half-an-hour each. The other two, not even close. The Oasis animals never seem to be out when I'm there. In fact, one of my problems with DAK is animal visibility. It wasn't designed for guests to view the animals. I can see lions playing at the Bronx zoo, in an area that's probably no smaller than the area they have at DAK. I've seen a lion TWICE in all the times I've been on the safari.
Throw in the 3 shows (Flights of Wonder, Lion King, and Nemo), the Safari, It's Tough To Be a Bug, Everest, Kali, all of Dinoland, the parade, and I don't think it's even mathematically possible to do all this in a half day, not that I would ever try because the whole point of AK to me is to slow down and get in touch with Nature and savor the animals!
Disagree. But again, depends on crowd levels. And even on a crowded day I can be done with the park around 2pm. And let me add that I wasn't trying to be finished by a certain time. And I always visit the rides at least twice.
I usually do the animal exhibits when I grab a FP (i.e., I grab a FP for the Safari and then visit Pangani until my return time. Depending on the return time, that's also when I visit PlanetWatch). Same with Kali River Rapids. Grab a Fp and head to Maharajah Junlge Trek.
That may be, but it's not a musuem. I don't sit around "studying" the architecture. It's meant to immersive. If you sit there to "study" your surroundings looking for the details, you are removing yourself from the immersion.
Never saw it, myself. As I said above, I hate parades. I don't find any intrinsic entertainment value in any of them, and just don't understand their appeal.
disney magic 06
Well-Known Member
I was disappointed the first time I saw the AK parade, after waiting around for it in the heat of the day and made sure I was well out of the way of it on my next few visits. However my friends and I have since found a much more enjoyable way of watching it - sitting in the Dawa Bar with a foaming pint of Safari Amber or a cocktail, just glimpsing it as it passes but soaking up the atmosphere, listening to the music and relaxing.
Wish I was there!
Wish I was there!
WVParkfan
Member
You obviously don't "get" the Animal Kingdom. You've gone out of your way to try to prove the point that you don't like the park much. Fine.
But some of us DO love the Animal Kingdom, and for those of us who do "get it," it is a multi-day park. And if we have some special things to share about it, there's no need for you to try to "correct" posters by spouting your opinion.
If you think the you've done "EVERYTHING" at the AK by 1pm, then by all means, go back to the MK and ride Dumbo for the rest of the day and leave the Animal Kingdom to us.
Wow, great advice. I guess that solves it!
I can respect anyone's opinion that likes this parade, but personally I just don't see how you could like this one over the others. Over 50% of the floats are just park visitors that were picked to be on the floats. Why in the world would I want to look at that? My kids are like, "Who are these people? Where is Cinderella? Arielle? Snow White?" etc, etc, etc.
When it comes to watching Joe Smith from Bakersfield and his family go by on a float versus watching the thousands of lights and characters in the Main Street Electrical Parade, or any other Disney parade for that matter, I'll chose the latter of the two options.
stlbobby
Well-Known Member
Wow, different strokes for different folks, I guess!
I LOVE Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade! Both the standard version and the Christmas version known as Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade!
I find it to be an extremely fun and festive celebration of animals, and I find the music extremely catchy! I think the parade fits the theme of the park PERFECTLY and I prefer it to Celebrate A Dream Come True and MUCH more than Block Party Bash!
Also, I never understood the stigma of AK supposedly being a "half-day park". I can be a hard-core open-to-close type of parkgoer, and, going at my usual efficient but thorough and comfortable type of pace, have never COME CLOSE to doing everything this park has to offer in a half-day. In fact, I've never finished the park on any FULL day when it closes at 5 PM or 6PM. Only on days with a 7 or 8 PM close have I done every attraction - ride, show, and animal exhibit - without feeling rushed. Of course, I can easily spend at LEAST 1/2 hour in the Affection Section and still not want to leave, at LEAST another 1/2 hour in Conservation Station, and spend AT LEAST 1/2 hour EACH on the 4 main animal trails in Oasis, Discovery Island, Africa, and Asia.
Throw in the 3 shows (Flights of Wonder, Lion King, and Nemo), the Safari, It's Tough To Be a Bug, Everest, Kali, all of Dinoland, the parade, and I don't think it's even mathematically possible to do all this in a half day, not that I would ever try because the whole point of AK to me is to slow down and get in touch with Nature and savor the animals!
I think the only way it could possibly be done would be to rush through the self-guided animal exhibits, but to me these are the heart and soul of the park and I would not get nearly as much out of the experience if I did this.
Also, in addition to the numorous self-guided animal attractions, AK is VERY rich in theming details such as architecture, propping, and music loops, and these can be enjoyed much more by savoring them rather than rushing by in the rush to get on the next "major ride".
PS. Regarding the MK Christmas parade, I LOVE that one, too! It makes me feel festive and Christmasy and I appreciate the long runtime!
Well said, Sir. I agree on all points.
I also think there is a bad habit on these boards to label things un-Disney and not up to par just because the poster doesn't like them. The AK parade is different from the other parades, it's not less, it is just different. And that to me is the essence of Disney. They can have multiple parades everyday with special editions through-out the year and each is a distinctive experience. Much better than a half dozen versions of the same parade.
SAV
Well-Known Member
MJJP has characters in it also, so it isn't just "Joe Smith from Bakersfield and his family". That's a little misleading to try and make your point. Yes, there are no princesses, but they really don't fit the theme of AK, so It's good that they didn't try to force them in there to just have them in it. They are sticking to the theme.
But I do have to say I did really like MSEP when we were there in June. It was very cool...because it was different than the others.
You go enjoy the other parade's and I'll enjoy my favorite.
DABIGCHEEZ
Well-Known Member
Not this particular case but just in general!
Just as some general advice as I see you are relatively new here...some of the disney fans here (I call them disney crazies) think they know it all, their way is the best and only way, have lost touch a bit and really think they live in WDW and run the company. Their addiction to the pixie dust is sometimes laughable and I often just sit back and chuckle at them.
Anyway, as far as the AK goes for us, we really love the park and have no problem spending the whole day there(open-close). We often hit this park 2x during our vacation, although this year just one day and one at MK. The parade is our favorite of the daytime parades.
I think the way people go through AK is different based on age, group dynamics, likes and dislikes thats all. Some may not want to spend time in CHESTER & HESTER'S Dino-rama as they just vownot to spend time in what they consider Disney wasted space on this Carnival-like area. My kids love the Primeval Whirl and my youngest loves the Triceratop Spin. We easily spend at least a 1/2 hour- 1 hour at Rafiki's(my 11yo son really enjoys talking with and asking the animal handlers questions)... while I can understand others would rush through. The animal walks can take much longer for those with young kids. Plus we like to find and ID most of the birds on both treks.
DABIGCHEEZ
Well-Known Member
Just an FYI, they do have African Pygmy Goats and Pygmy Hedgehogs(Tennerecs) at Rafiki's and Pygmy Geese along the Pangani Trail... But then again the have a GIANT Anteater in the Oasis Gardens.
DABIGCHEEZ
Well-Known Member
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David S.
Member
Well said! I agree with you, also!
Oh, but I do use Fastpass! I always use Fastpass when needed. The things that keep me in AK for a full day have nothing to do with poor use of Fastpass; it's my spending time with the "little things" that don't even take Fastpass!
Like this past spring when I was in Oasis, there were some newly hatched baby spoonbills that were in a nest near the fence closest to guests, and they had just hatched the day or two before. I spent a LONG time watching the spoonbills, and it was one of the highlights of my day. If I was on some kind of time schedule where I only had, say, 15 minutes or less alloted for Oasis, this would not be possible. Spending the full day and not rushing, on the other hand, allows me to do all the "major stuff" and still have time be spontaneous and savor the "little things"!
I spend at least that much time or more just in the Affection Section portion, visiting Miss Kitty (the Dexter Cow), the goats, sheep, donkeys, llamas, and pigs! And inside there are lots of animals - reptiles, amphibians, and invertabrates. There's the Song Of the Rainforest and other exhibits as well, and usually some kind of presentation where you can pet the animal after it's over. I once got to pet an agouti there. Who ever thought I'd ever get to pet an agouti?!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_agoutiSo the whole process of doing Rafiki's (including the train) can easily take between one to two hours of my day!
I guess I've been lucky in that I'm usually able to spot most of the animals. I'm a big fan of the Wallabies and Cavy in the Oasis, and the Porcupines and Kangaroos on Discovery Island, to name just a few. Speaking of which, I like to spend a long time on Discovery Island admiring the Tree Of Life, my favorite Disney "Park Icon"! Even after several visits, I spot new animals on the Tree every time. I love the path that goes right up to the tree. A lot of people don't seem to know about this path, but AK is a park that rewards those who like to explore!
Wow, you make it sound so academic and clinical. Who said I "study" the details? It's not like on every single full-day visit I have to analyze and catalogue every single design detail! All I was saying is if someone were to rush past the details, they might not even notice them! Some days I may focus on details in one section more than others. Then the next visit I may explore a different area that way. But I enjoy absorbing these type of details, because they are part of what makes the park so rich, IMO.
For instance, if someone just rushed through the Africa trail, they wouldn't know who Dr. Kulunda was. In the Asia trail, they wouldn't notice the 4 Maharajahs on the wall near the tigers. And they wouldn't know that bells on the trees represent prayers that have been answered. You don't have to "study" all of these things to perceive and enjoy them!
Another time I was there at nightime (on a night when the park closed a few hours after sunset, probably during Christmas peak season or President's week), and I was getting ready to go get a bunch of night rides on Everest, which are awesome! But as I was passing near the Flame Tree Barbecue area, I decided to go look at the view across the water at night. I was blown away by how beautiful it was; the moon and Everest reflected in the water, with the Discovery Island music loop playing clearly in the background. Just then, this track came on (http://www.ufomusic.com/product.php?id=140 - track 6; track 9 is on that loop as well) and the effect of the music combined with that visual just completely blew me away. So beautiful.... and the view across the water at night is just part of the beauty. Flame Tree Barbecue itself is very pretty at night, with its colorful lights reflecting in the pool near the water's edge.
I ended up spontaneously spending a bit of time just sitting there enjoying this area that night, and ended up getting fewer night rides on Everest that night than I was originally planning - but it was well worth it to have found another nice little spot in the AK that I really enjoy. And since then, it's become kind of a tradition for me to spend some time enjoying the atmosphere of this dining area, especially when the park closes after dark. I REALLY enjoy the night atmosphere at AK and am glad I stick around after dark to experience it!
The bottom line is, if you have a satisfying "full visit" in a half day at AK, I'm happy for you. But for me, if I tried to cram the WHOLE park into a half-day, it would feel WAY too rushed, and I'd feel like I was rushing by things I'd rather stop and enjoy at a slower pace.
David S.
Member
Well said, and have a great trip!
Speaking of being inclusive and using music to communicate across cultures, I will share my favorite memory of this parade...
I have found a viewing spot I really like by the Cast Member gate near Pizzafari. I can usually get a front row spot here close to when the parade starts without blocking anyone else, and since there is only viewing on one side of the street at this spot, ALL of the characters' attention is focused on the guests on the one side of the street being used.
Well, one day, after viewing the parade here several previous times, I saw something I had never seen before. This spot is next to the area where, one day a week (I think it was a Saturday), there are translators present for the hearing impaired. There were two Cast Members doing this, a male and a female, and it was so inspiring to watch them because they weren't just signing the words to the songs - they were dancing and smiling and communicating the entire ESSENCE and SPIRIT of the parade. And in a way, what made it even more special was there was only one person in the designated roped-off viewing area for the hearing impaired. To see these two cast members putting their entire HEART and SOUL into making sure that one person could enjoy the parade to the fullest extent possible - well, that was one of those magical moments for me when you clearly realize that WDW is a truly special place with some truly awesome, caring, magical people there who make the magic happen!
mp2bill
Well-Known Member
I'm not really a fan of this parade either. However, because I can't visit as often as you, I always watch it at least once...just to see if it'll grow on me.
I know a guy like this. He's actually the one who turned me on to this website. Curiously, he doesn't watch Pit Boss, The Little Couple, or The Little Chocolateers! He used to love to watch Little People, Big World (which I understand cuz it's hilarious how stupid everybody but the mother is), but has stopped watching it.