Animal Kingdom

[Dulcee]

Alright, I finally got around to listening to the most recent podcast and it really amazed me how they all agreed that Animal Kingdom was a "half day" park.

Personally I love Animal Kingdom. The nemo stage show is amazing. I never get tired of the lion king show. I love watching the animals on the safari and dinosaur never fails to make me giggle. We easily spend half a day just back on the Tiger and Gorilla walk through and conservation station is a must stop for us. We usually spend a solid two days there in a week long trip. Am I all alone on this??

[WDWdriver]

It's a "half day" park only if you want it to be. You must be willing to give up many of the things that give the park it's unique flavor. Things like the Pangani Forest trail, the Maharajah Jungle Trek, Rafiki's Planet Watch with its petting area and views of actual veterinary procedures, the winding "hidden" trails under the branches of the Tree of Life, Flights of Wonder, Nemo, and perhaps even the Lion King show. You can do all the rides in half a day if that is all that interests you.

[Stu29573]

My wife loves this park (she love all kind of plants and animals). In fact, on our last trip we spent two full days there, just taking our time wandering through the exhibits. I must say, if you slow down, there ARE a lot of things to see there. I, presonally, would view it as a half to three quarters day park, but it can be a full day (or more) depending on your attitude and interests...

[Patricia]

Your not alone. It's a full day park for me but I don't go there just for the rides. I get lost in all the little details of that park and could meander around all day doing nothing.. but I love to walk, take in my surroundings and relax.

[JPL]

I wasn't on the last episode of the podcast and haven't had a chance to listen yet but I would have disagreed with the half day park assessment. I cna spend the entire day at the park and often visit on multiple days during a visit. I really enjoy the relaxing pace of the park and taking time to watch the animals and wlak the trails at different times during the day. In will ofen ride the Safari more than once to see different animals active at the different times of day as well. If you are going with the same mentality as you go to the other parks then yeah I can see how people look at it as a 1/2 day park. If you relax and take your time it's without a doubt a full day park.

[Stickey]

Any park can be a half-day park for those with limited plans, or interests. I consider the AK to be a two day park. Multiple safaris are essential to maximize animal viewing opportunities.

[Joannelet]

You are not alone! I too view it as a full day park! There is so much to just enjoy there. All the hidden paths, plants, animals etc. Then the shows, the meet and greets, and of course the rides. Ah, I love the slowness and the relaxed feeling of that park. I may be biased because I was a cast member there it's opening year but still. All the details in that park are amazing!

[DizneyRox]

I refer to it as a 1/2 day park because that's how most people feel. We spend days there during a trip, usually 50% of our time is at AK, the other 50% is spread out over the others (mostly Epcot).

More fun for me if people leave early!

[btharvey]

Were it just my wife and I, we would easily spend two to three days there. My wife is a 'reader' (she reads ALL signs at museums, and as such, she never sees the whole thing), and I'm a wanderer/watcher who likes to sit somewhere and watch the people and sights.

However, we travel with DD of 13 years and (now that it seems to have shrunk to nothing) no brain, who needs to be "doing." Reading and watching are, evidently, not doing. So for now, we're a 'half-day' family. In the future, however, we will become a 2-3 day couple.

[Darbylew]

We love AK and spend at least a whole day there. We love it when they have the extra magic hours in the evenings. It is great. If you
have never been there in the evening then you must try it if they have extra magic hours while you are there.
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT AND GOING BACK IN
DECEMBER!!!

[Scar]

I consider it a 1/2 day park... at least two 1/2 days, sometimes three.

[brivers222]

well it does close almost half as early as some of the other parks


IDK, Its a great park but I have actually written it out of our upcoming trip. We are going to eat at Boma to check out the animals at the lodge, but neither of us are 'geeked' at going to the actual park this trip.

[McLiberal8]

It's less than a 1/2 day park, for me. I would call it a 2 hour park, at the most. I want to explain my 'position' on AK, though.
I know I am spoiled with one of the best zoos in the country, in my hometown. This might be a major reason why the 'wow' factor of AK is kind of lost, for me.
I also find that it lacks imagination. It looks like it was rushed, and instead of focusing on really transporting you to another World, they put tropical plants and dirty-looking huts and benches. You can go on a safari ride, or walk around an environmental camp (with a petting zoo!?). They trapped themselves when opening with a limiting 'animal' theme, and I think it shows. Instead of being able to create something totally different, that guests have never experienced before, they are forced to try to make a 'fancier' version of a zoo, which almost every person has been to at some point in their life.
And where are the varieties of restaurants? I am a vegetarian, and there is VERY little beyond meat (in an animal park?) to eat (for CS options).
I also think Dinoland USA is an ugly, cheap looking area. (I get it, it's supposed to look cheap. Theming something as cheap-looking is almost insulting, coming from the same people who created a place like MK or Epcot.) The Avatar World will be a welcome addition, for me. I just can't wait for a little more imagination to touch down in that park. For now, I walk in and ride Everest, maybe catch Finding Nemo, and then I am out.
I hope I don't get flamed for posting this, and I know a lot of people are huge fans of AK. I just... don't get it, and thought i'd explain why.

[Gator]

You're not alone. I spend two days there, like I spend at the other parks. Get there early, leave when they kick me out. There's a lot of cool attractions there, and the BEST shows. Nemo is just increidble. Between Epcot and AK, it makes me take my entire family across the country instead of driving 300 miles south to DL.

[Mousemates]

To us its pretty much a half day affair...with part of the reason being that we seldom stay in the parks during the hottest part of the day (say 3-5 PM). And this is even more true at AK which for reasons unknown to me always seems to "feel hotter" than the other parks. Given its limited operating hours going back in the afternoon doesn't make a whole lot of sense timewise.

By the way, the limited operating hours are actually rather disappointing to me , for in my view they actually tend to keep guests out of the park when its truly most magical to be there. For when its dusk to early night, the park has a completely different feel (even dinoland looks cool at night) and the ride experience of expedition everest is greatly enhanced.

[crltkcagle]

We used to feel the same way until three weeks ago. We were at AK before rope drop and had breakfast with Donald. We kept saying we are going to go back to the room and take a nap but it never happened. We were having way too much fun. The park was empty so we would get off of EE and get right back on. Same with Kali. Towards the end of the day we didn't even have to get off! We just kept through the ride! We were sad when the park closed and we realized we missed the parade and the lion king show. As we look back on our vacation we all decided that this was our best day during our entire stay. So we are going to look forward to AK from now on!

[Joannelet]

And this is even more true at AK which for reasons unknown to me always seems to "feel hotter" than the other parks.

It is about 10 degrees hotter than the other parks due to the foliage.

[Joannelet]

We love it when they have the extra magic hours in the evenings. It is great. If you
have never been there in the evening then you must try it if they have extra magic hours while you are there.

They have stopped extra magic evening hours at this park for some reason. I agree though it was GREAT! I hope they bring it back someday!

[darthmacho]

Next time we go to WDW, I plan on setting aside two days for AK, so that we can take our time and explore it more thoroughly. I'm looking forward to riding things more than once and not walking back and forth so much from land to land.

[HoosierDisneyFan]

If you want to catch the Flights of Wonder show, the Finding Nemo show and the Lion King show and ride the Safari, Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids and Dinosaur, not sure how you can do that all in 1/2 day.

Those are just the headliner shows / attractions.

If you are only there for 1/2 day you are missing some of these items and many more of the smaller attractions.

I understand if you don't like these attractions but clearly not a 1/2 park unless you elect to skip much of the park.