AK - Zoo or Amusement Park?

garada3 · 06-13-2003

Most of my guidebooks say that the majority of people finish up with AK by early afternoon. Is this because people see this park as a small amusement park and rush through the attractions?

I was just wondering if AK wil take from 9 to 5 if we stop to actually see the animals?

How do you all tour AK?

Thanks!

wdwspider · 06-13-2003

I absolutely love zoos. The problem is... there just isn't enough of either zoo or amusement park here. Great Detail. Great Atmosphere. Great Rides. Great Shows. Great Zoo Exhibits. Just not enough to fill a day. I can hardly imagine what the park was like when it first opened without Asia or Dino-rama... yikes! A park worth visiting, and very photogenic (sp?), but still lacking enough overall experience. The Safari ride is a can't miss.

I think some other factors go into the shorter time spend here as well. One, the park is extremly humid and makes people want to hurry along and not view as long as they may have otherwise. Two, the park is random.. one day you may find hundreds of animals out and about, the next day you may see very few. Three... people are use to the faster pace of the other parks, since this is a slowed down park it is harder to switch gears.

For those who go solely for zoo, or solely for Amusement Rides, they finish the park even earlier. The park just needs more time to expand and grow. In time it will be the best park at Disney I believe.

mattomouseman · 06-13-2003

We didn't spend nearly enough time in AK on our last trip. We got in almost all the rides but then it started pouring out and my sissy sister and her kids didn't want to get wet so we went back to our resort early. I plan on spending much more time there this trip!

geeman · 06-13-2003

WDWFan sums it up completely, imho.
The first time I went to AK, I expected to be there the whole day and was surprised I was done before 2 or 3. That was before most of the great new attractions had opened - in fact, I didn't even KNOW there was an ASIA section when I visited. We saw a couple of the shows (which are pretty good, imho, but DGF doesn't really enjoy them). And depending on when you go (I went in May and August) - it can be very, very HOT.:!:
Too hot to be there. Too hot to be anywhere. When I went back, with DGF, we split the day by visiting in the morning, heading back to the resort for a dunk in the pool, then returning to AK (in something akin to swimwear) for a ride on the Rapids (which worked out great becaue I got soaked- but in the heat, it was a great relief).
Since this park closes earlier than the rest, it leaves the rest of the day to go and have fun at Epcot or something.

Matt, sorry your sis "wussed out". I had a similar feeling about the people I've been there with. I've been there three times and have NO sense of really having explored it much yet.

I will say- the Rapids, Dinosaur!, Tough to Be A Bug, THe Lion King show, and Tarzan shows are top notch in my book. The safari is also fun, and so are the tigers. So there IS stuff to do here, just all spread out all over the place, and not, perhaps compelling enough.

CaribBeachNut · 06-13-2003

We usually walk into AK at opening and are out by noon.
We have zoos at home, so seeing the animals isn't that thrilling for my family. We usually go for the rides. However, the large apes are always thrilling to watch. (They usually remind me of my wife's relatives!)
If this is your first trip to AK, try to see everything you can. So plan on a full day. AK closes earlier than MK, so afterwards you can go to MK for the evening dinner, parade and fireworks.

MickeyMac · 06-13-2003

The first time we did AK, we were done pretty much by noon.

Second time we visited, I just wanted to get the Safari and Festival of the Lion King out of the way, then would be happy to do whatever the kids wanted. Boy, was I in for a treat...

They took things very slow, stopping to poke at all the exploration stations, spent an incredible amount of time watching the bats, questioned the CM's about the tarantulas, hand fed the baby goats, played for hours in the Boneyard. We listened to the African drummers, watched the acrobats, and learned how to call birds. We LOVE this park for the lazy pace and many secrets of it, and take a good two days to just hang at it. We use AK days as 'take-it-easy' days.

Sure, it's hot, but wear a good pair of sandals, take things slow, get wet, and drink a lot of water and you'd be amazed at how much more enjoyable it is. I think Disney's marketing this one all wrong.

Leigh · 06-13-2003

I would have to agree with everything WDWFAN & geeman said about AK. Personally my family takes a whole day for this park. As the atmosphere there is very laid back. We enjoy the animals very much. Like someone else said this could be a lazy day. I agree as time goes on they will add more stuff.:)

grammy · 06-13-2003

AK is wonderful and if anything it is understated. There is so much more than you can absorb at first glance. We hurried to cover as much territory as we could -- which was ok for our overall planning for that trip. BUT . . . our next trip we will definitely spend more time in AK -- and at a slower pace. The rides they do have are great! They're not just roller coasters. We loved AK and we stayed at AKL. :)

fanatic720 · 06-13-2003

Why dont you pm jwdj4lfe, he was in AKL last month. on a funnier note, havent you seen the commercial? AK is naht-a-zu lol

ilvminnie · 06-13-2003

We feel that AK isn't a "full-day" park, & the first year we went we were really disappointed in it 'cause there wasn't much there. Now we have several things there that are can't miss....Tarzan, Festival of the Lion King, the Safari, Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, It's Tough to Be a Bug, & Kali River Rapids (only with a Fast Pass though). In addition, we love Pizzafari & Flame Tree Barbque, & I always have to have a frozen chocolate banana!!! Since we can usually schedule each park for 2 days when we go, we tend to schedule our first AK day as a semi-full day so we can at least see the parade. Then on the 2nd day we go hit just our favorites & then go somewhere else. It's great & we enjoy it, it's just not as full of things to do as the other parks.

tinkerbell · 06-13-2003

Actually even after .. what has it been ..4 or 5 years? any way we stay lost at AK so it is an all day park for us .. I dont think of it as a zoo though .. or as an amusement park, but I do love AK. I think I agree with grammy that its underated. I use to be a huge fan of zoos. we loved to go to them ..but now when we go we feel sorry for the anmals because it seems like they have too little space compared to AK ... and we feel sorry for them that they dont live at AK :)

grinner01 · 06-13-2003

Animal Kingdom is TOTALLY understated in my opinion. But that is coming from someone who LOVES animals and has a great respect and admiration of the outdoors, not to say that any of you do not. We usually spend one full day and then return to hit certain areas but in total we usually spend about three days or more (we always visit WDW for at least 14 days). We love viewing the animals and will spend about 15 minutes or more at each exhibit. This is probably harder to do with young ones but we are two adults with no children. We always are amazed at the number of people who stop at an exhibit, look in for two seconds, don't see anything and rush on to the next area. It usually takes a few minutes just to spot the animals not to mention the time to admire how beautiful they are. They may be laying in the shade or in the back, etc. A little exploration is needed as a lot of the things WDW does in this park are not right out in the open. Take your time and enjoy how beautiful this park is.

Keep in mind that this is probably an AK extremist view.

LRTJS · 06-13-2003

A zoo? I have never thought of AK anything like a zoo. I really agree with MickeyMac. There is so much more to do than first meets the eye. Take your time. Ask questions, really look at what is around you. There are some great attractions. We got rained on last time we were there (which was great since we were getting on river rapids) and almost missed Lion King. Don't miss it, it is great. If you give AK the attention it deserves, you will be there through the day!

mickeysaver · 06-13-2003

I love this park! We were so upset to realize we had shorted the amount of time we allowed for this park during our last visit and by the time we got around to going, it was too late in the trip to do anything about it. So, during our trip this December, we are planning to spend 2 full days there. I can't wait. It's a slower paced park. The beauty of the park is just astounding. I was just in awe of what Disney created. The animals were in such great shape and were being so well cared for. We didn't even get to the shows! The shows are a must do this trip. We did have the luck of meeting Wes Palm, Pipa, and Devine. All of which were quite fun.

AK is a park you need to be prepared to enjoy without being in a rush to ride it all or see it all. Slow down and smell the roses. Mickey

garada3 · 06-13-2003

We did have the luck of meeting Wes Palm, Pipa, and Devine. All of which were quite fun.

And who are Wes palm, Pipa and Devine?

Thanks!

06-13-2003	#1 (permalink)
garada3 Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 424	AK - Zoo or Amusement Park? Most of my guidebooks say that the majority of people finish up with AK by early afternoon. Is this because people see this park as a small amusement park and rush through the attractions? I was just wondering if AK wil take from 9 to 5 if we stop to actually see the animals? How do you all tour AK? Thanks!

06-13-2003	#2 (permalink)
wdwspider Back in the Web! Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: NC Posts: 2,584	I absolutely love zoos. The problem is... there just isn't enough of either zoo or amusement park here. Great Detail. Great Atmosphere. Great Rides. Great Shows. Great Zoo Exhibits. Just not enough to fill a day. I can hardly imagine what the park was like when it first opened without Asia or Dino-rama... yikes! A park worth visiting, and very photogenic (sp?), but still lacking enough overall experience. The Safari ride is a can't miss. I think some other factors go into the shorter time spend here as well. One, the park is extremly humid and makes people want to hurry along and not view as long as they may have otherwise. Two, the park is random.. one day you may find hundreds of animals out and about, the next day you may see very few. Three... people are use to the faster pace of the other parks, since this is a slowed down park it is harder to switch gears. For those who go solely for zoo, or solely for Amusement Rides, they finish the park even earlier. The park just needs more time to expand and grow. In time it will be the best park at Disney I believe. __________________ Boy, It's been a while...

06-13-2003	#3 (permalink)
mattomouseman Grumpmeister Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Westchester Co. NY Posts: 1,746	We didn't spend nearly enough time in AK on our last trip. We got in almost all the rides but then it started pouring out and my sissy sister and her kids didn't want to get wet so we went back to our resort early. I plan on spending much more time there this trip! __________________ Disneyland1972 WDW1975 Disneyland1987 2000~CBR,2001~Wilderness Lodge 2002~Coronado Springs,2003 Poly, 2004 Disneyland Grand Californian NEVER FORGET, NEVER SURRENDER-GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.

06-13-2003	#4 (permalink)
geeman Big Cheese Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Somewhere in NYC Posts: 953	WDWFan sums it up completely, imho. The first time I went to AK, I expected to be there the whole day and was surprised I was done before 2 or 3. That was before most of the great new attractions had opened - in fact, I didn't even KNOW there was an ASIA section when I visited. We saw a couple of the shows (which are pretty good, imho, but DGF doesn't really enjoy them). And depending on when you go (I went in May and August) - it can be very, very HOT.:!: Too hot to be there. Too hot to be anywhere. When I went back, with DGF, we split the day by visiting in the morning, heading back to the resort for a dunk in the pool, then returning to AK (in something akin to swimwear) for a ride on the Rapids (which worked out great becaue I got soaked- but in the heat, it was a great relief). Since this park closes earlier than the rest, it leaves the rest of the day to go and have fun at Epcot or something. Matt, sorry your sis "wussed out". I had a similar feeling about the people I've been there with. I've been there three times and have NO sense of really having explored it much yet. I will say- the Rapids, Dinosaur!, Tough to Be A Bug, THe Lion King show, and Tarzan shows are top notch in my book. The safari is also fun, and so are the tigers. So there IS stuff to do here, just all spread out all over the place, and not, perhaps compelling enough. __________________ Geeman ****************************** YBC10/95, CS 8/00 AKL 5/02,DL Hotel 10/02, ASMusic 5/03,CBR 10/03,Disney Cruiseline 10/03, DD Hilton,CR, ASMusic 4/04; AKL 5/04;Pop Century 10/04,CBR 10/04,CR 10/04;DGC 10/04;SOG & PC 12/04;CBR 8/05, SOG 4-5/06 Geeman on the Web

06-13-2003	#5 (permalink)
CaribBeachNut Big Cheese Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 910	AK Park or Zoo? We usually walk into AK at opening and are out by noon. We have zoos at home, so seeing the animals isn't that thrilling for my family. We usually go for the rides. However, the large apes are always thrilling to watch. (They usually remind me of my wife's relatives!) If this is your first trip to AK, try to see everything you can. So plan on a full day. AK closes earlier than MK, so afterwards you can go to MK for the evening dinner, parade and fireworks.

		MouseBuzz.com > Walt Disney World > WDW Theme Parks
AK - Zoo or Amusement Park?

06-13-2003	#6 (permalink)
MickeyMac Cherubic Chocoholic Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 2,233	The first time we did AK, we were done pretty much by noon. Second time we visited, I just wanted to get the Safari and Festival of the Lion King out of the way, then would be happy to do whatever the kids wanted. Boy, was I in for a treat... They took things very slow, stopping to poke at all the exploration stations, spent an incredible amount of time watching the bats, questioned the CM's about the tarantulas, hand fed the baby goats, played for hours in the Boneyard. We listened to the African drummers, watched the acrobats, and learned how to call birds. We LOVE this park for the lazy pace and many secrets of it, and take a good two days to just hang at it. We use AK days as 'take-it-easy' days. Sure, it's hot, but wear a good pair of sandals, take things slow, get wet, and drink a lot of water and you'd be amazed at how much more enjoyable it is. I think Disney's marketing this one all wrong. __________________ ... back in the frozen tundra!

06-13-2003	#7 (permalink)
Leigh Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Mississippi Posts: 296	I would have to agree with everything WDWFAN & geeman said about AK. Personally my family takes a whole day for this park. As the atmosphere there is very laid back. We enjoy the animals very much. Like someone else said this could be a lazy day. I agree as time goes on they will add more stuff.:) __________________ 2005 onsite, 2003 offsite, 2002 offsite, 2001 offsite, 2000 offsite, 1999 offsite, 1998 offsite, 1976 1st time with the parents

06-13-2003	#8 (permalink)
grammy Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 160	AK is wonderful and if anything it is understated. There is so much more than you can absorb at first glance. We hurried to cover as much territory as we could -- which was ok for our overall planning for that trip. BUT . . . our next trip we will definitely spend more time in AK -- and at a slower pace. The rides they do have are great! They're not just roller coasters. We loved AK and we stayed at AKL. :) __________________

06-13-2003	#9 (permalink)
fanatic720 Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: May 2002 Location: south florida Posts: 260	Why dont you pm jwdj4lfe, he was in AKL last month. on a funnier note, havent you seen the commercial? AK is naht-a-zu lol __________________ oJackie luvs u all!!!! too bad I cant spend more time here!!!!!!!!!! At first it started very small as most dreams do. A twinkle in an eye, the thrill of something new. But then the dream began to grow and come alive. Touching every one of us, lighting up the sky. We share a magic day, we share enchanted nights It's a neverending story and together we all find It's been a part of me, it's been a part of you. A part of growing up together Sharing a dream come true.

06-13-2003	#10 (permalink)
ilvminnie House of Mouse Hostess Join Date: May 2002 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 2,443	We feel that AK isn't a "full-day" park, & the first year we went we were really disappointed in it 'cause there wasn't much there. Now we have several things there that are can't miss....Tarzan, Festival of the Lion King, the Safari, Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, It's Tough to Be a Bug, & Kali River Rapids (only with a Fast Pass though). In addition, we love Pizzafari & Flame Tree Barbque, & I always have to have a frozen chocolate banana!!! Since we can usually schedule each park for 2 days when we go, we tend to schedule our first AK day as a semi-full day so we can at least see the parade. Then on the 2nd day we go hit just our favorites & then go somewhere else. It's great & we enjoy it, it's just not as full of things to do as the other parks. __________________ I WISH I WAS IN DISNEYWORLD NOW!!!

06-13-2003	#11 (permalink)
tinkerbell Neverland Tour Guide ® Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: The Ark-La-Tex Posts: 7,596	Actually even after .. what has it been ..4 or 5 years? any way we stay lost at AK so it is an all day park for us .. I dont think of it as a zoo though .. or as an amusement park, but I do love AK. I think I agree with grammy that its underated. I use to be a huge fan of zoos. we loved to go to them ..but now when we go we feel sorry for the anmals because it seems like they have too little space compared to AK ... and we feel sorry for them that they dont live at AK :) __________________ Stinkerbell, so named by Darth Official Defender of Swiss Family Treehouse MB chitchatter. We don't need no stinkin' post counts Protect Texas!!! Arm A Dillo

06-13-2003	#12 (permalink)
grinner01 Mouseketeer Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 76	Animal Kingdom is TOTALLY understated in my opinion. But that is coming from someone who LOVES animals and has a great respect and admiration of the outdoors, not to say that any of you do not. We usually spend one full day and then return to hit certain areas but in total we usually spend about three days or more (we always visit WDW for at least 14 days). We love viewing the animals and will spend about 15 minutes or more at each exhibit. This is probably harder to do with young ones but we are two adults with no children. We always are amazed at the number of people who stop at an exhibit, look in for two seconds, don't see anything and rush on to the next area. It usually takes a few minutes just to spot the animals not to mention the time to admire how beautiful they are. They may be laying in the shade or in the back, etc. A little exploration is needed as a lot of the things WDW does in this park are not right out in the open. Take your time and enjoy how beautiful this park is. Keep in mind that this is probably an AK extremist view. __________________

06-13-2003	#13 (permalink)
LRTJS Southern Disney Belle Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,403	A zoo? I have never thought of AK anything like a zoo. I really agree with MickeyMac. There is so much more to do than first meets the eye. Take your time. Ask questions, really look at what is around you. There are some great attractions. We got rained on last time we were there (which was great since we were getting on river rapids) and almost missed Lion King. Don't miss it, it is great. If you give AK the attention it deserves, you will be there through the day! __________________ Laughter is timeless,Imagination has no age, and dreams are forever! SUPER SOAP WEEKEND!!!!! DW Trip 30 ....CSR ROCKS!! French Quarter All Star Sports All Star Music Pop Century ^i^ * Postcard Pixie * ^i^ ~ Sharing the Disney magic ~ My Disney Countdown Counting down to: Thanksgiving Trip what a way to give thanks!!

06-13-2003	#14 (permalink)
mickeysaver Mouseketeer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 67	I love this park! We were so upset to realize we had shorted the amount of time we allowed for this park during our last visit and by the time we got around to going, it was too late in the trip to do anything about it. So, during our trip this December, we are planning to spend 2 full days there. I can't wait. It's a slower paced park. The beauty of the park is just astounding. I was just in awe of what Disney created. The animals were in such great shape and were being so well cared for. We didn't even get to the shows! The shows are a must do this trip. We did have the luck of meeting Wes Palm, Pipa, and Devine. All of which were quite fun. AK is a park you need to be prepared to enjoy without being in a rush to ride it all or see it all. Slow down and smell the roses. Mickey

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06-13-2003	#15 (permalink)
garada3 Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 424	We did have the luck of meeting Wes Palm, Pipa, and Devine. All of which were quite fun. And who are Wes palm, Pipa and Devine? Thanks!