Animal Kingdom falls short

I'll agree, AK is a half-day park if you skip things and only do the "headliner" attractions. If you take your time and do everything there is to do, and see all the animals there are to see on the trails, it would be a full day park. I've done the park both ways, just hitting major attractions and making it a half-day park, and really going through and seeing everything, which makes it a very full day which you probably won't be able to finish by the time you hit the park's 5 p.m. closing. It all depends on how you approach this park.

Honestly, when i go to AK i usually do it the first day i am there... most of the time i am taking an early flight in the morning, but by the time i reach the resort via the ME it is almost 11... normally the first day i get into AK at around noon... now that leaves me about 6 hrs. in the park before the closing, and normally we eat at rainforest...

now my parents have been going to WDW for years, and they drive... they take a 2 week vaca when they go... i asked my mom the other day and she said that they havent been to AK in the last 2 trips... now i thought that was a bit strange... but my dada is not a thrill ride kinda guy, and they dont normally sit for parades so i kinda see why they skip it these days... plus they have seen everything they want enough times...

I always thought the "safari" was kind of a let down. I'd rather see fake animals every time than real ones only some of the time. Their slogan used to be "notazu"...not a zoo.
I think it would have been better if they embraced the zoo label but plussed it and made it the most unique zoo experience in the world. Instead it's just a theme park with some animals scattered around.

I agree a little bit with everyone's post from the first one up to my post here.I read all of them.To me,AK is nothing more than a glorified zoo.You know Disney always has to top everything else in the theme park world.But in this case for AK,I have always been somewhat disappointed with the whole park.I do like it,but only to a point.I am 51 yrs old,but I am still a rides/attractions type person.I still love to ride thrill rides and slower rides also,like Peter Pan,Small World,Pirates,stuff like that.I love Expedition Everest.But in my opinion,it should not have been built and located in AK park.But where else would it have been built,you say? I say it too,but that ride is probably one of the main reasons why people go to AK.
We've been to AK,maybe three times,and as it stands now,even though I would like to ride Everest,we probably won't go back to AK.There are tons of improvements that I would do to the park,with one being,as one of you folks said,a transportation system to get people from one side of the park to another,with various stops along the way.The park is too big for those of us that are older,and especially those with not so good legs anymore.
Oh well,I would like to see a complete overhaul of AK,and yes,add many more rides.I mean really,what more should a theme park be,than a bunch of rides with some extra stuff with them?

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Originally Posted by elvistelth

I've never spent more than 5 hours at AK. If you are the wander around, sit on a bench and relax type tourist you probably love it there. But, if you are the run to each ride, time is money type, not so much.

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I totally disagree... I've never sat on a bench and relaxed at Disney in my life! In fact, when I hear people say that you should go back to your hotel and swim/nap... I just can't believe someone would waste part of their day on that! I did it on one trip, and that was because with EMH the parks were open till 2am some nights and we got there for opening and it was a looonggg day.

I'm a park opening-till-end commando type of park-tourist and I have never been bored at the AK. You must not like shows and parades... I LOVE nemo and festival of the lion king, Everest needs to be done at least twice (and is worth the wait), dinosaur, walking around all the trails around the tree of life... I usually even skip the whole conservation station area, although seeing the vets there are pretty neat. And the parade is fun too (although I often don't have time for it as well). Besides, the park is often only open till 5 or 6... its not like it has very long park hours in the first place. And did I mention Yak and Yeti? Mmmm mm. And primevil whirl is way more fun than it looks! Kali River Rapids if its warm out....
Seriously WAY more to do than Hollywood Studios, and at least it has a nice atmosphere and the theming is jungle vs city streets (yuck).

Thank you everyone for you input so far. I respect everyones opinion on this topic. Please keep them coming!!

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Originally Posted by zippitydoodah

You must not like shows and parades... I LOVE nemo and festival of the lion

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I do hate parades and shows. I'll watch for my kids but they're usually pretty boring to me. The only good thing about parades are the lines are usually shorter on rides while parades are going on going on.

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Originally Posted by elvistelth

I do hate parades and shows. I'll watch for my kids but they're usually pretty boring to me. The only good thing about parades are the lines are usually shorter on rides while parades are going on going on.

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Nemo bored me to tears. I actually walked out after five minutes, and that was during the middle of the show. Lion King was cute once. Can't imagine sitting through it again. How many hours can one sit there watching tumbling monkeys? Enough already.

You can knock off an incredible amount of rides during Wishes!

I'm not a fan of thespians nor of what they do.

The more often we go, the longer we tend to stay. We enjoy watching the gorillas. It's always best when it's quiet; which sometimes takes patience for the excited guest (those yelling or talking loudly to move on) so that the gorillas come back into view. There's a challenge in finding hidden birds and ducks. The tigers are so serene. A leisurely lunch at Flame Tree or an indulgent meal at Yak & Yeti are always a treat. Kilimanjaro Safaris; what other attraction changes everytime you ride it. Expedition Everest is thrilling, but not necessarily what most might consider a thrill ride. AK is NOT your high intensity theme park. This is the park where you stop to smell the roses. You get out of it as much as you put into it. I don't admit to having a favorite, but I truely do enjoy spending time there.

AK is a park we usually skip or go thru in a few hours. Sometimes we go just for the afternoon parade and leave. AK for us is too congested, too narrow walkways and even in a moderate crowd feels packed. All the trees and vegetation also makes the park very stiffling and hot and it's a hike from one attraction to another. By the time we exit the bus and walk on the concrete and hot sun to the entrance, we're sweaty and hot then to proceed into the breexeless park is unbearable. I also do not care for zoos, animalsand birds in cages is not to my liking no matter how they are presented.

I agree,one time at the Lion King show is enough for me.We happened to have been there for the show when it started and was actually about to rain.Made it in in time.But no more.I think this Lion King ****,is done!How long has it been?Too long in my opinion.Time to go!
As for the Nemo show,haven't been back to see it yet and probably won't.I am not big on shows except for a few,but I am also not a rides commando either!(I like the way you put that).Silly as it may sound,I also like shops and looking in them at souveiners and buying some junk and having it sent to our resort.It's not all about rides,parades,shows and go go go!It's about fun and family time with your precious "can't be replaced" family.
Well put Park Hopper Dad.

Any park can be a half day park if you want to skip things. I think you can spend a whole day or more. If you take in all the trails and shows.

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Originally Posted by elvistelth

I do hate parades and shows. I'll watch for my kids but they're usually pretty boring to me. The only good thing about parades are the lines are usually shorter on rides while parades are going on going on.

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Here here. At the risk of repeating an earlier post, I wanted to expand a bit. The Lion King was cute the first time and then I hadn't gone back since the first time. I finally revisited it on my last trip and was reminded of why I only needed to see it once.

As for Nemo, I steered clear of that one since it opened because the movie was not a musical, so there was no reason to add fake songs and turn it into a musical. I had a few minutes to kill on my last trip, so I wandered into the theater half way through the show. I sat down in the back, stayed for literally just under five minutes. I was so bored to tears by the entire experience that I left. Never ever again.

I'll watch the parades as I'm walking to a ride somewhere, but I do not stand in one place to watch the same floats come by as I saw a year or more ago. Parades don't have staying power for me. And in all these years, I have yet to see either version of the Jungle Parade. Zero interest.

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Originally Posted by heff

Any park can be a half day park if you want to skip things. I think you can spend a whole day or more. If you take in all the trails and shows.

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At this point, I've been to WDW enough that now every park is a half-day park. I purchase a 7-day park hopper ticket, and that usually lasts me for about five or so years. Last time down I hit all four in one day, visiting only for the attractions I wanted to see. I may slow down a bit this time since I have two tickets left and one day on each, but I'm going down solo this time around. Otherwise, it's the Christmas Party one day, and then the other three parks on one ticket.