What is it you don't like about HS & AK?

[MaterializedHaunt]

So we have the poll about which parks we love the best and the top 2 of course are MK/Epcot!

I am an Epcot lover and I could have told you that AK/HS would be the bottom 2 and I sure most of you would have thought the same thing. Having said this...

...What is it that you don't like about AK or HS?
Would love to hear your thoughts about this. I will leave my response later on for this topic.:thumbsup:

[Puppy Mom]

HS - I am not fond of big live production shows.

AK - So far to walk for so little

[darthmacho]

Well, I voted for Magic Kingdom on the poll, but it's not because I don't like AK, DHS, of even Epcot, but because I like MK the best.

Animal Kingdom is the most beautifully themed park, but it has the least attractions. That being said, it has my two favorite rides in all of WDW, Kilimanjaro Safaris and Dinosaur. Even my favorite MK ride, Splash Mountain, doesn't compare. AK is also home to the two most underrated WDW attractions, Pangani Forest Trail, and Maharajah Jungle Trek. Finally, it is also home to one of my new favorite restaurants, Yak and Yeti.

Hollywood Studios is well themed, has some great rides, and excellent shows, but it has the least favorable layout of the four, which makes it feel crowded and cramped. Also, the singular theme makes it a little less interesting than the other parks, which offer some nice variety. I also feel that there is a lot of wasted space and some outdated attractions.

I hope that answers your question... :mickey:

[joonyer]

Least liked in each park:

DHS: the backlot tour
AK: The carnival games at Dinorama. I get the backstory and theme, but I just think it was a cheap cop-out. They could have done so much more with this area.

[wdwfansince75]

While I have multiple "Must Do's" at both parks, there are factors that detract and distract....among other things...
For Studios...confusing and inconvient layout...
For AK...pathways narrow and uneven...always seem hot and humid...never a breeze
For both....No Emporium and no Mousegears...to shop, you have to search through multiple specialty shops...
Also, no vista...no open view, as you get coming up Main Street...no view of the Castle from almost anywhere in the park...and nothing like the view of or from the World Showcase
And finally, the background music doesn't fit the mood...if fact, I'm not really sure is there is background music at either park..sure isn't memorable.

[mgmnut]

DHS - The lack of good CS :eat:

AK - It is always hot and humid :fan:

[Zawadi]

DHS - The lack of good CS :eat:
What's wrong with the "ABC" :ack:

[faline]

Aimal Kingdom could use a couple more table service restaurants.

I'm not a fan of the layout of Hollywood Studios - I always seemed to get turned around and don't know which way I should be heading.

[texas211]

Ak- I ask what is to like. Ok, ok. The nemo show is great, as is bug's life. But, not enough places to eat, not enough shows/attractions. Plus, i feel like i'm just always meandering around. To me, lacks a sense of flow.

DHS, this is one that its not that I don't like. I just like MK or Epcot better. DHS would rank higher if it took me longer than a day to enjoy.

[MaterializedHaunt]

...always seem hot and humid...never a breeze



AK - It is always hot and humid :fan:

If my memory serves me correct (usually does when it involes Disney).... AK is on average 13º hotter then the rest of the parks. Just a little tidbit for you all.

[lawgirl]

Epcot is definitely my favorite and always has been, but I love AK almost as much. To me the theming is just perfect and the landscaping is gorgeous. I love just walking around and feeling a little lost there. I do wish there were more dining options, and I do wish there were a few more attractions, but overall I love going there.

I've never really liked HS...it always seems hot and crowded and so confusing, and I don't personally like the whole theme behind it. I prefer the more exotic landscape of AK, the high culture of Epcot, and of course the magic of the MK. HS is just like, meh. We usually skip it. I do love the Aerosmith Ride, and the Beauty and the Beast show is cool, but other than that, its just not our fave at all.

[Scar]

I like DHS and AK a lot. It's just that MK is better and Epcot way better.

[riley1129]

HS- Not enough rides

AK- Too big

[spinnerf]

If my memory serves me correct (usually does when it involes Disney).... AK is on average 13º hotter then the rest of the parks. Just a little tidbit for you all.

I keep hearing this, how is that physically possible? Ive been there many times and never noticed it. Strange...

[Kairi_7378]

Aimal Kingdom could use a couple more table service restaurants.

I'm not a fan of the layout of Hollywood Studios - I always seemed to get turned around and don't know which way I should be heading.

I always get lost in DHS too. It makes me feel a bit better that one of our experts has this problem, too.

[Ian]

I don't really dislike DHS, it's just that it's never felt particularly Disney to me. I enjoy RRC, ToT, TSM, TGMR, Star Tours, and the Muppets, but they don't necessarily give me that warm fuzzy Disney feeling if you know what I mean.

Also, I find DHS oddly laid out. It's always hard to get where you're going and really since they took out the actual studio that used to be there the entire park is very disjointed and lacking in an overall theme. It just feels like a bunch of very loosely unrelated attractions jumbled together to me.

DAK I just don't like. I think the entire concept is silly and the park is completely devoid of quality Disney attractions. I don't really care for the whole "show thing", so Everest is basically the only Disney-quality ride in the entire park for me. Dinosaur is okay, but a bit too jerky and violent for me. Kali River Rapids is about as cookie cutter as you can get (it's not even a very good water ride in terms of what some other parks offer). Dinloand is atrocious. The Safari is okay, but it lost its story now too so it's really not much better than what you get at SIx Flags or Busch Gardens now.

I agree the park is pretty, but pretty isn't enough to justify my schlepping around the joint trying to find something to do. ;)

[Kairi_7378]

Well, I voted for Magic Kingdom on the poll, but it's not because I don't like AK, DHS, of even Epcot, but because I like MK the best.

Animal Kingdom is the most beautifully themed park, but it has the least attractions. That being said, it has my two favorite rides in all of WDW, Kilimanjaro Safaris and Dinosaur. Even my favorite MK ride, Splash Mountain, doesn't compare. AK is also home to the two most underrated WDW attractions, Pangani Forest Trail, and Maharajah Jungle Trek. Finally, it is also home to one of my new favorite restaurants, Yak and Yeti.

Hollywood Studios is well themed, has some great rides, and excellent shows, but it has the least favorable layout of the four, which makes it feel crowded and cramped. Also, the singular theme makes it a little less interesting than the other parks, which offer some nice variety. I also feel that there is a lot of wasted space and some outdated attractions.

I hope that answers your question... :mickey:

Couldn't have said it better... although I haven't been to Yak and Yetti, and EE edges out Dinosaur as one of my favorite rides. I love both of these parks too... but in a different way than my enjoyment of Epcot and MK.

[Quadstriker]

Animal Kingdom: Walking through the carnival games section makes me feel like I'm at Six Flags. That's not a good thing.

[tcswife]

DAK is surrounded by so many trees that it holds in more humidity. The temperature is not actually hotter it is just the humidity that makes it feel hotter. At least this is what a safari driver told us one trip. She also told us that there is 10% more oxygen there because all of the trees.

[Caroleh]

I love DAK!! We've done all the tours that are available to take there and now it's more of a respect for the park. I'm an animal lover, so I could sit and watch the animals all day. For me DAK isn't about the rides but more about respect for nature and the animals that we share with this great planet Earth.

As for HS, we do Star Tours and TSM, with an occasional visit to Backlot, the Muppets and TGMR.

[brad192]

I agree with Ian about the lack of "Disney Feel" in HS. While there are a few gems when it comes to attractions (Muppets, ToT, GMR, etc.) the overall immersive Disney experience falls far short of MK & Epcot. :( To me, it's a one-day park & I'm done with it - although I absolutely love dining at the Brown Derby! :tasty:

This is my #4 park at WDW.

As for the AK...

Everyone needs to remember that it wasn't designed as a typical theme park. Think hybrid. It was originally marketed as "Not A Zoo (Natazu), but really, it is, with some wonderful Disney theming, details, and attractions thrown in. People who visit this park need to (cliche' alert) "Stop and smell the roses." I typically spend between 1 and 2 days in this park each trip, wandering thru the Oasis watching the animals there, exploring the two wonderful trails with all the great fauna, and going off the "beaten path" to enjoy the nooks & crannies (what the heck is a crannie anyway?) of the park.

Oh, I have an answer conserning the heat & humidity of AK.

In '08 I took the Backstage Safari tour at AK (great tour, well worth the $$) and when I asked why it seemed AK was warmer & more humid than the other parks, the tour guides said that, when AK was built, they constructed a 10' high berm around the entire park for reasons of animal control (local fauna invading the park, etc.) Apparently this diminishes much of the ground level airflow throughout the park. Combine this with all the lush foliage in the park, which provides a lot of moisture in the air, and you get a big "bubble" of heat & humidity, with very little air movement.

AK is a great park - you just need to slow down & focus on the moment. :mickey:

[Katzateer]

AK - the heat always gets to me

HS - I loved it when it first opened - the thrill of a movie set, live shows and getting to be in the audience of shows being filmed.

As attractions have shut down or changed it has a feel of just being thrown together and if you don't know where you are going, very hard to
navigate.

Not being a working studio for animation and tv shows and movies makes it less exciting and interesting

[epceddie]

For us, HS is too small and can be overly crowded. We had a great visit in February. We got to do Toy Story Mania twice in about 30 minutes standing in a short line after getting a fastpass for a later return, and we really enjoyed getting a chance to draw one of the characters (Dopey from Snow White) at Art of Animation.
At Animal Kingdom, the volume of walking you have to do is formidable. My wife and I both have knee problems and our legs take a beating at AK. Plus, we've found that it has a lot less benches and places to sit to get out of the sun than the other parks.

[Gator]

It's not that I don't like those parks - I love them! But compared to MK and Epcot, they just don't have as much to love.

AK is fantastic in concept and execution. It just doesn't have that sense of magic or wonder that the top two parks have.

DHS has some magic and also some really cool things to explore. But it really just represents Hollywood - not all sorts of different places like the top two parks.

[MaterializedHaunt]

Oh, I have an answer conserning the heat & humidity of AK.

In '08 I took the Backstage Safari tour at AK (great tour, well worth the $$) and when I asked why it seemed AK was warmer & more humid than the other parks, the tour guides said that, when AK was built, they constructed a 10' high berm around the entire park for reasons of animal control (local fauna invading the park, etc.) Apparently this diminishes much of the ground level airflow throughout the park. Combine this with all the lush foliage in the park, which provides a lot of moisture in the air, and you get a big "bubble" of heat & humidity, with very little air movement.

Wow! That is some awesome info!? I always just thought AK was closer to the sun or something. :D

And yes now that you say it, it seems hybrid to me and is such a nice place to go and get some crannies and do some coloring with them.

[Cinderelley]

I love AK. I can wander in there just looking at things for hours. The kids and I have a blast on the less "desireable" (according to some) rides such as Primeval Whirl, and Lion King is the only show I will stop to watch.

DHS doesn't seem to have a very good layout of traffic flow and very few rides that appeal to us. Most of them have no repeat value.

[readytogo2]

i really like DHS but feel frustrated after a while seeing all that space not being used very well IMO streets of america is only used for chritmas lights backlot tours is nothing like it used to indy and LMA need upgraded or something

[Mrs Bus Driver]

DHS needs a better Back lot tour. I always was under the impression that it was supposed to compete with Universal. But even before Harry Potter it was a disappointment. If you are going to take on the competition then do it!
I am still holding off on my opinion for AK as I haven't explored it enough to say yay or nay. But I do want to mention this, DD's BF doesn't like all the bumps and jolts he gets in his wheelchair. So he doesn't want to go back to this park. And as a PP said its hard on the knees. There needs to be a better way around the park for those who can't walk it.

[ChipNDale79]

I don't really dislike AK or DHS, I like all the parks, but I do like MK and Epcot a lot more than DHS and AK.

The studio part has basically been taken out of the DHS and to me it sort of feels like its lost its focus. I think there's some great potential for this park if Disney puts the money into it.

I personally would have liked to see them spend the billion dollars on DHS instead of MK, not that I have a problem with what they are doing at MK, I just feel like DHS needed the help a lot more than MK did.

AK, is a great park also, there's just not as much to do there. Although it holds 2 of my top 10, or maybe top 5 attractions at WDW (Dinosaur and EE). My wife and I have been going together since 2008, we've had a blast, but I get the feeling that when we return to WDW next December with our 2 boys for our first trip with kids, this park is going to be a lot more fun.

[azcavalier]

If my memory serves me correct (usually does when it involes Disney).... AK is on average 13º hotter then the rest of the parks. Just a little tidbit for you all.

See? That's what makes Disney so great....the attention to detail! They didn't just do a great job with the theming, they actually changed the weather!

OK, so I think that Animal Kingdom needs one or two more rides. It was opened incomplete, and it shows.

DHS....someone else pointed out that it is singularly themed. Well, it WAS a working production studio when it opened, so I get that. But the layout is odd. Things seem tucked in back alleys, and out of the way places. Epcot and MK don't feel like that at all. And I think it's also because AK and DHS aren't "open", where you have that central wienie that you can see to get your bearings from anywhere in the park. You might be able to see the Tree of Life from anywhere in AK, maybe, but it sure doesn't stand out from all angles like Cinderella Castle or Spaceship Earth.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

For me its not really about not liking AK-I love this park. However, I can point out that everything is spaced very far apart and it needs a few more attractions.

DHS is easily our least favorite park. For the most part I just think a lot of the attractions like the Great Movie Ride, Indiana Jones and Backlot Tour desperately need updating. I would take out the Drew Carey Sounds Dangerous and I also am not a fan of Lights, Motor, Action so I would take that out too and replace both with better attractions. I think this park could use a water ride maybe a Little Mermaid based water attraction?

[waymickey]

I too voted for MK because it is what I always felt was WDW. I love it and i go to it every day of my trip. But I love the other parks too.
EPCOT is my second favorite .
Then AK. My vacation is during August so it is just too hot to spend a lot of time there but I like it a lot. Safari, LION KING show, Nemo Show, EE, and the theming is great.

As for DHS, after ToT and TSM I am pretty much done. I like the muppet show and great movie ride but for the most part I find this park boring. It is a one day ( or until fast pass for TSM time ) and out park for me.

[jnfr2424]

I just cannot find my way around AK and it just drives me crazy. I am not a big fan of the layout of the park.

I like HS but I get what PP are stating. Then again I really love it during the holidays with the Spectacle of Lights in the backlot and I love the theming of Sci Fi and 50's Prime Time

[Skippy]

HS: The poor backlot tour needs a refurb or gutting (Carsland would be nice). The layout is bad - two large draws at the end of the same road + Fantasmic lines makes it a crowded afternoon/evening. The park needs some freshening up. While it's my number 2 favorite park, it seems to be neglected.

AK: Tired feet, and I have a zoo that costs a lot less to get into.

[biodtl]

For me, it's not that I don't like AK & DHS, it's just that I love MK & Epcot best.

[SandmanGStefani24]

I actually love AK. One problem is, it's just so much smaller in relation to time one can spend there. It's a half day park at best for us.

HS used to be a skipover but I feel like it is making a nice comeback. I enjoyed last visit, but again was done in a half day as I couldn't be bothered to sit through a 3 hr wait for TSM. Maybe I'll get to ride it sometime this century...

It isn't so much a matter of dislike, but more like I would much rather be at MK, or my favorite Epcot. There just isn't enough for me to say I HAVE to hit AK or HS each trip. Maybe just every other trip.

[Ian]

In reading some of the recent posts, I just want to say that I do like both AK and DHS ... it's just that I don't think either one holds a candle to MK & Epcot.

I get what AK is about. I understand that some people like what it offers and I don't at all begrudge them that. It's just not for me. If I want a zoo, I'll go to a zoo. I don't want a zoo mixed in with my theme park really ... I'm more of a classic Disney/dark ride kind of a guy and AK is completely devoid of those types of attractions. It's also pretty bare bones ... the cutbacks from the original scope have never really been addressed. They added EE which was great, but outside of that ... nothing. :shrug:

One other thing about DHS that bugs me is that it's really loud and annoying these days with that constant irritating stage show they do in front of the (hideous) hat. :ack:

[Minnie97]

I love HS in the mornings, when I can get fast passes for Toystory mania, and rockenroller, then I go ride startours.. and go back to which ever fast pass I got, and ride the ride, and ride great movie ride then if I can get another fast pass, go eat at backlot tour and watch muppet vision 3d, then go ride the other fast pass ride, so my family is always done there really early, we finish around 3 or 4, so it just isnt a lot for us to do there... but we love 50s prime time cafe:mickey:

Ak is just a lot of walking for about 3 rides, we are always done before lunch and head over to Animal kingdom Lodge to eat..

so I love MGM but we just dont have as much we all do together at either park..

[#1donaldfan]

HS least favorite thing would be small scale for a park that could have incredible rides, themed to a vast array of movies....

AK least favorite thing...LEAVING ! It's my favorite park and I can't say anything bad about it !! :cool:

[BrerGnat]

There are animal/nature people, and then there are people who are not. I am not. Thus, AK, as pretty as it is, and as well themed as it is, is just not my favorite.

Like another poster said, "too much walking for too little payoff."

I like Everest. I will go to AK, trek through the park, ride Everest, and leave. IF I really want to ride Everest. We totally skipped AK on our last trip. I didn't miss it.

And, FWIW, I have FULLY explored AK over many, many visits. I "get" it. I just don't personally really like it.

DHS is the one Disney park where I ALWAYS feel like I'm lost. The layout is atrocious, and the park has no discernable "lands". I like how MK and Epcot have distinct areas with defined boundaries as well as more obvious ways to get from place to place. DHS is a terrible park, layout wise. Plus, it doesn't have all that much to do there. I don't like live stage shows, and I am not particularly enamored with "old Hollywood", so it holds very little appeal to me.

[Ian]

There are animal/nature people, and then there are people who are not. I am not. Thus, AK, as pretty as it is, and as well themed as it is, is just not my favorite.

Like another poster said, "too much walking for too little payoff."

I like Everest. I will go to AK, trek through the park, ride Everest, and leave. IF I really want to ride Everest. We totally skipped AK on our last trip. I didn't miss it.

And, FWIW, I have FULLY explored AK over many, many visits. I "get" it. I just don't personally really like it.

DHS is the one Disney park where I ALWAYS feel like I'm lost. The layout is atrocious, and the park has no discernable "lands". I like how MK and Epcot have distinct areas with defined boundaries as well as more obvious ways to get from place to place. DHS is a terrible park, layout wise. Plus, it doesn't have all that much to do there. I don't like live stage shows, and I am not particularly enamored with "old Hollywood", so it holds very little appeal to me.Yes. This! :thumbsup:

[AllDisney]

I ALWAYS get lost in AK. I think I am headed in the right direction only to find out 10 minutes later it's not the direction I should have been headed:(

DHS I don't care of the Lights, Motor Action! It's really loud and once I've seen it I don't care to see it again:mickey:

[MrPeetrie]

I want to preface my remarks by stating: I am a huge fan of both these parks.

In ranking them, both fall behind the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, but that doesn't mean they're bad parks. They're just not as good as my two favorites.

In Hollywood Studios, after Tower of Terror, Rock 'N Rollercoaster and the new Star Wars ride, there isn't much for me to get me excited about. It just so happens Tower of Terror is my favorite attraction so I'm good. I know I'm in the minority here, but I wasn't that impressed with Toy Story Midway Mania. I thought it was ok, but I wouldn't wait more than 15 minutes for it. I think the Backlot Tour attraction is terrible. (Maybe it's because I'm always there in the fall and some of it may be missing due to the lights being placed for Christmas. I'm just guessing here.) Lights! Motors! Action! is just loud to me. The Great Movie Ride should be renamed: The OK Movie Ride because it's just OK. This could be so much greater. I don't like the layout much. When Mouse About Town had great clothing, this park had great apparel choices. (I have a black Walt Disney Studios windbreaker that is my absolute favorite jacket.) Now, the shopping is bland.

Animal Kingdrom is a beautiful park. It just needs more. The attractions and shows are great. The shopping isn't the best though. I think with Avatar-land, this park is really going to explode.

[Wolf]

Animal Kingdom is my favorite park, its beautiful, creative and so different, its also a big favorite because of sentimental reasons but I don't think they have so much weight that it clouds my judgement.
MGM-The only thing I dont adore about this park is that I'm just not hugely into big thrillcoasters, I'll ride em, and love em but I'd never make a mad dash to one of them to ride them 32 times in a day, I like a park you can wander through and enjoy the atmosphere which I do like there but its not so nice of a park to wander through to me cause of the layout is all. I love to shop in MGM and love Star Tours and Great Movie ride, I love RnRC and ToT too but they aren't big enough draws to me to put MGM in any place but last to me.

[Ian]

I know I'm in the minority here, but I wasn't that impressed with Toy Story Midway Mania. I thought it was ok, but I wouldn't wait more than 15 minutes for it.Ditto. It's cute, but the over-hype is somewhat mystifying to me.


I think the Backlot Tour attraction is terrible. (Maybe it's because I'm always there in the fall and some of it may be missing due to the lights being placed for Christmas. I'm just guessing here.)No, it's pretty much terrible all the time. This is one of the things that bugs me a bit ... it used to be a real backlot tour because DHS was a real honest-to-God working movie & TV studio. But once they shut down the operation there it became very silly. We hardly ever bother with it anymore since it doesn't amount to much more than an ad for their lastest movie.


Lights! Motors! Action! is just loud to me. The Great Movie Ride should be renamed: The OK Movie Ride because it's just OK. This could be so much greater.Agree with you on TGMR. The problem I have with it is that it hasn't been updated since it debuted over twenty years ago. These movies aren't particularly relevant anymore (some would argue that many were never that relevant in the first place ;)). It should be totally refurbed with new movies, up-to-date animatronics and effects, and a whole new storyline. It's just tired and old.

[Mickey'sIrishPAl]

I enjoy DHS, but to me it is all about time and layout of the park. When I say this, I mean...

*I have to get there extra early just to get a fast pass for TSM at a decent return time. In an 11 day vacation, I plan to go to DHS 2 days. Basically I cross my fingers and hope that if we are running late for any reason that there are still Fast Passes for this ride (often they are completely gone by 10:30AM or any time soon after that). Soarin' is the only other ride that come to mind like this. If we don't get fast passes, then we wait an hour and a half or longer just to get on once. Lots of wasted time.

*The main shows are Fantasmic, Beauty and the Beast, Indiana Jones, and LMA. All of these require a lengthy wait while so many are getting seated . To get a seat to your liking forces you to stand in line well before the performance begins (especially Fantasmic where I have seen people line up hours in advance just to get near the front). More time wasted.

* In the event that it rains, there are not alot of places to seek shelter to stay somewhat dry. I have been caught in some pretty bad rain showers and found that it took the better part of the day just to get dry as there was not alot of places to stand where rain could not get to you. Being wet makes people cranky, especially my children.

*It is very easy to get lost. This may not be the case for others but the further back in the park you are, the more it looks the same hence getting confused and getting lost happens often while there.

* As most have mentioned, I feel that it could use a shot in the arm as far as new attractions and new concepts. Glad they are doing away with the Narnia attraction. Never saw the movie but I never thought that it was wildly popular to begin with. And the Drew Carey thing does not seem too popular on these boards or anywhere else for that matter.

[Ian]

*The main shows are Fantasmic, Beauty and the Beast, Indiana Jones, and LMA. All of these require a lengthy wait while so many are getting seated . To get a seat to your liking forces you to stand in line well before the performance begins (especially Fantasmic where I have seen people line up hours in advance just to get near the front). More time wasted.This is precisely why I don't like shows. Far too much spent spent waiting in line, waiting in the theater, being herded out like cattle ... I actually like the Indy Stunt Show but I haven't seen it in years because I just can't stand to waste all that time.

[azcavalier]

* As most have mentioned, I feel that it could use a shot in the arm as far as new attractions and new concepts. Glad they are doing away with the Narnia attraction. Never saw the movie but I never thought that it was wildly popular to begin with. And the Drew Carey thing does not seem too popular on these boards or anywhere else for that matter.

The Narnia movies were fairly well received, and I am pretty sure that they did well in the theaters. But the attraction was *awful*. It was kind of like a commercial for the movie, and didn't make a lot of sense.

I sat through half of Sounds Dangerous once, and then had to take a restless child out. Heard it wasn't very good. I hope that the live comedy thing that they've started using the space for turns out to be successful.

[Disney Doll]

We love AK! DHS on the other hand is one we don't spend much time at and sometimes skip altogether. There's just not much for little kids there. My boys are 2 and 4. Their patience for a show is sometimes not there and they can't ride thrill rides yet. There's just not a lot else to do at DHS.

[ransam]

I really like both parks.

I like how AK is very relaxed. you can walk around and not go on an attraction and still be entertained by the details and shops. You go down trails that are quiet and relaxing. or you can stand around and watch the monkey just swinging in thier section. To me it's a great day.

as for HS, i love how close to Disney and movie making it makes me feel. you can walk through the tribute to Walt and see all the history and how this all came to be. YOU can go to the indiana Jones show or lights motor ane action and learn how movies are made. Get a look at an American Idol show. See a live production of Beauty and the beast. there's a good chance a street performance will break out. You can go to the back lot tour and see how movies are made. go the animators area and learn to draw disney characters.
eat at Brown Derby, themed after a very LA resturant.
to me it's the most loving tribute to Walt, the movies, and entertainment.

[BIGDOG]

Sorry... I Love all 4 parks, it's just that a couple of them give me the warm and fuzzy feeling more than the other two.

[emerzmom]

I could say "ditto" on a lot of the comments already made so I will just add my little 2 cents about DHL. Someone said there was no theme music. There is "theme music" at the park. It is a 40's big band kind of a sound. I love it! And I think the "Street-mosphere" shows in DHS are the best! They are one of my favorite things at WDW!
:tink:
Julie

[azcavalier]

I could say "ditto" on a lot of the comments already made so I will just add my little 2 cents about DHL. Someone said there was no theme music. There is "theme music" at the park. It is a 40's big band kind of a sound. I love it! And I think the "Street-mosphere" shows in DHS are the best! They are one of my favorite things at WDW!
:tink:
Julie

Agreed. The street performers at DHS are the best of the four parks. We love Mulch, Sweat, and Shears and the actors that are "making a movie" in various parts of the park. The Star Wars Weekends "Dancing With the Star Wars Stars" production is always hilarious.

We don't consider it a good trip unless we've seen Mulch Sweat and Shears at least once.

[DNS]

I voted AK as my favorite. HS is my least favorite and that is because most of the attractions/rides are okay to do every few trips, but not regularly. I love ToT and Fantasmic. We have yet to be able to catch Toy Story. If they didn't have a good selection of restaurants, we probably would skip the park all together most trips.

[texas211]

The Narnia movies were fairly well received, and I am pretty sure that they did well in the theaters. But the attraction was *awful*. It was kind of like a commercial for the movie, and didn't make a lot of sense.

I sat through half of Sounds Dangerous once, and then had to take a restless child out. Heard it wasn't very good. I hope that the live comedy thing that they've started using the space for turns out to be successful.

I kept expecting to see "Now on Blu-Ray" on one of those screens.

[DonaldDuckUSA]

I have no problem with AK, but I'm glad we're talking about HS.

I agree with EVERYONE about the layout. I always feel rushed, crowded, and confused.

I also feel like it's out of date. Many people have mentioned the uselessness of the Backlot Tour. I wholeheartedly agree.

With the exception of ToT and TSM, the attractions are unchanging and drab. I understand that it takes a lot of work to update a ride or area (which is why fantasyland is taking so long), but it all just feels uncared for. A few changes and adjustments would make some attractions interesting again.

DBF and I LOVE the Great Movie Ride, but the script is the same as it was 15 years ago. They haven't inserted any new jokes or facts. I'm not asking for the whole ride to change, because that would be a huge project. Just a few new jokes or facts would be refreshing. We will ride it every time (unless the line is too long) because we adore the movie montage, but we have come to dread the ride operators. Are we Disney sinners for feeling this way? :blush:

[indytraveler]

DAK is surrounded by so many trees that it holds in more humidity..... She also told us that there is 10% more oxygen there because all of the trees.

If there's that much more oxygen why do I feel like I'm suffocating?

AK - Like many of you I feel that it's a big park for 2-3 rides, EE, Bug's Life, Dinosaur. Plus never realized there was a table service restaurant in the park

DHS - feels like you have to plan your day around the shows. Can't do anything spontaneous

[Tinkerbella16]

I voted Epcot as my favorite park with MK very close behind. I don't dislike DHS or AK.. I just never spend an entire day at them because there just isn't enough that really makes me want to stay. Yes, there is lots to do at both parks, but I think DHS needs to add more attractions.. I used to LOVE the Backlot Tour and now I have no desire anymore to go on it because its just not the same. They took away the best part of the tour for a stunt show that I really don't care for at all.

AK is just realllllly big! It is the hottest park and its not open late enough to enjoy in the evening when the temps have cooled down a little. I love EE and Dinosaur but thats about it besides Its Tough to be a Bug. We always just spend a half day at these two parks for those reasons but I still really like them and it wouldn't be the same without them I know that! :mickey:

[LudwigVonDrake]

DAK - Not enough to do and too freakin' hot in the summer.

HS - Needs to be better organized and laid out better.

[Mom on a Mission]

I don't dislike either of them, but I agree with others, neither is laid out well. I never have a good feeling for where I am in DHS and at AK it's just too spread out. We never even made it to Conservation Station until our third or fourth trip. Everything there is great, you just have to work too hard to find it all. At MK & Epcot, you just walk around the circle and you see everything.

[Mousemates]

DAK - Not enough to do and too freakin' hot in the summer.


that pretty much summarizes my feelings on DAK too.

[disneymom2000]

I think the only thing I dislike about Animal Kingdom is the long walk from the busses to the entrance. It might not have the carnival-type rides like the other parks but it does what it is suppose to do. You get to experience all kinds of animals and the feel of the two continents is right on. Last time we met people from Africa that would talk to us about their country is it was fascinating.

DHS is confusing to get around and sometimes I do get lost but I also love the movie theming around the restaurants and the stage shows.

[Quadstriker]

I don't like how they are 2000 miles away.

[DisneyDawgette]

Both parks are so hot! Between the dense vegetation that makes AK so humid, and the immense stretches of black asphalt in DHS with a lack of shade, both parks are pretty brutal from April to September. :P

But I must admit that I brave the heat because I do love both of these parks! :)

[EpcotFan182]

DHS is #3 for me, things I really don't like about it is there really isn't enough that I like about it. I do RnR, ToT, GMR, Muppets, and Star Tours. I still haven't gotten to Toy Story but I want to on my next trip. But that's pretty much it, we can pound it out in a few hours and we really have no reason to go back. I don't really fancy live stage shows so it's something we can spend a half day on.

The same thing goes for AK, but also add that AK is HUGE and there's so much walking for not a lot. We do Dinosaur, Kali, Everest, Kilimanjaro, and Primeval Whirl. On our last trip we finished it less than 3 hours, we actually had to wait for Flametree to open for lunch haha.

Don't get me wrong, I love both parks but compared to MK and Epcot (where I pretty much do everything) there isn't enough for me to keep going back more than once per trip.

[Jodi]

As strange as this may sound, AK seems to be hotter temperature wise of all the parks...Not sure if it is all of the foliage and structures that may block any kind of breeze??? I like the park, but, once I get overheated, I am usually done. :fan::fan::fan::fan::fan::fan::fan:

[AXOAlum]

For me DAK isn't about the rides but more about respect for nature and the animals that we share with this great planet Earth.

See, this is why I do have a problem with it - it isn't the size, lack of attractions, etc... it is that I am also an animal lover and vegetarian (as well as both kids) and this is the one place we can't eat CS because the veggie options are limited to either a cheese pizza at Pizzafari :ack: or the roasted veg sandwich at Restaurantasaurus. Now, I love the veg sandwich there, but our extended family loves FlameTree BBQ, and I don't love walking half way through the park trying to balance a sandwich on a cheap paper plate!

I wish there were multiple veg options (and poor vegans are totally out of luck!) in the one park that should show respect for animals and their lives (where is Wilson when you need him)?! :secret:

[Crow]

Least liked in each park:

DHS: the backlot tour
AK: The carnival games at Dinorama. I get the backstory and theme, but I just think it was a cheap cop-out. They could have done so much more with this area.
backlot tour isnt much anymore. but then again, the animation tour isnt as good wo animators, empty spots next to TSMM, Drew Careys old spot, uh am idol...yea..and the layout isnt that good.
AK. i finally walked quickly thru Dinorama....
i spend the least time in AK but i do like the trails and some other things

[joonyer]

Actually I should say I love riding Primeval Whirl with my family, even though the rest of Dinorama was pretty much a waste of (very little) effort by the designers. There wasn't much imagineering effort or $$ put into the theme or execution. Seems like they just took the easiest and least expensive way out of that part of the park design. Even Primeval Whirl is a ride that can be found in many amusement parks.

[Rhetoric2000]

Animal Kingdom - Is an amazing theme park which I consider to be the best of the "Big 8" in Central Florida. A little more (ie. Beastly Kingdom) would be nice; but they are addressing that with Avatar (I'm not convinced either, but it should at least quieten the folks who claim it isn't a full day park). Maharajah Jungle Trek and Pangani Forest are two of the best attractions in Disney, but it seems some folks consider them to be "just walking around". Kali should be longer but is superbly themed, as are all the places to eat.

DHS - Is a very strong theme park with some distinct problems - the Counter Service food is poor; the should-be centrepiece ride hasn't been updated in two decades and has had a stupid big plastic hat in front of it; the layout is not particularly strong; there is far less of a working movie studio feel than there used to be (or than there is at US) and did I mention the STUPID BIG PLASTIC HAT. However what you do get at DHS is the best street theatre, many of the best rides (including IMO the best), IMO the best in-park restaurant and some lovely quiet places to take it all in.

For me, both parks knock EPCOT - the only park which has consistently regressed since it opened - into a cocked hat. Don't get how folks could traverse the sorry state the once great Future World is in now and call it one of the better Disney parks.