What's your AK Stragedy?

[disneykid@hrt]

We've only been to the Animal Kingdom a handful of times and each time I feel like we are wandering aimlessly and not really taking much in. I don't know if we should head to EE or KS or walk to get a FP and back?! Has anyone found an effective way to tour Animal Kingdom? Thanks! I want to love this park so bad...

[LudwigVonDrake]

I always head straight to Everest when I arrive at the park.

[Joannelet]

I will send you a pm.
THis is where I was a cast member so I think I can help you out a bit.

[Lakin]

I. Go to Expedition Everest
2. Ride it
3. Check the line for expedition everest, and if it's short, (a)ride it, and if it's long, (b)get a FP.
3a. Ride it again
3b. Go to Kilimanjaro
4. Check the line for EE and ride it again, or use your fastpass.
5. Repeat step 3.

[beksy]

I know how you feel. I don't have a problem at MK or EC but at AK and DHS I am lost. We wander around and do things but I still feel like we aren't making the most of our time and just kind of go on what we come to. I'd appreciate the pm too Joannelet!

[clausjo]

We felt the same way, but the last time we were there we just went in a circle and did everything. The best thing, though, was the safari. We went right when the park was closing. There was no wait and all the animals were out. We enjoyed it so much that we got right back on and saw even more animals. Now we don't even try to ride before the very end of the day.

[RBrooksC]

AK is designed for visitors to wander. That is the beauty of the park. It is not about major thrills, even though thrills are to be had there. The paths and landscaping lead a visitor to just wander.

When we go, we like to just take our time, look around and explore stuff there. I find AK to be very relaxing, especially when you go back into the animal trails.

While it is considered by Disney to be a half-day park, if you take your time it could be drawn into a one day park.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

We went straight to EE and then to the safari...after that, we went to the first available Lion King show and just fit the other attractions around that taking it one land at a time....my son was actually able to ride EE several times without wait in the single rider line

[bruin1344]

straight to EE, get a fast pass, if the wait is short then ride it then and go back on it again later

then we head over to dinoland and then counterclockwise where we end at safari

[Mrs Bus Driver]

1.Discovery Island
2.Dinoland
(a)Primevil Whirl
(b)Dinosaur ride
3.Aisa
(a)See Flights of Wonder
(b)Walk the Maharajah Jungle trek
(c)Expedition Everest
4.Go to Africa to get to:
(a)Rafiki's Planet watch take Wildlife Express
(b)Tour the exhibits and take train back
5.Africa
(a)Walk the Pangani Forest Trail
(b)Kilmanjaro Safaris
6.Discovery Island
(a)It's Tough to be a Bug
(b)Flame Tree BBQ
7.Visit the zoological exhibits at the Oasis
8.Aisa
(a)Kali River Rapids “You will get wet, you may get soaked”
Hope this helps

[Gator]

I head straight to the Safari, grab a FP, then ride it. If I didnt have kids, I'd go to EE and walk through the queue, cus it's pretty cool. However, with kids, we head to a trail to walk on and then over to the Nemo show, which is really great.

[buzznwoodysmom]

We normally arrive at park opening and head straight to EE, then to the Safari, then the next showing of the Lion King. After that we try to get in the other attractions in no particular order. We are usually leaving the park not long after lunch time or at the latest 3pm. This year we are taking a different approach. We are having an early lunch at T-Rex at DTD then we go to AK after lunch. We are hoping that as the crowds that arrived at park opening are leaving the park won't be as crowded during the second half of the day. The few times we stayed at AK past 3pm we found that the closer it got to park closing the shorter the lines were, and many of the more popular rides were even walk ons.

[cer]

Excellent Thread, I know exactly what you mean, all this criss-crossing trying to get into shows, it is hard. I would love to know what the cast member advised....

[tmosier]

Originally Posted by cer

I would love to know what the cast member advised....

Me, too.

[fanofdisney]

That makes 3 of us

[Joannelet]

Awe! I'm going to try to help you all out in the best possible way (since this is hard to do with a group). I can't customize it like I can with a specific family or person in mind....
Conquer Animal Kingdom in a circle. Start wherever you like and just go in a circle from there. There is no wrong or right way to go through this park. I always start with what I want to go on first which is usually KS so we start from that way and go back to Discovery Island, Camp Minnie Mickey to Dinoland etc. BUt if you enjoy EE first then start there and go whichever way you like from that area.
However, its important to understand that Animal Kingdom was made to MAKE you wander. So if you feel like you are wandering thats because you are!!! Disney did a great job with that!!! I think this is the most underestimated park.....

but just treat it like a circle and CHECK OUT EVERYTHING!! From the gift shops to the restaurants, from the hidden mickeys to the amazing plants and of course those animals!! Most people never even realize that there are certain spots around the tree of life where REAL animals are. I once saw a HUGE tortoise just moving along slowly around the tree of life....and another time saw a gorilla get up and bang its chest and do its call!! Not that many people get to see that But if you meander through like its meant, just maybe you will see how truly magical this park can be!!!

If you are interested in the shows plan on being in that area around that time so that you are not running from one end to the other (which is not the point of the park) If a show is starting at a time that will work for you say like the Festival of the lion king...then kill time in Discovery Island while you wait. Here are some things for you to do....look for the hidden mickeys on the tree of life, go into the stores in discovery island and try to figure out what type of animals are the 'theme' of that store. Go to pizzafari where each room represents a specific 'kind' of animal and try to figure it out.
If you are waiting for the Nemo show check out Dinoland for a bit. look for a hidden mickey at the playground, look at what the student paleontologists do when they are not searching for dinosaur bones. Each area has something to tell (just like all Disney theme parks do) this one isn't any different.

But my best advice to you is SLOOOOOOWWW down....if you do you will take in sooo much more and see animals do things that you don't always get to see. I hope this helps a little...Its hard giving group advice because everyone has different wants and needs...so that is why I pm people. Its easier to customize it a little.

[Zawadi]

Originally Posted by Joannelet

...
However, its important to understand that Animal Kingdom was made to MAKE you wander. So if you feel like you are wandering thats because you are!!! Disney did a great job with that!!! I think this is the most underestimated park
...
But my best advice to you is SLOOOOOOWWW down....if you do you will take in sooo much more and see animals do things that you don't always get to see.
...

Even though we love the rides, esp. KS & EE, AK is a place to slow down and use your eyes to look at everything "from the perspective of a child" (Star Trek TNG - Natasha Yar about Lt Cmdr Data).
Look out for Ms DeVine in Africa and the big cats (follow the link below)

Tiger along the Maraharaja Trek

Can't wait until we fly out to WDW 1st week of Dec and AK will probably be our first park

[seanyred]

Originally Posted by Joannelet

...
But my best advice to you is SLOOOOOOWWW down....if you do you will take in sooo much more and see animals do things that you don't always get to see. I hope this helps a little...Its hard giving group advice because everyone has different wants and needs...so that is why I pm people. Its easier to customize it a little.

I think that is the best possible advice. To many people rush AK and then complain that there isn't enought attractions...which isn't true...even though its NOT A ZOO it should be enjoyed at a Zoo Pace. You get more out of it.

[Giggy]

We tend to do Kilomanjaro Safari early on as the animals tend to be more lively before the afternoon sun sends them all to sleep. It's a good job we do as well! Whenever we go there's always these poachers trying to get Big Red and Little Red... someone has to be there to stop them!

I know some people prefer to ride kali River Rapids later on in the day to avoid being wet all day but I don't think this is a major issue. If you go here mid-morning the sun will normally dry you out afterwards. As we go to Animal Kingdom on two different days (as a general rule) we start off with a character breakfast on the other day. This is always a nice touch.

Other of that I don't know of us following any other stratergy at AK, just look at what we would like to do and see (pretty much everything!) and go for it. Though for all I know it could all be planned out perfectly and I'm completely oblivious to it.

All our previous trips have been 2004 or earlier though so all I've seen of Expedition Everest is them building it. With this being one of the big 'new' things we're looking forward to next year I'd imagine the Everest Factor will come into play with whatever we decide.

[skram79]

We have two little ones 6 & 1. The way we knock out AK is

1. FP for Everest (just one runs over and gets them, the other takes the kids to camp mickey for characters)
2. Do the lion king show
3. Go get FP for safari ride
4. hit dinoland while waitng for the next nemo
5. everest after nemo
6. check the wait for water ride (we are not big fans of this ride so a 30 minute wait and we skip it)
7. Bug's life
8. go ride the safari
9. walk the kids along the zoo areas

gone.

we are normally finished around 2, getting there when the doors open.

Remember you fast passes do not expire that day, you can't use them early but you can use them late. So don't rush and pay attention when you can get your next fast pass. Riding the rides in between shows. The shows are amazing and really worth seeing.

This go around we are going to fit in the bird show.

Good luck and a safe trip