Joined: Nov 09, 2005 Posts: 1367 Location: Wichita, KS
Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 4:49 am Post subject:
I admit that when I went the year it opened my family stayed about 3 hours (of course it was also the middle of summer)
However when I visited last December I stayed longer (the cooler temps helped a lot!) I actually looked around at things that I didn't bother with all those years ago.
If "thrill rides" aren't your thing and you go when the weather is cooler, it isn't a bad place to wander around in. _________________ Nancie ºoº
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Joined: Nov 09, 2005 Posts: 1826 Location: Napa, Ca
Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 5:34 am Post subject:
I love Animal Kingdom - I've only been there once - but we spent the whole day there on our last trip. We just took our time and wandered about. It was a much more relaxing day. I'm an absolute animal lover and if my boyfriend hadn't been tugging me along I could of spent hours just watching the tigers and gorillas.
This may be a shock, but I actually prefer AK to MGM.
Animal Kingdom ain't that bad, yes it may be a half day park but on the detail and theming scale it's quite amazing. I believe that this park has alot of potential and Everest is the first step in acheiving that.
Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 4196 Location: Sanford, Fl
Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 6:43 am Post subject:
The author of the article did make a few good points, but MGM Studios didn't have the best opening either and it has become very successful. Neither of these two parks had the edge that MK or EPCOT had when they were being developed and built... Although, I think the author had a sour taste about DAK before he wrote the article, like he had a bad attitude about it, before he experienced the park... If you go into a situation expection bad things, it would be a miracle to change your mind...
Granted, they did make some mistakes with AK, mainly because of budget. Dinoland turned out the way it did because the first sponser dropped out and McDonalds stepped in to provide financial support and sponser the land. If the original sponser didn't bugger off, it might have turned out differently....
Look at MGM Studios, it only opened with a handful of rides (like 4 or 5) and none of which are their top attractions now (Rock 'n Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, Exteme Stuntshow). They have had things come and go, but it wasn't until some of the larger thrill rides open and they started having events (Star Wars Weekend, ABC Soap Weekend, etc...) that matched the theme of the park, that the park really started to take off...
Animal Kingdom is finally starting to come around, probably all due to Expedition Everest... More and more people are starting to go to the park and really explore and discover all of the wonderful attractions and shows that park has to offer. Granted that Dinosaur did not turn out to be as popular as expected and if they had included Beastley Kingdom (with it's coaster) it probably would have done better and the lack of E-Ticket attractions is what hurt them in the beginning.
They are learning from that mistake and moving forward, Everest shows that. Rumors about additional expansion and changes are always floating around, with new ones (like a night show, return/revamp of Beastly Kingdom, etc...), I'm sure Jay Rhode knows what he is doing....
DAK is a different park from the other three, it is a little more laid back, a little slower pace, a place where it is important to take your time and look around... there is plenty to see and do, if you are not focused on ride after ride after ride.... Now, if you did just the rides and the shows, it could be done in a half-day (if you got there at opening). But, if you go through and explore the boneyard, enjoy yourself in Dinoland, explore the exhibits in Discovery Island and Entrance area, learn something at the Conservation Center, discover the two wandering trails, and take some really good looks at the Tree of Life you would be amazed how quickly time flies and the day passes.... If I want to go to a park (which we do a lot) and I don't want to be rushed all day long and enjoy myself, I head to DAK.
Whew... time to get off my soap box... _________________ Up or Down North, South, East, or West An Adventurer's Life is Best!
Joined: Mar 09, 2006 Posts: 809 Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 7:19 am Post subject:
I agree daguru. I'm becoming a fan. I like the meandering path structure, which is different than the other parks. Kinda looks like they carved it through the jungle.
I still say Dinosaur could be made much better, though The AA isn't bad on that ride (except the tcherodactyl (sp))
While its not my favorite park, there are some things that I love about Animal Kingdom. We're hopeful that the park will continue to improve much the way the other parks have. One thing we'd love to see is easier access for folks staying at AKL
Joined: Nov 09, 2005 Posts: 154 Location: Kissimmee, Florida
Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 9:12 am Post subject:
Mom and I went there a couple of times. Both experiences weren't that great to be honest. I was mildly amused by The Tarzan Stage Show and It's A Bug's Life in my first trip there. The Kilimanjarro Safari was a bust due to the hot sticky weather. Few animals came out.
For those that enjoy it more power to them. _________________ Excellence is what matters.
Different thinks appeal to different folks. I think a lot of folks believe/expect AK to be the same as the other parks. It isn't, it can't be, and hopefully they will let it grow in the direction it is growing.
I think the park does need to finally do more with the mythological animals, Dragons, unicorns, etc.
i personally like this park quite a bit as a nice quiet way to recharge from the other parks.
Well, my family and I just got back, and we had a blast. I think we all treat DAK like a work in progress...since it's newer than the rest...but this park has grown by leaps and bounds since my first visit. We had fun....it was Disney...and it was done well. There were a couple of areas in construction while we were there, so there's more to come.....I'll go back.
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The AA isn't bad on that ride (except the tcherodactyl (sp))
