Animal Kingdom About This Page:

[WildForWD]

As this will be our first time going to the Animal Kingdom I would like to get the most out of it! What is the best thing to do first at A.K. , and the best times to see the major attractions?

[Dave Marx]

It's been said often, but the best overall strategy is to make Animal Kingdom (AK) a two-part visit--arrive early in the morning, as close to the 8:00 AM opening time as possible. Take a mid-day break, and return in mid-afternoon until closing time. One reason is to see the animals at their best. Crowds and heat are at their worst in late morning through mid-afternoon, so why not dodge them? As most attractions int he park are not air conditioned, it's best to be elsewhere when the sun is hot and high.

When the gates open at 8:00 am folks make a beeline for Kilimanjaro Safaris, as the early morning and late afternoon will be best for viewing animal activity. With the advent of FASTPASS this may only be more imperative, as the return times for FASTPASS also get worse as the day goes on. By midmorning the FASTPASS return time may be smack dab in the hottest part of the afternoon.


If you're part of the 8:00 AM dash to Kilimanjaro Safaris you'll miss The Oasis, and that's a shame. Whenever you arrive, allow yourself some time to enjoy this area--view the animals, enjoy the scenery. Disney intended this area to set the stage and pace for the rest of your visit. AK really isn't a "dash around and see it all" kind of place. There's so much more to see and enjoy when you take the time to find it (or let it find you).

Next on the early morning/late afternoon list would be the two live animal "walks" - Pangani Forest Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek. Pangani is right by Kilimanjaro, so you might grab a FASTPASS for the Safari, stroll through Pangani and jump on the Safari afterwards.

The live shows will (of course) have the longest lines when the crowds are at their peak. At those times, if you care about getting a front row seat you'll have to arrive well before showtime. The gates usually open about 20 minutes before the show. You can often walk right in at posted show time during off-peak hours, but don't count on a perfect seat. In general, visit the live shows after the live animal attractions in the morning, or soon after you return from your afternoon break.

You could coordinate a viewing of Tarzan Rocks with a FASTPASS for Countdown to Extinction, as they're close by each other.

It's Tough To Be A Bug is one of those "jump on the line when you get the chance" attractions. You pass through Safari Village frequently, so when the line looks good, or you have some space in the schedule, or if you have a need for some air conditioning, give it a shot.

Since there's a good chance of getting soaked, you may prefer to avoid Kali River Rapids in the cool of the morning or late afternoon, despite the shorter waits. Grab a FASTPASS to avoid the long lines, view Maharajah Jungle Trek, ride Kali and maybe plan to head for your resort (and a dry change of clothes) afterwards for your mid-day break.

There are, of course, other strategies, and we usually advise that you only schedule the "must see" items on your list, then take advantage of unscheduled opportunities in the remaining time. Jump on the short lines when they present themselves, keep track of show times so you know where to head after you emerge from an attraction, or just follow your nose.




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Co-Author, PassPorter Walt Disney World
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/

[debe]

When do AK, plan to see the Lion King Show! It is so good..... Very colorful and lively show!

This last trip, we saw a lot of animals! We went first thing in the morning.

It's a bugs life is a cute show inside the tree of life, But take time and stand back to look at the tree itself! There are so many animal figuress carved into the tree... It is really beautiful and true work of art!

Kali Rapids is a very.... VERY WET ride! If it is cool consider doing it when it gets warmer! We got wet even with ponchos! but not as wet as the 2 older gentlemen that said a little water won't hurt you! (I don't think they had a dry item on them!

I really enjoy this park as I find it relaxing and the walking tours you can take at your own pace!




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Take Care!
debe-nj

[Mamu]

I don't know about anyone else, but on my first trip in 1998 to AK it was very easy to become disoriented at this park. Everything is lush and green.

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°O°Mamu°O°


[This message has been edited by Mamu (edited 03-09-2000).]

[HiddenMickey]

When we went to WDW in October we visited AK twice. The first time we spent the whole day there and took our time looking around and doing whatever came next as we walked through from Camp Minnie-Mickey moving clockwise. So we saw shows (Pocahontas and Lion King ) first. It worked well for us. Then on our last day we went midday (this was the Saturday that Hurricance Floyd was going by on the coast, so we had drizzle on and off all day). We did the Safari again and saw SO many animals and the giraffes came up to our truck and if we had reached out we could have touched them. Seems the cool, dampness of the day made them really active (so if you have a drizzly day --head for AK ). We also were able to do Kali River Rapids several times in a row and found that it is really enjoyable if you are wearing your poncho and not worrying about getting soaked). Do take time to walk around the Tree of Life and even if you don't do It's Tough to Be a Bug, walk down the entrance to it because there are a lot of animals carved on the "roots" and the waiting area has some neat posters.

Hope this gives you some good ideas. We really liked this park a lot. -HiddenMickey

[This message has been edited by HiddenMickey (edited 03-09-2000).]