I Was Wrong About Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom was far and away my least favorite park at Walt Disney World for the first decade-plus of its existence. Honestly, I was almost bitter at the park for squandering so much potential. It’s the most thematically-pure park, and had endless potential to leverage extinct and mythical creatures. (Updated September 21, 2025.)
Since becoming Annual Passholders, Disney Vacation Club Members, and Floridians (for 4 years), we’ve spent more time in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. As a result, my opinion of the park changed as compared to our first few visits together as adults. Now that we’ve had more time to slow down and appreciate Animal Kingdom on its own terms, I’ll admit that I was wrong about it.
Phrases like “I was wrong” are not the norm on the internet. The standard modus operandi is to establish a position, entrench oneself in that, and refuse to relent no matter what countervailing reason and opinion are offered. Sorry, fellow internet commentators, if I’ve broken some sort of unspoken code of conduct by admitting that I was wrong.
In my defense, while I will admit that I was wrong, I’m not saying I was totally wrong. In fact, several of my specific points are valid. What I was wrong about were my general conclusions about the park, and my general demeanor and attitude towards it.
Let’s take a look at why I am now an Animal Kingdom fan. And to be clear, I’ve been a DAK fan for well over a decade–this article was originally published 12 years ago to the week and has been updated several times since as DAK has continued to evolve, opening Pandora and Rivers of Light, closing the latter and Dino-Rama, etc.
To that point, let’s start with the latest update, which is actually a rare step backwards for Animal Kingdom…
2025 Update
Animal Kingdom is the park most removed from its last development cycle almost a decade ago, and it has lost more than it has gained since March 2020. It’s hurt by its reduced offerings and construction, and is the park far and away most likely to lose attendance to Epic Universe at Universal between now and 2027.
The next few years will be tough for Animal Kingdom before Tropical Americas debuts in 2027-2028. Already this year, all of Dino-Rama has closed, as has It’s Tough to Be a Bug. The Boneyard play area just closed, and DINOSAUR will go extinct in February 2026. Thankfully, Zootopia: Better Zoogether will debut and pick up some of the slack, but not much.
Animal Kingdom will only have 5 traditional rides from February 2026 until sometime in late 2027 when the first Tropical Americas attraction opens. To be sure, there are stage shows, atmospheric entertainment acts, and animal exhibits that help round out things. But people go to theme parks primarily for rides, and Animal Kingdom is undeniably light on them.
Ardent Animal Kingdom defenders won’t like to hear this, but guests are already voting with their wallets. Animal Kingdom adherents and converts (like us!) argue that average guests just don’t “get” the park. And as we’ll discuss below, there’s truth to that! But there’s also the reality that Walt Disney World waited way too long to start expanding DAK, and there’s also validity to its shrinking attendance.
To this point, Animal Kingdom is the worst performing park at Walt Disney World. During the last year for which data is available, it was the only park at Walt Disney World not in the top 10 for worldwide theme park attendance. Animal Kingdom ranked #16, with 8.8 million annual visitors.
It’s the only Walt Disney World park that didn’t hit the 10 million mark, and it had less than half the annual visitors of Magic Kingdom, the #1 theme park in the world. So even pre-construction, Animal Kingdom was the most-skipped park at Walt Disney World, with half of guests who visited the flagship castle park opting to skip DAK.
There’s a reason for that, and it would be disingenuous to pretend otherwise and claim that DAK attendance is low simply because it’s misunderstood. It would also be inappropriate to not offer an update to this post acknowledging as much, as a lot has changed at Animal Kingdom since we last visited this topic in 2019, and all of it has been for the worse.
Even Animal Kingdom’s most passionate fans would not contend that the park is as good today as it was in 2019. That’s simply an indefensible position. It’s worth keeping that in mind while reading the following, as this is an article that I would not write today. At least, not in such forceful terms.
I still love Animal Kingdom, but anyone who visits in 2025 or 2026 and doesn’t love it is not wrong and is not simply misunderstanding the much-maligned park. Animal Kingdom was better; Animal Kingdom deserves better. And thankfully, Animal Kingdom will be better by 2028.
With that in mind, here’s the case in favor of visiting Animal Kingdom, and appreciating the park in its fully glory as a different breed that’s unique from the other three parks at Walt Disney World…
Park Style & Structure
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a substantial departure from the typical Disney theme park archetype, and this fundamental difference in tone and structure causes many people to misunderstand the park. Conversely, this same difference in tone and structure does give Animal Kingdom its own group of fervent fans who call it their favorite park, many of whom take great offense to criticism of the park. We definitely fell into the former group for our first several years visiting Walt Disney World as adults.
When traveling to Walt Disney World for fun, we’ve basically renounced the commando style, but my ‘epiphany’ that we might have been missing something with Animal Kingdom didn’t come until, of all places, we first visited Disneyland Paris.
Since we weren’t sure if we’d ever be back there, we made a point to soak up as much of that park as we could, doing a lot in the way of exploring, savoring details, and even reading signs or “historical” placards throughout the park. It was an incredible experience and gave me a deep appreciation for Disney’s most beautiful castle park. I later dubbed it a park that’s like a fine wine, and is meant to be sipped, not chugged.
I realized that there was a good chance that Animal Kingdom was the same way, so on our next trip to Walt Disney World, we opted to spend two days there–more time than we spent in any other park. This ‘fine wine’ analogy definitely applies there, too. Simply put, Animal Kingdom is an ambiance park.
Much like World Showcase at Epcot, you can’t go in expecting to do a lot of exciting attractions. Rather, the joy of the experience is in the atmosphere, and in discovering little things that make the theme park a place, rather than a collection of rides.
To me, the atmosphere and these details are a big part of what separates Disney theme parks from other theme and amusement parks. If all you care about is running from attraction to attraction, why do Disney parks at all? There are better options for that.
In terms of “Disney Details,” Animal Kingdom ranks as some of Imagineering’s best work. It’s staggering, really, and even seasoned Animal Kingdom fans are likely to notice new things with each visit. Whether that be new placemaking elements, atmospheric acts, or even quiet corners you’ve somehow missed in the past, there’s a lot that gets missed by casual visitors there for a single day.
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the park tone is manifested in the many winding animal trails throughout the park, some of which are listed as attractions on the park map, but many of which are not.
It’s going slowly through the Oasis (entry area) while arriving or leaving instead of racing on. It’s stopping to take a few minutes to watch a couple of animals play. It’s reading what one of the many posters plastered in Africa says, and thinking about how that relates to the theme of the area. It’s sitting back and watching a fountain flow while snacking. It’s all of these things and many more, all of which make Disney’s Animal Kingdom the most detailed and heavily themed park at Walt Disney World. What it lacks in nostalgia for most of us, it should make up for in character.
DAK Attractions
It’s safe to say that everyone knows about Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Finding Nemo: The Musical, Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids, and Festival of the Lion King. We think it’s fair to call these all moderately good to great attractions. In the cases of Dinosaur and Kali River Rapids, we think there’s some unrealized potential, but they’re still fun.
It used to be the case that we’d do these attractions (besides Kali River Rapids), eat, wander a bit, and call it a day. It wasn’t until this year that we did Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, Feathered Friends in Flight, and Maharajah Jungle Trek. These changed our outlook on Animal Kingdom, as they provided additional hours of entertainment, and also contradicted the notion that Animal Kingdom didn’t do enough to distinguish its animal exhibits from a zoo.
Then there’s Pandora – World of Avatar. Probably not much need to fixate on this, as the expansion is a huge draw and what caused DAK’s attendance to surge back when it debuted. The Avatar area offers two new non-animal attractions that are the biggest draws in the entire park. It also helps tremendously that Avatar Flight of Passage is one of the best attractions in all of Walt Disney World!
Turning to the hidden gems or overlooked highlights, our favorites of these are definitely Feathered Friends in Flight, Maharajah Jungle Trek, and Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. Feathered Friends in Flight is entertaining and engaging, with a bit of self-aware, cheesy comedy that works really well in the context of the show to balance out the serious conservationist message.
The intelligence of birds is on full display here, and it’s really quite impressive. It really is a great blend of Disney entertainment and wildlife, and a prime example of how conceptually strong Animal Kingdom is as a theme park. If you like that, be sure to not miss Winged Encounters in front of the Tree of Life.
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is an excellent animal exhibit, as is the underrated Otter Grotto towards the front of the park. We tend to stop in the latter both upon entering and exiting the park since those little fellas can sometimes be tough to spot.
Maharajah Jungle Trek is a walk-through attraction, but it shouldn’t be dismissed as just a walk-through exhibit. Here, there are scenes that bring you up close to various animals, all while traversing through an elaborately themed Asian environment. While the animal encounters are great, as are the Cast Members here sharing information about them, the environments through which you walk (and even through which the animals roam) are the real star.
At one point it seems as if you’re going through the ruins of a remote temple that has existed for thousands of years, and details abound everywhere. Disney could have just let the animals be the show here, with utilitarian paths between them, but by going further and creating the environments, it feels like you’re an active participant in some sort of exploration. It’s difficult to articulate, but it works really well as an attraction and is very rewarding for guests who take the time to soak it all in.
Pick a half-dozen or so of these attractions, add in dining, roaming entertainment, and wandering around the park to enjoy its many details, and you have a day of entertainment that stacks up well to the other three theme parks at Walt Disney World.
Quietly Great Food Park?!
Speaking of dining, the case could be made that Animal Kingdom is sneakily one of the best food parks at Walt Disney World.
The consensus among Walt Disney World fans is that EPCOT is the epicenter of Walt Disney World’s culinary scene. And that’s probably true given the sheer number of its restaurants in World Showcase and beyond, plus the festival food booths that are present most of the year. EPCOT is probably home to a greater variety of good or better dining than any other park. I’m not going to be a contrarian and suggest otherwise.
But on a single visit, you cannot possibly eat all of that, and the argument can be made that Animal Kingdom has as formidable of a dining scene on a pound for pound basis. Satu’li Canteen and Flame Tree BBQ offer a better 1-2 punch for counter service restaurants than anything at EPCOT. Tiffins and Nomad Lounge are another exceptional 1-2 punch, arguably the best in-park Signature Restaurant and lounge anywhere.
Another under-the-radar pick is Tusker House, which offers the most diverse buffet spread of any character dining experience. Then there’s Yak & Yeti, which is sneakily great as a mid-tier table service. All of these picks are as good or better than their counterparts in EPCOT–and that’s not even the full restaurant roster!
The biggest (valid) criticism of Animal Kingdom’s cuisine scene is that it lacks the same level of snacking as EPCOT. No argument from me there, but DAK does have some underrated snacks, and again, more than any guest could eat in a single day (or even two!).
Start with breakfast at Satu’li Canteen after rope dropping Pandora – World of Avatar, schedule a table service meal (or two!) as a way to pace the day, and do some light snacking in between. With all of that, it’s easy to graze your way around the continents and turn DAK into a full-day park. Maybe a two-day park!
Half Day Park?
Just to underscore a point from the end of the last section: Disney’s Animal Kingdom is not a half day park. Despite the artificial limitation of shorter park hours, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is not inherently a half day park. There’s plenty to do to fill a full day…or two!
The misconception concerning this status is likely perpetuated by theme park commandos, who race from E-Ticket attraction to E-Ticket attraction and try to complete parks in almost a checklist fashion. Experiencing Animal Kingdom in this manner is, flat out, the wrong way to do it. The main reason–that it’s an ambiance park meant to be slowly enjoyed–is set out above.
The other main reason is sort of related to that, and it’s the attraction distribution of Animal Kingdom. If guests are working from a ‘checklist’ of sorts, once they complete the big name attractions listed in the first paragraph of the “Attractions” section, what is left for them to do? The walk-through animal attractions and meandering trails, while very well done, don’t cater to the commando type because there is no instant gratification with these experiences.
This is their fault for viewing a theme park as a list of items to accomplish as quickly as possible, and not Animal Kingdom’s fault.
However, even for more patient guests, the walk-throughs and trails are similar enough to one another that at some point it’s understandable if fatigue from similarity sets in and they grow restless.
To avoid encountering this same fatigue ourselves, we’ve made sure to mix-in these walking and self-guided attractions with more “typical” theme park attractions. This definitely isn’t the most efficient way to experience Animal Kingdom, but it did nicely break up our days there. We think this is a good way to approach the park if you commonly find yourself ready to head for the buses around 1 pm.
So What Is Wrong?
I’m not suggesting Animal Kingdom is without fault. Far from it. The biggest thing that’s wrong is the aforementioned attraction distribution. This might seem to fly in the face of what I said above, as I described Animal Kingdom as a different kind of theme park and it being guests’ own problem if they skip the brilliant animal-centric attractions.
While true, these things don’t change the fact that Animal Kingdom could use more traditional theme park attractions that further distance it from a zoo and provide better balance to its slate. In short, the park needs more rides. It needs more to ‘meet guests where they are’, give them counterprogramming between all of the trails & exhibits so they don’t get “animal fatigue.” It needs more to keep them in the park late, so Walt Disney World can justify later operating hours–and a nighttime spectacular (RIP Rivers of Light).
Beastly Kingdom would have accomplished this brilliantly. Its attractions could not have been anything featuring actual animals, unless Imagineering pulled off some sort of Jurassic Park-type feat and found a way to bring to life beasts that have up until now been mythical. (In which case, I doubt many people would be complaining about more “animal”-centric exhibits.)
Tropical Americas will help with this mightily when it debuts in 2027-2028, but even after that, the park will still be a few rides short of comporting with reasonable guests’ expectations. It’s really unfortunate that dinosaurs couldn’t coexist with Encanto and Indiana Jones.
We’re happy to see Dino-Rama go extinct, as that carnival was an embarrassment to the rest of the theme park, and truly disappointing given how much potential there is for a land themed to dinosaurs. So that removal is a net positive that will eventually elevate Animal Kingdom as a whole.
But the solution was building a worthy dinosaur themed land in addition to park expansion featuring Tropical Americas. Dinosaurs are our greatest national treasure, and it’s time Disney started treating them like it.
Suffice to say, Animal Kingdom could use some attractions about mythical or extinct animals that use Disney ride systems found in other parks. Not necessarily dark rides, but some sort of rides.
A few attractions like this would bridge the gap between Animal Kingdom and traditional Disney theme parks. Animal Kingdom would still have its own, unique identity, and would also have better balance and more ways for guests to break up their time in the park. If not dinosaurs of non-Pandorian mythical creatures, perhaps the rumored Lion King ride will come to Africa in the 2030s.
This list of qualms and areas that should be addressed might seem so long that it almost “swallows” the rest of the praise in this article, but it’s not. If it’s any consolation, my list of what needs to be addressed to perfect Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios would be far longer.
Overall, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is an excellent theme park that people under appreciate because it’s not what we’re used to experiencing. It is not perfect and it has clear room for improvement–but not necessarily any more room for improvement than Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Even without improvement, it’s a park that many of us could stand to spend a little more time enjoying and exploring, as it has a great deal of beauty that many Disney fans have never seen.
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Your Thoughts
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is unquestionably the most divisive theme park at Walt Disney World…where do you stand on it? Are you a fan of it, or is it your least favorite park? Think you’ll give some of its “lesser-known” attractions a chance? Hearing from you is half the fun, so share your thoughts in the comments!
I have to admit that out of the 4 parks, AK is my families LEAST favorite… I think the main reason for this is that my children (and husband) have very short attention spans…hahaha.. therefore, we cannot enjoy the park for all its worth. I personally LOVE Maharaja Jungle Trek!! Its always been my favorite attraction. (is this the one with the bats? I LOVE the bats!! lol) I’m also a big fan of Its Tough to be a Bug though… so take that to heart. hahaha We have never seen Flights of Wonder though.. I think we will have to make that a priority on our next trip. (whether the others like it or not.. haha)
I also agree about the Carnival set in Dinorama!! Horrible… we never even go IN to that section!! (sigh)
Thanks for your input. Always enjoyable reading. :o)
Thanks for this post. My boyfriend and I did a 7 day trip to Disney World in May and visited every park (some twice) and my favorite was definitely Animal Kingdom which had been the park I was least excited about visiting. AK was the first park that I truly felt like I was entering a different place–the theming was that enveloping. It also wasn’t so crowded with attractions that we went commando style in the morning and then enjoyed a leisurely afternoon seeing shows like Flights of Wonder. Also, the Safari experience in the morning and late afternoon was completely difference. If there is a park at Disney that needs updating and is a half-day park, to me that park is Hollywood Studios.
We think the best times to do Kilimanjaro Safaris is definitely early morning or late afternoon. Much more activity then, and you’re right, it’s a totally different experience in the morning v. in the late afternoon!
Agree that unless it’s Star Wars Weekends, DHS is a half day park for anyone who has already been there. With the exception of Indy (which we haven’t done in a while), I think the stage shows there are all one and done. Plus, anyone who has been to Disneyland will probably have little reason to see Fantasmic!
I’m so glad I just came across this blog. I have been to Disney the last 3 years, and have yet to visit DAK. We will be there for 8 days in Dec., and will be finally vising DAK park. I always heard about the negatives and wasn’t ready to give it a try. But since reading this I am finally excited about visiting. We will even be staying at the Villas at Animal Kingdom. I am really hoping I can get my whole family to take time and enjoy the park as you have said. Thanks for all your input!
We have typically only made DAK a half day park because of the seemingly endless heat. For some reason it ALWAYS seems hotter in AK. There is definitely a lack of air-conditioned/indoor areas/attractions which could provide a much needed break from the sun. Say what you will about the impeding World of Pandora, but adding a large air-conditioned land would certainly help us spend more time there. (I know……. whah)
I absolutely love Animal Kingdom. It’s fun, interesting, beautiful and a perfect counterpoint to the more hectic Magic Kingdom. To me, the Maharaja Jungle Trek, the Tree of Life Gardens and the waterside dining area of Flame Tree Barbeque are some of my favourite spots on Disney property. But it is a shame that so many people overlook these.
However, it’s a park that feels like it is stagnating a bit with no new developments since Everest. I hope that they plough some money in to keep it fresh. I also hope that they alternate “conventional attractions” (like Pandora) with animal attractions, to hammer home the message that it is an animal park! To me, the biggest danger is that 15 years down the line, Disney decides that the animals are not the major draw and are expensive to keep, and quietly retires them all, leaving it as another “conventional” theme park (much like they did with the Studios – removing all of the actual “studio” parts).
While I just enjoy hearing bloggers, even those I respect such as yourself, admit they were wrong, I get far more joy out of the fact that it still didn’t take you THAT long to get it.
Far too many Disney ‘fans’ are just OCD rideaholics who somehow fine joy in riding the MK’s old and largely poorly maintained attractions over and over again. I can’t whether it is an all’time favorite like Mansion or a new mediocre plastic ride with Ariel and pals.
DAK is the only WDW park that has kept true to its mission statement, while the other three parks have become messes of varying levels. Indeed, its rides (again, largely due to neglect) are much weaker than the whole of the environment. Sure, if you don’t care about animal exhibits, lush scenery, amazing attention to detail, the best quick serve food at WDW and some very nice shows, then DAK can easily be ‘a half day park’ … Being that I can’t spend more than 4-5 hours at MK without being bored to tears, I get that people are different.
But I think people need to slow down and enjoy this masterpiece for what it is instead of complaining that it isn’t another MK (thankfully).
If it weren’t for DAK and EPCOT’s World Showcase, I would have very little value for what WDW offers in the 21st century.
But I guess that’s why my next ‘real’ (that means not as an add on while in O-Town for Horror Nights) Disney trips will be a cruise and a return to DLP.
Anyway, great to see you coming around, Tom.
I definitely agree that DHS and Epcot have been going downhill in recent years, but I actually think Magic Kingdom is starting to turn things around. Main Street is looking better than ever, as is Liberty Square, and even the Frontierland mountains are looking the best they have in years. Tomorrowland is the biggest blemish there right now, and just looking out at that land from the TTA shows how bad its land-wide maintenance really is.
Of course, I’ll readily admit that I enjoy Magic Kingdom a lot for the nostalgia I have for many of its attractions. I think I can compartmentalize that nostalgia and judge it for what it actually is, but who knows…
I’ve always been surprised when people say they don’t enjoy Animal Kingdom. It’s my favorite park to photograph. I can easily spend days there just wandering around, taking in the art and animals.
I’m glad you’ve come around! We love AK and I can spend a fair amount if time just watching the tigers on the jungle trek, or just sitting and staring at the Tree of Life. (You are still total right about Chester & Hester’s, though. Calling it a pig might be an injustice to swine.)
I do like DAK and agree that the walking trails are very well done. The theming is good throughout the park, and I don’t mind that the number of attractions is smaller. What I find tricky is the fact that bottlenecks can be created because of the way the attractions are spaced. Crowds gather at Africa near Kilimanjaro Safaris and near Expedition Everest. The paths can get tight and often surprisingly hot, even in the cooler months.
Dinorama is also a big problem like you mention. Given that DAK arrived in the same timeframe as the original DCA, there is a similarity in the way theming was put on top of cheap rides. That area needs serious help and should get rid of all the carnival games. It just feels weird in the middle of such a green park. I also think Dinosaur is a missed opportunity and doesn’t seem to have as much as it did original as Countdown to Extinction. Compared to Indiana Jones, it’s a miss.
Still, there are a lot of positives, and the potential is there to make DAK an amazing park.
I really enjoyed your updated assessment Tom. Nice job on the update! My wife and I especially enjoy the beauty and immersion of Maharajah Jungle Trek and the combination of fun and education of Flights of Wonder. We have seen Flights several times with different casts, and have always enjoyed it immensely. I believe these are both “hidden gems” of the park, with Flights being an attraction that most people never see. But you are right that AK is an immersion park. I think some areas of the park are very close to feeling like you are seeing the real deal, especially in Africa and parts of Asia. I also agree with you that Dinoland is a blight on an otherwise great park. AK could definitely stand some more interesting rides and attractions, but we enjoy it for what it is.
Thanks for your review, we are spending 8 days at WDW in December and this is the first of the parks we plan to visit. I think it would be a good introduction to the parks, sounds like there is plenty to do and we will be stamping our passes and making our way around, nice and slowly! Who would possibly want to do the parks commando style, there is not possible way you can see it all! Anyway, it’s an excuse to come back, isn’t it? 😉
Your comment, “To me, the atmosphere and these details are a big part of what separates Disney theme parks from other theme and amusement parks. If all you care about is running from attraction to attraction, why do Disney parks at all? There are better options for that.” is perfect!
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to explain why Disney is the place I want to visit, and that is exactly the reason why. The whole experience is what the visit is all about.
We’ve visited Disney World every five years for the last 25 years and are returning again this Christmas and looking forward to our day at Animal Kingdom, always my husband’s favorite park!
I agree with a lot of what you’ve said. I went to AK on the last day of a five day vacation and only made it a half day because we were caught in a downpour and were exhausted. . We skipped a majority of the big rides such as Expedition Everest because I was traveling alone with a seven year old. Maharajah Jungle Trek was our favorite. Simply because of how beautiful it was and how it truly felt more authentic than anything we had seen before. I’m looking forward to a longer visit next time
Great post….During my last visit, one morning I found I’d spent over two hours in just The Oasis, at the front of the park. The anteater had been particularly active that morning, as were the rest of the tenants of The Oasis. It was amazing to see the vast majority of guests hurrying past me to get to the “rides”. What really amazed me were some of the youngest guests noticing the animals…trying to get a look, while their parents (oblivious to the beauty in front of them) hurried those children along. AK is one of those places that the slower you take it, the more you’re rewarded. And a side note….for the solo traveler, this park is perfect.
Good article, but I have to say no, you were right the first time. All that has happened is the annoyance with all the problems has worn off to the point that you can appreciate what is right with the park. Things that were overshadowed by the overwhelming sense of nothingness that so many felt when AK opened. That, and the issues with DHS and Epcot that have intensified in recent years are making AK look better.
Yes, there is atmosphere in AK, there are some very nice areas in the park, and you CAN spend lots of time just taking it all in. But the same can be said for Disneyland, and if that was all DL could hang it’s hat on, it would never have spawned the empire it did.
But Disneyland delivers the whole package. You can ride all day, or you can explore all day. Magic Kingdom does the same, though to a somewhate lesser extent. Epcot did at one time, though it is faltering.
These are the standards for Disney’s parks, and AK still does not come anywhere close to that standard. In fairness, neither does DHS or DCA, though of course DCA has made big strides lately.
Disney and their apologists have tried to blame the guests for not “getting” AK ever since it opened. Same with DCA. But the truth is we aren’t talking about calculus here. The guests “get it”, they just don’t like it (relatively speaking).
One thing I agree on completely though is that had Disney continued with its original plans, and built Beastly Kingdom, it’s very possible AK would be in a much better place today. But alas, Disney’s collective sphincters tightened and they instead added the much less expensive (but much more offensive) Dino-Rama in a panic.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my time in the park. There are some good attractions, though I’m a little more down on Dinosaur and Kali than you. Certainly the animal trails are pleasant, and while the foliage kills any possible air circulation, it does give a nice feel otherwise. But this is a WDW park, and to attract all-day crowds and repeat visits from the masses, it needs more quality things to do.
Disneyland itself wouldn’t have lived up to this same standard in the first few years of its operation. I haven’t actually counted, but I would hazard a guess that the number of attractions in Disneyland up until 1959 would have been fewer than the number in Animal Kingdom. And Disneyland was wildly popular in those years–it did spawn an empire in despite its attraction lineup. Disneyland has been built up over the course of its nearly 60 years in operation, and while it has a great mix of environment and attractions, I don’t think its environment is as good as Animal Kingdom’s. There are options for exploring at Disneyland, but I don’t think they even come close to Animal Kingdom.
A comparison to Disneyland is like comparing a basketball player to Michael Jordan. It’s just not a reasonable thing to do–and not just for objective reasons, but because Disneyland is an American icon that will never have a true equal, no matter the actual quality of what’s built.
Now, this isn’t to say that Animal Kingdom or any other park is as good as it should be. All of the parks mentioned have ways they could–and should–improve, and I think it’s very fair to say that the Florida parks are not living up to the Disney legacy, and are not being operated at their 1990s standards.
I set aside extra time on our last trip for the AK experiences we normally skip. Maharaja Jungle Trek is excellent, and I prefer it to it’s African counterpart. Flights of Wonder is amazing for what you first think is just a show about birds. Your picture of the bald eagle is fantastic.
A few dark rides or a boat ride Á la Living with the Land would be great additions to help round out the AK experience.
Bring back evening EMH, and I’d be at it in a heartbeat. Animal Kingdom is particularly magical at night.
This was a wonderful article. Whenever anyone asks me what my favorite park is, I instintively say: “Animal Kingdom”. And then they ask me why. And I find I have a hard time putting it into words.
This article does a great job of summing up why I love this park so much. Because when it comes down to it, it’s the ambiance. I feel like AK actually tries to slow you down, so you can enjoy it more. But that feeling gets lost on a lot of people.
Great write-up! My family went to DAK in it’s opening year and generally found it lacking – we barely went back at all in subsequent trips. It wasn’t until I did the Disney College Program in 07 and ended up at Kilimanjaro Safaris that I REALLY came to appreciate the park (though I also agree with the issues you have above). I loved spending a morning or afternoon there just taking in the weird little nooks and grabbing a quick snack.
“That carnival is an embarrassment to the rest of the theme park, and truly disappointing given how much potential there is for a land themed to dinosaurs.”
This.
Dino-rama kills me a little inside everytime we walk by it to get to DINOSAUR. It’s a mockery, and while I hate bringing up the tired “Walt wouldn’t have…”, it finally seems appropriate. There’s a great archived story of Lily asking Walt why he’d want to build an amusement park when they’re such unpleasant places. Walt said (paraphrased) “Mine won’t be like that,” yet Chester and Hester’s is an homage to the type of park Walt precisely didn’t want.
I’m with you on the rest of the park. Last month we were in the world for almost two weeks, and made a conscious decision to spend more time in the Animal Kingdom. Without feeling rushed, we were able to see a lot of the details you talk about. The music in Africa, the signs at Mr. Kamal’s, and the monkey enclosures. Did you realize the monkeys have their own temples!? That’s incredible. I just wish there were more slow attractions, like a leisurely ride (DAK’s own TTA, except a train or boat), to help encourage people to take it slow.
Anyway, great article.
They used to have a boat ride–I don’t recall ever having experienced it, but it didn’t last too long: http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/id55.htm
Fantastic write up – and thanks for admitting that you were wrong! It’s frustrating to hear people call Animal Kingdom a half-day park, and then watch them stare blankly when you recite 10-15 attractions they didn’t experience. We’re lucky to have been to Animal Kingdom many times (we also own DVC at Animal Kingdom Lodge so you know we love the theme) and that gives us the opportunity that you two had – to slooooow down and experience the park.