Best Things About Animal Kingdom?

[maryj11]

AK used to be our least favorite but it has since climbed its way to number 2 for us!

The atmosphere, the music, Expedition Everest, the FOTLK, the entertainment along the walkways, but by far the best thing has to be the Tree of Life, itself. It's just such a beautiful icon.

I forget to mention in my previous post that we felt the same about AK as your family. It was like we could take it or leave it in the past, but now is my 2nd favorite.

 

[sara_s]

Kilimanjaro Safari! Good food options and nature aspects of the park. I would love to try some of the tours they offer as well.

 

[gharter]

So many things to enjoy.
Pandora is amazing, especially at night.
Really good food options QS and TS.
Some of the best shows, LoTLK can't be beat and Nemo is fun!
Safari is always good.
Love the walking trails, Discovery, Gorilla Falls and Maharajah trails.
Great rides - EE is a must do several times.

 

[Sara_H]

I must say, the first time I went to AK back in 2001 I hated it. It was boring and we only stayed for a few hours. Flash forward to 2018 and it has greatly improved. Pandora is such a neat area and FoP is awesome! We really enjoyed our lunch at Satu'li because it was QS but not burgers or chicken tenders and those desserts...yum!! Also I think EE is super fun and the line typically isn't too long. The park also has a sort of relaxing feel to it, I don't feel super rushed while in there.

 

[littledebbie335]

You are allowed to record and take flash photos during the show just no external lights that are always on.

Guess I was wrong! I've never been to any other live show that allows flash photography, and when I googled it, I found some websites that say that it's ok and some say it isn't for FotLK. In any case, I personally still think it's rude because it disrupts other people's abilities to enjoy the show, and probably is obnoxious (and maybe even dangerous during acrobatic stunts?) for the performers. Oh well...

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I think AK has the best show; Festival of the Lion King, the best coaster, Everest, and the best character meal, Tusker House. Pandora is amazing, Flight of Passage is the best ride in Disney World, and Satuli Canteen is now my favorite quick service restaurant. Also Kilimanjaro Safari, there's nothing else similar to that attraction at any other Disney park in the world. The Tree of Life is also a gorgeous icon.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Everything! It’s the best park IMO.

I love how immersive it is. I love the food there. I love just exploring and getting lost. The animals and activities make it probably the most interactive park. It also has some of my favorite attractions in Flight of Passage and Everest.

You forgot your most favorite AK word: Nahtazu!

Joe and his team not only captured the tranquility and immersive experiences of San Diego Zoo, they also lured the Natural Encounters team away from SD to Orlando.

Quality ~ I believe that’s what’s best about AK ~ they brought in the experts for its inception and continue at that high level with all that’s been added.

 

[rteetz]

You forgot your most favorite AK word: Nahtazu!

Joe and his team not only captured the tranquility and immersive experiences of San Diego Zoo, they also lured the Natural Encounters team away from SD to Orlando.

Quality ~ I believe that’s what’s best about AK ~ they brought in the experts for its inception and continue at that high level with all that’s been added.

Nahtazu!

I agree. The level of care and detail that goes into this park not only the attractions but also the animals is extraordinary.

 

[goofyintoronto]

AK use to be my least fave park. Now its one of my faves (MK will always be #1 thou). I love the entertainment...FOLK, Nemo, and especially the harambe drummers and performers. its incredible! I love Tree of Life awakening, the lush landscape of the park, the animals, pandora itself, ROL (yes, i actually think its beautiful), and I love Satuli Canteen (easily one of my fave QS on property...health, fresh, delicious!). Flame Tree and Yak/Yeti are good too. But they dont hold a candle to Satuli Canteen in terms of quality. Lastly, i love Navi River (yes, I enjoy this much more than FOP....as FOP makes me very nauseous). Its such a beautiful park!

 

[disneyseniors]

I'm surprised by the number of people who count the paths (Gorilla, etc) as what they like most. We absolutely love walking the paths, seeing the birds, or the bats, or tigers. It's fantastic and an opportunity to learn. I am also surprised that a lot of people don't even mention Pandora or FOP as #1.
We have always loved AK, even when most people thought it was a half day park.
We like the ambience of each different area of Africa. A must do is the safari ride each visit. Ride wise: we love EE and Dinosaur. We even like the Primeval Whirl (I know). We laugh through the whole thing
There is just so much to see and do. Our absolutely favorite show in all of WDW is FOTLK, a must do each trip.
Foodwise, we always have a difficult time deciding which place to eat. Last time we had the honey chicken at Y&Y. delicious.
It has always been one of our favorite parks. It doesn't need to be filled with IP, and hope that doesn't happen. It can stand in its own right.
There are a lot of special tours, events to take part in. We did the Caring for Giants and loved it.
I almost forgot about Pandora. It is a beautiful part of the park, but I don't like rides like FOP (I get sick), and my husband rode it once. He said that was enough as the straps bothered his legs. It is a beautiful park to walk through and I love the gift shop area. As AngieTN said, we owe it all to the fabulous talents of JOE RHODE!!

 

[FastPasser.]

AK was my home base for over six years so I spent a lot of time there. I was mostly outside the park and backstage but if you like the park, you'd like what's backstage just as much.
I got to experience it before it opened and had mixed feelings at that time, but over time they eliminated some things and added more things and it turned out just fine. Many feel that FoP, including me, is the best attraction on property. Unfortunately because of my 7 day FP window, I haven't been able to experience FoP since it opened, probably never will. Good thing I worked all the pre-opening previews and was able to experience it several times before it opened.

 

[GeneralTso]

Pandora at night!
Satuli Canteen is the BEST food and atmosphere.

 

[yulilin3]

Nahtazu!

I agree. The level of care and detail that goes into this park not only the attractions but also the animals is extraordinary.

My favorite Ku'ume is at the start of the video, he's still there too

 

[yulilin3]

Guess I was wrong! I've never been to any other live show that allows flash photography, and when I googled it, I found some websites that say that it's ok and some say it isn't for FotLK. In any case, I personally still think it's rude because it disrupts other people's abilities to enjoy the show, and probably is obnoxious (and maybe even dangerous during acrobatic stunts?) for the performers. Oh well...

I live stream this show once a week and can tell you that in the safety spiel they say flash pictures are fine but no external camera lighting, I have friends in the cast and they tell me they can't even see the flashes most of the time because of spotlights on them and their surroundings

 

[braycon]

I've always been amazed at how many folks don't seem to enjoy AK. It's an absolutely fabulous park!

Personally, I'd rank it right there with MK as personal favorites. As many have said, it possesses some of Disney's best attractions, best shows, best quick service at any park, and it is gorgeously themed, envisioned, and executed throughout, and all centered around the incomparable Tree of Life. Individually, Flights of Passage is the best attraction at the World (at least until Star Wars is in play), Everest has extraordinary theming, I could literally do laps around Kilimanjaro, and Festival of the Lion King is the best show at any park. It's also my favorite park to run during the marathon, save the jaunt down Mainstreet @ MK.

The only downsides to me at AK are Dinoland (which is just meh, IMO) and the fact that this park seems to run hot. It's typically pretty toasty in central Florida, but AK takes sweltering to a whole new level.

 

[buzzrelly]

The only downsides to me at AK are Dinoland (which is just meh, IMO) and the fact that this park seems to run hot. It's typically pretty toasty in central Florida, but AK takes sweltering to a whole new level.

Totally agree with both of these things. Saving it for the “Worst of AK” episode.

 

[ChrisFL]

Flight of Passage- my new #1 ride in WDW surpassing Tower of Terror

 

[MGMmjl]

I think I'm with a lot of people in this thread who didn't really enjoy Animal Kingdom as much at first, but it has really grown on me on my last few visits to become one of my favorite parks.

The best for me:
Pandora, and especially Flight of Passage
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Everest
Walking trails
Festival of The Lion King - The best show at Disney!
Caring for Giants - We did this tour a couple of years ago right after it started, and had a great time. It is a reasonably affordable tour, especially for Disney ($30). We enjoyed learning about the elephants, seeing them closer to you than on Kilimanjaro Safaris, and learning about Disney's conservation efforts.

 

[dreynolds1982]

Personally, I just love the attention to detail. IMO, the quality and detail of the theming is up there with Tokyo Disney Sea and some of the top best themed parks in the world. Little things from bicycle tire tracks embedded in the "mud" streets in Asia that actually lead to a bike parked on a bike rack, or the weathered buildings and structures in Africa. It's gorgeous really. That's why the Maharaja Jungle Trek and the Gorilla Falls Expedition Trail are two of my favorite things to do in the whole park.

 

[Spencer Wright]

I think its beauty is a main strength, and while it can of course get crowded, it has many people areas. The Animal Trails are often overlooked and a great way to see the animals. Also, the way the trails weave at the front of the Park and around the Tree of Life provide a lot of nooks and crannies the overwhelming majority of Guests walk past.

If you take your time, you never know what animals you will see!