We just loved Animal Kingdom!!!!!

[ScottJoy]

I've only been in October, when the temperature was fabulous, and we were there one day from the minute the park opened until the minute it closed. Loved it.

 

[Hadjii]

I don't know how anyone can't love Animal Kingdom. It's beautiful. I will admit I could have done without the carnival like atmosphere of Primeval and the likes but oh well.....the kids love those rides.
My absolute favorite thing to do at AK was watch the Festival of the Lion King show. Breathtaking. What a fantastic performance! I hear it's no longer there. Any one else hear this? We're going again in October and this would definitely be a do not miss. - Nancy

 

[MinnieGi]

Hadjii - Festival of the Lion King is still there! Love that show!

MK's Lion King show in Fantasyland closed b/c they are putting in a new show - Mickey's Philaharmonic (or something close to that title)

 

[Baxie8]

Another tip for appreciating the design and exhibits in this park might be to get ahold of one of the books about them and read about it before you go. I just purchased 2 books on E-Bay - The Field Guide to Animal Kingdom(details of over 200 plants and animals there) and The Making of Animal Kingdom. I'm hoping that after I read them, I'll have a much better idea of what to especially notice and look for!... Also, another "thumbs up" for the Harambe - great place to rest, refresh and people-watch!

 

[grinningghost]

I love AK too. I get so mad when people refer to it as a "zoo". It's not a zoo - it's very unlike a zoo. Zoos house animals in cages or large tracts of land where they appear to "roam" free. The animals at animal kingdom are on HUGE tracts of land and truly are roaming free, without the fear of being harmed. The settings are natural which makes the animals act natural. Even if you only see one or two big animals on the safari, you can ride it again. It's never the same ride, no matter how many times you go.

I think people that go to AK and need some sort of "prep course" for it, probably won't enjoy it anyway. They have a fixed mindset that it's a "half day park" or a "zoo" and there's nothing you can do about that. I've yet to hear of someone on these boards who has said they went to AK thinking it was going to be horrible, and then admitted that they really loved it there. It's one of those places that you "get" or you don't. As for me, I'll continue to visit it each trip.

 

[BadgerBruce]

We also love the AK. It's just such a wonderful, beautiful park. One thing I really want to recommend is to talk to the CM's that work along the trails & animal exhibits. They know all about the animals & love to answer your questions. We went on the gorilla trail just before closing one night & the CM spent several minutes pointing out the gorillas & telling us about their individual histories, character traits, etc. She was so enthusiastic & you could tell how much she cared about the animals.

 

[mickeysaver]

Well, back in September of 2002 when we went to AK, I had planned 2 mornings there. Both mornings were scheduled for late in our trip. The first morning was great! The heat and humidity were not too much fun, but the park was just a spectacular visual and soul filling feast. To know that that land was once just a hunk of swampy land that they reclaimed and transformed into the lush sanctuary for all those beautiful animals and plants.......it just is an amazing feat. I was walking around most of the day awestruck by it's beauty. We only did the Africa side of things that morning. We did some shopping and we did some photo ops with Lilo & Stitch, and a few others. But, I felt like the newsgroups and message boards that I had read in advance of my trip had really let me down by saying it was a half day park. I could have spent 2-3 days there easily. Unfortunately, we sacrificed the other morning that was planned for all the 100 Years of Magic stuff at MGM. I knew the 100 YoM would end, but AK would be there in all it's spendor when we would return in 2003. I can't wait to go back! Mickey