|
With its lush flora, winding streams, meandering paths, and exotic
setting, the Animal Kingdom is a stunningly beautiful theme park.
The landscaping alone conjures images of rain forest, veldt, and formal
gardens. Soothing, mysterious, and exciting, every vista is a feast
for the eye. Add to this loveliness a population of more than 1,000
animals, replicas of Africa’s and Asia’s most intriguing architecture,
and a diverse array of singularly original attractions, and you have
the most unique of all Disney theme parks. In the Animal Kingdom,
Disney has created an environment to savor.
At 500 acres, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is five times the size of the
Magic Kingdom and more than twice the size of Epcot. But like Disney Hollywood Studios, most of the Animal Kingdom’s vast geography is
only accessible on guided tours or as part of attractions. The Animal
Kingdom features six sections or “lands”: The Oasis, Discovery Island, DinoLand U.S.A., Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, and Asia.
Its size notwithstanding, the Animal Kingdom features a limited
number of attractions. To be exact, there are seven, several walkthrough
exhibits, an indoor theater, four amphitheaters, a
conservation exhibit, and a children’s playground.
The evolution of the Animal Kingdom has been interesting.
With regard to the Florida theme-park market, it is seen to be taking
dead aim at
Three of the attractions - Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, and Kilimanjaro Safaris - are among the best in the Disney repertoire.
the recently resurgent Busch Gardens in Tampa, a theme
park known for its exceptional zoological exhibits and numerous
thrill rides. Disney always preferred the neatly controlled movements
of audio-animatronic animals to the unpredictable behaviors of real
critters. Disney’s only previous foray into zoological exhibits landed
the Walt Disney Company in court for exterminating
a bunch of indigenous birds that
tried to take up residence on Disney property.
When it comes to “rides,” Disney won’t even
dignify the term. In Disney parks, there are no
rides, you see—only adventures. Attractions
such as modern roller coasters, where the
thrill of motion dominates visual, audio, andstory-line elements, are antithetical to the Imagineering notion of
attraction design.
Unfortunately for Disney, however, the creative, natural-habitat
zoological exhibits and state-of-the-art thrill rides developed by
Busch Gardens are immensely popular, and as any student of the
Walt Disney Company can attest, there is nothing like a successful
competitor to make the Disney folks change their tune. So, all the
smoke, mirrors, and press releases aside, here’s what you get at the
Animal Kingdom: natural-habitat zoological exhibits and state-of-the-art thrill rides. Big surprise!
Even if the recipe is tried and true, the Disney version serves up
more than its share of innovations, particularly when it comes to the
wildlife habitats. In fact, zoologists worldwide practically salivate at
the thought of Disney Imagineers applying their talent to zoo design.
Living up to expectations, the wildlife exhibits at the Animal
Kingdom do break some new ground. For starters, there’s lots of
space, thus allowing for the sweeping vistas that Discovery Channel
viewers would expect in, say, an African veldt setting. Then there are
the enclosures, natural in appearance, with little or no apparent barriers
between you and the animals. The operative word, of course, is “apparent.” That flimsy stand of bamboo separating you from a
gorilla is actually a neatly disguised set of steel rods imbedded in
concrete. The Imagineers even take a crack at certain animals’ stubborn
unwillingness to be on display. A lion that would rather sleep
out of sight under a bush, for example, is lured to center stage with
nice, cool, climate-controlled artificial rocks.
So far, the Animal Kingdom has received mixed reviews. Guests
complain loudly about the park layout and the necessity of backtracking
through Discovery Island in order to access the various
theme areas. Congested walkways, lack of shade, and insufficient air
conditioning also rank high on the gripe list. However, most of the
attractions (with one or two notable exceptions) have been well
received. Also praised are the natural habitat animal exhibits as well
as the park architecture and landscaping. We marvel at how demographically
similar readers come away with such vastly differing
opinions. A 36-year-old mother of three, for example, exclaims that:
The Animal Kingdom is a monstrous disappointment! Disney
should be ashamed to have their name on it!
While a 34-year-old mom with two children reports:
The Animal Kingdom was our favorite theme park at Disney World.
We spent four evenings out of our seven-day vacation there.
In truth, the Animal Kingdom is a park to linger over and savor-two things Disney, with its crowds, lines, and regimentation, has
conditioned us not to do. But many people intuit that the Animal
Kingdom must be approached in a different way, including this
mother of three (ages five, seven, and nine) from Hampton Bays,
New York:
Despite the crowds, we really enjoyed Animal Kingdom. In order to
enjoy it, you really must have the right attitude. It is an educational
experience, not a thrill park. Talk to the employees and you won’t
regret it. We spoke to an employee who played games with the
kids—my daughter found a drawer full of butterflies, and the boys
located a hidden ostrich egg and lion skull. If we had not stopped to
talk to this guide, we would have joined the hordes running down
the trail in search of “something exciting to do.”
A Southwestern family agrees, writing:
Animal Kingdom with kids should be approached as you would birdwatching,
fossil hunting, or nature walks. To enjoy it, you need to slow
down, stop and look, and, especially, engage the cast members. Most
have years of experience with animals and are very capable of interacting
and sharing their knowledge on any level. Encourage your children
to ask questions; the answers are educational, enlightening, and
a wonderful alternative to standing in a hot queue.
ARRIVING
THE ANIMAL KINGDOM IS SITUATED OFF OSCEOLA PARKWAY
Be sure to mark the location of your car on your parking receipt and tuck it in a safe place (preferably on your person as opposed to in your car).
in the southwest corner of Walt Disney World, and is
not too far from Blizzard Beach, the Coronado
Springs Resort, and the All-Star Resorts. The Animal
Kingdom Lodge is about a mile away from the
park on its northwest side. From I-4, take Exit
64B, US 192, to the so-called Walt Disney World
main entrance (World Drive) and follow the signs
to the Animal Kingdom. The Animal Kingdom
has its own 6,000-car pay parking lot with close-in
parking for the disabled. Once parked, you can walk to the entrance or
catch a ride on one of Disney’s trademark trams.
The park is connected to other Walt Disney World destinations
by the Disney bus system.
OPERATING HOURS
THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, NOT UNEXPECTEDLY, hosted tremendous
crowds during its early years. Consequently, Disney management has
done a fair amount of fiddling and experimenting with operating
hours and opening procedures. Animal Kingdom opening time now
roughly corresponds to that of the other parks. Thus, you can expect
a 9 a.m. opening during less busy times of the year and an 8 a.m.
opening during holidays and high season. The Animal Kingdom usually
closes well before the other parks—as early as 5 p.m., in fact,
during off-season. More common is a 6 or 7 p.m. closing.
Park opening procedures at the Animal Kingdom vary. Sometimes
guests arriving prior to the official opening time are admitted to The Oasis and Discovery Island. The remainder of the park is roped off
until official opening time. The rest of the time, those arriving early
are held at the entrance turnstiles.
During the financial turmoil of the last few years, Disney laid off
a number of cast members and trotted out several cost-cutting initiatives.
One of these is to delay the daily opening of the Asia section of
the park, as well as The Boneyard playground, the Wildlife Express train, and Conservation Station until 30 minutes or so after the rest
of the Animal Kingdom opens. It’s not clear whether these delayed
openings are temporary or permanent, or seasonal or year-round.
On holidays and other days of projected heavy attendance,
Disney will open the park 30 or 60 minutes early.
Many guests wrap up their tour and leave by 3:30 or 4 p.m. Lines
for the
Arrive, admission in hand, 30 minutes before official opening during the summer and holiday periods, and 20 minutes before official opening the rest of the year.
major rides and the 3-D movie in the Tree of Life will usually
thin appreciably between 4 p.m. and closing time. If you arrive at 2
p.m. and take in a couple of stage shows
(described elsewhere), waits should be tolerable by the
time you hit the Tree of Life and the rides. As an
added bonus for late-afternoon touring, the animals
tend to be more active.
The Animal Kingdom has joined the other
three major theme parks in the Extra Magic
Hours program. Though we have yet to test participation in the program with the recently opened Expedition Everest, it had been very counterproductive in years past. Prior to Everest opening, our testing showed that
the additional attendance on early entry days totally nullifies any
advantage associated with being admitted an hour early, and surpasses
the time required to see the same set of attractions on a
non-early entry day.
Likewise, the Animal Kingdom takes part in the evening Extra
Magic Hours rotation when a designated park remains open three
hours beyond the official closing time for Disney resort guests.
Because most of the park’s animals go to bed early, however, you’re
pretty much relegated to rides and shows. With Expedition Everest open, the Animal Kingdom should be a lively place at
night.
Most animal exhibits and all of Rafiki’s Planet Watch including
the Wildlife Express Train and Conservation Station close at
the same time that is posted for day guests. Exceptions to this will be
Kilimanjaro Safaris and Pangani Forest Expiration Trail. These vary
by sunset and stay open during Extra Magic Hours until 7:30 on
regular closing hours of 5, 6 and 7 and 8 p.m. As days get
shorter with the change of seasons, the attractions close earlier. In
the fall when the clocks are rolled back, Disney closes ALL animal
exhibits as early as 4:45 p.m.
Extra Magic Hours do, however, space the Animal Kingdom theater
productions over a longer time period, making it possible to see
them all at a more leisurely pace.
Animal Kingdom Services |
| Most of the park's services are located inside the main entrance and on Discovery Island as follows: |
| Wheelchair and Stroller Rental Inside the main entrance to the right |
| Banking Services ATMs are located at the mainentrance and on Discovery Island |
| Storage Lockers Inside the main entrance to the left |
| Lost and Found Inside the main entrance to the left |
| Live Entertainment / Parade Info / Character Info Included in the park guide map available free at Guest Relations and throughout the park |
| Lost Persons Report lost persons at Guest Relations or at Baby Services on Discovery Island |
| Walt Disney World and Local Attraction Information At Guest Relations |
| First Aid On Discovery Island, next to the Creature Comforts Shop |
| Baby Center / Baby-Care Needs On Discovery Island, next to the Creature Comforts Shop |
| Camera Supplies Just inside the main entrance at Garden Gate Gifts and in Africa at Duka La Filimu. |
GETTING ORIENTED
AT THE ENTRANCE PLAZA ARE TICKET KIOSKS fronting the main
entrance. To your right before the turnstiles are the kennel and an
ATM. Passing through the turnstiles, wheelchair and stroller rentals
are to your right. Guest Relations, the park headquarters for information,
handout park maps, entertainment schedules/Times Guides,
missing persons, and lost and found, is to the left. Nearby are rest
rooms, public phones, and rental lockers. Beyond the entrance plaza
you enter The Oasis, a lushly vegetated network of converging pathways
winding through a landscape punctuated with streams,
waterfalls, and misty glades, and inhabited by what Disney calls “colorful
and unusual animals.”
The park is arranged somewhat like the Magic Kingdom, in a
We suggest that you be open-minded and try everything. Disney rides and shows are rarely what you would anticipate.
hub-and-spoke configuration. The lush, tropical Oasis serves as
Main Street, funneling visitors to Discovery Island at the center of
the park. Dominated by the park’s central icon, the 14-story handcarved
Tree of Life, Discovery Island is the park’s retail and dining
center. From Discovery Island, guests can access the respective theme
areas, known as Africa, Camp Minnie-Mickey,
Asia, and DinoLand U.S.A. Discovery Island
additionally hosts a theater attraction in the Tree of Life, and a number of short nature trails.
To help you plan your day, we have profiled all
of the Animal Kingdom’s major attractions.
For the time being, even if you dawdle in the shops and linger over the wildlife exhibits, you should easily be
able to take in the Animal Kingdom in one day.
A WORD ABOUT ANIMAL KINGDOM LIVE SHOWS
WHILE WE WERE COLLECTING DATA for our touring-plan software,
we discovered that the live performances are scheduled in such a way
that it’s exceedingly difficult to see all of them in one visit, especially
if you want to see all the other stuff too. You will, at least once, need
to dart out at the conclusion of one show and run half way across the
park to arrive at another show seconds before it begins (and hope
that there’s enough room at the last minute for you to get a seat). The
only solution to the show schedule conundrum is to take advantage
of evening Extra Magic Hours. The Extra Magic Hours add three
hours to your touring day, more than enough extra time to see all the
shows at relaxed pace. Show times as well as scheduled character
appearances and parades are listed in the Times Guides available free
along with the park guidemap.
Not to be Missed at the Animal Kingdom |
| Discovery Island |
It's Tough to Be a Bug |
| Camp Minnie-Mickey |
Festival of the Lion King
|
| Africa |
Kilimanjaro Safaris
|
| Dinoland U.S.A |
Dinosaur |
| Asia |
Expedition Everest |
FASTPASS at the ANIMAL KINGDOM
The Animal Kingdom offers five FASTPASS attractions. Strategies for using FASTPASS at the Animal Kingdom have been integrated into our touring plans.
|