
We recently spent a day at Animal Kingdom in the middle of summer. Why Animal Kingdom you might ask? Well, when we knew we would be in the area, we wanted to stop by Disney. We also knew that crowds would be high due to it being 4th of July week. We figured that Magic Kingdom would be crowded as well because, I mean, it’s Magic Kingdom. Epcot, we figured would be busy due to the recent opening of Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind. We also figured Epcot would be a bit hotter than the rest because there’s really not much shade. It’s there but it’s not as prevalent as the other parks. Hollywood Studios was out simply because I cannot control myself and would have spent at least $1000 we didn’t have on lightsabers and droids. So Animal Kingdom it was.
I know, I know, that sounds like I was resigned to having to go to Animal Kingdom. It really wasn’t. Animal Kingdom is beautiful and, to the point of this post, is maybe not so slowly becoming one of my favorite parks. Let’s take a minute to examine that statement.
What does Animal Kingdom have that the other parks don’t? (And please understand this is my opinion only)
- Animals. That’s a given, but when you really think about it, Animal kingdom has a zoological aspect to it that is amazing. I love a good zoo. I love learning about animals. I love the fact that Disney has this at your fingertips in Animal Kingdom.
- Conservation activism. While it’s not blasted throughout the park, there are hints at conservation here and there. Rafiki’s Planet Watch covers some of that, I only wish it was more prevalent; How can we help, care for and conserve the animals and our planet?
- Shaded areas. There are plenty more trees and shaded areas in Animal Kingdom (in my estimation) than any other park. While the summer months are brutal, there is respite from the heat in various nooks and crannies in the park.
- Less crowded areas. As with the shaded areas, there are tucked away spots that are significantly less crowded and these areas seem to be more prevalent in Animal Kingdom.
- A more relaxed mood. When we go to Animal Kingdom, I feel like we don’t have to rush at all. We can leisurely take our time walking around from land to land. We’ve done everything except DinsoSAUR over there so we are not lacking for much. As long as I can ride Everest, FOP, Na’vi River Journey and the Safari, I’m good. Todd is a happy camper.
- Not as many snacks. Hear me out, people. Let me explain. In Animal Kingdom, there are certain snacks that I HAVE to have. Grilled corn (that’s what I call “Eatin’ Corn”) and I typically get one to two per visit, sometimes more (don’t judge), Mr. Kamal’s Seasoned Fries and Andapur Ice Cream Cart’s Root Beer Float. Those are 3 Gotta Have’s in every visit. So that immediately trumps Magic kingdom where I have to get the pepper jack cheese stuff pretzel, turkey leg, chocolate covered pineapple from Big Top Mickey’s, Corn Dog Nuggets from Casey’s, Cheeseburger Spring Rolls, etc. And don’t get me started on Epcot where my inner (and outer) fat kid eats around the world…
- Lower crowds. Again, hear me out! To me, Animal kingdom is so big, and the paths are so wide that people can spread out more. Naturally, in some of the smaller paths, in times of excessive crowd levels, it can get quite peopley. On some of the paths to Asia or across some of the bridges, it gets crowded, but crowds disperse quickly. There’s an ebb and flow to things in Animal Kingdom that I just don’t see in the other parks. In Epcot, it’s elbow to elbow everywhere except for maybe around American Pavilion where the paths open up a bit. Magic Kingdom? Forget it, you’re gonna make some really “close” friends (if you know, you know). Hollywood studios as well. There’s just not a ton of places for folks to actually go in the other parks.
- The SHOWS! Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo; The Big Blue and Beyond, Kite Tails, etc. The shows are simply amazing and well put together. Do you need a place to sit down and recover from the heat? Find a show! Just make sure you don’t bring in food or drinks and if you have a Macaw drink don’t drink it too fast or you’ll get a brain freeze (not that I know from experience..)
- Pandora at Night! Man, Pandora after dark is simply stunning. The black lights, glowing features of the world and the scenery is gorgeous. If you’ve never seen it, please do yourself a favor and book a fall/winter trip to see it.
Now, I’m not saying it’s the perfect park, nor is it the best park, but when I poll people almost everyone typically has Animal Kingdom as their least favorite park. Here’s my oldest son’s list: Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom. It just happens that way sometimes and it’s ultimately each individual’s choice. For me, though, Animal Kingdom has a special place in my heart very much like Epcot does. Magic Kingdom will always be the original and it will always be the penultimate park. It will be hard for any park to overtake it. But there is a special place in my heart for Animal Kingdom.

