Animal Kingdom - what is actually closing???

[Tinkforever]

I heard a rumor from my brother who lives in Florida that they are reporting that Animal Kingdom is closing ??????:yikes:

I looked it up and found that the Pocohantas show is closing, but nothing about the entire park and I find it extremely hard to believe.

Please tell me my brother just has bad information.

[Robin]

Your brother is pulling you leg. :lol: The Animal Kingdom is alive and well after celebrating it's 10th birthday. They've even added/changed a few things in the past year, including the new Yak & Yeti restaurant by Expedition Everest.

[Jennifer]

I think Animal Kingdom got off to a slow start because people didn't quite "get it". But has definately gained speed over the years. With the addition of Expedition Everest and the Nemo show, it is gaining in popularity.

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

Sometimes people hear a blurb on the news just to get you to actually watch the news, and maybe that is what he heard that Pocahantas is closing and he missed the Pocahantas part! :lol:

[Tagrel]

Well it was certainly running fine and BUSY the other day! :yes:

[DizzneeMomma]

I think Animal Kingdom got off to a slow start because people didn't quite "get it". But has definately gained speed over the years. With the addition of Expedition Everest and the Nemo show, it is gaining in popularity.

In 1999, my family visited AK for the 1st time. We rode the boat around Discovery Island (dock is now Meet & Greet) and left. We hated it! It has become a favorite spot now though and we especially love evening Extra Magic hours there!

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

Disney opened that park a little prematurely as there were many areas that were not ready yet and some areas had that "tossed together" kind of feel.
Now with Expedition Everest and Yak and Yeti (even though I think the food choices are not that great here) it's better. Even though I do wish they would bring the Passholders Lounges back. :yes:

[JJ]

As much as I LOVE Disney.....I have to admit AK is my LEAST favorite place to be. The things in it are great...but the park itself has always just felt uncomfortable to me and I've been there at least 5 times...we're skipping it this year.

Perhaps it's from multiple years of attempting to navigate those VERY narrow pathways with a double stroller...difficult..difficult...difficult. Maybe it's because it always feels about 30% more humid there than anyplace else. Maybe it's because I felt as if I were hanging onto my children for dear life when attempting to exit the Nemo show last year! Then...you finally get to your stoller only to have to fight through 20 minutes of gridlocked people before it opens up.

I don't know. I keep trying to love the place but just can't seem to do it. Maybe I'm just not all that impressed seeing the animals since I live near a Six Flags with a Drive Through Safari that is really incredible. (You haven't lived until you've had a full grown giraffe licking your windshield....or a buffalo standing in front of your car that just wouldn't move....or had the experience of watching an elephant take a dump with 3 giggling boys in the back :nahnah:

(I won't even go into what the bears were doing :oops:)

Anyway....

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

I would be so nervous in those drive thru Safaris. Have you seen the commercial where the elephant sits on the hood of the guys car????? :yikes:

[Tinkforever]

Animal Kingdom is definately our least favorite, but we have some definate must dos there and we get out of there by noon.

The Safari is always a must, and then the Festival of the Lion King - we LOVE it. We received dream fast passes at the end of one of the character meet and greet lines last year, so that made it even better there. We also like the fresh fruit and music in the park.

We also love Kali River Rapids and have yet to see the new Nemo musical, but hear it's pretty good. Expedition Everest is a blast, too.

My DD is a huge pin trader and its one of the better places to trade also.

I do hear that the counter service at Yak and Yeti is very good and a better bargain than spending a table service on it.

I'm glad to hear all this; I would really miss the above things if they closed it.

[Daisee]

When we were there this past June, it was packed!

It took a while for Animal Kingdom to grow on me. I now love it.

I would definitely think that is a rumor. With the opening of EE.. Finding Nemo musical, and new restaurants like Yak & Yeti, it seems unlikely to me. It is expected for shows to be discontinued, and new shows to replace them. Some we will miss, but I am confident they will bring us great shows in their place.

[LisaS]

When my kids were little, AK was their favorite park - they begged to go there every day! May have had something to do with the fact that we were there in the pre-opening week, so we always felt as though it was "our" park.

Now that they are older, we really only go to hit the highlights - the Safari, Kali, Dinosaur (our personal favorite) and of course EE for the kids only - as many times as possible. We do several "hit and runs" during a vacation. I still love the wandering paths, the dense foliage and the music. It is hot as heck, though!

[OhMickeyYoureSoFine]

Maybe it's because it always feels about 30% more humid there than anyplace else.

That's true isn't it

[ripkensnana]

I feel as if I'm in the minority here....AK is my favorite, probably because of the animals. I can spend hours wandering the Pangani Forest Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek....At last year's MouseFest, I lingered in the Gorilla exhibit, and took over 50 pictures there....

[roguepony]

Yes, that's just a ridiculous rumor. Only Pocahontas is closed.

[ghost1000]

I'd really like if DAK would build and open Beastly Kingdom.

[roguepony]

I'd really like if DAK would build and open Beastly Kingdom.

So would Joe Rohde and the Imagineers. :D

[GloriaK]

Although Animal Kingdom isn't my favorite park it has many of my favorite things in it. I enjoy walking through the park (except for Dinoland) and looking at all the great theming that was used. I love EE but I also enjoy the jungle trek, safari, flights of wonder, etc. :D

[zakerdog]

AK is right up there with MK in my books, it is really one of my favorite things to do.

[EpcotBill]

DAK was still open last week. :)

[wolf_luvr_4ever]

I feel so alone right now, AK is my fav park. It must be my addiction to animals and adventure. My least favorite park would have to be Epcot. Don't get me wrong, I like Epcot, but it is the whole atmosphere of the pushing and shoving to get a single ticket to Soarin' and Misson: Space.

Besides that, Epcot is awesome, including the attractions and restaurants. ;)

[roguepony]

I feel so alone right now, AK is my fav park.

You're not alone, Wolf. (Great name and avatar, by the way!) Ak is my favorite and plenty of other people too. And when you think you're alone, remember this: AK was built because it was one of Walt Disney's biggest dreams. He wanted it to start with the Jungle Cruise, but they didn't understand animal behavior or how to create the environments right that it would work. Now the good thing about that was: Imagineering had to develop animatronics so it gave us that wonderful invention. But the downside was, Walt didn't long enough to see Joe Rhode take his dream and make it a reality.

I can recommend biographies on Walt that discuss his love for animals, but just remember this: there's a huge reason that so many of his movies had animals as his heroes and why he wanted live animals in his parks. It's because, as he said:

I respect nature and the creatures of nature. Man can learn a way of life from it.

You can't be in better company than Walt Disney himself! And when his nephew used to frequently come to Disney World, you found him most often in AK.

By the way, here's some wolf smileys/emoticons. I thought you might like to have them.
http://www.millan.net/minimations/toolminis/wolfhowl.gif (http://www.millan.net) http://www.millan.net/minimations/toolminis/wolfhowlb.gif (http://www.millan.net)

I'm guessing you're like me: I wish they would add a North American section to AK, so we could have animals like wolves there. The only place around here that has wolves is Hershey Park's zoo, but it's a lousy area.

[Robin]

I only wish AK didn't close so early in the off season. I usually like to head over to a park in the afternoon, and with AK closing at 5pm it doesn't leave much time.

If they ever finish the park and build Beastly Kingdom, maybe they should include nocturnal animals.

[roguepony]

That's a very good idea, Robin! I love AK at night; the lighting is gorgeous. I think a nocturnal exhibit would work really well, because when the wild herons settle into the trees in the evening (I always think they look like pieces of moonlight), people always stop to ooh and aah while trying to get pictures.

Philadelphia Zoo has a small nocturnal animal building and it's very popular.

[wolf_luvr_4ever]

Thanks roguepony! That helps! :)

And the idea of a North American part at AK would be awesome. Especially the wolves! Hmmmmmmmm.......... I wonder:confused:

Thanks for the avatars! :)

[Robin]

The Bronx Zoo has an night animal exhibit too.

I saw dozens of white birds in the trees right behind Planet Hollywood in DTD. It was an amazing site when a new group would suddenly swoop in.

ETA: The Bronx Zoo calls their night exhibit World of Darkness (http://www.bronxzoo.com/plan-your-trip/exhibits/world-of-darkness.aspx).

[roguepony]

ETA: The Bronx Zoo calls their night exhibit World of Darkness (http://www.bronxzoo.com/plan-your-trip/exhibits/world-of-darkness.aspx).

Very nice!! Thanks for the link!

[roodad]

Much as I love coasters, I am a bit disgruntled to see thrill rides added to AK. I understand the commericial need for it, but I was perfectly happy with the park as it was (I would love the addition of a few more continents and some wetlands). I will often hit it just to spend an hour with the gorillas.
It was certainly crowded yesterday.

[Ursulinda]

Although Animal Kingdom isn't my favorite park it has many of my favorite things in it. I enjoy walking through the park (except for Dinoland) and looking at all the great theming that was used. I love EE but I also enjoy the jungle trek, safari, flights of wonder, etc. :D

Gloria, Have you ever visited the Cretaceous trail in Dino land? It has a great selection of plants dating from when dinosaurs walked the earth.

Wulf_lvr, AK is my favorite park too. A North American section with BEARS and Wolfs would be great!

Roodad, I wish I was there to visit the gorillas with you right now - I thought I was the only one to spend a couple hours on a 'minor' attraction like Pangani. lol.

[SusanP]

I too just LOVE Animal Kingdom! Festival of the Lion King is my alltime favourite Disney thing ever. I love the lush landscape and just wandering around catching whatever animals may be out. The music they play is wonderful too. And nothing is better than AK at night-we always try and catch an EMH when there!

[roguepony]

I'm hoping to see the new Kiss Goodnight at AK this December!!

[Lady]

Love the animals at AK - wish there were more : )
Our zoo has a nocturnal Exhibit
Just spent all day yesterday at our zoo :)

[DVCerLee]

We visited AK for the first time in 2007. I was afraid that I wasn't going to like it. But we did, BIG time! Of course, it might not have been as fun without EE, but we really enjoyed it.

[roodad]

I'm guessing you're like me: I wish they would add a North American section to AK, so we could have animals like wolves there. The only place around here that has wolves is Hershey Park's zoo, but it's a lousy area.

And a South American section, and an Australian section, and add orangs and Indian elephants to Asia amd lemurs to Africa (ok, Madagascar).