I found KS to be much more enjoyable this trip than in the past. They used to do this cheesy “plot” where you were supposed to be on the lookout for poachers, etc. It kind of ruined the experience in some ways. But they have done away with that entirely. This time around, it felt much more like a genuine safari, which was nice.
Overall, I still think the Safari at Six Flags Adventure in New Jersey is better, but KS is very close.
I wasn’t meaning to imply that AK feels like a zoo…only that, when it comes to seeing animals, our local zoo is better than at AK. As I mentioned, AK is greater than the sum of its parts!
We’ve done zoos all over…but our go-to is actually the Toledo Zoo. When the kids were younger, we also loved the Fort Wayne Children’s zoo. Not as many animals, but great for viewing with young kids.
I haven’t actually been to the Detroit Zoo in ages. I think it has been improved, but it wasn’t nearly as nice as the Toledo Zoo.
I bet I have ridden FOP 25 times and never once thought about or noticed there not being a visible head of the banshee. I do like the breathing of the banshee, thought that was a great extra touch on our first ride.
This is one of those things that’s difficult to quantify because it’s kind of abstract. It’s not about rides, or animals or restaurants. What sets AK apart from the other parks is ambiance, mood and feeling. My whole demeanor changes when I walk into the park and see the tree of life. All of the tension leaves my body in one fell swoop. The lands are completely immersive and there are so many details I see something new every time I go. I am in awe of the imagineering team and how completely they’ve told the stories of each area. When I’m there I’m relaxed, content, happy and inspired to be creative. No other park gives me a more complete feeling of coming home. It’s where I belong.
Actually, I love that everyone has different aspects of WDW that they love. It is part of what makes it special. @OBNurseNH clearly loves AK. Us, not so much. But I love seeing her passion for the place, and it allows me to see it through fresh eyes!
It really does show how Disney knows how to create something for everyone. Which makes the whole purpose of this poll, to begin with, a difficult one to make decisions on!
I’ve also learned recently about how perhaps at some point in the future we should set our eyes on a trip to Disneyland. I haven’t been since before DCA was a thing, so it clearly isn’t the same place it was back then!
I have to admit that I watched the Imagineering Story on Dis + during lockdown and though all of it made me super homesick, I actually cried when they were showing all the detail in AK. Maybe I like it more than I thought.
In Epcot, I get the FLAVOR of a place, but I never feel like “OMG, I’m in Mexico/Norway/Italy/etc.” In Animal Kingdom I’m completely immersed in the land be it Africa, Asia, or Pandora.
There’s not enough in Studios to hold my interest (despise Star Wars, not a Toy Story fan) so I rarely wasted time there when I had an AP…and it’s even less likely I’ll go there with the one park per day thing…I’d rather go back to AK or possibly MK where there are multiple things that hold my interest as opposed to Tower and maybe RnRC for the cost of a ticket. I may possibly use my final day ticket in January to go since it’ll be a partial day (Tragical Express pick-up around 3) to try MMRR…but the stories about the long lines for that make it sound like unless I’m the first one in that would be all I could do. So I don’t know.
