Party From Saturn

I’m proud to call myself a five ride veteran of Walt Disney World’s newest attraction. Just a few years ago, a couple of hours in Animal Kingdom might have killed my family with boredom, but the recent changes have made this park one of the best places to go.

It was the knowledge of a soft opening at Expedition Everest that called us to Animal Kingdom early into our trip. We arrived after opening, and the coaster wasn’t even running at first. An hour later, they opened it up, so the wait was long, but we were able to utilize the Fast Pass system and get a ride. It was a fantastic combination of theming and thrill ride, and it left us wanting another chance.

So later on in the week, we made the unprecedented move (for us) of returning to Animal Kingdom for the second time in one trip. This time we strategized and arrived right around opening on a non-early opening day. We rushed to the back of the park, skipped a much needed bathroom stop, and walked straight onto the ride. Since there was no one waiting, we asked a CM if we could wait for the front. The front seats were fantastic, and after the ride, we ran straight back through the line again, stopping only to grab a Fast Pass in case it got crowded. This time we waited for the very back seat.

By the third time on the ride (this time in the front car again) we were talking and snapping pictures while the ride was in progress. We rode one last time, using our Fast Passes, and waiting for the back seats. By our last ride, the line was starting to grow, so we ended our craze and headed outside to take some pictures of our Tibetan-themed surroundings.

Between the opening of this new attraction and Dinosaur, I’m happy to say that AK’s just not as boring as it used to be.