Cutting it close..

[plutosbuddie]

Hey, guys!! I need some DIS' advice!
I am an animal adventurer Animals are my thing!!

Disney offers a 'keeper talk' lunch at the Animal Kingdom on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 12 pm. You have to buy tickets in advance, and they sell out quick (I wonder why.. This is RAD!!)

We are arriving on Wednesday at 9 am and taking the magical express.
Should I chance it and buy advance tickets for 12 pm the same day we arrive? This will be our only opportunity to experience this on this trip.

 

[Pumbaa_]

god no! to unless you are prepared to lose your money

arrival day often runs into issues. if your flight is delayed at all, or your bus or your check in or your transportation to ak....

if it is the important go saturday or fly in the night before
day of, could be an expensive no show

 

[outlander]

You could hedge your bet just a little more by NOT taking magical express. Maybe worth the chance

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I, personally, wouldn't risk it. Even if you took a cab or hired a private car, that still won't guarantee your flight won't be delayed. Would you consider doing one of the AK tours instead?

 

[purple figment]

If this is the Dine with an Animal Specialist lunch it is a fully pre-paid experience so you would forfeit about $50 per person if there are any travel delays and you miss it.

We allow 3 hours from arriving at the airport to walking into a park. Typically it takes 60 - 90 minutes from landing to arriving at your resort when using Magical Express. Allow another 30 minutes for check in and an hour to travel from your resort to your first destination. If you are staying at AKL you have a better chance of making it to lunch since it is held at Sanaa. However, travel delays are very common so I would not recommend this lunch on arrival day.

 

[plutosbuddie]

If this is the Dine with an Animal Specialist lunch it is a fully pre-paid experience so you would forfeit about $50 per person if there are any travel delays and you miss it.

We allow 3 hours from arriving at the airport to walking into a park. Typically it takes 60 - 90 minutes from landing to arriving at your resort when using Magical Express. Allow another 30 minutes for check in and an hour to travel from your resort to your first destination. If you are staying at AKL you have a better chance of making it to lunch since it is held at Sanaa. However, travel delays are very common so I would not recommend this lunch on arrival day.

We wouldn't check in to our hotel right away. We would skip check in and run to our reservation. After the experience we would then go check in to our hotel.

 

[plutosbuddie]

You guys are all great!!! I appreciate everyone who has responded!!!

 

[IrishNYC]

We wouldn't check in to our hotel right away. We would skip check in and run to our reservation. After the experience we would then go check in to our hotel.

How are you getting to AK?

 

[plutosbuddie]

How are you getting to AK?

We're taking the magical express

 

[IrishNYC]

We're taking the magical express

Magical Express will only drop you at your resort, not a park.

 

[plutosbuddie]

Magical Express will only drop you at your resort, not a park.

Thank you. I apprecite the help!

 

[purple figment]

We wouldn't check in to our hotel right away. We would skip check in and run to our reservation. After the experience we would then go check in to our hotel.

Magical Express will only take you to your resort. It will not take you to a park or a different resort. If you have no luggage or carry ons with you, you could get off at the first stop on its route and take a taxi or uber or Disney transportation. Dine with an Animal Specialist is at AKL so a taxi or uber would be faster. If you take a Disney bus you will have to go to a park and transfer to an AKL bus since there are no direct resort to resort buses.

 

[Ryan Devlin]

All this panicking and extra stress sounds like a very unenjoyable time to be honest, and not a fun way to start your vacation. I'd book it for the Saturday if it's available, after a day of early morning traveling the last thing I'd want to do is race to a dining reservation in the muggy Florida heat.

It's your call but it all sounds a lot of hassle for something you realistically might not even make on time and lose money for.

 

[Mousetopia]

Hey, guys!! I need some DIS' advice!
I am an animal adventurer Animals are my thing!!

Disney offers a 'keeper talk' lunch at the Animal Kingdom on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 12 pm. You have to buy tickets in advance, and they sell out quick (I wonder why.. This is RAD!!)

We are arriving on Wednesday at 9 am and taking the magical express.
Should I chance it and buy advance tickets for 12 pm the same day we arrive? This will be our only opportunity to experience this on this trip.

If this is the only day and you wont be back for a long time you might risk it? Take Mag. Express to your resort..drop luggage at bell service and uber to the park...all whether you want the stress!

Also check out the Trek as another great option

 

[supersnoop]

We're taking the magical express

Are you talking about Dining with an Animal Specialist at Sanaa? Are you staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge?

Magical Express will only take you to the resort where you're checking in. If you're staying somewhere else, you're going to have to navigate the transportation system to get there, which will take a while. I'd recommend taking a taxi from the airport.

 

[plutosbuddie]

Are you talking about Dining with an Animal Specialist at Sanaa? Are you staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge?

Magical Express will only take you to the resort where you're checking in. If you're staying somewhere else, you're going to have to navigate the transportation system to get there, which will take a while. I'd recommend taking a taxi from the airport.

Thank you!! I really apprecite your help!

ALSO, I LOVE DUG!!!!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Magical Express will only drop you at your resort, not a park.

Last I checked, Dining with an Animal keeper was held at Sanaa at Kidani. I've done it twice-so far-and I loved it. If there's a way you can take Magical Express to Kidani (I don't know if you're staying there), DO IT!!! The lunch is terrific.

 

[plutosbuddie]

Last I checked, Dining with an Animal keeper was held at Sanaa at Kidani. I've done it twice-so far-and I loved it. If there's a way you can take Magical Express to Kidani (I don't know if you're staying there), DO IT!!! The lunch is terrific.

Thank you! We are really going to try to make this work.

 

[Hopefully]

Last I checked, Dining with an Animal keeper was held at Sanaa at Kidani. I've done it twice-so far-and I loved it. If there's a way you can take Magical Express to Kidani (I don't know if you're staying there), DO IT!!! The lunch is terrific.

You can only take Magical Express to your resort. They are very strict about this. So unless you are staying atAKL, you CAN NOT take ME there.

 

[Nancyg56]

Please believe that this is going to be a risk. I checked into DME on Saturday and it was crazy, like crazy I have never seen before. I have no idea why. TIming, guests level, CM shortage? Who knows. I woudl have been sick over it if I had to make an ADR that was not only a cancelation fee for no show, but was a fully paid no refunds meal.

You can chance it, btu be aware that it is risky