Foto Fridays: The Studios v. Animal Kingdom Face-off

Congratulations on making it to the conclusion of another work week! With your weekend about to start, hopefully this eases you into relaxation mode. In this edition of Foto Face-off Friday, the weekly blog that features photographs from our TouringPlans Flickr Group that are an extension of the Disney Debates we’ve been holding on our Twitter Account, @TouringPlans, we are featuring a battle for third place park, between The Studios and Animal Kingdom! Since pictures speak louder than words we’ve decided to seek definitive resolution photographically for this especially hotly contested Disney Debate!

Here is what some of our followers on Twitter had to say:

@mjcollin Animal Kingdom: the food is better, the headliner (EE) is the best anywhere, Love the shows, and Love the animals!!!

@scarlettashley1 AK! Great shows, great rides, great food. Plus, animals and gorgeous scenery. #disneydebate

@AmyBethCombs The Studios. Smaller park, easier to navigate & appeals more to me entertainment-wise. I hardly ever go to AK. #disneydebate

@ajcenac Animal Kingdom > Studios; EE & Dinosaur > TT & RnRC; Nemo, FOTLK & FofW > BB, Indy & LMA; KS > GMR

@Blueline29 Don’t really love either one, but I guess Studios b/c of big 3 rides. Can hit ’em & take off. 😉 Everest big draw, though.

@Disney_Couture Def Studios! Has great attractions & rides plus best sweets to snack on

@RayMTT I love the Studios because they have attractions I like as in Star Tours, RnR, and more. AK just has EE.

@mousemisers AK for sure, the most beautiful Disney park, every detail is perfect.

@twentyfive2life Hollywood Studios. Better rides. I have a zoo at home.

Interestingly, the owner of Studios Central didn’t weigh in. Perhaps he is a closet Animal Kingdom fan?!

Along with their photo entries, we asked for an explanation as to why each Flickr poster preferred their respective choice. Their reasons may pertain to photography, general enjoyment of the choice, or both. Their personal thoughts are provided below their photo-entry. To view more of their photography click on their respective submission, which will direct you to their Flickr photostream.

The Studios

CJ Balogh:

DHS gets my vote. Even though it has lost some of it’s theming due to the studios actually leaving, there is still more to do at DHS. Attractions like the Great Movie Ride, MuppetVision, and obviously Tower of Terror, still have that highly themed feel which is what makes WDW.

mr_itty:

Gotta be DHS. Especially during the upcoming Christmas season. NOTHING beats the Osborn lights.

Kurt Miller:

DHS also gets my vote. I just love the mix of romantic Hollywood with a touch of that art deco creepiness a la the Tower of Terror. Plus, how can you beat Fantasmic at the end of the night when the AK has nothing!

bethmohler:

DHS for me too. Tower of Terror and Toy Story Midway Mania vs Disco Yeti? No contest 🙂

dd_indy:

Animal Kingdom and the Studios are, in my opinion, two of the most photographically attractive theme parks in Orlando. Animal Kingdom has great repeatability due to the unpredictability of the animals. No two trips on Kilimanjaro Safaris or down any of the many trails are the same. If you visit the park on those rare nights that it’s open after sunset, the Tree of Life and Expedition Everest make great photographic subjects. After a trip to Walt Disney World, even if I spend an equal amount of time in each of the four parks, I always seem to end up with more pictures from Animal Kingdom. However, my vote this week goes to Hollywood/MGM Studios. It has three of my favorite rides (Toy Story, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror) and Muppetvision 3-D has the best movies in all of Walt Disney World (both the pre-show and the 3-D feature). But the main thing that makes this my favorite park is Streetmosphere, also known as Citizens of Hollywood. As I strolled down Hollywood Blvd. on my first visit to MGM in 1992, I heard some people yelling at each other. I was surprised to see several people dressed in 1940s garb who were acting out a scene, sometimes grabbing passing park guests to use as surprised participants. Fortunately, they have remained in the park ever since, and I always try to see them whenever I visit the Studios.

MVanDeusen:

I love the Studios from a photography standpoint… Maybe because I have yet (in 5 trips) to see the Animal Kingdom at night– something I will be able to remedy in January thanks to EMH! 🙂 For now, I am saying the Studios– and here is my favorite nighttime shot!

Scottwdw:

This is turning into a runaway. I must say when I saw the face-off, I was on the fence. As Disney’s Hollywood Studios is my favorite park which I will explain why shortly, I have by far taken the most photos at Disney’s Animal Kingdom where I live out my dream of being a famous wildlife photographer. Alas, as much as I burn up the memory cards at Animal Kingdom, “The Studios” burns up my love for the movies. Especially those movies form the Golden Era of Hollywood. Disney’s Hollywood Studios goes beyond even that by depicting a Hollywood “that never was” but one from people’s imaginations. The architecture, restaurants, attractions and those lovable Citizens of Hollywood (see photo above) enhance those feelings for me. Then they added thrill rides, live shows and even the Mann’s Chinese Theater right out of Hollywood movies. Well, if there is one thing Disney does well, is take a story and make it better. Such is the case at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It does not hurt either that the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is THE best themed attraction on any Disney property (including the other Towers). Chalk up another vote for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Animal Kingdom

Corsey21:

I’m going away from the crowd and going with the Animal Kingdom. Let’s face it, besides a few strong ones, neither of these parks are overflowing with rides so the deciding factor for me was where to go without going on any rides. With all the animals everywhere and different shows to see DAK pulls ahead slightly. Plus, even though it is never open late, DAK is a great place to take great night shots of the Tree and Everest.

Finally, my entry and commentary:

This one is easy for me, so easy it’s not even close. As usual, I will focus on the choice I’m not picking first, and will probably fixate on this for entirely too long. Animal Kingdom, by far, is my least favorite of the parks. It’s sad, because Animal Kingdom could be one of my favorites, were it executed in a different way. The problem, as I see it, is that Animal Kingdom is too contrived, spending too much time on style to the detriment of substance. To wit, I recall listening to an episode of WDW Radio a while back discussing all of the hidden details and backstory in Dinoland. This backstory is great, but it is not substitute for quality substance. I think it is more an afterthought, added as somewhat of a ‘smokescreen’ or to explain away why Dino-rama is such an eyesore. I couldn’t care less that it’s an “authentic” eyesore, it’s an eyesore with cheap carnival attractions, nonetheless.

I have this same concern in other areas of the park. So much thought, time, and effort went in to making the “Disney Details” truly remarkable, but at what cost? The number of quality-themed Disney attractions is seriously lacking, to the point that the park doesn’t offer sufficient entertainment options to justify staying there a full day. The park lacks any traditional Omnimover dark rides, which I find bordering on absurd. On our recent 11 day honeymoon, my wife and I spent a grand total of 5 hours at Animal Kingdom. We arrived in the late afternoon and planned on staying through Evening Extra Magic Hours, so we ended up missing two favorites in Finding Nemo: the Musical and Festival of the Lion King, but after the near-boredom we encountered in AK after dark, we called an audible another day, and nixed our planned AK morning.

The biggest issue I have with Animal Kingdom after the “style over substance” qualm is that, despite its best efforts with the “Natazu” campaign, it’s not all that dissimilar to a well-done zoo. Granted, things like Flights of Wonder and Kilimanjaro Safaris are well done “edutainment,” but I believe the rest flounders somewhat as simple ‘walk around looking at animal exhibits’. To me, it lacks the proper execution in those particular attractions to distinguish itself from a plain ‘ole zoo. If the park would add some Omnimover attractions and create real entertainment value in the “zoo attractions,” I could see it as on par with the other parks. Or, to open this can of worms, give it Beastly Kingdom.

After reading all of that, you might think that the Studios wins by default for me. This is definitely not the case. I am a huge movie buff—probably better characterized (unfortunately) as a film snob, actually. The Great Movie Ride is one of my favorite attractions; I often contemplate adding scenes, such as the crop-duster scene from North by Northwest, wishing I had the authority. (I about fainted when Len Testa suggested Citizen Kane is irrelevant and Matt Hochberg expressed wanting to see Pearl Harbor added to the attraction in a recent episode of WDW Today.) Beyond the general allure of the idealized Golden Age of Hollywood, there are the other areas of the park that feature things I love. The humor of the Muppets has me in stitches; the themed brilliance of the Hollywood Tower Hotel geeks out the Twilight Zone fan in me, and; rockin’ out with Aerosmith gets me fully amped. I do miss Superstar Television and the proper Backlot Tour, and I could do without Lights, Motors, Action!, but overall I still think the Studios is a great park. It doesn’t beat Magic Kingdom or EPCOT, but it’s great in its own right.

What are your thoughts on the face-off? Animal Kingdom or DHS? Let us know in the comments!

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Next week’s challenge is a seasonal one: “Fall-oween”. Post your favorite elements of Fall or Halloween from anywhere “Disney,” be it Walt Disney World, Disneyland, heck, even your local Disney Store! Whether they be shots of colorful leaves in the parks, Food & Wine Festival photos, images from the Halloween Parties, or something else Fall-oween related, we want to see them! Also, please help us determine the best element of Fall-oween at Disney by voicing your thoughts on Twitter to @TouringPlans and entering your submissions in the TouringPlans Flickr Group discussion entitled “TouringPlans’ Foto Face-off Friday Blog – Fall-oween!” You could have your comments and picture chosen to be featured in the next Face-off blog, so get to Tweetin’ and Postin’!