Disney’s Animal Kingdom might be Walt Disney World’s most beautiful park…
In his original dream for Disneyland, Walt Disney wanted guests to have the opportunity to get up close to animals in an immersive setting—not a simple zoo but a surreal overlap between the real world and the animal kingdom. Unfortunately, animals were deemed too unpredictable, and the concept was converted into the Jungle Cruise instead. After Walt’s death, Disney took another crack at the idea after the opening of Walt Disney World with a small island animal preserve called Discovery Island, but this still didn’t fully fulfill the dream.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened on Earth Day in 1998, described by CEO Michael Eisner as, “A kingdom of animals… real, ancient, and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions, dinosaurs, and dragons; a kingdom of balance, harmony, and survival; a kingdom we enter to share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama, and learn.”
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is, in many ways, the gem of Walt Disney World—a place where guests can scale the peaks of the Himalayas, return to the era of the dinosaurs, soar on a banshee, and encounter some of the most beautiful animals on our planet up close. It’s one of Disney’s finest achievements interweaving the majesty of the natural world with the wonder of the fantastical.
Maybe you’re planning your first Walt Disney World vacation, or it’s been a while since your last visit. Alternatively, maybe you’re a longtime fan who has friends and family wanting to go, and you wish there were some way you could quickly sum-up the key “need-to-knows” for an amazing Disney vacation.
This guide is fifth in a series here at Theme Park Tourist to fulfill that need—sharing the basics to make the most of a Walt Disney World vacation. Our goal is to prepare you for what to expect, as well as help you avoid the snags that spoil too many potentially great vacations.
In our first installment, we focused on what you need to know about Walt Disney World overall—give that piece a read if you haven’t yet, as it covers the “big picture” facts about visiting The Most Magical Place on Earth. Since then, we’ve taken a look at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and most recently, Epcot.
Today, we’ll be zeroing in on the top 10 things you NEED to know before visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: Take some time to research Disney’s latest pandemic policies. These are frequently changing, and many policies are still in place at the time of this writing, including that you cannot enter a Disney park without a Disney Parks Pass reservation. You can find information on the latest developments here at Theme Park Tourist and at Walt Disney World’s website.
1. It’s not just a Disney zoo
One of the biggest mistakes people make when considering a visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom is writing it off as a simple zoo. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is not a traditional zoo—it’s a seamless integration of one of the most expansive animal parks in the country with a theme park like no other.
When Disney Imagineers (largely spearheaded by legend, Joe Rodhe) conceived Disney’s Animal Kingdom, they didn’t want guests to interact with animals through cages. Disney wanted to design a place that felt so realistic that both the guests and the animals would feel like they’d entered a natural habitat.
The centerpiece of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the park’s 100 acre African savannah—primarily enjoyed through tours on the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction. This massive space was designed so guests almost never see the barriers that keep both animals and guests safe, utilizing a mix of illusions and natural methods to conceal the boundaries around animal exhibits. They also employed a number of clever tricks to ensure guests have the best chance possible to see animals (such as providing air conditioning on the rocks preferred by the lions or placing salt licks in strategic locations for other animals to enjoy).
The result is both that the animals are able to enjoy an expansive amount of space, and the park doesn’t have the same artificial feel as a zoo. This philosophy carries over to the park’s incredible walking paths and other areas.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom also plays an active role in conservation programs, scientific studies, and in ensuring wildlife throughout Walt Disney World receive veterinary care when needed (we once saw a duck get a thorn removed from his foot at the Conservation Station, complete with the application of a little custom-made duck bandage).
Aside from the major role played by animals, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is also home to some of the resort’s best rides and one of its most immersive lands, The World of Pandora. The end result is a park that seamlessly integrates Disney magic with a celebration of nature.
2. It’s many visitors’ favorite park
The seamless nature of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is one of the reasons it remains a favorite for many guests. I’ve even known many people who didn’t care for Walt Disney World who loved their visit to the park.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is one beautiful park—everywhere you look, the eye is dazzled in new ways. Disney’s Animal Kingdom also arguably appeals to the widest range of guests of any Disney park. It’s not just a destination for the old or the young, for Star Wars fans or Disney purists—there’s literally something for everyone.
Thrill seekers can enjoy a high-speed roller coaster on Expedition: Everest or race against time on Dinosaur. Seekers of wonder can experience the awe of flight on Avatar: Flight of Passage. Guests who prefer a slower paced experience can tour the park’s incredible walking paths. Families with kids will find character encounters, Wilderness Explorer scavenger hunts, and sections fully dedicated to the littlest adventurers. There’s even an attraction for people who really, really like bugs (I am not one of these people but more power to you!).
3. It’s sort of a cousin to World Showcase at Epcot
Fans of Epcot may particularly enjoy Disney’s Animal Kingdom for a specific reason—it’s something of a spiritual cousin to World Showcase.
For decades, fans have waited for Disney to add new pavilions to Epcot’s World Showcase. While the park does currently feature two pavilions from Asia (China and Japan) and one from Africa (Morocco), no development ever came about adding any other African or Asian countries.
Enter Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Africa and Asia make up the two largest lands at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and they just might be two of the loveliest lands Disney has ever made. Rather than focus on specific African or South Asian countries, Disney intermixed the fantastic to give guests a wider view of stepping into these two incredible continents.
Disney’s Africa invites guests to explore the fictional village of Harambe, calling to mind equatorial nations like Uganda and Kenya. Disney’s Asia welcomes guests to the mysterious kingdom of Anandapur, a fictional nation positioned near Nepal, Bhutan, and northeast India. Both lands are strikingly detailed with attractions, restaurants, and shops themed after their namesake countries.
4. It has some of the best rides at Walt Disney World
Disney’s Animal Kingdom has some absolute winners when it comes to rides—including the top rival to guest-favorite, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
We are talking, of course, about Avatar Flight of Passage, part of the World of Pandora based on James Cameron’s Avatar. Similar to Rise of the Resistance, Flight of Passage had such a major effect on Walt Disney World when it opened that it skyrocketed Disney Animal Kingdom’s popularity. It is easily the most lauded attraction in the park, offering guests the opportunity to experience a stunningly real flight over the world of Pandora on the back of a banshee (we like to think of it as “Soarin’ Over Pandora”).
Other highlights of the park’s attractions include:
- Kilimanjaro Safaris – A tour through the park’s African savannah where guests can view the park’s African animals up close To increase your chance of seeing animals, visit early in the morning or close to sunset.
- Expedition: Everest – Arguably Walt Disney World’s best roller coaster so far–a high speed adventure where guests race to escape the Yeti, guardian of the Forbidden Mountain
- Dinosaur – Despite being named after a children’s movie, this ride is surprisingly scary. While it may be too much for some young visitors, the end result is a thrilling excursion through the last dark moments of the age of the dinosaurs.
- Kali River Rapids – A positively drenching river raft ride. You will get wet!
- Na’vi River Journey – A slow paced boat tour through the jungles of Pandora at night
- Rafiki’s Planet Watch – This isn’t so much a ride but rather includes both a train ride, as well as several attraction surrounding the Conservation Station. Currently, the main activities are the Affection Section (a sort of petting zoo) and The Animation Experience, a live class where guests can learn how to draw favorite Disney animal characters.
These are just a selection of the offerings at the park which also includes children’s rides (many of which are in Dinoland U.S.A.), the Wilderness Explorers scavenger hunts, and shows like Festival of the Lion King, It’s Tough to Be a Bug, and Feathered Friends in Flight.
5. The World of Pandora
Speaking of attractions, no discussion of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is complete without a look at The World of Pandora.
Similar to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge over in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The World of Pandora is one of Walt Disney World’s most immersive lands. The land is home to two popular rides—Avatar Flight of Passage and the Na’vi River Journey. In truth, the land is an attraction unto itself.
Based on James Cameron’s Avatar, guests visiting the World of Pandora are invited into a dazzling world of bioluminescent plants, strange fauna, giant robots, and alien sounds. Just wandering around to take it all in is part of the experience, particularly at night when the whole land burst to life with mesmerizing lights.
The World of Pandora was designed to completely immerse guests in a fantastical science fiction world—everything from the food at Satul’i Canteen to the souvenirs in the shops are meant to feel like they come straight out of Avatar. You can even adopt a baby banshee to take home with you forever.
I think the best part of the World of Pandora is that you don’t have to be a fan of Avatar to appreciate it—you can know literally nothing about the film and still grin in awe at this incredible display of Disney magic.
6. Don’t skip the walking trails
We mentioned this in previous installments, but exploration plays a major part in any visit to Walt Disney World, especially at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. One of the best way for guests to experience the wildlife of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is on the park’s two main walking trails: The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek.
The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is the most popular, largely due to its close proximity to Kilimanjaro Safaris. This trail gives the guests the opportunity to encounter more of Africa’s diverse wildlife, with particular emphasis on the park’s family of gorillas. Other animals include meerkats, zebra, and an expansive aviary of African birds including weavers, hammerkops, and the enigmatic blue turaco.
Tucked next to Kali River Rapids over in Asia, The Maharajah Jungle Trek is even more impressive in many aspects. During a journey through this lush trail (themed after South Asian jungle ruins), guests will encounter Malayan flying foxes, Komodo dragons, gibbons, water buffalo, and tigers. The trail offers several great spots to view the park’s tigers in their expansive habitat, as well as the opportunity to explore a second aviary of Asian birds like metallic starlings, Nicobar pigeons (the closest living relative to the dodo), great argus pheasants, and even the ultra-rare Vietnam pheasant. We highly recommend taking your time in the aviaries—find a place to stand or sit still, and you’ll see all kinds of endearing behaviors from the resident birds.
Along with the two main trails, guests can also explore the Discovery Island Trails which include both small animal exhibits, as well as a tour of the detailed sculptures on the Tree of Life.
7. How do I spend less time in line?
At most Disney parks, we recommend arriving well before rope drop—this isn’t necessarily the case at Disney’s Animal Kingdom right now. The park opens uniquely early—usually around 8 AM. While arriving for rope drop can be an appealing option, particular for early risers who want to get a head start on the day, there are some benefits to arriving a little later.
Most guests who arrive at rope drop at Disney’s Animal Kingdom generally follow a predictable pattern—the majority rush to Avatar Flight of Passage, sending the ride’s wait times skyrocketing within minutes of the park opening. If you want to arrive an hour early and be one of the first people to do this, by all means do so, but if you aren’t one of the first people in the park, you’re likely to encounter stunningly long lines for this attraction first thing in the morning.
For those not wanting to commit to an ultra-early morning, arriving a little bit after rope drop is just fine at Disney’s Animal Kingdom right now. Instead of rushing for Avatar Flight of Passage (which often has at lower wait time later in the day at intermittent times), hit some of the park’s other attractions early. If you want to see animals ultra-active, head over to Kilimanjaro Safaris. If the line seems too long, go take a ride on Expedition: Everest or Dinosaur which usually have low lines early in the day then try the safari again. If you aren’t able to get onto Kilimanjaro Safari by about 9:30, save your visit for dusk when the animals tend to come out in force again.
Overall, lines seem to peak at Disney’s Animal Kingdom between 10 and 2 PM. Many people hit this park so early that they don’t actually make it through the whole day before leaving—lines start to dip as the day goes on past about 3 PM. While Avatar Flight of Passage almost always has waits above 60 minutes, you’re most likely to find the most reasonable waits intermittently after 3PM or during the last hour the park is open. This also gives guests a great opportunity to enjoy Pandora at Night!
8. This park can get hot!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a famously sweaty place…
The situation has improved somewhat over the years, but shade can be a challenge to find in certain parts of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Florida summers are brutal enough, but you’ll want to plan accordingly when visiting this park, as well as take breaks a few times throughout the day to enjoy some air conditioning. A hat, sunscreen, and a water bottle are all a good idea.
If you’ll be visiting during Florida’s warmest months (between May and September), you may want to peruse our collection of unorthodox tricks to beat the heat during your next trip.
9. You’ll have lots of great choices for food
Hate terrible theme park food? You’ll love Disney’s Animal Kingdom—this park has a seriously delightful range of dining options.
For table service, the top two choices are Tiffins and Tusker House—two very different restaurants. Tusker House is a character dining location where guests can enjoy a wide range of family style comfort foods inspired by African cuisine (normally, this restaurant has an excellent buffet—personally, we would recommend waiting to try this one when the buffet comes back).
Tiffins, on the flip side, is the park’s singular fine dining location, with food and décor inspired by the Imagineers adventures around the world. Our experiences there have all been excellent, and we particularly recommend the Gobi Manchurian as one of the best things we ever ate at Walt Disney World. Tiffins also includes an outdoor lounge (Nomad Lounge) where guests can enjoy drinks, coffee service, and small plates.
For counter service, Flame Tree BBQ is the biggest crowd pleaser for families and picky eaters, while Yak n’ Yeti offers a pleasant range of Asian-inspired eats (as well as a table service restaurant). Satul’i Canteen at the World of Pandora is an excellent choice for guests wanting to enjoy something they can only have at Walt Disney World as well as those looking for healthy options. Guests can build bowls by combining proteins and grains (with a few unexpected surprises), or you can enjoy some of the restaurants unusual “Cheeseburger pods” or eye-boggling desserts.
Other choices within the park include Pizzafari and Restaurantasaurus for familiar American favorites, as well as a number of smaller dining locations offering snacks and other treats.
10. Resorts and transportation
Unlike Walt Disney World’s other parks, Disney’s Animal Kingdom only has one official resort: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Animal Kingdom Lodge may be a little more isolated than other Disney resorts, but it’s one of the most beautiful properties at Walt Disney World. Themed after an African lodge, its crown feature is a savannah right in the center of the resort where giraffes, ostriches, zebras, and other animals roam alongside the lobby, restaurants, and even select guest rooms.
The resort also includes two Disney Vacation Club sub-resorts offering villas: Kidani Village and Jambo House. If you aren’t a DVC member, you can still book villas at these resorts either through Disney website, or save a good chunk of change and rent DVC points. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge also houses some of the best resort restaurants in Walt Disney World including Boma, Sanaa, and Jiko.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is unique among Disney parks in that it is only accessible through Disney bus transportation. Guests can use their own vehicles or rideshare services to visit the park, but resort guests wanting to use Disney’s free transportation will all take busses to reach the park gate.
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