When he started planning and designing the fourth park at Walt Disney World, Joe Rohde probably didn’t have any idea the Animal Kingdom would eventually become the largest theme park in the world. It is a wonderful park and there are some wonderful Animal Kingdom rides and attractions.
We go to the mountain for enlightenment, for self-realization, for discovery, for adventure – Joe Rohde
Welcome To Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom, just like every other theme park at Walt Disney World, is separated into distinctly different areas, each of which offers its guests a unique series of attractions that will provide thrills and adventure galore. So let’s not waste any more time, let’s set off and explore the six lands that together form Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
A brief word of warning before we begin our guided tour though, the Animal Kingdom has its own micro (or would it be macro given the size of the park?) climate and those rumors that you’ve heard about it being the hottest of the parks at WDW, they’re all true.
So make sure that you’re wearing sunscreen and drink plenty of water while you’re there, because it will get incredibly warm while you’re standing in line and preparing to meet the Yeti on Expedition Everest or soar high above alien jungles on Flight Of Passage
Find Out More About Animal Kingdom
- Is Animal Kingdom Worth Visiting
- Must Do Animal Kingdom Activities
- The Best Rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom for Toddlers
- Helpful Tips for Visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Where to Eat at Animal Kingdom
Discovery Island
The central hub of the park, Discovery Island is connected to four of the other five “kingdoms” within the Animal Kingdom and is also home to the Tree Of Life the one hundred and forty five-foot-tall man-made Baobab tree that can be seen from anywhere in the park and provides a constant visual reference so that you’ll never get lost and will always know where you.
The tree looks so real that you’ll have to touch it to believe that it isn’t. And while I’m on the subject of the Tree Of Life, did you know that it’s so big that it actually has a theatre inside it?
It’s Tough To Be A Bug!
And the show that’s staged in the theater that’s housed inside the Tree Of Life? It’s called It’s Tough To Be A Bug, an interactive 3D film about why bugs and insects are vital to the planet’s biosphere that features the stars of Pixar’s A Bug’s Life
Discovery Island Trails – The trails are a walk-through exhibit that was designed to teach and educate guests about some of the strange species of animal that would usually call the baobab tree home.
Pandora The World Of Avatar
A small tip? If you want to make sure that you get a chance to ride both of the attractions in Pandora, get to the park early or wait until an hour before closing, as they’re the newest and most popular attractions in the Animal Kingdom.
It took Joe Rodhe (yes, the Animal Kingdom’s original designer returned to create Pandora) and his team of Imagineers six years to design and build Pandora, and it only opened in May 2017. And, if you don’t mind battling the lines, can get there early enough, or are willing to wait until the park’s almost about to close, you can ride:
Avatar Flight Of Passage
After climbing on the back of a native banshee, and being strapped onto this incredible animal, you’ll fly across the plains, and soar in between the peak of Pandora’s mountains in this fully immersive 3D flight simulator, that’ll push your imagination further than you ever thought possible.
Having said that, if you are prone to or suffer from motion sickness and you want to ride Flight Of Passage, you should probably pop a couple of Dramamine before you jump on the back of a banshee.
Na’Vi River Journey
A much more sedate and relaxed way to explore the jungles and forest of Pandora, the Na’vi River Journey, once you’ve climbed inside the boat take a leisurely trip down the Kasvapan river, during which you can meet all of the planet’s wildlife.
But the most breathtaking thing about this “ride” (or attraction as the Imagineers prefer to refer to it), are the life-like audio-animatronics that you’ll bump into throughout your journey, and as you slip through the forest of a distant world, and they whisper and talk to you, you’ll convince yourself that each and every single one of them is real.
DinoLand U.S.A.
Not all of the animals in the Animal Kingdom are still in the land of the living. DinoLand, which is devoted to the terrible lizards who walked the earth sixty-five million years before humanity did, is built around the world-famous Dino research institute, which we’ll talk about in a minute.
Most of DinoLand has a deliberate mid-nineteenth-century carnival feel, that includes the child-friendly TriceraTop Spin, and was designed to reflect the historical phenomenon of locals setting up businesses to try to capitalize on the volume of tourists who flocked and continue to flock to bigger, bolder attractions.
Which in DinoLand, is the trip back to the age of the dinosaurs that’s housed in the Dino Institute. I told you we’d talk about it a little more, didn’t I?
Dinosaur
An old-style dark ride that’s been given a thoroughly modern make-over, Dinosaur invites you to take a trip back to the Cretaceous period in a time-traveling jeep that twists and turns its way through an ancient rainforest populated by animatronic dinosaurs and creatures that see you, and every other occupant of your vehicle as a tasty lunchtime snack.
The pre-show film is a lot of fun and the line features all manner of dinosaur skeletons and easter eggs, which make it almost as enjoyable as Dinosaur is.
Bear in mind, I said almost as enjoyable, as even though it lasts less than ten minutes, it’s a ride through time that you’ll never forget. And if you’re at all susceptible to the vagaries of motion sickness, you’ll need to make sure that you’ve taken your daily Dramamine before you hop onboard the time-traveling four by four.
Asia
The first of Disney’s Animal Kingdom expansions, Asia is home to the Animal Kingdom’s biggest thrill rides, as well as the Maharajah Jungle Trek which allows guests to get up and personal with one hundred different species of native Asian wildlife in a purpose-built environment.
It’s a breathtaking experience that celebrates the biodiversity of the continent that it was built to honor.
But like ninety-nine percent of the visitors who are drawn to the Animal Kingdom, there are two attractions that you’ve no doubt heard described in great detail by everyone who has experienced them and have probably even watched a couple of YouTube videos about just to try and prepare yourself for the experience.
And as good as those videos are, they’re nothing compared to the real thing.
Kali River Rapids
It’s the white knuckle, white water rafting experience that’ll plunge you down the raging waters of a wild and untamed Asian river while you’re strapped into an eight-man, a circular raft that bobs, weaves, and spins almost uncontrollably with the current of the river.
The signs as you get ever closer to your raft, and the cast members that’ll strap you into your seat will both warn you that you WILL get wet, but those warnings won’t prepare you for just how wet you’ll get.
My tip? If you’re going to ride the rapids either take a spare pair of clothes or sneakers with you that you can leave in a storage locker, so you’ll have something dry to change into if you do get uncomfortable walking around in wet clothes. Be prepared to get drenched, as there’s no escaping the wrath of the rapids.
Expedition Everest – Legend Of The Forbidden Mountain
This is the big thrill ride in the Animal Kingdom, and the attraction that when he was tasked with designing it, Joe Rodhe actually took a trip to the Himalayas to fully prepare himself to design.
One of the things that was always missing from WDW but was ever-present in Disneyland (well, from the early sixties onward) was the world’s first tubular steel roller coaster, the Matterhorn, on which riders end up coming face to face with the Yeti.
So, when he was given a chance to build a roller coaster set in the Himalayas, Rodhe thought that it was only fitting that he finally brought the Yeti to WDW, and Expedition Everest was born.
Bigger, faster, and with arguably a better Yeti than the Matterhorn, Expedition Everest plunges its rides backward through a series of dizzying twists and turns, before applying the brakes and sending them spiraling through them again in foot through the floor, forward gear.
It’s one of the best roller coasters in Walt Disney World, and worth the park’s entry fee by itself. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if you rode it two or three times in a row, I’ve done it and I know a lot of other Disney fans who have too and there are far worse ways to spend an afternoon in the Animal Kingdom.
Africa
The original heart of the Animal Kingdom, Africa is home to several nature trails that guests can explore at their leisure, namely Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail which will bring you face to face with gorillas, monkeys, and marsupials from Africa, and the Wild Africa Trek which is located adjacent to the land’s most popular attraction, and lets you meet some of Africa’s oldest native species.
It’s also the place where you can famously put your feet up and enjoy African music played by the resident band, or if you’re feeling a little bit more lively, you can throw caution to the wind and sing along with the Festival Of The Lion King, which includes, and features all of your favorite songs from the film.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
The biggest draw though is Kilimanjaro Safaris a stretch jeep safari that takes you on a trip through a purpose-created African savannah that’s populated by all manner of native animals, from giraffes to lions, and tigers to elephants. It’s the attraction that will if you’re anything like me, make you fall head over heels in love with the Animal Kingdom.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch
And finally, the hidden jewel in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Rafiki’s Planet Watch, which you can only get to by riding the Wildlife Express Train that you can only catch from Harambe station in Africa.
The train ride will give you a peek behind the curtain at the wildlife in the park, before dropping you off at Rafiki’s, where you can hang out with alpacas, goats, and cattle at the Affection Station and meet cotton topped tamarins in Habitat! Habitat! and learn all about their lives and how the encroachment of man is threatening the survival of multiple species. I know it sounds a little off-putting, but it really is a fascinating way to spend an hour.
Then, before you hop back on the train to return to Harambe station and complete your visit to the Animal Kingdom, you’ll just have time to enjoy the immersive Animation Experience At Conservation Station in which you can bring your own Disney characters to life.
Animal Kingdom Rides and Attractions List
Animal Kingdom Rides:
Dinosaur
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Na’vi River Journey
TriceraTop Spin
Animal Kingdom Show Style Attractions:
It’s Tough to be a Bug
UP! A Great Bird Adventure
Festival of the Lion King
My Thoughts on Disney’s Animal Kingdom
At five hundred and eighty acres, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which embraces and celebrates biodiversity, nature, and the distant wonders of the earth and far off planets is one of the modern wonders of the world. Well, when I say far-off planets, I actually mean one, in particular, Pandora, the majestic planet that James Cameron brought to life, in his movie Avatar.
I’ve always loved Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and since it joined the WDW pantheon in 1998, I’ve been to the park and spent more time there than I care to either admit or remember.
It isn’t the easiest of the four WDW parks to get to, as it’s located far from the other three (well, the other five if you include the water parks) to shelter and protect the hundreds of animal species that call it home from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and on the WDW internal transport system (you can only get there by driving or on one of the Disney buses) it’ll probably take you around fifteen to twenty minutes to get there from the Magic Kingdom.
But it’s a journey that’s worth taking, as there’s so much to see and do in the more than five hundred acre park, that it’ll take you at least a couple of days to fully explore the Animal Kingdom.
Thanks for stopping by.
Darren
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