Walt Disney World is among the most popular vacation destinations on the planet. Animal Kingdom is one of the four parks that make up the World. There are a ton of things you can do here to have and learn while you play. Check out this Animal Kingdom overview to see what I’m talking about.
Guests can expect to experience some of the best and most modern attractions anywhere, replete with outstanding special effects brought using cutting edge technologies. But there is plenty at Walt Disney World that offers the splendors of nature, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom is among the best locations to celebrate our natural world.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is not a zoo. However, it is a highly qualified zoological location where a lot of research happens that is beneficial for the zoological world. In addition, conservation is pretty high on its list of achievements.
Overview Of Animal Kingdom
The Oasis
Disney’s Animal Kingdom offers something unique compared to Disney’s other theme parks in that this park requires a bit of adventure before visitors truly see the park. You enter through what appears to be a rather small and uneventful entrance, where things are pretty and plush with some flora and fauna, but things don’t seem too impressive.
In the other parks, you can see so much of what’s to come right from the gate, but in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the heart of the fun is a short hike away. You enter into the Oasis and then trek a short way through the foliage and past some picturesque animal displays before reaching a small rocky entrance.
Don’t rush through this part. You can see an anteater, ducks, flamingos, and various lizards. It’s worth meandering through to look at everything.
But once you pass through and reach the bridge, displayed before you is a wondrous scene of remarkable beauty, with Disney’s Tree of Life at its center. Did you know the tree is made from an old oil rig?
Over the bridge is where you will find the Wilderness Explorers Station. Sign up for this fun, FREE, self paced scavenger hunt.
Discovery Island
It’s Tough To Be A Bug
This is a show starring the characters from It’s A Bug’s Life. If you have a small child or a sensory defensive one, then this is the ride/show to skip. There are loud bangs, water squirts out, and spiders fall from the ceiling to name a few things. All of this is done in a dark theater.
Meet Favorite Disney Pals At Adventurers Outpost
This is where you will find the Animal Kingdom versions of popular Disney characters to take a picture with or get an autograph.
Discovery Island Trails & Animal Viewing Station
Nice foliage on the trails that lead to animals like otters that you can look at through the glass and watch them swim. It’s fun and not too crowded usually.
Africa and the village of Harambe
We enter the mysterious nature of Africa through the small town of Harambe, where the friendly natives smile and say, ‘Jambo!’ which is their way of saying welcome and hello.
Harambe is a sweet and picturesque little town where visitors can enjoy some food, drinks, and a bit of shopping before embarking on a wondrous adventure via the Kilimanjaro Safari. This is a high-end ambitious trek is the best of its kind when compared to the efforts of many similar parks.
Africa is also the gateway to Conservation Station at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, where visitors can learn quite a bit and enjoy interactive displays with animals and nature. Africa also offers a hike into the Pangani Forest, where encounters with gorillas are assured.
Asia and the Maharajah Jungle
Here, excursions into the jungle can present chance encounters with everything from tigers to giant bats and even Komodo Dragons!
Visitors can enjoy a great whitewater adventure along the mysterious Chakranadi River on Kali River Rapids and even board a train traveling through the misty mountains where yetis are said to be seen on Expedition Everest.
The Yak & Yeti Restaurant is here, where ‘Yak’ in the restaurant title somehow becomes a good thing.
There is also the Up! A Great Bird Adventure show that is can’t miss. As you can see, learning while you play is easy at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Dinoland USA
Visitors can travel back in time and upset the balance of things by helping retrieve a dinosaur from the distant past, and the kids can explore a Boneyard where excavation is part of the fun.
Dinosaur is not a ride for young children, easily scared children, or motion sick moms. Triceratop Spin is a Dumboesque ride with triceratops to ride in. There are also fair type games you can play while you wait for the bigs to ride Dinosaur.
The Dinosaur Research Center is a can’t miss for your budding paleontologists. Learn while you play is rampant in this area.
The Boneyard
This is a fantastic place for kids to burn off energy. There are tunnels, slides, climbing ropes, and a dig area. Great place to sit and catch a snack while the kids play.
Cretaceous Trail
A short walk through a lush forest with dinosaur statues makes for great pictures as well as learning more about the different ones. It’s similar to Dinosaur World but shorter.
Avatar Land
Avatar Land is a can’t miss stop. The flora and fauna alone makes it worth it. Do not neglect to go at night to see it all lit up. It’s breath taking.
Na’vi River Journey is a river ride that is magical.
Flight of Passage is a flight simulator ride that is not magical if you get motion sick. If you’re gluten free get churros at the bar on the right when you turn into Avatar land.
Bring your patience because this land is pretty crowded. I would recommend using the DAS or buying Genie+ for these two rides. The standby lines are pretty gnarly.
Can’t Miss Musical Theater
There are two shows at Animal Kingdom that are can’t miss. Unfortunately, they are on opposite sides of the park. In Africa, you have the Lion King and in between Asia and Dinoland, you have Finding Nemo.
Lion King is an in person show while Finding Nemo is kinda not, of course. It has giant puppets powered by people. Both are exquisitely done with fantastic musical scores. It’s a fantastic way to see Broadway caliber shows without going to Broadway.
The flying monkeys in the Lion King act are epic. Make sure you have noise cancelling headphones for any sensory sensitive kiddos.
This theme park is fun, pretty, alive, and relatively easy to traverse. What’s more, when visiting during off-peak times such as the early spring or the autumn season, the crowds are quite lean, and navigating the park seems virtually effortless. So, not only can traversing Disney’s Animal Kingdom be among one’s most adventurous, but among the easiest theme park experiences in aWalt Disney World.
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