Best Animal Kingdom Attractions & Ride Guide
This guide to Animal Kingdom attractions contains reviews and ratings for every ride and show at Walt Disney World’s zoological themed park, including Pandora – World of Avatar. This also offers some strategy and advice so you know what’s a must-do and what you can safely skip! (Updated October 9, 2022.)
This covers everything from popular thrill rides to smaller attractions, plus shows and animal exhibits. Despite Animal Kingdom’s “half day park” reputation, there’s a lot to do. Be warned that this list of Animal Kingdom attractions is deceptive: it appears short, but many of these shows and trails take a lot of time to complete. If you go at a slow pace or stop for table service meals, you’ll have a full day in the park.
The “half day park” reputation comes from those who don’t give Animal Kingdom’s trails and exhibits their due. In fairness, it took me a long time to discover the beauty of Animal Kingdom, but I admitted to being wrong about Animal Kingdom. While its nighttime spectacular has been retired, Animal Kingdom now features more nighttime offerings and the bioluminescence of Pandora, which means it’s now a full day park for just about everyone.
Animal Kingdom ranks right up there with World Showcase as an excellent spot to just relax and spend some time. The park has a great sense of place to it, and the thematic execution is top notch, save for some criticism that it has too much real world “grit” and not the same sense of whimsy you might find from other Disney parks.
Nevertheless, Animal Kingdom is a truly an exceptional “ambiance park” with a ton of atmospheric entertainment, performers, and conservation exhibits that aren’t even covered here because they’re not technically attractions. In short, there’s a lot to do at Animal Kingdom beyond what’s on the park map. Which is good, because some of the popular rides can have long lines, especially those in Pandora – World of Avatar.
This guide to Animal Kingdom assumes that you have a full day to spend in the park–and in each of the other Walt Disney World theme parks. You may have more or less time depending on how many day tickets you purchase and whether you add on the Park Hopper option (read our Walt Disney World Ticket Guide to determine which tickets are best for you).
If you want to read our other Walt Disney World park guides, you can find those here:
- Magic Kingdom Park & Attraction Guide
- Epcot Park & Attraction Guide
- Hollywood Studios Park & Attraction Guide
- Typhoon Lagoon Water Park Guide
- Blizzard Beach Water Park Guide
If you have children, you should also consult our full list of attractions with height requirements at Walt Disney World. Numerical scores are on a scale of 1 to 10, and only take into consideration overall quality relative to that specific type of attraction. In our ratings, we only consider how well done the attraction is, overall and within its category, when experienced by its target demographic.
Top Disney’s Animal Kingdom Attractions
Avatar Flight of Passage (10/10) – Walt Disney World’s newest E-Ticket thrill ride, this is like Soarin’ on steroids. Riders climb aboard the back of a banshee and link to an avatar flying through Pandora for a simulator experience that is far more ‘active’ than any past attraction of its nature. You can feel your banshee breathe, the wind and spray of the ocean in your face, and smell plenty of scents along the way.
Even though Avatar Flight of Passage is a screen-based attraction, you are fully immersed in the experience, and can fully suspend disbelief and embrace the action. No prior knowledge or being a fan of Avatar is necessary here. This will make you want to step deeper into the world of Pandora.
Na’vi River Journey (8/10) – The other attraction in Pandora – World of Avatar is not nearly as wow-inducing, nor is it thrilling. Instead, guests board a slow-moving boat ride for a short boat ride through a bioluminescent environment, encountering flora and fauna along the way. Although visually interesting, too much of the scenery is static, making it all feel a bit underwhelming.
The finale features the most breathtaking Audio Animatronics figure Imagineering has ever created, making the attraction worth it, but you still get the feeling this attraction could’ve been so much more. If you wait over 45 minutes for this (and you probably will), there’s a decent chance you’ll leave disappointed.
Kilimanjaro Safaris (10/10) – Animal Kingdom’s flagship safari ride through “natural” environments exposing guests to a wide array of animals. This attraction used to have a bit of a storyline, but it was widely viewed as lazy pretext. Now it doesn’t have any real storyline and it’s viewed as lacking ‘substance.’ It just can’t win. Regardless of the story or lack thereof, Kilimanjaro Safaris is an amazing attraction, exposing guests to a multitude of animals in what appears to be their natural environments.
The ride can be bumpy, but it adds an element of authenticity. Drivers are usually quite knowledgeable about the animals, so definitely ask questions that you may have. Animals are most active first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening. This works well, as these are also the best times to experience the attraction to avoid waits.
Maharajah Jungle Trek (9/10) – Walk-through animal exhibit with birds, bats, and tigers. Its scenes that bring you up close to various animals, all while traversing through an elaborately themed Asian environment. While the animal encounters are great, as are the Cast Members here sharing information about them, the environments are the real star. At one point it seems as if you’re going through the ruins of a remote temple that has existed for thousands of years, and details abound everywhere. All of this makes it feel like you’re experiencing the actual environments where these animals live, rather than just observing them in their pens. It truly feels like you’re an active participant in some sort of exploration. This is the best animal ‘exhibit’ we’ve ever experienced anywhere.
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (7.5/10) – Formerly Pangani Forest, this is a wildlife walking trail, with (you guessed it) gorillas as the highlight. There are also hippos underwater and being close to them and the gorillas is pretty awesome. Space this and Maharajah Jungle Trek out during your day, so you don’t get “trailed out.”
Expedition Everest (10/10) – Everest-themed roller coaster that goes backwards and encounters a yeti. Everest is Disney’s most ambitious roller coaster in terms of theming and detail. Many effects on Expedition Everest now do not work; the most notable of these effects is the large Audio Animatronics “Disco” Yeti. Despite this, Expedition Everest is still an impressively fun coaster, with one of the best queue lines at Walt Disney World. Expedition Everest has a minimum height requirement of 44″. While Expedition Everest has a Lightning Lane, the wait time through the Single Rider line is typically less than 10 minutes, making that a good (free) alternative. Everest is also better at night!
Kali River Rapids (7/10) – Whitewater raft ride spinning freely down a river through rainforest, ruins, and deforested areas with message of conservation. Kali River Rapids has a pretty setting, but there isn’t enough substance to the scenes. You will get wet on Kali River Rapids, and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll get absolutely soaked–it’s all random. There are free (2-hour) lockers nearby, and we strongly recommend using them for a change of clothes (or wear a poncho on the ride). The queue is arguably more interesting than the attraction itself, and is quite gorgeous. Kali River Rapids has a 38″ height requirement.
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond! (9/10) – This is the reimagined Finding Nemo: The Musical, with the biggest changes being additions from Finding Dory, and a tighter show or shorter runtime. Human performers are paired with creatively-made puppets in a condensed retelling of Finding Nemo. The big draw here is how the entertainers manipulate the puppets. Are the humans the focus or the puppets they’re controlling? (Both are, we think.)
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond is an interesting concept, and the presentation and music are excellent. We’re not huge fans of the story simply being a condensed version of the film, but this show brings enough novelty to the table that it just works. The end result is that Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond is one of the best-done and most unique stage shows at Walt Disney World. While we preferred the longer version, parents with small children might find the slightly shorter show easier to get through.
Festival of the Lion King (9/10) – Acrobats, singers, and other performers in tribal attire and vibrant costumes, plus floats with Lion King characters and other creatures enact scenes inspired by the Lion King in a very lively theatrical show. There’s a lot of stuff going on, in what basically amounts to a lot of audio-visual stimulation.
Festival of the Lion King just flat out works, and its almost abstract nature allows the audience to just sit back and enjoy the wow-inducing performers. This is right up there with Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond as one of the best stage shows at Walt Disney World. Our advice is to “pace yourself” and put some distance between the two–do walking trails in between and then use the indoor, air-conditioned escape as a nice change-of-pace.
Feathered Friends in Flight! (7/10) – This replaces “Up! A Great Bird Adventure,” which itself replaced “Flights of Wonder.” This show is essentially the former, but rewritten to remove the clunky character injections from Up, which makes it more like the latter. Dropping the characters was addition by subtraction; there’s still cheesy humor, but the avian encounters are the focus. These feathered friends are impressive and this show appeals to guests of all ages.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch (6.5/10) – Board the Wildlife Express Train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch to see a petting zoo and a number of exhibits concerning animal care. The only place the Wildlife Express Train goes is Rafiki’s Planet Watch, and everything (besides the petting zoo) is in the same small-ish area. What you will see in these exhibits varies based upon what’s going on, which is where the true variance in quality exists. The big downside to Rafiki’s Planet Watch is the time commitment: you’re looking at about an hour of your day doing this given the commute, and the payoff is low for the time investment.
Dinosaur (8/10) – A high-speed, wild drive in a time rover through dark show scenes with Audio Animatronics dinosaurs trying to capture a particular dinosaur before the moment of extinction. Dinosaur has a humorous pre-show video and some memorable scenes and encounters with dinosaurs. It utilizes the same ride technology as Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland and is often (negatively) compared to that attraction as a result. We really enjoy Dinosaur, although there is admittedly a lot of dead, black space and it lacks interesting scenes. A letdown in terms of what a dinosaur attraction could be, but still good. Dinosaur has a minimum height requirement of 40″.
The Boneyard (7/10) – We have a lot of complaints about Dinoland USA and the subarea of Dinorama, but the Boneyard is not one of those things. This elaborate play area gives kids the chance to play in a dinosaur dig site, excavating fossils and playing on a ropes course and other interactive areas. The paleontology angle makes it moderately educational, which scores it points, too. The only downside is that the heat can be brutal and there’s minimal shade, but how many dig-sites are heavily forested?!
Tree of Life Awakenings (7.5/10) – The Awakenings that occur throughout the night are truly magic moments that are the best element of Animal Kingdom at night right now. You can’t plan for these and they’re not large-scale, but they are well done and moving.
It’s Tough To Be A Bug (7/10) – 3D show about touting the benefits of inspects with the cast of A Bug’s Life. This is a prime example of how you use Disney characters to make an educational (at least partially so) film feel like pure entertainment. It’s a lot of fun and there are some great “interactive” moments in the show.
TriceraTop Spin (4/10) — This is a spinner ride like Dumbo, but with dinosaurs. While there’s certainly something to be said for soaring on the back of a triceratops, it’s a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of ride.
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Your Thoughts…
Which Disney’s Animal Kingdom attractions are your favorites? Which ones do you normally skip? Do you agree or disagree with our ratings? If you haven’t visited Walt Disney World yet, which Animal Kingdom attractions are you most excited about? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your questions and thoughts in the comments!
Thank you for the advice, these blogs are amazing!
I have a 4 years old son, planning to go to magic kingdom and animal kingdom.. any recommendations???….is animal kingdom ok?
I have a 17 month daughter who walks on her own. Which park would be best for her at Walt Disney?I hear she would love animal kingdom but what kind of rides can she go to ?can she even ride with me in the safari ride?
She will be able to do the safari ride with you, but that’s about it. Animal kingdom is definitely the most expansive, so there will be a ton of walking. The bug’s life show might be scary at that age. So, basically you’re looking at a day at the zoo with a lion king and demo show. If you can only go to one park, I recommend Magic Kingdom for that age. She can ride more than enough attractions to fill the day at that park.
Is Animal Kingdom as amazing as the other parks are at night? We have only been to Animal Kingdom once as it is far lesser than the other WDW parks in our mind, but the idea of seeing it at night DOES have us thinking of a return to it on our next WDW trip. The other parks really shine at night and become their best in our opinion.
I have a child with Autism and is about to turn 7 who is 100% not wanting to going to WDW. He loves roller-coaster, and animals, and He can some times get over stimulated. can any one tell me if this is a good place. Is there areas with less people and if it becomes to much with all the people is there a quitter place we can go to relax for a few?
Hi- I would definitely call ahead and speak with guest relations. Each park has childcare stations spread throughout if you need a break. It’s made for nursing mothers and those with different needs. Guest relations often goes above and beyond and may offer you fast pass or other options if it helps. Animal Kingdom is the least ‘Disney’ of the parks imho. Think he would enjoy wildlife express to the affection section petting zoo and the various gorilla/safari/tiger exhibits and the rapids and Everest. We just left the park around noon today and the crowds were very manageable. Safari was our longest wait at less than 20 mins. Best of luck and don’t hesitate to ask cast members for help.
Disney does a great job with accommodating guests’ needs. We took my brother (also autistic, also 7 at the time) last spring and had a wonderful time. Guest services will give everyone in your party a special pass if you go tell them about your son’s autism– it basically works like an old school, paper fast pass. Instead of waiting in lines all day, you can go to the cast member at the start of a line, get a time to come back, and then enter the fast pass line. This really made our trip better, because my brother would NOT have been okay with 45+ minute waits! There’s less time for over stimulation and meltdowns. There’s also plenty of quiet areas around the parks. Animal Kingdom especially has neat, pretty areas to rest. Pinterest has plenty of articles devoted to this subject. Have a great trip!!
Wanted to let you know I came across a typo! Under your review for “Tough to be a Bug” show, you have the word inSPECTS instead of inSECTS. By the way, we LOVE your blog and are using your reviews to plan our trip next fall of 2017. Yes I’ve started planning early, but sometimes planning is almost as fun as going, for me! We are crossing our fingers Star Wars Land will be COMPLETLEY done! Thanks for all the tips and details about WDW.
Thank you so much for the park details. It’s going to help make my planning easier.
Hi everyone,
Just a quick comment/warning based on my experience this week (late March). Things start to close down around 6:00 – like most things involving animals and some of the “street” vendors. Even though it was it was extended hours until 8:00, most things were shutting down by 7:00. We planned a late safari (6:00 pm) and by that time of day, most of the animals were inside for dinner according to the park guides. By most, I mean zebras, giraffes, lions, gorillas, monkeys, rhinos, etc. So it was rather disappointing. And I understand that the animals will have their own schedule, but why other things start to shut down before park close, I don’t understand. I don’t know if it is different in summer hours when the sun sets later, but that’s how it was two times this week. FYI.
Yes, the animals are on a strict schedule. They go in around 5. If you plan to stay after 5, save some rides, eating or shopping in the evening and see animals earlier in the day.
Hey guys – do you guys have a age specific guide to rides. Specifically, we’re trying to plan out our fastpass selections for eaach park for a trip in March, and trying to figure out the best options to minimize long waits. Kids will be 5 and 2 when we go in March.
Thanks!
Download the My Disney Experience app and look at the map!
How easy is it to get from the park to the animal kingdom resort. We’d like to make reservations to Boma for dinner but I’m not sure how we get over there from the park or if we can do it in enough time.
As you leave the park, head to WDW Bus Transportation! Animal Kingdom Lodge is bus #10!
Hi…Loving your post overall as I will be a first time visitor to Disney New Years Eve…..How do you compare Animal Kingdom and Bush Gardens…..with regards to the experience one gets with the animals…my children anre 8 and 10…Thanks…Loriann
We are planning a first-time trip to Disney World with my 7 and 5 year old daughters in October. I am so glad that I stumbled across your blog, and I have already taken several of your restaurant recommendations! A couple of questions re: AK, as I am just getting familiar with the Fast Pass options. Are the Maharajah and Pangani trails available to just walk through at any time, or do you need to Fast Pass for those too? We have dinner scheduled at Boma one evening at 6:15. If the park closes at 5pm, can we go into a resort and spend time before our reservation, or what do we do in between? Thanks!
I agree with your rating of 7/10 for Kali River Rapids, though not for the same reason you mention. This ride is a great one, and so refreshing on a hot day. However, it’s WAY TOO SHORT. I was surprised how fast it was over compared to other Disney rides. Each time I’ve ridden it with a first-time group, I’ve overheard them say, “No, don’t unbuckle yet. It’s not over. Is it?” I remember being surprised when it ended, too. For the wait time and the hype, it stinks to fly through it so fast and be done. Another minute or two and it would be a 10 for me!
After two visits to Animal Kingdom in two years, this year we are having a tough time with it. Should we go? We didn’t love it, but traveling from NY to FL and missing it seems wrong. My greatest complaint with AK is the heat. Because of vacation time, we always go in August. The other parks are designed with cooler attractions, but the “reality” of this African park makes for lots of uphill hiking and brutal heat. Loved the Safari and Festival of Lion King, but had to leave the park early each time because someone in our family was spent. I think we will invest in the Hopper this time so we can pair AK with Hollywood Studios. Then spend the bulk of our time in Epcot and MK, which we LOVE!
I am going to Disney World with my friends. We are all college students. We are not sure which park we should go on the day we arrive at Orlando. Should we go to Hollywood Studio or Animal Kingdom? (We are going to arrive at the park around noon)
Depends on whether you’re interested in wildlife. If so, Animal Kingdom. If not, Hollywood Studios. In general, though, Hollywood Studios is my least recommended park. Have you considered Epcot or the Magic Kingdom? Both are a lot of fun–even for adults.
If you want to spend half a day at a park, especially the later half, then go to Studios. Spend an entire day at DAK if you can.
Just FYI for parents with youngish children, Dinosaur may be a bit intimidating or scary. Although I don’t have any children, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ridden that ride with friends and had kids that got off at the end and seemed absolutely terrified by the darker setting and the more intense dinosaurs (mostly the carnivores). I know it has a height requirement so that will deter the really young kids from going on it, but even so there were still many children that were tall enough to ride it that were a bit unnerved. That being said, I will add that I absolutely LOVE the ride myself!
Also, just random information for Expedition Everest, from what I understand (having been a CM for a while and talking about it), the reason the yeti no longer moves is because, for the engineering department to fix him, they would practically have to dismantle the entire ride. For much of the attraction, the yeti is a large part of the structural foundation of the ride and they wouldn’t be able to get to the part that needs to be fixed without taking most of the interior of the mountain apart (which is more trouble than it’s worth and would lead to a relatively long rehab period for the ride- hence the strobe lights as an attempt to make up for it). Unfortunately that means that the yeti, while amazing for the short period of time he WAS working, will probably never move again (although I don’t know if that’s 100% accurate, but it’s the rumor among CMs).
I’ve heard the same thing about the Yeti, and it certainly seems believable. Whether it’s true or not is a different story, but it would make sense.
Despite that, I think that it *will* work again someday. Right now, it doesn’t make sense for Animal Kingdom to be without a flagship rollercoaster for such a long period of time to fix the yeti, but I think once Avatar Land opens and there are other attractions to provide capacity, it might make more sense to have some downtime. Plus, at some point the ride will need a long refurb based on its age, anyway. It’ll be over 10 years old when Avatar Land opens, and I can’t think of any long term refurb it has ever had.
I loved your blog on animal kingdom but I’m having a hard time convincing my family to spend a full day @ AK. I plan to show them your comments! THANK YOU!
Have you guys been to Universal yet?
My kids loved the Dinoland area and played in the boneyard for a good while on our recent trip. The thing that turned my wife and I off the most about the area were the carnival games. You are already paying a pretty penny to go to Disney and now you charge a couple more bucks to play carnival games. This seems out of place at Disney and is just a money grab.
Also, our first experience of the entire trip was Bug’s Life and the kids were terrified. For the rest of the trip, we had to tell our 4 year old that each show or ride wasn’t like Bug’s Life. He watched the Nemo show through this fingers.
Visually beautiful with great details and lush vegetation. I really enjoyed this park. The termite hills look decidedly manufactured despite the guides insistence that they were real. How is it that no termites were visible and it looked more like painted concrete than mounds of dirt. And I’ve been to Africa. Is it possible those the baobab trees could have reached such maturity ?
You’re kidding, right?
It’s called “Disney Magic”.