The fourth Disney park in Florida, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998. Whereas many initially thought it might be a glorified zoo with points of interest, Animal Kingdom is a lot greater than that. It presents points of interest, reveals, eating places, and a lot extra, in Disney World’s largest theme park.
Like different Walt Disney World parks, Animal Kingdom is separated into a number of lands, together with Africa, Asia, Pandora – the World of Avatar, Discovery Island, Dinoland U.S.A, the Oasis, and Rafiki’s Planet Watch.
Up to now, many considered the park as extra of a half-day theme park. Nevertheless, with the opening of Pandora a number of years in the past, you may spend a full day at Animal Kingdom.
Whereas there aren’t a number of Animal Kingdom curler coaster rides, there are a number of distinctive thrill rides you’ll need to trip. A few of my favourite Walt Disney World rides at situated proper in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s a good suggestion to have a plan earlier than you arrive to optimize your time.
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Thrilling Rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, together with different Disney theme parks in america, now makes use of the Disney Lightning Lane system for maximizing your day. If you happen to’d like to scale back your wait time in strains, you’ll must pay for the Lightning Lane Multi-Go.
After you have it loaded onto the app, you may e book return instances (one by one) for the totally different points of interest that use it. When it’s your flip to trip, you may undergo the Disney Lightning Lane, which needs to be a a lot shorter line.
Not all Lightning Lanes might be accessed with the multi-pass, nevertheless. For the preferred rides, there’s a separate service, Particular person Lightning Lane, that may be bought for these points of interest individually.
You don’t must buy Lightning Lane Multi-Go to purchase a person lightning lane, nevertheless. Avatar: Flight of Passage makes use of the Particular person Lightning Lane at Animal Kingdom.
Some rides don’t have any lightning lanes in any respect. For these points of interest, you’ll simply have to attend within the common standby line.
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Expedition Everest is an exhilarating curler coaster situated within the Asia part of the park. On this thrill trip, you’ll board the trip automobile and journey via the Himalayan mountains on the best way to Mount Everest. However, you’ll must be careful for the legendary Yeti.
Expedition Everest is a lot enjoyable. Whereas it doesn’t journey the other way up, it does go backward, very quick.
Expedition Everest presents a single-rider line and a lightning lane that’s accessible via the Lightning Lane Multi-Go. Count on to attend in lengthy strains when you don’t make the most of certainly one of these choices.
It has a top requirement of 44 inches and is among the extra thrilling rides at Walt Disney World. Youthful youngsters is not going to need to trip.
Kali River Rapids
Animal Kingdom appears to be one of many hotter theme parks. Whereas the local weather isn’t totally different, there’s much less shade and it may possibly get sizzling. One nice strategy to cool off is to take a trip on the Kali River Rapids trip, situated within the Asia part of the park.
Board one of many round trip automobiles and then you definitely’ll be despatched down the trip, via wild rapids as you spin. You, alongside along with your belongings, will get moist, so that you’ll must take some precautions along with your electronics. Lockers can be found, or you may depart them with a buddy/member of the family who isn’t going to trip.
Some company select to put on a poncho on this trip (in addition to Splash Mountain within the Magic Kingdom). Nevertheless, I simply favor to put on garments that I don’t thoughts getting moist. They often dry fairly rapidly within the Florida solar.
Kali River Rapids does provide alightning lane. It has a top requirement of 38 inches and isn’t particularly scary. There’s a small drop, and the trip does spin a bit of bit, however each are delicate.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
One of the crucial distinctive and greatest rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Kilimanjaro Safaris. This 18-minute trip on an open-air automobile takes you into the Harambe Wildlife Reserve to see the entire varied animals that reside there.
Throughout your safari, you’ll have the chance to see the 34 species within the reserve, together with elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and extra. These are actual animals, of their dwelling surroundings.
In consequence, what you see and expertise can range. On certainly one of our safaris, animals blocked our path for greater than 5 minutes as we simply needed to look forward to them to maneuver on. It’s a lot enjoyable and a good way to expertise and see the animals who name Animal Kingdom their residence.
Kilimanjaro Safaris doesn’t have a top restriction, and whereas it’s a bit bumpy, it’s a really delicate trip nice for the entire household. It does provide a lightning lane, and the strains can get lengthy in the course of the day. Company usually favor to trip both very first thing within the morning, or later within the day, when the animals are extra lively.
Avatar Flight of Passage
Avatar Flight of Passage might be my favourite trip at Walt Disney World (and even Disneyland). It’s a comparatively new attraction that’s situated within the Pandora part of the park. On this simulator attraction, you’ll board the again of a banshee and sail over Pandora, trying on the beautiful floating rocks, flora, and different panorama options.
It is a 4D attraction with a movement simulation, and the simulator can have an effect on those that are liable to movement illness. Nevertheless, in my expertise, closing my eyes for just a few seconds once I really feel a bit dizzy will help. It’s such a good looking trip, and the expertise is so real looking that it’s value doing.
Avatar Flight of Passage is widespread, and common Lightning Lane Multi-Go isn’t provided. As an alternative, if you wish to skip the standby line, you’ll must buy a person lightning lane entrance. These are provided at an extra price, that varies relying on the day. I’d suggest doing this earlier within the day, as a result of they will promote out, particularly throughout peak season.
This trip does have a top requirement of 44 inches. The trip automobile can really feel a bit of tight as soon as it closes in your legs. There’s a pattern banshee exterior the doorway so you may check out the way it feels earlier than you decide to the attraction.
DINOSAUR
Whereas DINOSAUR doesn’t get the eye of different Animal Kingdom rides like Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest, it’s numerous enjoyable and value using. It’s situated within the Dinoland U.S.A bit of the park however does really feel a bit of hidden. It makes use of the same trip mechanism because the Indiana Jones trip in Disneyland, with a unique storyline.
On this trip, you’ll board a time-traveling automobile with a hidden mission of returning with an Iguanadon. In fact, nothing goes as deliberate and also you’ll find yourself leaping round avoiding meteors and different obstacles.
DINOSAUR does make the most of the lightning lane. It’s a darkish trip and has a top restriction of 40 inches. It might be scary for some youngsters.
DINOSAUR will probably be closing in 2026 to alter over to an Indiana Jones themed trip.
Different Sights
Along with these thrilling rides, there are different points of interest and rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom that you could be get pleasure from. These embody the next:
- Triceratop Spin – situated in Dinoland U.S.A, this trip is similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant on the Magic Kingdom. Younger youngsters like it.
- Na’vi River Journey – situated in Pandora, the World of Avatar. On this boat trip, you’ll journey via a bioluminescent rainforest seeking the Shaman of Track.
- Competition of the Lion King – a stage present spectacular that includes the story of the Lion King with reside performers
- It’s Powerful to Be A Bug – a 3D film situated within the Tree of Life within the middle of the park on Discovery Island. This attraction is closing in March 2025 and will probably be changed with a Zootopia-themed attraction.
- The Affection Part petting zoo – situated within the Rafiki Planet Watch space of Animal Kingdom, that is the one petting zoo at Walt Disney World
