The fourth Disney park in Florida, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998. Whereas many initially thought it could be a glorified zoo with points of interest, Animal Kingdom is a lot greater than that. It gives 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. Nonetheless, 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 journey. A few of my favourite Walt Disney World rides at positioned 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 the USA, now makes use of the Disney Lightning Lane system for maximizing your day. When you’d like to scale back your wait time in traces, you’ll must pay for the Lightning Lane Multi-Cross.
After getting it loaded onto the app, you may e-book return occasions (separately) for the completely different points of interest that use it. When it’s your flip to journey, you may undergo the Disney Lightning Lane, which ought to be a a lot shorter line.
Not all Lightning Lanes could be accessed with the multi-pass, nonetheless. For the most well-liked 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-Cross to purchase a person lightning lane, nonetheless. 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 positioned within the Asia part of the park. On this thrill journey, you’ll board the journey car 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 gives a single-rider line and a lightning lane that’s accessible via the Lightning Lane Multi-Cross. Anticipate to attend in lengthy traces in the event you don’t make the most of one in all these choices.
It has a top requirement of 44 inches and is among the extra thrilling rides at Walt Disney World. Youthful children is not going to need to journey.
Kali River Rapids
Animal Kingdom appears to be one of many hotter theme parks. Whereas the local weather isn’t completely different, there’s much less shade and it will probably get scorching. One nice approach to cool off is to take a journey on the Kali River Rapids journey, positioned within the Asia part of the park.
Board one of many round journey automobiles and then you definitely’ll be despatched down the journey, 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 go away them with a good friend/member of the family who isn’t going to journey.
Some company select to put on a poncho on this journey (in addition to Splash Mountain within the Magic Kingdom). Nonetheless, I simply want 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 journey does spin just a little bit, however each are gentle.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Probably the most distinctive and finest rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Kilimanjaro Safaris. This 18-minute journey on an open-air car takes you into the Harambe Wildlife Reserve to see the entire numerous 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 residing setting.
In consequence, what you see and expertise can fluctuate. On one in all 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 gentle journey nice for the entire household. It does provide a lightning lane, and the traces can get lengthy in the course of the day. Visitors typically want to journey 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 journey at Walt Disney World (and even Disneyland). It’s a comparatively new attraction that’s positioned 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 attractive floating rocks, flora, and different panorama options.
This can be a 4D attraction with a movement simulation, and the simulator can have an effect on those that are liable to movement illness. Nonetheless, in my expertise, closing my eyes for just a few seconds after I really feel a bit dizzy will help. It’s such a wonderful journey, and the expertise is so life like that it’s price doing.
Avatar Flight of Passage is widespread, and common Lightning Lane Multi-Cross isn’t supplied. As a substitute, if you wish to skip the standby line, you’ll must buy a person lightning lane entrance. These are supplied at an extra price, that varies relying on the day. I’d suggest doing this earlier within the day, as a result of they’ll promote out, particularly throughout peak season.
This journey does have a top requirement of 44 inches. The journey car can really feel just a little tight as soon as it closes in your legs. There’s a pattern banshee outdoors 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 loads of enjoyable and value driving. It’s positioned within the Dinoland U.S.A bit of the park however does really feel just a little hidden. It makes use of the same journey mechanism because the Indiana Jones journey in Disneyland, with a unique storyline.
On this journey, you’ll board a time-traveling car with a hidden mission of returning with an Iguanadon. After all, 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 journey and has a top restriction of 40 inches. It might be scary for some children.
DINOSAUR shall be closing in 2026 to vary over to an Indiana Jones themed journey.
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 embrace the next:
- Triceratop Spin – positioned in Dinoland U.S.A, this journey is similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant on the Magic Kingdom. Younger youngsters find it irresistible.
- Na’vi River Journey – positioned in Pandora, the World of Avatar. On this boat journey, you’ll journey via a bioluminescent rainforest in quest of 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 Robust to Be A Bug – a 3D film positioned within the Tree of Life within the middle of the park on Discovery Island. This attraction is closing in March 2025 and shall be changed with a Zootopia-themed attraction.
- The Affection Part petting zoo – positioned within the Rafiki Planet Watch space of Animal Kingdom, that is the one petting zoo at Walt Disney World
