The fourth Disney park in Florida, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998. Whereas many initially thought it could be a glorified zoo with sights, Animal Kingdom is a lot greater than that. It provides sights, exhibits, 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.
Previously, 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 wish to experience. 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. In the event you’d like to cut 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 occasions (separately) for the completely different sights that use it. When it’s your flip to experience, 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 most well-liked rides, there’s a separate service, Particular person Lightning Lane, that may be bought for these sights individually.
You don’t need to 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 sights, you’ll simply have to attend within the common standby line.
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Expedition Everest is an exciting curler coaster situated within the Asia part of the park. On this thrill experience, you’ll board the experience car and journey by means of the Himalayan mountains on the way in which 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 wrong way up, it does go backward, very quick.
Expedition Everest provides a single-rider line and a lightning lane that’s accessible by means of the Lightning Lane Multi-Go. Count on to attend in lengthy strains in the event you don’t make the most of one in every of these choices.
It has a top requirement of 44 inches and is without doubt one of the extra thrilling rides at Walt Disney World. Youthful children won’t wish to experience.
Kali River Rapids
Animal Kingdom appears to be one of many hotter theme parks. Whereas the local weather isn’t completely different, there may be much less shade and it will possibly get scorching. One nice strategy to cool off is to take a experience on the Kali River Rapids experience, situated within the Asia part of the park.
Board one of many round experience automobiles and then you definitely’ll be despatched down the experience, by means of 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 experience.
Some friends select to put on a poncho on this experience (in addition to Splash Mountain within the Magic Kingdom). Nonetheless, I simply desire to put on garments that I don’t thoughts getting moist. They often dry fairly rapidly within the Florida solar.
Kali River Rapids does supply alightning lane. It has a top requirement of 38 inches and isn’t particularly scary. There’s a small drop, and the experience does spin a little bit bit, however each are delicate.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
One of the vital distinctive and greatest rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Kilimanjaro Safaris. This 18-minute experience on an open-air car takes you into the Harambe Wildlife Reserve to see all the 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.
Consequently, what you see and expertise can fluctuate. On one in every of our safaris, animals blocked our path for greater than 5 minutes as we simply needed to watch for them to maneuver on. It’s a lot enjoyable and an effective 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 experience nice for the entire household. It does supply a lightning lane, and the strains can get lengthy throughout the day. Friends usually desire to experience 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 experience 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, wanting 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 susceptible to movement illness. Nonetheless, in my expertise, closing my eyes for a couple of seconds after I really feel a bit dizzy may also help. It’s such a ravishing experience, and the expertise is so practical that it’s value doing.
Avatar Flight of Passage is fashionable, and common Lightning Lane Multi-Go isn’t supplied. As an alternative, if you wish to skip the standby line, you’ll must buy a person lightning lane entrance. These are supplied at a further 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 experience does have a top requirement of 44 inches. The experience car can really feel a little bit 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 situated within the Dinoland U.S.A bit of the park however does really feel a little bit hidden. It makes use of an identical experience mechanism because the Indiana Jones experience in Disneyland, with a distinct storyline.
On this experience, you’ll board a time-traveling car 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 experience and has a top restriction of 40 inches. It could be scary for some children.
DINOSAUR will probably be closing in 2026 to alter over to an Indiana Jones themed experience.
Different Sights
Along with these thrilling rides, there are different sights and rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom that you could be take pleasure in. These embrace the next:
- Triceratop Spin – situated in Dinoland U.S.A, this experience is similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant on the Magic Kingdom. Younger youngsters adore it.
- Na’vi River Journey – situated in Pandora, the World of Avatar. On this boat experience, you’ll journey by means of a bioluminescent rainforest in quest of the Shaman of Tune.
- 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 situated within the Tree of Life within the heart 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
