Animal Kingdom Has Something for Everyone (And Here’s Why It’s Worth Your Time)

I recently spent a few days at Disney, and while I’ve been to EPCOT before, this trip included two parks that were new to me: Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Animal Kingdom ended up being the standout for me hands down. What makes it special is how it blends animals with a few solid thrill rides, super impressive simulators, and great food options. There’s genuinely something here for everyone. Here are some highlights of our day along with a few things I learned for next time!

Starting Strong with the Safari

We were staying in a Disney property (Wilderness Lodge) so we were able to get into the park early. We started the day with the early morning safari, and it was the perfect way to ease into the park. The cooler temperatures made it comfortable for us, but most importantly the animals were way more active at this time of day. The safari exceeded my expectations. The animal enclosures were very well done and many of the animals walked right up to our truck giving us incredible close-up views!

Avatar’s Pandora

After the safari, we walked over to Pandora to sneak in a ride on Na’vi River Journey. It was still relatively quiet at this point, so we could get right on even without a Lightning Lane. This is a chill boat ride that has you floating through an alien rainforest. It’s really immersive and features some incredibly detailed animatronics that you get surprisingly close to. The craftsmanship is truly impressive, and the whole experience has this serene, almost meditative quality as you drift through the bioluminescent world. I would see this as a good afternoon ride too, since it’s dark and well air conditioned. 

Later in the day, we returned to Pandora for Avatar Flight of Passage. This is a super impressive simulator ride – your seat is supposed to simulate a Banshee from the movies so it actually breathes and moves underneath you a bit. They did a great job with this one! We had booked a lightning lane here and I think that was a must, we walked past some huge lines and even still had a 20 min or so wait. 

Adventures in Asia

Next, it was off to the Asia section of the park to tackle Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest. A few of us got absolutely soaked on Kali, but since it was starting to really heat up it ended up being a great way to stay cool. I found this ride a bit shorter than I wanted, but you get some really cool views of the Everest mountain and the way everyone faces the center on the raft makes for some fun moments as you guess who’s going to get hit with the splashes and waterfalls. 

Expedition Everest is a thrilling rollercoaster that takes you inside a mountain, with some cool surprises built in as you race through tunnels and caves. I won’t spoil them, but keep your eyes open! This was absolutely one of my favorites and definitely gets the adrenaline flowing. 

Before leaving the Asia area, we walked through the Maharajah Jungle Trek, where we saw Komodo dragons, flying foxes, and a sleepy tiger. The trail was well-shaded and you could bring drinks along, making it a great way to cool down. I stopped by Drinkwallah for a Frozen Jack & Coke, which hit the spot! (I think this komodo dragon was jealous of my drink lol!)

Lunch Break Done Right

We took a lunch break at Yak & Yeti, which had some of my favorite dishes of the whole trip. The restaurant has an authentic old-world vibe that feels like it’s straight out of an Indiana Jones movie. We shared a few dishes including the ahi tuna nachos, chicken tikka masala, and the firecracker chicken and shrimp bowl. Everything was flavorful, and splitting dishes let us try a variety of options without overdoing it. Pro tip: there’s an expanded bar menu if you walk up to the bar and ask. They’ll let you take your drinks back to the table, which gives you way more options than what’s listed on the regular menu.

Unexpected Thrills

The biggest surprise of the day was a ride called Dinosaur. I went in with zero expectations and came out laughing and yelling. It’s a chaotic little time-travel adventure where you go back to the time of dinosaurs in an effort to bring back a living souvenir 🦖. Equal parts thrilling and ridiculous in the best way possible. Some of the dinosaur animatronics are wonderfully campy, which really adds to the charm and makes the ultra-realistic Pandora animatronics all the more impressive by comparison. Fair warning: this area of the park is being replaced soon, so ride it while you still can!

A Note on Lodging 

As I mentioned we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge which is a woodland lodge themed Disney property. It’s a really impressive place – everything looks like a scaled up cabin with timber beams and stone fireplaces tucked into nooks and crannies throughout. Our group also had a suite with a fully equipped kitchen which made meeting up and having a quick breakfast convenient and easy, especially for the kids in the group.  

In practice though, we ended up not spending too much time at the resort aside from breakfasts and sleeping. We didn’t take advantage of the amenities like the pool or waterfront, which did look very nice. So if your focus is maximizing park time I don’t know if I’d recommend it, especially at its price point. Also, Disney has a handful of hotel properties that are closer to certain parks than others. Pop Century is much more affordable and also very closeby to the parks I liked best – I think it’s worth checking out! On the high-end, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn is also super close to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, it looks very nice but you definitely pay for some extra amenities. 

Things I Learned

A few practical tips I picked up along the way:

• Ask for free ice water at quick-service restaurants. It’s a great way to stay hydrated, and we used the cups to split other drinks so everyone could try different options.
• Sit on the left side of the safari vehicle if you can – the views of the animals seem a little closer from that side. That said, there’s not really a bad seat on the entire ride.
• Park Hours Vary! Animal Kingdom opens a little and closes a little earlier than the other Disney parks so plan accordingly. Early entry is at 7:30!
• Ride Kali River Rapids early in the day. Most people in our raft got soaked, but doing it early gives you time to dry off and cools you down just as it’s starting to get hot. Plus, the ride offers a great view of Expedition Everest mountain, which builds anticipation if you’re planning to ride that later.
• Take advantage of the shaded walking trails during the hottest parts of the day – they’re a great way to see animals while staying cool. Pro tip: grab a cold drink on your way in to make the experience even more refreshing!
• Consider Lightning Lanes and make lunch reservations in advance. The paid Lightning Lanes really paid off for us, especially since Animal Kingdom is relatively spread out. Having a guaranteed lunch spot meant we could take our time exploring each area without having to rush around looking for food.
• Hotel Value: When looking at hotels, think about how much time you want to balance on parks vs hotel amenities.