Animal Kingdom 101

Ready to go on an African safari or go back in time to find a dinosaur? You can do all of this and more at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Check out this post to see the entire animal kingdom break down!

Pandora

One of the most popular areas in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the land of Pandora. Inspired by the movie avatar this land takes you right into the movie and allows you to experience its world.

This land has two rides and two food locations. Due to Avatar’s popularity, it also means that this area is the most popular area in the entire park. Expect longer lines for the rides and large crowds.

Two of the hardest fast passes and also the most popular rides to ride are going to be located in this land. Those being Flight of Passage and Navi River Journey.

Play the passage as a breathtaking simulation ride it put you on the back of a banshee and allows you to experience the world of Avatar like you’ve never experienced it before. This thrilling and breathtaking ride will average an hour to three-hour wait every day during peak season. There are fast passes for this ride but will go extremely quickly. If you would like to read how I have managed to get a fast pass for this ride every time I go click here!

The other ride located in this land is Navi River journey. This is a beautiful boat ride that takes you through the forest of Avatar. At the end of the ride, you will meet the shaman, one of the most spectacular animatronics Disney has ever made. I think this ride is absolutely beautiful and shows just how amazing Disney Imagineering is. This ride will also get an hour to two-hour wait on an average day. If you were unable to get a flight of passage Fast Pass I recommend using this ride as your tier 1 animal Kingdom FastPass!

Africa

If you are looking for animals Africa is the place to go and animal kingdom. Here you are going to find the killer tomorrow’s safari. This is an amazing 25-minute safari guided tour through the animal conservation within Animal kingdom. Here you were going to be able to see lions elephants zebras in more. The tour guides are extremely knowledgeable and your kiddos are going to love this. If you were going in the heat of summer I recommend going on this ride in the morning as more animals will be out when it’s cooler.

While you’re also in Africa make sure to check out the festival of the Lion King. This is an absolutely amazing show inspired by the story of the Lion King. Single-handedly this is probably one of the best shows you will be able to watch with your park ticket on Disney property. There are acrobats fire breathing singing and more. Although I’ve seen the show many times I watch it every time I go to Disney because it’s just that good.

Asia

In Asia, you are going to find many activities and things to do! Starting out if you have anyone who enjoys birds or the movie UP check out up the great bird adventure. Here you are going to see Russell and Doug learn about birds with several of the animal kingdom zookeepers. Personally, I love the show even though I’m not the biggest fan of birds. The zookeepers bring out several very amazing birds that you get to see on stage. It’s also a great way to sit down and relax for about 20 minutes on a hot day.

While in Asia you can also go on a jungle trek! Located in several parts of the park you will find animal trails that are self-guided and allow you to see many more animals that you don’t get to see on the Safari. In Asia make sure to check out the Maharaja Jungle Trek, if you are a tiger fan! This is one of my favorite trails because it is themed so beautifully and you get to see so many animals.

Lastly, there are also a few rides in Asia. If you were looking to get wet on a hot summer day make sure to check out Kali River Rapids! This is a very fun water ride but be prepared to get wet!

Once you’ve dried off make sure to go hunting for the yeti at expedition Everest: The journey of the forbidden mountain! This single-handedly is one of my most favorite roller coasters on property. It is extremely fun and a great thrill for anyone who enjoys roller coasters.

:Pro Tip:

Always ride in the last three carts as it makes the ride more intense!

Dino land USA

If you have several kiddos in your party they are more than likely going to love Dino land USA. This is an extremely cute land that is themed to dinosaurs. Here you will be able to participate and Donald’s Dino Bash and meet him and his pals dressed up as dinosaurs.

There are also several dinosaur carnival-themed games and a boneyard playground. But the true winner of this land is the ride dinosaur. This is an extremely thrilling ride and may not be the best for kiddos who were scared of the dark or large animatronic dinosaurs. Even as an adult this ride can still be a little scary but can be extremely fun for the older kiddos and adults in your family!

Discovery Island

The last land in Animal kingdom is actually smack dab in the middle where the tree of life is located. On Discovery Island, you will find several other animal trails that wrap around the tree and allow you to get a closer view of the beautiful architect.

Here you will also find it’s tough to be a bug! This is a great show for anyone in your family. Meet Flick and his pal from Bugs Life and they are going to teach you why it’s tough being a bug!

Food

Each one of the Walt Disney World theme parks have many unique food offerings. When it comes to Animal kingdom this is no different. Anywhere in Animal Kingdom you are going to find amazing food that is very different than the other theme parks. Many of these foods are going to be inspired by the countries they are located in!

But due to the creativity surrounding the food some of your kiddos who are picky eaters may turn their nose up at a few of the locations. I find the Dino land USA has some of the best food for children like to stick with chicken nuggets or cheeseburgers.

If you are wanting to try something different take a good look around at the food offered at animal kingdom as you are going to find some amazing food. If you’re able to make a reservation at the yak and yeti as it has some of the best food in Animal kingdom. Just remember those reservations are some of the first to book up since it is such a great restaurant. But don’t worry, if you were some of the unlucky (usually me!) that are unable to get a reservation always remember the outside of the restaurant there is the yak and yeti local food café. This is a quick Service style restaurant that serves smaller portions of many of the entrées and appetizers offered within the restaurant.

My FastPass Selections/ Recommendations

1. Flight of Passage or Navi River Journey
2. Kilimanjaro Safari
3. Expedition Everest: Journey of the Forbidden Mountain

If you are headed to Animal Kingdom I highly recommend picking up my Animal Kingdom 101 PDF. In this, you will find an Itenory, ride breakdown, restaurant breakdown, character breakdown, and more! Check it out here!