Animal Kingdom was dedicated as “a kingdom we enter to share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama, and learn,” and indeed it is filled with wondrous, beautiful, thrilling, and educational rides, attractions, and entertainment. In this post, we break down everything Animal Kingdom has to offer! This is our guide to the rides, attractions, and entertainment at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park.
We also have a one-day Animal Kingdom itinerary that shows how we got through Animal Kingdom’s best attractions in a single day. If you’re looking for Lightning Lane information, we have a separate post covering Walt Disney Lightning Lane Strategy and a post dedicated to Lightning Lanes at Animal Kingdom.
We’re going to cover traditional rides and attractions first (starting with the best, must-ride attractions), before we get to spaces to explore and then entertainment. Here’s how the post breaks down…
The Best Rides at Animal Kingdom - Our list of the must-do rides (and attractions) at Animal Kingdom.
The Rest of the Rides at Animal Kingdom - This is anything else that is a ride at Animal Kingdom, along with a few other attractions.
Exploration and Interactive Spaces at Animal Kingdom - These are spaces that are designed to be walked through or explored, along with minor, interactive attractions.
Entertainment at Animal Kingdom - A land-by-land breakdown of the major shows at the park, followed by a breakdown of the streetmosphere of the park.
Despite being really long, this list isn’t totally exhaustive. There are several animal encounters that we don’t list, some of which aren’t even listed on the app or times guide, they just pop up.
While we’re do our best to keep this guide current, the entertainment offerings at Animal Kingdom can change. You should always check the My Disney Experience app and the times guide for the most current offerings. The guide also doesn’t list temporary closures or refurbishments.
We give height requirements for every ride, but we also recommend our post on height requirements at Walt Disney World (including how to use rider swap). If you’re traveling with a small child, you’ll also want to read our best attractions for toddlers at Animal Kingdom post. We include the Lightning Lane options for each ride.
We have individual ride posts where we talk a bit more about each ride, and we link to those throughout.
We have a Walt Disney World ride construction and event calendar if you’d like to see more of what’s coming to the resort, but there are some specifics set for Animal Kingdom…
What’s Next at Animal Kingdom?
For starters, “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” will close and be replaced by a Zootopia themed show in Winter 2025.
More significantly, while the complete timeline remains a bit of a mystery, Animal Kingdom is going to see a large project that replaces the current Dinoland USA land with a Tropical Americas land. The Tropical Americas land will have three attractions (Indiana Jones, Encanto, and a carousel), and is set to open in 2027.
We now know that TriceraTop Spin (ride), Fossil Fun Games (carnival games), and Chester & Hester's Dinosaur Treasures (store) will close January 13, 2025. We do not know when the rest of Dinoland USA—including The Boneyard and DINOSAUR—will close.
Characters
Because the characters in the park are subject to change so frequently, we have separate posts to help you navigate meeting characters at Disney World:
The Best Rides at Animal Kingdom
There are three rides that we consider the best at Animal Kingdom. The best rides at Animal Kingdom that you must do are:
Avatar Flight of Passage
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Let’s talk more about them.
Avatar Flight of Passage
Land: Pandora - The World of Avatar
Height: 44 in / 112 cm
Type: Thrill / Screen
Queue: Standby or Lightning Lane Single Pass
Read More About Avatar Flight of Passage
While several great rides have opened the last few years, some arguably better than Flight of Passage, the ride is still a marvel and uniquely emotionally satisfying. It’s a must-ride and by far the most popular ride in the park.
Flight of Passage is a 3D screen ride where you “ride” a banshee through Pandora. It’s a stunning experience and a unique ride. I rank it as the best ride at Walt Disney World.
Riding It: Flight of Passage is not a part of Multi Pass and instead has an separately paid Single Pass Lightning Lane. If you don’t want to pay for that Lightning Lane, you’ll need to wait in line for the ride (the queue is pretty cool, for what it’s worth).
If you have Early Entry, we recommend starting your day with Flight of Passage. If you don’t have Early Entry, we recommend you plan to wait for it later in the day, possibly around the time the park closes, or just buy the Lightning Lane.
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Land: Asia
Height: 44 in / 112 cm
Type: Thrill / Roller Coaster
Queue: Standby or Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Read More About Expedition Everest
Expedition Everest is a roller coaster experience unlike any other. While many will start by discussing the ride’s queue, the ride really stands out as you walk through the park, crossing bridges and catching sight of it in the distance.
The Forbidden Mountain looms large even from a distance. And then there is the queue, which is filled with authentic design and artifacts reflecting the Nepalese and Tibetan relationships with the Yeti.
Finally, there is the ride itself. Despite featuring a “broken” Yeti effect that, let's face it, probably won't ever get fixed, the ride is one of Disney’s best thrill rides. If thrill rides aren’t your thing, though, you should know this is one of the most intense rides at Walt Disney World.
Riding It: Everest is a part of Multi Pass but won’t be a high priority on that service. Generally if you head there early—but not as your first ride—you’ll find a reasonable wait. There’s also a single rider line if you want to ride again without a long wait.
Bonus Read: Check out our list ranking the roller coasters of Walt Disney World to see where Everest falls in that list.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Land: Africa
Height: Any
Type: Slow Ride
Queue: Standby or Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Read More About Kilimanjaro Safaris
Kilimanjaro Safaris is a unique ride—a meandering trip through the landscapes of Africa with real animal sightings along the way. At one time, Disney loaded it with a convoluted plot. They’ve since simplified the concept, although the remains of the old days are a bit scattered throughout the experience.
Either way, the chance to ride among the animals in something resembling their natural habitats is not to be missed. This is a ride that is different every time.
Whether you get stuck for 10 minutes behind a zebra or have your guide awkwardly leave it to parents to explain what the giraffes were doing (er, “playing”), the ride will be beautiful and unexpected. We even rank it as one of the best Disney rides in the world.
Riding It: Kilimanjaro Safaris is not usually a part of Early Entry but is a part of Multi Pass. If you have Multi Pass, it will probably be one of your first three picks. Without Multi Pass, just head there around the time it opens or shortly thereafter. Morning safaris are best because cooler temperatures mean more active animals (of course, every safari is still unpredictable in this regard).
The Rest of the Rides at Animal Kingdom
Na’vi River Journey
Land: Pandora - The World of Avatar
Height: Any
Type: Boat
Queue: Standby or Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Read More About Navi River Journey
Na’vi River Journey is an all-ages offering in the form of a boat ride through Pandoras wildlife. The imagineering involved is absolutely stunning, and really no full day at Animal Kingdom would be complete without the ride.
Riding It: Ideally you’d hop right on Na’vi River Journey in the morning, after Flight of Passage, when it has a short wait. If you’re instead tempted by short waits in the rest of the park, you can either use a Multi Pass reservation for it later or just pick any time the ride has less than a 45-minute wait to hop in line.
DINOSAUR
Land: DinoLand U.S.A.
Height: 40 in / 102 cm
Type: Thrill / Dark
Queue: Standby or Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Read More About DINOSAUR
Important Note: At some yet-unspecified date, probably sometime in 2025, but maybe sooner, we expect DINOSAUR to close as part of the “reimagining” of Dinoland USA into a “tropical Americas” themed land.
If there’s a ride in Animal Kingdom that just hasn’t aged well technologically, it’s DINOSAUR. The technology is borrowed from the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland. A 12-person vehicle powers through the bumps and jerky turns of the jungle in search of a specific dinosaur, hoping to track it down before a meteor strike kills most life on the planet.
It's worth riding, but the ride feels dated. The timing is very clunky. Animatronics that once shocked and awed now seem like they’d be more at home on the Jungle Cruise. Things just feel a bit...off.
Riding It: DINOSAUR isn’t a very high priority. If you can get to it early or late it should have a short wait. If you have Multi Pass, you shouldn’t have too much trouble snagging a time. As parents of a toddler, we usually pair it with a morning visit to the Boneyard play area, each of us riding while the other supervises Zoe.
Kali River Rapids
Land: Asia
Height: 38 in / 97 cm
Type: Thrill / Water Ride
Queue: Standby or Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Read More About Kali River Rapids
Kali River Rapids is a good but underwhelming ride. You will get wet, so be prepared for that. If you want to know how wet, there are bridges that overlook the ride both near the start of the queue and at the ride’s exit (past the Kali River Rapids entrance, take a right at Maharajah Jungle Trek). Go check out how wet the people are.
The queue is great and lays the foundation for a story that sort of makes its way into the ride, but beyond that there’s little to speak of. The ride itself is actually painfully short, especially for the two-hour wait time you'll occasionally see.
Riding It: Many days, Kali River Rapids opens later than the rest of the park, and the best way to ride it is to be there when it opens. In summer, it might even merit one of your initial picks on Multi Pass.
Otherwise, the ride can be challenging to time. Its crowds will depend on heat and rain throughout the day. For us, we try and get on it when it opens or just keep an eye hoping for a wait under 30 minutes sometime during the day.
It’s Tough To Be A Bug
Land: Discovery Island
Height: Any
Type: 3D Show / Scary Moments
Queue: Standby or Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Important Note: “It’s Tough to be a Bug” will close to be replaced by a Zootopia themed show, with the new show debuting winter 2025 (presumably before March 2025). We expect this closure to occur sometime in late 2024 or, at the latest, very early 2025.
“It’s Tough to be a Bug” is a great attraction. While most probably expect a straightforward 3D show featuring Flick, the show comes with a few surprises sure to scare some—it’s one of the scariest Disney World experiences for little kids, in our opinion—and entertain all.
The show usually has a short wait of 20 minutes or less. The actual show time is 8 minutes, and your actual wait is rarely longer than 10 minutes. Finally, it actually has a nice lesson that it imparts without too much preaching.
TriceraTop Spin (Permanently Closes Jan 13)
Land: Dinoland U.S.A.
Height: Any
Type: Dumbo (aerial carousel)
Queue: Standby Only (No Lightning Lane)
Read More About TriceraTop Spin
Important Note: TripceraTop Spin will be permanently closed beginning January 13, 2025 as part of the “reimagining” of Dinoland USA into a “tropical Americas” themed land.
This is a standard, Dumbo-type (“aerial carousel” is the technical term) ride. You sit in a Triceratops, spinning around a center as your vehicle moves up and down. On busier days the wait might get up to 20 minutes, but you can often catch it under that much of the day.
Wildlife Express Train
Land: Africa / Rafiki's Planet Watch
Height: Any
Type: Slow Ride
The Wildlife Express Train isn’t so much a ride as it is the means of getting from Africa to Rafiki's Planet Watch (and back). That said, our toddler really enjoys the train, so even if we’re not planning to visit Rafiki’s, we’ll often spend the ~20 minutes to ride the Wildlife Express roundtrip.
Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
Land: Discovery Island
Height: Any
Type: Character Greeting
To see who is at this greeting, visit the “Characters” section of the My Disney Experience app. Typically it is Mickey and Minnie. The greeting usually closes earlier than the rest of the park, making it a higher priority than you might otherwise expect.
Exploration and Interactive Spaces at Animal Kingdom
As we emphasized above, we put these attractions down here for the sake of organization, not because we think they’re worse than all the rides. We really find the highlight of Disney's Animal Kingdom to be the spaces to explore and the entertainment to watch, so we highly recommend setting some time aside for these attractions.
The Oasis Exhibits
Land: Oasis
Height: Any
Type: Exploration
Oasis is the first land you’ll walk through at Animal Kingdom. Throughout are small animal exhibits. Since you’ll probably be rushing to Pandora for your first ride when the park opens, we recommend coming back here for a quick stroll at some point later in the day.
Discovery Island Trails
Land: Discovery Island
Height: Any
Type: Exploration
We love the Discovery Island Trails. These trails surround the Tree of Life and most park visitors don't even notice them, except maybe when they pass through them leaving It’s Tough to be a Bug!
While the trails do have a few animal exhibits throughout, the highlight is the tree of life and its roots, which are filled with animal engravings. On most days, the trails are quite serene, with only a few guests wandering about. This is a great place to come if you need a moment away from the crowds.
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
Land: Africa
Height: Any
Type: Exploration
The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is one of two zoo-like animal trails in Disney's Animal Kingdom (the other is the Maharajah Jungle Trek). Gorilla Falls features gorillas, birds, zebras, and a few other animals. Plan about 30 minutes to get through this trail.
Maharajah Jungle Trek
Land: Asia
Height: Any
Type: Exploration
Another zoo-like trail, this time featuring tigers. You can probably get through this one a little quicker than Gorilla Falls, probably in about 20 minutes.
The Boneyard
Land: Dinoland U.S.A.
Height: Any
Type: Exploration / Interactive
Important Note: At some yet-unspecified date, maybe as soon as fall 2024, we expect The Boneyard to close as part of the “reimagining” of Dinoland USA into a “tropical Americas” themed land.
The Boneyard is essentially a dig-site themed playground. Kids can run around, climb, go down slides, and even dig for a Woolly Mammoth in a sandpit (gravel, really). It’s worth a quick peek to enjoy some of the subtleties of the Disney design, though families might find it hard to pull kids away (we certainly do).
Rafiki’s Planet Watch
Rafiki’s is a conservation-centric area, but the petting zoo and Animation Experience are appealing to a broad range of guests. Because you’ll need to take a ride on the train—the Wildlife Express, mentioned above—to get there, then explore the area, then catch the train back, you should plan for any visit to take at least an hour out of your day, with 90 minutes departure to return being a more reasonable expectation.
Affection Section
Land: Rafiki's Planet Watch
Height: Any
Type: Interactive
Affection Section is a small petting zoo located in Rafiki’s Planet Watch. As we said above, Rafiki’s is connected to the rest of the park by the Wildlife Express Train. This means you’re dedicating probably 30 minutes to waiting and getting to/from (30 minutes total) the land just to see any of the attractions there.
Prior to having a kid, we were the type to fill a full day at Animal Kingdom without ever making it to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Nowadays, the petting zoo makes it a must-do every visit.
Conservation Station
Land: Rafiki’s Planet Watch
Height: Any
Type: Interactive / Exploration
Located at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Conservation Station is a real hit or miss. Basically, it’s a small, conservation themed educational space. You’ll sometimes see vets working or some cool animal encounters, but sometimes there’s nothing much at all going on.
The Animation Experience drawing class is hosted in Conservation Station. While we’re fans of these classes generally, getting the right timing for this one—located a train ride and short walk from the rest of the park—can be a pain.
Wilderness Explorers
Land: Park-wide
Height: Any
Type: Exploration / Interactive
Wilderness Explorers is a park-wide interactive attraction for guests of all ages. Basically, you get a book and visit different Wilderness Explorers stations throughout the park to earn badges from troop leaders (cast members).
This is definitely worth the 5 minutes it will take to start, and if your family decides it's worth the time, it can be a great way to fill some down time in the park, especially when ride lines get long.
Entertainment at Animal Kingdom
This section was last updated in August 2024. Offerings may change, and you should always check the My Disney Experience app for the latest offerings and schedule.
Major Shows at Animal Kingdom
These are the shows on fixed schedules that you’ll want to proactively fit into your day.
Festival of the Lion King
Land: Africa
Height: Any
Type: Live Performance
Festival of the Lion King is an awesome, 30-minute musical and acrobatic Lion King show. We’re big fans of this show, not only because of our nostalgic connection to The Lion King, but because of the great acrobatics the show offers.
Watching It: You can sometimes squeeze into a show right at start time and you’ll have seats in the back. Alternatively, grab some food and get in line 20 to 30 minutes before the show (45 to 60 minutes on busier days). You can eat in line as long as you finish before you enter the theater.
Feathered Friends in Flight
Land: Asia
Height: Any
Type: Live Show
Feathered Friends in Flight is the latest iteration of the bird show at Animal Kingdom. It’s just about 20 minutes long, and while it offers a chance to see some pretty cool birds many of the jokes just don’t land for us. We don’t usually prioritize it, instead preferring to set aside time for Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo.
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond!
Land: Dinoland U.S.A.
Height: Any
Type: Live Show
After a lengthy hiatus, Finding Nemo - The Musical was replaced by this new, shorter show. The basic idea—a musical puppet show featuring songs and characters from Finding Nemo, remains the same.
Streetmosphere at Animal Kingdom
Streetmosphere is entertainment that you don’t have to arrive early for and which occurs just throughout the park in open areas. Animal Kingdom is probably the best part for streetmosphere, and we’ll often set chunks of our day aside to enjoy the offerings at this park.
Animal Kingdom Cavalcades
The cavalcades are miniature parades performed throughout the day on a boat that rides around the Discovery River (the main body of water in the park). Specific cavalcades vary, but here are videos of a few of them:
You can see today’s schedule in the My Disney Experience app.
Streetmosphere at the Tree of Life
Animal Encounters: Winged Encounters is a parrot show that takes place in front of the Tree of Life throughout the day. The schedule varies, but a typical schedule might be posted as 9:15AM to 3:15PM, with actual showtimes on the 15s with a skipped show at either 11:15AM or 12:15PM. A Cast Member in front of the tree should be able to tell you.
Have your camera ready to go, preferably set to slow-motion mode, to catch some awesome shots when the parrots take flight.
On select nights the Tree of Life is brought to life via projections in Tree of Life Awakenings. This is a short but very cool bit of imagineering. Unfortunately, it’s been spotty on the schedule recently. You can check the My Disney Experience app to see if it’s playing during your visit.
During the holiday season, the Merry Menagerie can be found nearby. This is an incredibly delightful encounter with winter-themed animal puppets.
Streetmosphere in Africa
Africa is our go-to land for entertainment. If you ever need to track us down while we're at the Walt Disney World theme parks to yell at us about telling you to skip Frozen and ride Gran Fiesta Tour, you can probably find us near Dawa Bar watching the shows in Africa.
The stage in Africa is located directly in front of the bridge from Discovery Island, near Dawa Bar, Tusker House, and Tamu Tamu Refreshments. A secondary stage is located on the other side of Harambe, near Zuri's Sweets Shop and Harambe Market. Either stage can be used for most any performance, so it’s important to check the app to see where shows are being held today (each item has a “Find On Map” option in the app).
No day at Disney's Animal Kingdom is complete without watching the Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe. We sometimes arrive in the middle of a show just to enjoy the walk from Discovery Island into Harambe, letting the sound of the drums grow as we get nearer.
Besides the great show itself, you'll have awesome people-watching (or the chance to be watched) and the drummer pull people into dancing as part of their performance.
The Tam Tam Drummers are a morning show, currently alternating performances with Kora Tinga Tinga, a performance of an African kora.
As morning turns to afternoon, the Harambe Village Acrobats take over. If you're fresh off watching Festival of the Lion King, the acrobats might not impress that much, but they're still an impressive team with some fun tricks. (Note: As of the late 2024 return of Burudika, I’m having trouble finding a schedule for Harambe Village Acrobats. It’s possible they’re on a new schedule, absent from the app, or gone entirely. Keep your eyes on the app and the performances are itself during your visit.)
Last but certainly not least, Burudika is a wonderful band (they play outside of Animal Kingdom under the name Wassalou). Check the schedule (limited days) and be sure to catch a performance—they’re lively and filled with fun and dancing.
Streetmosphere in Asia
Streetmosphere has returned to Asia. The land now hosts Beats and Strings, a duo playing the tabla and sitar. Performances are held on the stage opposite the Anandapur Theater (currently home to Feathered Friends in Flight).
Streetmosphere on Discovery Island
The Discovery Island stage is located across from Flame Tree Barbecue, just before the bridge to Dinoland U.S.A. Currently, that stage is only home to afternoon performances by Viva Gaia Street Band. Viva Gaia is a very energetic group, earning lots of audience participation in their shows.
Streetmosphere in Dinoland U.S.A.
Donald’s Dino-Bash! is sometimes listed as entertainment. Really, this is more of a land overlay, encompassing some design changes, character greetings, and the “show,” Dino-Riffic Dance Party!
I believe the Dino-Riffic Dance Party is restricted to holidays and perhaps Animal Kingdom After Hours now. I’m leaving it here because it’s the sort of thing that feels like it might pop up, but don’t expect it on your visit.
Dinoland USA also gets the most extensive decorations during the holiday celebrations at Animal Kingdom.
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
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Don't forget to master your Disney World Lightning Lane Guide and Strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, Epcot Lightning Lane Strategy, Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
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