What on Earth is Animal Kingdom?

At Disney World I enjoy each park equally they all have their pros and cons but let's have a closer look at Animal Kingdom.

I really love Animal Kingdom because of its' appearance it is a lush, green theme park. The trees offer shade in the heat of the Florida sun and there is plenty to do.

All the Disney theme parks are separated into different sections with their own style and architecture to make them unique.

The main attractions of Animal Kingdom is a mixture between rides and shows.

In Africa there is 'the festival of The Lion King' a show featuring the songs from the movie (animated) with a mixture of gymnastics. Another attraction in the Africa area is the safari ride which takes you though different animal area where they are free to roam, so there can be long delays if the animals decides to sit in front of the trucks.

In the Asia area there is another two big attractions. Firstly, there is Everest which is a roller coaster based on the tales of the Yeti. The second attraction is the rapids which can have a range of wetness, most people do get wet and some people can even get soaked though, again another reason why Animal Kingdom is a good place to visit in the Florida heat.

In both Africa and Asia there some foot trails that takes you around different animal enclosures, and there is a range of animals to view and learn about.

Dinoland USA has one of my favorite rides in the whole of Disney World, Dinosaur, it is a thrill ride not suitable for younger children because it is dark and has shocks with flashing lights. It is also home to Finding Nemo the musical and the evening show Rivers of Light, which is amazing to watch. Disney uses water sprays, lights and floats to create a unique performance. On some maps Rivers of Light is listed as being in Asia which is misleading because the normal stand by entrance is actually at Dinoland USA.

In the middle of Animal Kingdom is the Tree of Life, and on it is carved pictures of hundreds of animals. Inside/underneath the Tree of Life is a great 4D film 'It's tough to be a Bug' based on the Pixar film A Bug's Life.

A small area called Rafiki's planet watch is a behind the scenes area which lets people see how sick animals get treated, and has cameras in the living areas. It also has an outdoor petting zoo, as well as what we can do at home to help the world. Recently, it has been announced that Disney are bringing animation classes to this area. In the past this was based at Hollywood Studios but closed due to the popularity of Star Wars, but it a great experience. You learn how to draw Disney characters in easy to follow steps. When the classes were at Hollywood Studios they were free, lasted half an hour in an air conditioned room, and you got to keep your picture. I don't know when this will open and if they will be free but it worth keeping your eyes open for this.

Finally, there is the newest area of Animal Kingdom, Pandora - The World of Avatar. It is unbelievable to be there in person. The area is very true to the film and has floating islands. There is two rides in this area, one I have ridden and one I haven't. I have been on Na'vi River Journey which is a boat ride which Avatar fans may really enjoy. The other one, Avatar Flight of Passage is one of the most highly rated rides at Disney and is top of my list for when I return. When I was last there the shortest wait time I saw for the ride was around 2 hours and that was before the park had even opened.

There is a range of different food to try at Animal Kingdom, as stated in a previous post about the dining plan, Flame tree Barbecue is amazing, Yak and Yeti in Asia is always fondly spoken of and Tusker house in Africa offers food you may not find anywhere else in Disney World.

Something else Disney offers that people are not often aware of is tours around their parks. Animal Kingdom is no different, I have been on a behind the scenes tour called Caring for Giants which allows you to get a closer look at the elephants at Animal Kingdom. It is very informative, has some great views of the elephants but there is some walking.

Disney offer similar tours at Animal Kingdom including Up close with Rhinos and Wild Africa Trek. They also offer food, drink and night time tours called Ultimate nights of adventure, Savor the Savanna: evening Safari experience, and Starlight Safari which is actually based at the nearby hotel: Animal Kingdom Lodge. As part of the service I offer I can explain the tours and other experiences Disney offer if that is something you are interested in. Unfortunately these tours re not included with ticket prices.

As I stated there are cons to each park and Animal Kingdom is no different.

At the moment it is very popular with Pandora being one the newest areas to open in Disney World, I expect that to change when Galaxy Edge opens in Hollywood Studios, as I said the Avatar rides can have a 90 minute + wait time, and, depending on what happens with the animals, the Safari can also have a long wait time.

Another thing to prepare for is that, and it will sound obvious but, the animals at Animal Kingdom are real wild animals. If it is an extremely hot day expect to see the animals stay in shade and not be to easy to spot. They will not preform for you either. My experience is they move around their area or just chill and lie down, but they are stunning animals to watch and look at. The animals go where they are comfortable, that may be at the back under a tree or right up against the glass. I have seen children get upset because the animals were not front and centre, posing for them.

Which brings me to my other con about Animal Kingdom, everyone wants to look at the animals, they are the attraction, so it may be difficult to see though the crowd or you may have to wait a while for a good view.

Other than that, Animal Kingdom is an amazing park. You can learn about the range of species on this planet, try something new to eat, catch an entertaining show, or just enjoy some great rides. I hope you all have as much fun as I do when I am there.

A map of Animal Kingdom