Things To Do in Disney's Animal Kingdom

Mickey and Minnie, wearing explorer garb, meet kids and sign autographs here, on the east side of the path toward Asia. It is the only place in the resort where they appear as a couple.

Like the characters in the movie, your consciousness will be transferred into the body of a nameless Na’vi as they ride a dragon-like creature, called a banshee, over the wonders of Pandora. Or that’s the premise, and it’s accomplished rather brilliantly, starting with a body scan to…

On these self-guided paths encircling the Tree of Life, you might find giant red kangaroos, flamingoes, storks, otters, lemurs, macaws, and the lappet-faced vulture; some animals are removed from view when it’s hot. It takes only about 15 minutes to enjoy.

Disney's fourth major park opened in 1998 and combines exotic animals, the elaborate landscapes of Asia and Africa, and the prehistoric lands of the dinosaur. Animals, architecture, and lush surroundings take center stage here, with a handful of rides thrown in for good measure. A…

The lavishly themed roller coaster is mostly contained in the “snowcapped” mountain looming nearly 200 feet over the park’s east end (if it were any higher, Florida law would require it to be topped by an airplane beacon). The queue area is a beautifully realized duplication of a…

A presentation about birds that affords the host an excuse to introduce them, and you, to some gorgeous creatures—parrots, toucans, bald eagles, peacocks, African birds of prey—who swoop around the semi-enclosed arena, barely clearing heads. The last show of the day is in late…

Upon exiting Kilimanjaro Safaris, begin this trail, which focuses on African animals. It wends past a troop of lowland gorillas (very popular), naked mole rats, okapi, meerkats (yes, like Timon), and hippos you can view through an underwater window; the nocturnal animals start waking…

Hidden in the flying roots of the Tree of Life, in a cool basementlike theater, you’ll find a cleverly rigged cinema showing a 10-minute 3D movie based on the animated film A Bug’s Life. When the stinkbugs do their thing or the tarantula starts firing poison quills, you’ll never…

The 12-passenger round bumper boat shoots a course of rapids, and sometimes you can get soaked—it depends on your bad luck—but it’s generally milder than similar rides, so don't be surprised if you stay mostly dry. Your feet, for sure, will get wet. The worst damage is usually done…

Easily the bumpiest ride at Disney World, the 20-minute excursion is the crown jewel of Animal Kingdom. Climb into a supersize, 32-passenger Jeep-like vehicle—an actual one with wheels, not a tracked cart—and be swept into what feels like a real safari through the African veldt, with…

Too few people enjoy this self-guided, South Asian–themed walking trail featuring some gorgeous tigers (rescued from a circus breeding program), flying foxes, Komodo dragons, and a few birds frolicking among fake ruins. The tigers are most active when the park opens and toward the…

All ages will find this gentle boat float through a dark but colorful Pandoran bog to be mellow going. All you do is bob from room to room, listening to music and soaking up what you see—it’s a strange world, after all. There are lots of pretty plants and animals to look at, but the…

In 2017, at a reported cost of $500 million, Disney made the odd choice of opening this elaborate 12-acre area, which contains zero animals (are the Na’vi animals?) and isn’t even a Disney-created franchise. Whatever the logic, though, you can’t say it isn’t pretty. It’s also a…

Admiring all these animals is enough to make you want to find one you can actually cuddle. From near the Safaris, take the open-air Wildlife Express Train. The trip takes 7 minutes and you’ll get glimpses of plain backstage work areas. When you arrive, you’ll find The Affection…

Instead of a castle or a geosphere, the centerpiece here—Animal Kingdom’s “weenie”—is an emerald-green 14-story-high arbor (built on the skeleton of an oil rig) covered with hundreds of animal carvings made to appear, at a distance, like the pattern of bark. That lurid green color is…

Pandemic measures forced Disney to simplify what was once one of the most lavish, colorful, and intense spectacles it had. Audiences sit indoors on benches (front rows are good for engaging with performers), to watch what is now essentially a song concert with singers and dancers.…

One of the best shows at Disney was a fast-forwarded musical version of the Nemo movie, heightened with such catchy added songs as “Fish Are Friends, Not Food” and the infectious, Beach Boys–style “Go with the Flow” (all written by the husband-and-wife songwriters who also did the…