Travel Blog
Travel Blog
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Journey into the jungle to find your favorite animals, find yourself in another world, and go back in time to prehistoric times.
OIC Tips and Tricks
Pandora and Kilimanjaro Safari get busy. Go to those first!
The animals tend to be more active in the mornings!
Save Kali River Rapids for the afternoon, since you will probably get wet!
This park closes earlier than the rest, so plan your night accordingly!
OIC Suggested Schedule
11 Kali River Rapids
12 Maharajah Jungle Trek
01 Avatar Flight of Passage
02 Na'vi River Journey
03 Kilimanjaro Safari
04 Festival of the Lion King
13 Expedition Everest
05 Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
14 Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond
06 Rafiki's Planet Watch
15 DINOSAUR
07 Discovery Island Trails
16 Yak & Yeti Restaurant ^
08 Flame Tree Barbeque *
17 The Oasis Exhibit
09 It's Tough to be a Bug
10 Feathered Friends in Flight!
* Flame Tree Barbeque is an OIC top pick, but can be substituted with other great options, such as Satu'li Canteen, Pizzafari, Harambe Market, Anandapur Local Food Cafes or Restaurantosaurus.
^ This is a table service location, and reservations are highly recommended. Other table service options include Rainforest Cafe, Tiffins, and Tusker House.
Fun Facts
Animal Kingdom is the largest of the Disney Theme Parks at 580 acres!
The animals are fed 4 tons of food a day!
The Tree of Life stands 145 ft tall and has 325 animals carved into it.
Animal Kingdom cost 800 million to build, making it the most expensive park built.
Animal Kingdom was inspired by Walt Disney's love for animals.
The DWCF has contributed tens of millions to conservation efforts.
Animal Kingdom opened in 1995 and has a capacity of about 60,000.
OIC Take
Mandi's Take
Animal Kingdom creates a great juxtaposition within the Disney Parks. While the other parks create inspired worlds through man-made ingenuity, here, this nature-forward theme allows foliage and fauna to thrive and reveal how inspiring nature is. Animal Kingdom offers wonderful rides, shows, dining, and experiences that add an extra layer to a vacation. I really enjoy walking around Animal Kingdom and think if you have time and money, it should be added to the schedule. However, with it being by far the largest park, it has the least amount of attractions, making it feel, to most, like a half day park, or one to skip altogether, which is a shame because there really is so much to do and it can be a very fun park. I do understand the lack of appeal, though, since it feels like it could be considered merely an elevated Zoo experience, (I remember the Nahtazu ads Disney used in the early 2000s, but don't know how many people believe it) and when you are spending so much on a vacation, you don't want to feel like you are at a hometown zoo. The addition of Pandora did help bring Animal Kingdom up a notch, but I am unsure if the latest planned expansion will make people bring Animal Kingdom up to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT levels.
Angie's Take
Angie has not reviewed this.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Walk through the entrance into the first land - Oasis - where its various paths covered with lush green foliage lead you to encounter some amazing animals right away! Continue on across the bridge where The Tree of Life bursts through the middle of Discovery Island, surrounded by more trails, restaurants, and gift shops.
Discovery Island is home to several eateries, including Tiffins Restaurant, Flame Tree Barbeque, and Pizzafari, attractions like It's Tough to be a Bug!, character meetings, and animal observation areas, and gift shops to pick up your wild souvenirs! Going clockwise we make our way to Pandora- World of Avatar. Wonder at the floating islands, ride on a banshee or through the Na'vi River, and find out-of-this-world eats at the Satu'li Canteen.
Journey on to Africa, where you can ride through the savanna on the Kilimanjaro Safaris, traverse trails to see even more animals, hop on the Wildlife Express to go to Rafiki's Planet Watch, stop by the Harambe Market for food, or enjoy a sit down meal with your favorite characters at the Tusker House, and take a beat by taking in the spectacle of the Festival of the Lion King.
Asia is the next land down the path! Get a little too close to a Yeti on Expedition Everest, cool off with a water ride- Kali River Rapids, and venture through the Maharajah Jungle Trek, grab something to eat at one of the Yak & Yeti food locations, or enjoy a show with Feathered Friends in Flight!
Finally, we end our trek at DinoLand U.S.A. Travel back in time to see some amazing, and dangerous, dinosaurs, and then refill at Restaurantosaurus. An adventurous day is sure to be in store at Disney's Animal Kingdom!