Theme Park Yes Or No — Animal Kingdom Edition
When you’re visiting a Disney theme park, you may feel overwhelmed by choice.
Disney parks offer so much that you won’t know what’s worth your time vs. a waste of time.
So, we’re starting a new series today that helps you with your decision tree.
We’re going to play a simple game of theme park yes or no! Here’s what you should or shouldn’t do at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Avatar Flight of Passage
I consider several of these no-brainers. That statement especially applies to Avatar Flight of Passage, the most popular ride at the park.
You get to live out an Avatar adventure when you hop on a Banshee’s back and sail through Pandora. You’ll adore this experience.
The Boneyard
The answer here depends on whether you’re visiting with children. If so, how old are they?
Kids tend to outgrow The Boneyard by the time they’re six or seven. For some, they’ll age out even younger.
So, I’d say this one is a yes for parents of small children.
If you’re an adult traveling without children, you can keep on walking.
A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King
Disney has modified this ride experience due to the pandemic. The current show involves substantially less tumbling and is more music-based.
I think diehard Animal Kingdom fans would maintain that the old version blows away the one we have right now.
Still, you’ll have plenty of fun while escaping the heat. So this one’s a yes.
Conservation Station
I’ll lump in most of the stuff at Rafiki’s Planet Watch and Conservation Station together here.
You’ll ride the Wildlife Express Train to reach these locations. Then, you’ll find a petting zoo, some animation classes, and a veterinary clinic.
The attractions here embody the heart of Animal Kingdom itself. Even so, I don’t view any of this as a must-do.
The animal treatments fascinate me, and I like petting zoos as much as the next person.
My recommendation is that you do it if A) you love animals, B) you have small children, or C) you want to do something off the beaten path.
Otherwise, this one is safe to skip.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
I’m throwing this one in because it comes up a lot. Friends and family members ask me about this resort more than just about any other.
I’ll tell you what I say to my ‘ohana. If you can afford to stay here, you should do so at least once.
The view of animals playing in their natural habitats is a Disney bucket list kind of experience.
DINOSAUR
Disney parks around the world host three versions of the same ride concept. At Disneyland, you’ll find Indiana Jones Adventure.
Tokyo DisneySea offers Journey to the Center of the Earth, probably the best of the three.
Then, there’s DINOSAUR at Animal Kingdom. I think most people would acknowledge it’s the least of the three…but still tons of fun.
You board an oversized ride vehicle fit for a safari and then travel back to the time of the dinosaurs. Then, they try to eat you.
This one’s a yes, especially because its lines are usually shorter than most Animal Kingdom rides.
Disney KiteTails
I’ll say in favor of KiteTails that you’ve never seen anything like it. But, alas, there may be a reason for that. It’s…just okay.
If you’re in the mood for a daytime show on a semi-comfortable bleacher as you bake in the sun, it’s a maybe. Otherwise, it’s a no.
Expedition Everest
Do you want to ride one of the best roller coasters in the south? Yes. Yes, you do.
Feathered Friends in Flight
I’ve tried to like this one over the years. Really, I have. Alas, I’m one of those annoying people who preferred the Up-themed version instead.
Otherwise, I’m just not that interested in bird shows…unless they’re mechanical birds at Magic Kingdom and Disneyland.
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
I don’t view this one the same way I do the other conservation station stuff. First, you don’t need to take a train to experience it.
You’ll find this location in Africa close to Kilimanjaro Safaris. So, it’s easy to double down and do both consecutively.
Plus, there’s always a chance that you’ll see something like this:
This one’s a yes.
It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
The answer here comes down to two simple questions. Is this your first Animal Kingdom visit? Then, yes, you should watch this show.
If you answered no, have you seen the show before? If not, you should sit through it at least once.
After that, I view it as a “once every 15 park visits” kind of thing. It’s okay, but you can do better with your Disney park time.
Kali River Rapids
There’s a good reason why you wouldn’t ride Kali River Rapids. First, you might not want to get wet. Some people hate that.
In fact, I had a friend in college who would throw tantrums in theme parks if we tried to get her on water rides. The water grossed her out.
Disney uses Bromine to clean its ride water. So, it’s not quite the same, but hygiene paranoia or hatred of wet clothing are the only reasons to skip this one.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
This one’s the heart of Animal Kingdom. It embodies everything that Disney has achieved at the park.
If you can only ride one thing at Animal Kingdom during your visit, it should be Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Maharajah Jungle Trek
This one’s kind of like the live show for Kilimanjaro Safaris.
When you ride the Jeep, you may not get many close-up looks at animals. It’s random since animals are mercurial.
On the Maharajah Jungle Trek, you’re all but certain to see animals…and birds and lizards, too.
Plus, you can walk at your own pace, allowing you to decide how much time you spend here.
Na’vi River Journey
Believe it or not, some people would answer no to this one. And I don’t mean because of the long wait times Pandora sometimes experiences.
Some Disney fans view Na’vi River Journey as one of Disney’s lesser boat rides. I’m not one of those people, though.
I consider this one a masterpiece and highly recommend it. The lone exceptions are times when the wait time surpasses an hour.
TriceraTop Spin
No. Just no.
Fine, if you have children with you, they may want to ride this one, which is fine. It’s a clone of Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Magic Carpets of Aladdin.
So, the ride is fine, just not on a par with some of the other stuff we’ve discussed here.
Wild Africa Trek
Disney hosts a VIP guided tour of some parts of Animal Kingdom. For a cost of $199 per person plus tax, you’ll get to see the animals in a whole new way.
Your guide will show you behind-the-scenes perspectives of various animal habitats. In fact, you’ll need to tether yourself to some bridges for safety reasons!
This tour’s in the conversation for best at Walt Disney World. At some point in your life, you absolutely should do it.