What’s the Best Ride at Animal Kingdom

The times, they are a-changing at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

This park has remained relatively sedentary since 2017, which was admittedly a big year.

That’s when Pandora – The World of Avatar debuted and thereby reinvented Animal Kingdom.

Since then, Disney has mostly played within the margins in improving the park…until now.

We’re currently witnessing hallmark change as DinoLand USA shuts down in favor of the Tropical Americas.

Sadly, none of those changes will be completed until 2027 at the earliest, which raises a question.

What’s the best ride at Animal Kingdom right now? Well, that’s a bit complicated…

6. Kali River Rapids

Since the beginning, Animal Kingdom hasn’t been a park that emphasizes rides much.

When you visit here, you’re there more for the experiences, as it’s a zoo by another name.

Sure, Disney includes theme park elements virtually everywhere, but the animals live there.

You’re just an invited guest for the day. So, you’re the one on display for the critters.

Yes, you can ride any of half a dozen rides right now, but Disney has closed others recently.

Primeval Whirl and TriceraTop Spin died, and the It’s Tough to Be a Bug! show has ended its run.

Thus, you’ll find 33 percent less to do right now in terms of conventional attractions.

On the bright side, the remaining ones are all quite good, though, starting with Kali River Rapids.

This attraction provides a vital service for park guests. It allows you to cool off on a hot day.

And when is Central Florida not hot? Okay, I’ll grant you December and January, but that’s about it.

So, you’ll adore this raft ride that pleasantly drenches you and thereby drops your body temperature by several degrees.

5. DINOSAUR

One day soon, the list of Animal Kingdom rides will drop to five when DINOSAUR closes.

That’ll apparently happen in early 2026, giving you roughly six more months to experience the classic ride.

Countdown to Extinction opened with Animal Kingdom in 1998 before Disney pivoted soon afterward.

Then-CEO Michael Eisner changed the name to DINOSAUR to connect it to a decidedly mediocre Disney animated film.

Disney had high hopes for Dinosaur, the movie, because it was the company’s first computer-animated release.

Sadly, Dinosaur was a total dud, but DINOSAUR the ride has entertained guests for 25 more years.

During your ride, you travel back in time to the age of the dinosaurs and try to capture one.

As fate would have it, the reckless scientist in charge of the mission sends you back to the wrong date.

You arrive right as the asteroid prepares to strike the planet and cause an extinction-level event.

Fortunately, your ride cart can return you to the present time if you survive long enough.

DINOSAUR provides a gripping adventure, and I feel strongly it’s always been vastly underrated.

I’m one of the people who can honestly say I ride it every time I’m at the park and will miss it.

Alas, I cannot rank it any higher because if it were better, Disney wouldn’t be killing it.

4. Na’vi River Journey       

The fourth and fifth entrants demonstrate that I’m ceding to the majority opinion here.

Otherwise, DINOSAUR and Na’vi River Journey would rank in my personal top three.

I know that the alien boat ride gets a bad rap in many circles, but I feel strongly that they’re wrong.

Disney has created a worthy representation of the faraway planet of Pandora.

The rivers and jungles of this land are every bit as beautiful as they are terrifyingly dangerous.

Predators lurk around every corner. Still, you cannot help but admire the breathtaking landscape.

Na’vi River Journey is Peak Imagineering to me, and I’ll die on the hill that it’s the best Avatar-based ride.

3. Expedition Everest

Look, you knew what the top three were probably going to be when you saw the headline.

I’ll probably surprise you in just a second, but there’s a definite pecking order at Animal Kingdom.

Disney constructed Expedition Everest in 2006, a time when the park was sadly lacking in rides.

Imagineers worked hard to prove that they could create a thrill ride worthy of “best in class” conversations.

Disney started the coaster wars in 1959 with Matterhorn Bobsleds and then upped the ante in 1974 with Space Mountain.

The constant criticism that Disney stuck to family-friendly rides irked park planners.

So, they overcompensated in the best possible way with this highly aggressive attraction.

There you are, minding your business as your tram cart climbs a hill. Then, you notice the danger.

Someone or, more likely, SOMETHING has shattered the tracks you need to finish your trip.

A few seconds later, you’re flying backward at (almost literally) breakneck speed.

You hope to survive, but you soon realize that you’re not alone in this dark cave.

There’s an apex predator on the loose, and it’s treating you like a home invader.

Expedition Everest is liquid-metal hot and legitimately one of the best things Disney has ever done.

On a totally coincidental note, a friend of mine texted me a picture at lunch today.

She’s a Cast Member and had a view of Expedition Everest from where she was eating.

I was torn apart with jealousy and sooooo badly wanted to ride Expedition Everest. It’s pure joy.

2. Avatar Flight of Passage

Given the way I’ve gushed about the first four attractions, you’re probably wondering what could beat them.

Okay, no, you’re not. We all knew what the top two would be, but I’m guessing you got the order wrong.

Well, it’s more likely that you’re thinking *I* got the order wrong, which is fair.

I admire Avatar Flight of Passage more than I enjoy it, but mine is definitely the minority opinion.

Cast Members glow when they speak of the ride they happily describe as Soarin’ on Steroids.

That description has always stuck with me because it’s so accurate.

Avatar Flight of Passage leans on the technology and ride schematics of Soarin’.

However, Disney was more than 15 years down the road with its technology by the time Pandora opened.

So, this is the deluxe version of the concept with the added bonus of visuals created by visionary James Cameron.

Disney Imagineering plus Cameron’s artistry is a winning combination in every way imaginable.

Not coincidentally, Avatar Flight of Passage has been Animal Kingdom’s alpha for eight years and counting.

1. Kilimanjaro Safaris

Still, Avatar Flight of Passage arrived too late to count as the heart and soul of Animal Kingdom.

The connection between this park and its anchor attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris, is almost spiritual.

You hop in a Jeep and ride around dozens of animal habitats. Even better, you honestly never know what you’ll see.

I say this because the animals are doing their own thing, living their lives.

They’re not going to change anything just because they notice humans driving through the area.

That’s just background noise to them. They don’t keep to your schedule, and they’re gonna have their fun.

I could recount endless stories of the amazing things I’ve witnessed during dozens of rides on Kilimanjaro Safaris.

Instead, I’ll mention just one, which is the time that I watched one animal chase a creature from a different habitat.

This wasn’t a violent nature documentary situation, either. They were just frolicking on the savannah.

So, the two of them pulled a prank on what I’m confident were some terrified Cast Members watching from afar.

The animals traveled hundreds of yards away from home while my Kilimanjaro Safaris host gleefully narrated the action.

According to him, this sort of thing never happened and wasn’t even supposed to be possible.

There they were, though, having the best possible time being friends at Animal Kingdom.

To me, that’s what this park is and always should be.

No matter how much Encanto Disney adds, we’re all visiting to watch the animals.

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Feature Photo: Disney