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Animal Kingdom was far and away my least favourite park at Walt Disney World for the primary decade-plus of its existence. Truthfully, I used to be virtually bitter on the park for squandering a lot potential. It’s probably the most thematically-pure park, and had infinite potential to leverage extinct and legendary creatures. (Up to date September 21, 2025.)
Since changing into Annual Passholders, Disney Trip Membership Members, and Floridians (for 4 years), we’ve spent extra time in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I’ll admit that my opinion of the park has modified. Briefly, I used to be improper about it.
Phrases like “I used to be improper” should not the norm on the web. The usual modus operandi is to determine a place, entrench oneself in that, and refuse to relent it doesn’t matter what countervailing motive and opinion are supplied. Sorry, fellow web commentators, if I’ve damaged some kind of unstated code of conduct by admitting that I used to be improper.
In my protection, whereas I’ll admit that I used to be improper, I’m not saying I used to be completely improper. In actual fact, I nonetheless suppose a number of of my particular factors are legitimate. What I used to be improper about have been my common conclusions concerning the park, and my common demeanor and angle in direction of it.
Let’s check out why I’m now an Animal Kingdom fan…
2025 Replace
Animal Kingdom is the park most faraway from its final improvement cycle virtually a decade in the past, and it has misplaced greater than it has gained since March 2020. It is going to be damage by its personal lack of choices and development, and is the park far and away most definitely to lose attendance to Epic Universe at Common.
The following few years can be powerful for Animal Kingdom earlier than Tropical Americas debuts in 2027-2028. Already this yr, all of Dino-Rama has closed, as has It’s Robust to Be a Bug. The Boneyard play space simply closed, and DINOSAUR will go extinct in February 2026. Fortunately, Zootopia: Higher Zoogether will debut and decide up among the slack, however not a lot.
Animal Kingdom will solely have 5 conventional rides from February 2026 till someday in late 2027 when the primary Tropical Americas attraction opens. To make sure, there are stage exhibits, atmospheric leisure acts, and animal reveals that assist spherical out issues. However folks go to theme parks primarily for rides, and Animal Kingdom is undeniably gentle on them.
Ardent Animal Kingdom defenders received’t like to listen to this, however company are already voting with their wallets. Animal Kingdom followers and converts (like us!) prefer to argue that common company simply don’t “get” the park. And there’s reality to that! However there’s additionally the truth that Walt Disney World waited manner too lengthy to start out increasing DAK, and there’s additionally validity to its shrinking attendance.
Up to now, Animal Kingdom is the worst performing park at Walt Disney World. Over the past yr for which knowledge is obtainable, it was the one park at Walt Disney World not within the high 10 for worldwide theme park attendance. Animal Kingdom ranked #16, with 8.8 million annual guests.
It’s the one Walt Disney World park that didn’t hit the ten million mark, and it had lower than half the annual guests of Magic Kingdom, the #1 theme park on the earth. So even pre-construction, Animal Kingdom was the most-skipped park at Walt Disney World, with half of company who opted to go to the flagship fort park opting to skip DAK.
There’s a motive for that, and it might be disingenuous to fake in any other case and declare that DAK attendance is low just because it’s misunderstood. It will even be inappropriate to not supply an replace to this submit acknowledging as a lot, as lots has modified at Animal Kingdom since we final visited this matter in 2019, and all of it has been for the more serious.
Even Animal Kingdom’s most passionate followers wouldn’t contend that the park is nearly as good at present because it was in 2019. That’s merely an indefensible place. It’s value retaining that in thoughts whereas studying the next, as that is an article that I’d not write at present. I nonetheless love DAK, however anybody who visits in 2025 or 2026 and doesn’t adore it is not improper and isn’t merely misunderstanding the much-maligned park.
With that in thoughts, right here’s the case in favor of visiting Animal Kingdom, and appreciating the park in its absolutely glory as a distinct breed that’s distinctive from the opposite three parks at Walt Disney World…
Park Tone
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a considerable departure from the standard Disney theme park archetype, and I believe this basic distinction in tone and construction causes many individuals to misconceive Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Conversely, this similar distinction in tone and construction does give Animal Kingdom its personal group of fervent followers who name it their favourite park, lots of whom take nice offense to criticism of the park. We undoubtedly fell into the previous group till this yr.
Lately, we’ve mainly renounced the commando type (besides within the mornings in Tokyo, the place it’s virtually a necessity), however my ‘epiphany’ that we would have been lacking one thing with Animal Kingdom didn’t come till final yr, of all locations, in Disneyland Paris.
Since we weren’t positive if we’d ever be again there, we made some extent to absorb as a lot of that park as we might, doing lots in the best way of exploring, savoring particulars, and even studying indicators or “historic” placards all through the park. It was an unbelievable expertise and gave me a deep appreciation for Disney’s most stunning fort park. I later dubbed it a park that’s like a high-quality wine, and is supposed to be sipped, not chugged.
I spotted that there was an excellent likelihood that Animal Kingdom was the identical manner, so on our subsequent journey to Walt Disney World, we opted to spend two days there–extra time than we spent in some other park. This ‘high-quality wine’ analogy undoubtedly applies there, too. Merely put, it’s an ambiance park.
Very like World Showcase at Epcot, you possibly can’t go in anticipating to do plenty of thrilling points of interest. Reasonably, the enjoyment of the expertise is within the environment, and in discovering little issues that make the theme park a place, fairly than a group of rides. To me, the environment and these particulars are a giant a part of what separates Disney theme parks from different theme and amusement parks. If all you care about is operating from attraction to attraction, why do Disney parks in any respect? There are higher choices for that.
When it comes to “Disney Particulars,” Animal Kingdom ranks as a few of Imagineering’s finest work. It’s staggering, actually, and even seasoned Animal Kingdom followers are prone to discover new issues with every go to. I’ve made an effort to make use of pictures of among the lesser-known components of Animal Kingdom on this article. Should you don’t acknowledge plenty of what you’re seeing right here, it is perhaps time to rethink the way you expertise Animal Kingdom.
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the park tone is manifested within the many winding animal trails all through the park, a few of that are listed as points of interest on the park map, a few of which aren’t. It’s stopping to take a couple of minutes to look at a few animals play.
It’s studying what one of many many posters plastered in Africa says, and interested by how that pertains to the theme of the realm. It’s sitting again and watching a fountain move whereas snacking. It’s all of these items and lots of extra, all of which make Disney’s Animal Kingdom probably the most detailed and closely themed park at Walt Disney World. What it lacks in nostalgia for many of us, it ought to make up for in character.
Sights
It’s secure to say that everybody is aware of about Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Discovering Nemo: The Musical, Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids, and Pageant of the Lion King. We expect it’s honest to name these all reasonably good to nice points of interest. Within the instances of Dinosaur and Kali River Rapids, we predict there’s some unrealized potential, however they’re nonetheless enjoyable.
It was the case that we’d do these points of interest (in addition to Kali River Rapids), eat, wander a bit, and name it a day. It wasn’t till this yr that we did Pangani Forest Exploration Path, Feathered Mates in Flight, and Maharajah Jungle Trek. These modified our outlook on Animal Kingdom, as they offered extra hours of leisure, and in addition contradicted the notion that Animal Kingdom didn’t do sufficient to tell apart its animal reveals from a zoo.
Then there’s Pandora – World of Avatar opened. This enlargement is a big draw, providing two new non-animal points of interest which are the most important attracts in all the park. It additionally helps tremendously that Avatar Flight of Passage is without doubt one of the finest points of interest in all of Walt Disney World!
Our favorites of those are undoubtedly Feathered Mates in Flight, Maharajah Jungle Trek, and Gorilla Falls Exploration Path. Feathered Mates in Flight is entertaining and fascinating, with a little bit of self-aware, tacky comedy that works rather well within the context of the present to steadiness out the intense conservationist message.
The intelligence of birds is on full show right here, and it’s actually fairly spectacular. It actually is a good mix of Disney leisure and wildlife, and a first-rate instance of how conceptually sturdy Animal Kingdom is as a theme park. Should you like that, make sure you not miss Winged Encounters in entrance of the Tree of Life.
Gorilla Falls Exploration Path is a superb animal exhibit, as is the underrated Otter Grotto in direction of the entrance of the park. We are inclined to cease within the latter each upon getting into and exiting the park since these little fellas can generally be powerful to identify.
Maharajah Jungle Trek is a walk-through attraction, however it shouldn’t be dismissed as simply a walk-through exhibit. Right here, there are scenes that deliver you up shut to varied animals, all whereas traversing via an elaborately themed Asian atmosphere. Whereas the animal encounters are nice, as are the Solid Members right here sharing details about them, the environments via which you stroll (and even via which the animals roam) are the true star.
At one level it appears as if you happen to’re going via the ruins of a distant temple that has existed for 1000’s of years, and particulars abound all over the place. Disney might have simply let the animals be the present right here, with utilitarian paths between them, however by going additional and creating the environments, it feels such as you’re an lively participant in some kind of exploration. It’s troublesome to articulate, however it works rather well as an attraction and could be very rewarding for company who take the time to soak all of it in.
Decide a half-dozen or so of those points of interest, add in eating (a few of our favorites, like Flame Tree BBQ and Tusker Home, are in Animal Kingdom), roaming leisure, and wandering across the park to get pleasure from its many particulars, and you’ve got a day of leisure that stacks up nicely to the opposite three theme parks at Walt Disney World.
Half Day Park?
Disney’s Animal Kingdom isn’t a half day park. Now, there may be the synthetic limitation of shorter park hours, however inherently, Disney’s Animal Kingdom isn’t a half day park.
The misperception regarding this standing is probably going perpetuated by theme park commandos, who race from E-Ticket attraction to E-Ticket attraction and attempt to full parks in virtually a guidelines vogue. Experiencing Animal Kingdom on this method is, flat out, the improper strategy to do it. The primary motive–that it’s an ambiance park meant to be slowly loved–is about out above.
The opposite major motive is kind of associated to that, and it’s the attraction distribution of Animal Kingdom. If company are working from a ‘guidelines’ of types, as soon as they full the massive title points of interest listed within the first paragraph of the “Sights” part, what’s left for them to do? The walk-through animal points of interest and meandering trails, whereas very nicely performed, don’t cater to the commando kind as a result of there isn’t a immediate gratification with these experiences.
That is their fault for viewing a theme park as an inventory of things to perform as rapidly as doable, and never Animal Kingdom’s fault.
Nevertheless, even for extra affected person company, the walk-throughs and trails are related sufficient to at least one one other that in some unspecified time in the future it’s comprehensible if fatigue from similarity units in and so they develop stressed.
To keep away from encountering this similar fatigue ourselves, we made positive to mix-in these strolling and self-guided points of interest with extra “typical” theme park points of interest. This undoubtedly isn’t probably the most environment friendly strategy to expertise Animal Kingdom, however it did properly break up our days there. We expect this can be a good strategy to strategy the park if you happen to generally end up prepared to move for the buses round 1 pm.
So What Is Mistaken?
I’m not suggesting Animal Kingdom is with out fault. The largest factor that I believe is improper is the aforementioned attraction distribution. This might sound to fly within the face of what I mentioned above, as I described Animal Kingdom as a distinct sort of theme park and it being company’ personal drawback in the event that they skip the good animal-centric points of interest.
Whereas true, these items don’t change the truth that Animal Kingdom might use extra conventional theme park points of interest that additional distance it from a zoo and supply higher steadiness to its slate. Briefly, the park wants extra rides. It wants extra to ‘meet company the place they’re’, give them counterprogramming between all the trails & reveals in order that they don’t get “animal fatigue,” and extra to maintain them within the park late, so Walt Disney World might justify later working hours–and a nighttime spectacular (RIP Rivers of Gentle).
Beastly Kingdom would have completed this brilliantly. Its points of interest couldn’t have been something that includes precise animals, until Imagineering pulled off some kind of Jurassic Park-type feat and located a strategy to deliver to life beasts which have up till now been legendary. (Wherein case, I doubt many individuals could be complaining about extra “animal”-centric reveals.)
Tropical Americas will assist with this mightily when it debuts in 2027-2028, however even after that, the park will nonetheless be a couple of rides wanting comporting with affordable company’ expectations. It’s actually unlucky that dinosaurs couldn’t coexist with Encanto and Indiana Jones.
We’re joyful to see Dino-Rama go extinct, as that carnival was a humiliation to the remainder of the theme park, and actually disappointing given how a lot potential there may be for a land themed to dinosaurs. In order that elimination is a web optimistic that may finally elevate Animal Kingdom as an entire.
However the resolution was constructing a worthy dinosaur themed land along with park enlargement that includes Tropical Americas. Dinosaurs are our biggest nationwide treasure, and it’s time Disney began treating them prefer it.
Suffice to say, Animal Kingdom might use some points of interest about legendary or extinct animals that use Disney journey techniques present in different parks. Not essentially darkish rides, however some kind of rides.
Just a few points of interest like this may bridge the hole between Animal Kingdom and conventional Disney theme parks. Animal Kingdom would nonetheless have its personal, distinctive identification, and would even have higher steadiness and extra methods for company to interrupt up their time within the park. If not dinosaurs of non-Pandorian legendary creatures, maybe the rumored Lion King journey will come to Africa within the 2030s.
This checklist of qualms and areas that needs to be addressed might sound so lengthy that it virtually “swallows” the remainder of the reward on this article, however it’s not. If it’s any comfort, my checklist of what must be addressed to good Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios could be far longer.
General, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a superb theme park that folks (like me) below appreciated as a result of it’s not what we’re used to experiencing. It’s not good and it has clear room for enchancment–however not essentially any extra room for enchancment than Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Even with out enchancment, it’s a park that many people might stand to spend somewhat extra time having fun with and exploring, because it has an excessive amount of magnificence that many Disney followers have by no means seen.
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Your Ideas
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is definitely probably the most divisive theme park at Walt Disney World…the place do you stand on it? Are you a fan of it, or is it your least favourite park? Assume you’ll give a few of its “lesser-known” points of interest an opportunity? Listening to from you is half the enjoyable, so share your ideas within the feedback!
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