Jambo everyone! In this guide we will give an overview of every attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom alongside FastPass availability, disability information, height requirements, length of attraction and our Theme Park Trader rating out of 5. Full in-depth analysis and history of each attraction will be made available at a later date so stay tuned for future updates.

Grab yourself a Jungle Juice and enjoy our trek into nature in our Animal Kingdom attractions guide!

Discovery Island

Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Discovery Island is the central hub to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and your route into the remaining areas of the park.

The Island contains the parks centrepiece, The Tree of Life, alongside It’s Tough to be a Bug, Discovery Island Trail and Adventurer’s Outpost where you can meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

It’s Tough to be a Bug

Flik at It's Tough to be a Bug

Travel inside the Tree of Life and into the Bug’s Life theater as you join Flik and a whole cast of insects in this 4D show.

Make sure you take your time in travelling around the queue on the way to the attraction as you will be able to see animal carvings that aren’t available to view anywhere else!

While you wait for the next show to begin you will hear bug renditions of classic broadway tunes, featuring:

  • Beauty and the Bees
  • Web Side Story
  • Little Shop of Hoppers
  • My Fair Ladybug

Once inside the theater Flik will introduce a series of bug acts for guests to enjoy. A piece of advice… sit forward and watch out for the stingers.

Attraction length: 9 minutes

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone, but small children are likely to be frightened

Theme Park Trader Rating:  3/5 – A Bug’s Life is still one of our favourite Pixar films and It’s Tough to be a Bug is a fantastic 4D attraction set inside one of the best theaters on property. Has scored lower simply because Hopper and the bugs that he sends after guests have a tendency to scare children.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: Yes

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair/ECV

Tree of Life

Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Take in views of the incredible 145ft Tree of Life which features 325 carvings of existing and extinct animal species on its trunk and surrounding roots.

During the evenings the Tree of Life awakens in a series of four different projection shows. These are:

  • A playful deer and a watchful hawk.
  • A hummingbird and flowers.
  • A red fox in a winter setting.
  • Animal imagery inspired by Pocahontas, Bambi, Dinosaur, Tarzan, Finding Nemo, Avatar, The Jungle Book, and The Lion King.

Attraction length: N/A

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone

Theme Park Trader Rating:  4.5/5 – The Tree of Life really is an incredible sight and well worth spending the time in looking at the work that has gone into creating the centrepiece of the park. Make sure you come back at night for the awakening and stay for the four different projection shows, they are all magnificent.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: No

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair/ECV

Discovery Island Trails

Ring Tailed Lemur at Discovery Island Trails

Just behind the Tree of Life are a number of walking trails that include many animal-viewing areas. There are opportunities to see otters, kangaroos, lemurs, porcupines, storks and more.

There are two entrances to these trails, one by the bridge to Africa in Discovery Island and the other just by the entrance to the Tree of Life itself.

In these trails there are also plenty of places to just sit and relax in order to take in nature and the surrounding waterfalls.

Attraction length: N/A

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone

Theme Park Trader Rating:  3.5/5 – This is a great walking trail to take in views of animals as well as some of the fantastic carvings on the Tree of Life. This trail also has plenty of places to just sit and relax though the trail isn’t for everyone and some children may get bored quickly.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: No

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair/ECV

Adventurer’s Outpost

The best and only place to meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Adventurer’s Outpost is an indoor, air-conditioned meet and greet that has Mickey and Minnie’s world travel documents all over the place.

Attraction length: 5-10 minutes depending on how you interact with Mickey and Minnie

Who is this attraction suited for?: Kids and adults who love the main mice!

Theme Park Trader Rating:  3.5/5 – Though it is fair to say that this is the best place to meet Mickey and Minnie at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and while it is great to meet them together, nothing can meet the Mickey meet and greet at the Magic Kingdom.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: Yes

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair/ECV

Africa

Male Lion at Kilimanjaro Safaris

The entrance to Africa can be found through the village of Harambe which is Swahili for come together. When designing the village of Harambe, the Disney Imagineering team took influence from all over Africa including Kenya and Zanzibar.

Africa contains two of the most loved attractions in all of Walt Disney World; Kilimanjaro Safaris and Festival of the Lion King. The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail can also be found within Africa alongside Harambe Station with service to Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

Kilimanjaro Safaris

Embark on a 2 week safari (its actually around 22 minutes) as you travel through Africa in search of 34 different types of animals that include: Hippos, Lions, Warthogs, Giraffes, Gazelle and even Hyenas if you ride during the evening hours.

Kilimanjaro Safaris is one of the most ambitious attractions that Disney has ever created, which is why, in part, it is also one of the best attractions, not just at Walt Disney World, but at any Disney Park.

Due to animals freely roaming the savannah, each time you ride is different and over the years I have seen everything from a gazelle blocking the pathway to several giraffes roaming right up to the safari truck.

Pro tip – Riding first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon usually results in the animals being more active.

In addition to the daytime safari, in 2016 Disney introduced nighttime expeditions to Kilimanjaro Safaris. In addition to new animals such as the hyena, the experience at night offers yet another reason to ride this incredible Disney attraction.

Attraction length: 22 minutes

Who is this attraction suited for?: The entire family will love this experience. Can get pretty bumpy out there on the Savannah though!

Theme Park Trader Rating:  5/5 – Kilimanjaro Safaris is easily one of the best theme park attractions at any Disney Park leading to a different experience every time you ride. Some of the moments you can capture out there on the safari are worth travelling to Disney for alone. The only downside is that on the odd occasion you won’t end up seeing many of the animals, particularly at night.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: Yes and recommended to avoid the long lines.

Wheelchair friendly? Must transfer to wheelchair

Festival of the Lion King

Festival of the Lion King

Join Simba, Timon, Pumbaa and a huge cast of live performers in this 30 minute performance of Disney’s The Lion King.

All of the best songs from the movie are sung live, including: Be Prepared, Circle of Life and Hakuna Matata. The performance also includes ‘monkey’ acrobats, fire performers, animatronics, puppetry and more!

Attraction length: 30 minutes

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone in the family will enjoy though be warned there are some guest interactions.

Theme Park Trader Rating:  4.5/5 – The Festival of the Lion King is a fantastic show that everyone can enjoy and fits much better in Africa than it ever did at Camp Minnie-Mickey. There are some scenes that drag on for a bit too long and guest interaction isn’t for everyone which is why it doesn’t quite earn the perfect score.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: Yes

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail

Meerkats at Gorilla Falls exploration trail

Travel through  a tropical forest inhabited by African wildlife on this walking tour of learning and views of animals up close.

Follow pathways as you discover animals such as:

  • Meerkats
  • Zebra
  • Lowland Gorillas
  • Hippos
  • Exotic birds

Along the way make sure you stop and ask cast members any questions you have about the animals as they are all trained by Disney to know everything there is to know about each of the animals you find along the way.

Attraction length: As little or as long as you like

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone, though small children may get bored.

Theme Park Trader Rating:  3.5/5 – We are big fans of taking the time out of our day at the parks to just sit and watch the animals at the Animal Kingdom. The gorillas and meerkats on the trail are particular highlights. Only been marked down as this kind of walking tour isn’t for everyone and can be boring for younger guests.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: No

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair

Wildlife Express Train – Harambe Station

Wildlife Express Train at Harambe Station in Africa

Board a train and take a short seven minute trip to Conservation Station at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Along the way you will get to see some of the things that go on behind the scenes at Disney’s Animal Kingdom including animal holding buildings that house the elephants and rhinos at night.

Pro tip – Get the train over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch early in the day as this is often when procedures are being done on the parks animals which guests are permitted to view and ask questions about.

Attraction length: 7 minutes to Conservation Station

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone

Theme Park Trader Rating:  2/5 – While it is interesting to see some of the magic that goes on behind the scenes at the park, the train journey isn’t as interesting as the Walt Disney World Railroad.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: No

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair

Asia

Asia entrance sign at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Asia is home to one of the biggest attractions on property, Expedition Everest, and until recently was the first thing you would see when getting anywhere close to the park (Pandora’s floating rocks also dominate the skies now).

You would be mistaken if you thought that was all Asia offered; with other attractions including Kali River Rapids, Flights of Wonder and Maharajah Jungle Trek.

Expedition Everest

Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Costing well over $100 million, Expedition Everest is the tallest mountain in all of Walt Disney World and one of the most complex rollercoasters the company has ever attempted.

Board an old steam train that used to ferry tea up and down the mountain as it takes you both forwards and backwards and into the past of the mysterious yeti that dwells within Everest.

While it is safe to say that the Yeti animatronic contained within the attraction is one of the best Disney has ever created, it hasn’t been in full operation for a number of years. The Yeti is supposed to move but was put into B mode after the excessive movement began to cause damage to the structure. B mode involves a strobe light giving the illusion that the Yeti is indeed moving and among Disney fans he is now known as Disco Yeti.

You can see how the Yeti was supposed to move in this behind the scenes video:

Despite the lack of movement, the animatronic still looks great and doesn’t detract from the experience (especially if you have never seen it in A mode).

Rumours are circulating that Disney will move ahead with the estimated 12 month repair job once attractions in Pandora: The World of Avatar open.

Attraction length: 2 minutes, 50 seconds

Who is this attraction suited for?: Older kids who have already braved Thunder Mountain and are looking for the next step up. Despite this being a pretty intense coaster, it contains zero inversions so most will enjoy this attraction.

Theme Park Trader Rating:  4.5/5 – If it wasn’t for the broken animatronic yeti, this attraction would be scoring 5/5. The theming on Expedition Everest is among the best in Walt Disney World and the ride itself is great for thrill seekers. The design on both the exterior and interior of Everest really is a sight to be marvelled at, even the queue is enjoyable! It is also one of the only Disney coasters that travels both forwards and backwards!

Height requirements: 44in (112cm)

FastPass+ Available: Yes

Wheelchair friendly? Must transfer from wheelchair/ECV

Kali River Rapids

Kali River Rapids

Believe it or not, Kali River Rapids was Disney’s very first attempt at a river rapids attraction and despite its flaws, the rapids delivers a solid experience while also delivering a very important message on the environment.

Travel through the Chakranadi river as you journey into a dense tropical jungle before the beautiful sounds of nature are drowned out by chainsaws and smells of smoke as loggers are tearing the jungle apart.

Of course the journey isn’t just one that educates on the dangers of logging; you aren’t just going to get wet, you will get soaked, completely soaked.

Attraction length: 3 minutes, 30 seconds

Who is this attraction suited for?: If you are tall enough to ride, you are likely to enjoy this one on a hot day in Orlando.

Theme Park Trader Rating:  3/5 – While it is fair to say that this attraction is a must on a boiling day in the park, the ride itself is relatively tame compared to most other river rapids attractions and despite warnings saying you will get soaked, many guests feel this one gets them too wet! The queue, the theming and the important message the attraction sends is the reason why it scores so high. Despite getting soaked on the ride itself, queuing for this attraction in the heat is unbearable, a FastPass is a must.

Height requirements: 38in (97cm)

FastPass+ Available: Yes

Wheelchair friendly? Must transfer from wheelchair/ECV

Flights of Wonder

Flights of Wonder parrot

Flights of Wonder is an educational yet entertaining show that includes more than 20 species of exotic birds:

  • Yellow-napped amazon parrot
  • Blue and gold macaws
  • Harris hawks
  • Cockatoo
  • Horned owl
  • East African crowned crane
  • Red-legged Seriema
  • Trumpeter Hornbill

During the 25 minute show birds will fly and swoop over the heads of the audience and cast members will showcase some of the individual birds skills.

Attraction length: 25 minutes

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone (unless you have a fear of birds)

Theme Park Trader Rating:  2/5 – While the show itself is educational and it is enjoyable to watch the animals swoop over you, it drags on a bit too long and is just not that interesting in parts.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: No

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair/ECV

Maharajah Jungle Trek

Tiger sitting at Maharajah Jungle Trek

Similar to Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, the Maharajah Jungle Trek is a walking tour that includes views of animals, featuring:

  • Komodo dragon
  • Gibbons
  • Malayan flying fox
  • Bengal tiger
  • Sumatran tiger
  • Blackbuck
  • Eld’s deer
  • Water buffalo
  • Green peafowl
  • Banteng
  • Bar-headed goose
  • Lion-tailed macaque
  • Various birds

Again, make sure that you ask cast members any questions along the way as they know everything there is to know about the animals found within Maharajah Jungle Trek.

Attraction length: As little or as long as you like

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone though small children may get bored

Theme Park Trader Rating:  3.5/5 – This is a great walking tour and one where you can get incredible views of the Bengal tiger. We love taking the time out of our day to go on this walking tour to just watch the animals, scored down as a walking tour in the heat isn’t for everyone.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: No

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair/ECV

DinoLand U.S.A

Dinosaur at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Travel back 65 million years to a time where dinosaurs roamed the earth (only it isn’t Jurassic Park).

DinoLand U.S.A is a combination of both real and imagined dinosaurs. Where the Dino Institute (where you can find Dinosaur) takes things seriously, Chester and Hester and the area surrounding Primeval Whirl is very much a wacky retelling of history.

Welcome, to Jurassic DinoLand U.S.A!

DINOSAUR

Dinosaur at Disney's Animal Kingdom

HELLO there, journey back in time as you go on a rescue mission to bring back a dinosaur in order for scientist Dr. Seeker to get a better understanding of the creatures.

Guests board a time rover in search of Aladar, the Iguanodon from Disney’s animated film Dinosaur. Seeker drops guests off back in time just before an asteriod that destroys all life on earth is about to hit and guests are in a race to find Aladar before the asteroid hits.

During the ride, guests encounter many dinosaurs (both friendly and hungry) and are chased by a Carnotaurus. This attraction is an intense dark ride with lots of twists, bumps and close encounters with hungry dinosaurs.

Attraction length: 3 minutes, 5 seconds

Who is this attraction suited for?: Adults and brave kids. Young children may be scared of the dinosaur and the dark and anyone with health problems should not ride.

Theme Park Trader Rating:  4.5/5 – We love everything about this attraction. The effects an animatronics are fantastic, the storytelling is superb and even the pre-show to this one is enjoyable. The only thing holding this one back from a 5 is that the ride can be a bit too intense for some, and young kids who are just tall enough to ride may be frightened by the experience.

Height requirements: 40in (102cm)

FastPass+ Available: Yes

Wheelchair friendly? Must transfer from wheelchair/ECV

Primeval Whirl

One might be deceived into thinking that Primeval Whirl was a small family friendly coaster, you would be very much mistaken.

Two tracks exist on Primeval Whirl and are mirror opposites to one another, just like the tracks on Space Mountain.

There is a reason that this has such a high height restriction, this ride really does throw you around and though this might seem like an exaggeration, be prepared to suffer from minor whiplash, in a good way!

Attraction length: 1 minute, 30 seconds

Who is this attraction suited for?: Adults and kids with a thirst for thrills!

Theme Park Trader Rating:  4/5 – While Primeval Whirl isn’t for everyone, we have a lot of love for it here and actually rather enjoy getting thrown around on this one. Be prepared for a lot of spinning and a lot of bumping into the other people riding with you! The fact you have to be taller to ride this than Dinosaur says just how intense Primeval Whirl is!

Height requirements: 48in (122cm) or taller

FastPass+ Available: Yes

Wheelchair friendly? Must transfer from wheelchair/ECV

Finding Nemo – The Musical

Jump into the big blue world and join Nemo, Marlin, Dory, Bruce, Crush and more in this musical retelling of Finding Nemo.

Disney puts its incredible puppetry on show in this 40 minute show with new songs crafted especially for this show. Joining Michael Curry’s puppetry (he also crafted puppets for the Lion King Broadway) are acrobats and dancers all contained within a nice air-conditioned theater!

Attraction length: 40 minutes

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone

Theme Park Trader Rating:  2.5/5 – It is fair to say that a lot of people consider Finding Nemo the Musical as one of the best shows at Walt Disney World, we however, do not. The puppetry is fantastic and songs catchy enough but characters such as Dory and Nemo are incredibly unlikeable in comparison to their movie counterparts.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: Yes

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair/ECV

Triceratop Spin

Ride a dinosaur in the sky in this attraction that is very much a prehistoric version of Dumbo from the Magic Kingdom.

If you sit at the back row you can direct how high or low you fly and if you are at the front you can tip your dinosaur forward or back.

Attraction length: 1 minute, 30 seconds

Who is this attraction suited for?: Small children

Theme Park Trader Rating:  2/5 – While this attraction is great for small children, both Dumbo and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin at the Magic Kingdom offer better experiences.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: No

Wheelchair friendly? Must transfer to wheelchair

The Boneyard

The Boneyard is a replica dinosaur dig site with rope ladders, slides and tunnels all on different levels for kids to explore and enjoy.

Many of the parts within The Boneyard is interactive so make sure your kids open crates, doors and step within the dinosaur footprints within.

Not only is this a great play area for kids, it is educational too with all the fossils being archaeologically correct and notes dotted around The Boneyard to help educate.

Attraction length: Kids are free to explore as long as they want

Who is this attraction suited for?: Small children

Theme Park Trader Rating:  2/5 – This is great to let kids burn off some excess energy during the day but sadly there isn’t much for adults to do while they wait. Disney seriously need to add a pop-up bar next to this!

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: No

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair/ECV

Rafiki’s Planet Watch

Rafiki's Planet Watch at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Board the Wildlife Express train in Harambe, Africa and journey to Rafiki’s Planet Watch, an area of the park that drives to education on conservation.

While there isn’t loads to do here, if you are lucky you may catch a surgical procedure being done on one of the animals in the park and there are also several places to look at animals not found elsewhere in the park.

This is also one of the only locations in the park where guests can touch animals in the Affection Section.

Guests can also meet Rafiki at this location.

Affection Section

Meet a variety of exotic breeds of sheep, goats, deer and pigs here as you can get up close and personal with these animals.

Attraction length: Stay as long as you like

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone

Theme Park Trader Rating:  2/5 – While these animals are exotic variations of goats, sheep etc, they are still only animals that can be found on any farm and that most guests would have encountered before.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: No

Wheelchair friendly? Must transfer to wheelchair

Meet Rafiki at Rafiki’s Planet Watch

Rafiki's Planet Watch at Disney's Animal Kingdom

If you are a fan of Rafiki then you will be pleased to hear that he is on hand here to provide both autographs and a photo opportunity!

Attraction length: 5-10 minutes depending on experience

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone

Theme Park Trader Rating:  2/5 – It is great to have a character meet and greet with Rafiki at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, it is just a shame you have to travel all the way over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch for the interaction.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: No

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair/ECV

Conservation Station

Conservation Station at Disney's Animal Kingdom

As the main attraction of Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Conservation Station has a number of things on offer including:

  • Animal Encounters Stage
  • Song of the Rainforest 3D audio journey
  • Veterinary treatment room
  • Backstage tour with animal cams controlled by guests
  • Eco-Web
  • Amphibian, Reptile and Invertebrate windows
  • Science Center
  • Nutrition Center

All of these are centred around educating guests and while some are more interesting than others, the real highlight is to be able to watch the veterinary team perform a small operation on an animal in the park.

Attraction length: Take as long as you like to walk around Conservation Station

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone

Theme Park Trader Rating:  2.5/5 – Some of the mini attractions are well worth travelling to Rafiki’s Planet Watch for but the majority aren’t for everyone. Make sure you check out the animal encounters stage where Disney cast members bring animals up close and personal with guests. Also the veterinary treatment room is worth travelling to but you will need to get there early in order to catch a live operation.

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: No

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair/ECV

Wildlife Express Train – Conservation Station

Rafiki's Planet Watch at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Board the train and take a short seven minute trip back to Harambe. The journey is less interesting on the way back though you still do get to see a couple of behind the scenes goings on at Disney’s Animal kingdom.

Attraction length: 7 minutes back to Harambe Station.

Who is this attraction suited for?: Everyone

Theme Park Trader Rating:  1.5/5 – While it is interesting to see some of the magic that goes on behind the scenes at the park, the train journey isn’t as interesting as the Walt Disney World Railroad and even less interesting than the journey to Rafiki’s Planet Watch!

Height requirements: None

FastPass+ Available: No

Wheelchair friendly? May remain in wheelchair

Pandora – The World of Avatar – COMING SOON