It's time to take a walk on the wild side because today, we're talkin' Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park! From seeing giraffes and lions up close on an African safari to breathtaking views of the Valley of Mo'ara in Pandora — The World of Avatar, there's so much to do at Animal Kingdom for frogs of all ages! Grab your safari hats as we explore everything Disney's Animal Kingdom has to offer.
Overview of Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park opened to the public on April 22, 1998. If that date sounds familiar to you, it's because it's Earth Day! In fact, the theme park typically hosts an Earth Day anniversary celebration each year featuring character sightings and special, limited-edition treats.
Though it opened in 1998, the seed for Animal Kingdom's construction was planted much earlier — nearly a decade beforehand! Legendary Imagineer Joe Rohde was the lead designer on Animal Kingdom, drawing inspiration from his visits to Asia and Africa and general wildlife and culture. And, of course, compelling storytelling. All of this lets you know what to expect when visiting Disney's Animal Kingdom! This park has multiple distinct areas with culturally accurate architecture. It has six rides, live shows and over 30 animal encounters.
Animal Kingdom Park Map
Like Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom has what’s known as a hub-and-spoke layout. This means the lands are connected to a central hub — in this case, the Tree of Life. After making your way through Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park entrance, you will enter the Oasis. This section houses waterfalls, lots of greenery and animals such as deer, boars and spoonbills. For anyone looking to take a break from the midday sun, nothing beats the Oasis for shade.
From there, you will enter the central hub of Animal Kingdom — Discovery Island. Discovery Island is home to the Discovery Island Trails, the First Aid and Baby Care Center and Pizzafari. It'll also soon be home to the new Zootopia show — Zootopia: Better Zoogether!, opening late 2025!
Going right from the hub takes you to DinoLand, U.S.A. While DINOSAUR and some of the area remain open — and will throughout 2025 — it will eventually transform into the new Tropical Americas land, arriving in 2027. Catch that dino while you can.
Past DinoLand, U.S.A. is Asia — home to the famous Expedition Everest ride (#DiscoYetiForever) and Kali River Rapids. There are a few eateries in this area, including Trek Snacks, Yak & Yeti and Anandapur Ice Cream Truck. Down some way and to your right are some animal exhibits you can check out, including the Maharajah Jungle Trek (where you can find the young tiger, Bakso)!
Heading back on the path, you’ll eventually reach Africa. There's tons to do here, including Kilimanjaro Safaris and the Festival of the Lion King. Once you walk through Africa, you'll be back at the Tree of Life. Walk down past Discovery Island and make a right into Pandora — the World of Avatar! Or, if you’re just making your way through Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park entrance, walk straight and make a left.
Pandora — The World of Avatar is home to Avatar Flight of Passage, Na'vi River Journey and Satu’li Canteen.
Animal Kingdom is about 540 acres in total (though a good portion is the savanna in Kilimanjaro Safaris, during which you'll be on a jeep). Regardless, invest in good walking shoes for your day here and the other Disney parks!
Planning for Animal Kingdom
With so much to do, here's what you need to know while planning the ultimate day at Animal Kingdom!
Animal Kingdom Park Tickets
Guests visiting Animal Kingdom will need to purchase a date-based park ticket. These tickets are good to visit one park, per day. Prices vary depending on the time of year you plan to visit, with tickets being more expensive during peak periods such as holidays, spring break and over the summer. Our Crowd Calendar can help you identify when ticket prices will be the lowest. Did you know that Undercover Tourist can save you some green on your Walt Disney World tickets? Be sure to take advantage, and keep an eye out for limited-time deals that can save you even more money!
Once you have your tickets — and if you have an existing My Disney Experience account — they will be automatically linked! However, if you purchased through us, don’t worry — you can still link your tickets. Just go to "My Plans" in your account (both desktop and on the app), select "Link Tickets" and enter your ticket ID number. Pretty easy, right?
But what about if you’re an annual passholder? Passholders still need to make a reservation if they plan on visiting a park before 2 p.m. unless it’s a Good-to-Go day. On these days, park reservations aren’t needed. Always check the passholder calendar before you go to make sure you’re not visiting on a blackout day.
Animal Kingdom Park Hours
When planning a visit to Disney's Animal Kingdom, it’s best to get an early start because this theme park closes early. Generally, this park closes at 6 p.m.; however, it will occasionally stay open until 8 p.m., depending on the time of year. In our experience, the parks stay open later during peak periods, including spring break.
But why does Animal Kingdom generally close so early? The answer has to do with the animals. Late-night disruptions can be harmful to the animals' natural sleep cycles, so Animal Kingdom closes early to ensure their well-being. You can check the park's hours in your My Disney Experience app, but generally it's open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Arriving at Animal Kingdom
Unless you’re staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge or the All-Star Resorts (Movies, Music or Sports), you will have a bit of a hike getting to and from Animal Kingdom, as it's the furthest from Magic Kingdom and nearby resorts. If you're staying at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, for example, it'll take about 20 minutes to get to Animal Kingdom by bus. Bus transportation is the only transportation method available to Animal Kingdom, unless you order a rideshare service such as a Minnie Van.
Knowing this can help you plan your day, including when to leave your hotel room to take advantage of rope drop and Early Theme Park Entry.
Rope Dropping and Arriving Early at Animal Kingdom
Rope drop — being at the park when it officially opens to guests — technically starts at 8 a.m. However, you can arrive and get in line at 7 a.m.
Using Early Theme Park Entry
If you are staying at a Disney World hotel, you can take advantage of Early Theme Park Entry. This perk allows hotel guests to enter the theme park — in this case, Animal Kingdom — 30 minutes before the official opening. For Animal Kingdom, this is usually 7:30 a.m., but always double-check the hours in your My Disney Experience app to confirm.
Many guests ask, “When should I arrive at Animal Kingdom for early theme park entry?” and the answer is usually about half an hour before the perk begins. This should give you ample time to get through security at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park entrance and secure your place in line at in-demand attractions such as Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey.
Because Animal Kingdom closes early, guests cannot participate in extended evening or after-hours events. Your best bet for having a full day at Animal Kingdom is to arrive as soon as it opens or to take advantage of Early Theme Park Entry.
Animal Kingdom Park Attractions
Whether you’re getting up close to grazing giraffes on Kilimanjaro Safaris, traveling through an Asian jungle on Kali River Rapids or flying on the back of a banshee in Avatar Flight of Passage, you’re in for tons of thrills when visiting Animal Kingdom!
While the park has fewer rides than the other theme parks on property, it leads the way when it comes to interactive experiences and enchanting entertainment. Catch live performances of the Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue … and Beyond. Or, learn to draw your very own Disney character at the Animation Experience at Conservation Station! Are you into tigers? Well, make time to meet baby Bakso — an adorable Sumatran tiger cub — and his mom at Maharajah Jungle Trek! Into creepy crawlies? Head over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch to see them up close (Tad's all about this).
Here's a full list of all the rides, attractions and animal exhibits available at Animal Kingdom:
Attractions & Experiences
- The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- The Boneyard (closing in 2026)
- DINOSAUR (closing in 2026)
- Expedition Everest — Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
- Kali River Rapids
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Na’vi River Journey
- Wilderness Explorers
- Wildlife Express Train
Animal Exhibits
- Affection Section
- African Birds
- African Elephants
- African Hogs
- African Lions
- Ankole Cattle
- Anteaters
- Asian Birds
- Asian Small-Clawed Otters
- Babirusas
- Bats
- Butterflies
- Conservation Station
- Cotton-Top Tamarins
- Discovery Island Trails
- Flamingos
- Gibbons
- Giraffes
- Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
- Gorillas
- Hippopotamuses
- Invertebrates
- Kangaroos
- Komodo Dragons
- Lemurs
- Maharajah Jungle Trek
- Meerkats
- Migratory Birds
- The Oasis Exhibits
- Okapis
- Rhinos
- Tigers
- Tree of Life
- Vultures
- Zebras
Excluding the animal exhibits, you can use a Lightning Lane Single Pass or Multi Pass at most other rides and attractions, including Festival of the Lion King and Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Using Lightning Lane at Animal Kingdom
Lightning Lane is available to use at Animal Kingdom, and it can make your day at the theme park so much easier! Lightning Lane is a paid option to bypass the line at most attractions within the park.
Guests have two main options: Single Pass and Multi Pass. Single Pass lets you skip the line at the most in-demand attraction in Animal Kingdom: Avatar Flight of Passage. Multi Pass, on the other hand, can be used on most of the remaining attractions for one price. Please note that this price varies per day, depending on the time of year. Generally, you can expect Multi Pass to cost $20-$35 per person, per day.
To get started, choose up to three attractions (DINOSAUR, Expedition Everest — Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, Feathered Friends in Flight!, Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo: The Big Blue … and Beyond, Kali River Rapids, Kilimanjaro Safaris and Na’vi River Journey) and arrival windows. Once you redeem your first selection, you can choose another. Keep doing this throughout the day to make the most of your day at Animal Kingdom!
Guests now have the option of buying a Lightning Lane Premier Pass. This new option gives guests the ability to enjoy every available Lightning Lane attraction and experience, including those normally only available as a Single Pass option. Furthermore, you can just arrive at any time — no scheduled arrival window needed. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World hotel can buy all three passes up to seven days before check-in. Learn more about these passes, including how they work, in our guide: What You Need to Know About Disney World Lightning Lane Passes.
Animal Kingdom Entertainment
Like rides and attractions, there’s no shortage of fun, family-filled entertainment options at Disney's Animal Kingdom!
Shows
At several points throughout the day, Winged Encounters — The Kingdom Takes Flight takes place near the Tree of Life. In this show, you’ll see magnificent birds, including six species of South American macaw, take flight and soar high above Discovery Island.
Catch Winged Encounters — The Kingdom Takes Flight daily at:
- 9:15 a.m.
- 10:15 a.m.
- 11:15 a.m.
- 1:15 p.m.
- 2:15 p.m.
Head on over to Asia for another winged show, Feathered Friends in Flight! This 35-minute show gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how free-flying birds are cared for and trained by knowledgeable behavior specialists.
Showtimes include:
- 10:30 a.m.
- 11:30 a.m.
- 1:30 p.m.
- 2:30 p.m.
- 3:30 p.m.
Showtimes subject to change — double-check the My Disney Experience app for the most up-to-date information.
As mentioned briefly above, Animal Kingdom is home to two live stage shows: The Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue … and Beyond! The Festival of the Lion King, in the Africa section of the park, is a 40-minute Broadway-level experience that brings the fan-favorite Disney film to life. See gorgeous puppetry and sing along with classics such as "Circle of Life" and "Hakuna Matata."
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue … and Beyond is over in DinoLand U.S.A. Larger-than-life puppets, scenic backgrounds and catchy songs such as "In the Big Blue World" bring to life Disney and Pixar's "Finding Nemo," where you catch up with your fishy friends from Dr. P. Sherman’s office who made their way to the Marine Life Institute. Fish are friends, everyone … not food — remember that!
Showtimes occur multiple times throughout the day — be sure to check your My Disney Experience app. Please note that seating is limited. Get in line early!
Live Music and Street Performances
As you make your way across the parks, you’ll be treated to live music that brings each culture to life! The Harambe Village Street Band in Africa brings the streets alive with their Afro-pop medleys.
Also, in the Africa section, be sure to stay and watch the Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe. These talented performers put on an amazing show, and best of all, you’re invited to join in on the fun! Performances begin at 8:10 a.m., soon after the park opens. In Discovery Island, join in on the colorful performances by the Viva Gaia Street Band in a Caribbean street party.
Performance times are listed in your My Disney Experience app, but they generally happen multiple times a day up until about an hour before park closing.
Character Meet-and-Greets
Animal Kingdom is the perfect place to not just meet some rare characters, but see them in new gear, too! See Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in their exploration gear at Adventurers Outpost in Discovery Island. Say la Orana (hello) to Moana at Character Landing, or head over to the Conservation Station to meet Rafiki and Timon!
Currently, you can still catch Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Chip ‘n’ Dale along the Cretaceous Trail (in DinoLand U.S.A.). The group rocks their dino-themed outfits!
You may also spot Russell and Dug at the Wilderness Explorers Club House, while Kevin the bird roams around Discovery Island. Nearby, Pocahontas meets along the Discovery Island Trails.
Shopping and Dining at Animal Kingdom
Take your pick of Minnie Ears, collectible pins, stuffed animals and themed souvenirs at one of the 18 shops at Animal Kingdom.
Many of these shops, including carts, are themed either to the land you’re in or Animal Kingdom itself. We recommend checking out Windtraders over in Pandora — The World of Avatar for banshee puppets and other "Avatar"-themed apparel.
As for food, our froggy family thinks Animal Kingdom ranks as one of the best theme parks! Tiffins Restaurant — a table service location — offers a unique, bold menu combining Latin, African and Asian flavors. Flame Tree Barbecue has a Ribs, Chicken and Pulled Pork Sampler big enough for us to share — and at less than $20, it’s a cost-effective option, too! Plus, the Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Pulled Pork is soooooo good!
When traveling with our extended family, we always book a table at Tusker House Restaurant — this park’s character dining location.
The tadpoles love interacting with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and we adult frogs love the African and American food options at the buffet.
Here's a list of your food options at Animal Kingdom:
- Anandapur Ice Cream Truck
- Caravan Road
- Creature Comforts
- Dawa Bar
- Dino-Bite Snacks (closing in 2026)
- Drinkwallah
- Eight Spoon Café
- Flame Tree Barbecue
- Harambe Fruit Market
- Harambe Market
- Isle of Java
- Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery
- Mahindi
- Mr. Kamal's
- Nomad Lounge
- Pizzafari
- Pongu Pongu
- Rainforest Cafe
- Restaurantosaurus (closing in 2026)
- Satu’li Canteen
- The Smiling Crocodile
- Tamu Tamu Refreshments
- Terra Treats
- Thirsty River Bar and Trek Snacks
- Tiffins Restaurant
- Trilo-Bites
- Tusker House Restaurant
- Warung Outpost
- Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes
- Yak & Yeti Quality Beverages
- Yak & Yeti Restaurant
- Zuri's Sweet Shop
Special Events at Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom doesn’t host specially ticketed events during the holiday season, unlike Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios. However, it does have unique offerings throughout the year that are included with the price of admission, such as the Merry Menagerie. During the holiday season, these beautifully sculpted puppets of winter animals come out and interact with guests.
In the week leading up to Earth Day, Animal Kingdom usually hosts "Earth Week," which often sees the debut of limited-time food, drinks and merchandise. Sometimes, there are even rare character appearances!
Animal Kingdom also offers tours and unique experiences for guests looking for that extra bit of magic. Savor the Savanna, for example, takes guests to a private savanna viewing area in the middle of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve where you can dine on African cuisine and relax with a glass of wine.
For a more adventurous outing, guests can enjoy a private tour on the Wild Africa Trek. During this three-hour private tour, you’ll cross a rope bridge and get incredible views of rhinos, hippos, crocodiles and giraffes. Plus, you will enjoy a gourmet menu of marinated tandoor shrimp, fresh fruit and so much more! These unique experiences are in addition to the cost of your ticket.
Tips for Visiting Animal Kingdom
We've covered a lot of ground so far, so to recap, here are some helpful tips for visiting Animal Kingdom:
- Arrive early, as the park typically closes at 6 p.m.
- For the animals’ safety, balloons are not allowed into the park. But if you hoppen to bring one because you're park hopping, Guest Relations will watch your balloon until you're ready to leave.
- Prioritize popular rides, especially those in Pandora — The World of Avatar, first. These usually have the longest lines throughout the parks.
- Take time to check out the animal exhibits.
- Look for DiVine, aka "the plant woman," on stilts. She is often hidden but usually walks around the Oasis section of the park.
- Ride Kilimanjaro Safaris first thing in the morning. This is when the animals are most active. However…
- Realize that the animals are operating on their own schedule. You may want to hear the lions roar on Kilimanjaro Safaris, but they may have decided it's nap time. Manage expectations to avoid disappointment.
- Invest in quality footwear. This is the largest Disney theme park, so you're in for a full day of walking!
- Stay hydrated!
- Bring your own reusable straw, if necessary. Animal Kingdom does not sell plastic straws.
Depending on who you ask, you might hear that Animal Kingdom is a "half-day park," and the reality is that, for some guests, it might be. Unlike the other Disney theme parks, Animal Kingdom places heavy emphasis on nature, conservation and exploration. We know some frogs who choose to enjoy the thrill rides before hopping to another park. And that's OK!
However, we do recommend staying the entire day and checking out all that there is to offer. Between amazing stage performances, live shows, incredible animal exhibits and thrilling attractions, Disney's Animal Kingdom has something to offer for every age group and interest.
We hope this guide helps you prepare for your adventure at Animal Kingdom! What’s your favorite thing to do while visiting? Did we miss any tips? Let us know in the comments.
Related: The Rides and Experiences You Won't Want to Miss at Animal Kingdom
Related: Adventure Is Out There with the Wilderness Explorers at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Hopping planning!
