Favorites From Animal Kingdom

We’ve been going to Disney World for a long time. Animal Kingdom has always been one of our favorite parks to visit. Maybe it was my sister’s love of animals and my love of travel that always made Animal Kingdom a must on our list.

The park has seen some changes over the years, with its recent addition of Avatar. Disclaimer: not all rights were secured so don’t expect the exact songs. That might just be something my siblings and I noticed.

Whether you’re going for the safari ride or ready to visit Pandora, here are our favorite things and some fun stories from our time at Animal Kingdom over the years.

Dinosaur

I can’t think of Animal Kingdom without sharing one of my favorite memories. It was our first time with our little sister in the Park. She wanted to ride Dinosaur so bad. Proving to her siblings she was brave, we got the FastPass and decided to go for it.

Zooming past the long lines, we made it into our car and halfway through the Jurassic jungle, the ride stopped. We had to follow protocol and pass the poor kid crying his eyes out because their car was stuck right in front of the robot dinosaur.

While my sister continued to showcase her bravery, we followed the painted line toward the exit. When the line came to a stop, we stood by a curtain. My sister looked behind it and saw how the magic of Disney was made and yelled “Hey! This ride’s a phony!”

My brother and eye were dying laughing. My sister remains brave and true. To this day we joke about that experience. We finally made it back to ride this again and it was still a phony.

This part of the Park has one of the best gift shops meaning they have merchandise that you won’t find anywhere else. Yes. I’m talking about my Stitch hat. My brother also found his favorite pair of ears here.

Expedition Everest

This by far has always been our favorite ride in Disney World. Close to Splash Mountain. I know. That’s a big deal. But it truly is worth it. We often joke about getting the Park Hopper just to ride Expedition Everest in the morning and head to another Park right after.

Avatar’s Pandora

If you’re gonna do this you’re gonna have to commit an entire day to it. I’m serious. The lines are LONG. Be there when the Park opens and head straight there. There will somehow already be a line. You’ll have to choose one. If you have an opportunity to get a FastPass for one of the rides DO IT. These FastPasses are often reserved in advance so we weren’t able to snag one.

If you have to choose one ride I say go with Avatar Flight of Passage. We chose Na’vi River Journey and it was okay. Stepping into this world is more of the experience than the rides themselves. It’s like you’re on a movie set or actually Pandora. Whichever one floats your boat of imagination more.

Safari

The OG of Animal Kingdom. Is it worth it? I think so. Best time to go is in the morning when the animals are moving around. This attraction closes earlier than the Park so keep that in mind when you’re planning your day. I used to say get a FastPass for this but with Avatar being the hot thing right now I think you’ll be fine to walk up and ride this attraction.

Another animal lover’s area that is more educational and underrated is Rafiki’s Planet Watch. It’s located in the Park and you ride a train at Conservation Station to get there. There are animals and conservation education. You can also snag a photo with a rare character—Rafiki himself!