Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the fourth theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, opening on Earth Day on April 22, 1998. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a celebration of the natural world, wildlife conservation, and immersive storytelling. It’s the largest Disney theme park in size and blends a traditional theme park with a working animal preserve.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is divided into six themed lands: Oasis, Discovery Island, Pandora – The World of Avatar, Africa, Asia, and DinoLand U.S.A. The park features over 25 attractions, with more new Walt Disney World rides and experiences coming in the future.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Overview

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a mix of thrill rides, walking trails, live shows, animal encounters, themed dining, and environments that transport guests to different lands.

See the key Walt Disney World tools you will want to familiarize yourself with to make the most of your park experience.

Here are more details on the best strategies and itineraries for touring Disney’s Animal Kingdom, with and without Walt Disney World’s line-skipping service, Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

• Early Entry: Animal Kingdom Early Entry Strategy
• Morning rope drop: Animal Kingdom Rope Drop Strategy
• 1-day trip: Animal Kingdom 1-Day Itinerary
• Small kids: Animal Kingdom Itinerary With Small Kids
• Lightning Lane rides: Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Rides Ranking

Disney’s Animal Kingdoms hours vary throughout the year depending on the season with longer operating hours in the busier months. See an overview of the Disney’s Animal Kingdom hours you can expect:

• Animal Kingdom Park Hours

Transportation options to Disney’s Animal Kingdom include:

• Disney Bus Service
• Guests driving their own vehicles can park in the Animal Kingdom parking lot, which is a short walk or tram ride from the entrance.

There are several Disney’s Animal Kingdom restaurants to choose from, including table-service and quick-service restaurants. See more details about these restaurants:

• Best Animal Kingdom Restaurants

Before your visit, it’s helpful to check out the Disney’s Animal Kingdom map so you are familiar with the layout of the park and its lands.

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Map of Disney World (Printable PDF), Plus Individual Lands

Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s entertainment focuses mainly on its live shows and educational animal experiences including Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond! Animal experiences at Disney’s Animal Kingdom includes a bird show, Feathered Friends in Flight!!, and animal exhibits and trails like Maharajah Jungle Trek, Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, and Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

Although Animal Kingdom doesn’t have any nighttime show with fireworks to protect the animals, it features Tree of Life Awakenings, a projection show showcasing animals and seasonal stories on the Tree of Life that runs nightly after sunset.

There are several Disney’s Animal Kingdom rides across the park’s different lands. See the best ones ranked below:

• Animal Kingdom Rides Ranked

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lands

Animal Kingdom features six immersive lands, each offering its own blend of attractions, wildlife, food, and entertainment:

Oasis: The lush entryway filled with animals and tropical plants. Serves as a tranquil welcome to the park including the first view of animal exhibits.

Discovery Island: This is the main hub of the park featuring the Tree of Life, animal exhibits, and shops. 

Pandora – The World of Avatar: This land is inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar and includes the popular Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey, as well as stunning bioluminescent landscapes.

Africa: Designed to resemble the village of Harambe, featuring Kilimanjaro Safaris, Festival of the Lion King, and animal habitats like gorillas and hippos.

Asia: Modeled after mythical towns of the Himalayas, home to Expedition Everest andKali River Rapids.

DinoLand U.S.A.: This land is now mostly closed as it begins its construction to transform into a Tropical Americas themed land with only the Dinosaur attraction remaining open through the end of 2025.

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