The Animal Kingdom is a really fun park that you don’t want to miss. It has animals, but it is nothing like the zoo you would find in your home town. It is also one of the best parks to meet characters.
Tips about early morning at the Animal Kingdom
- The park opens at 9 am but it closes before the other parks. So make sure that you check your times guide. Because of the early closure the park isn’t terribly busy in the afternoon.
- Don’t follow the masses. It’s common human nature to go with the crowds. Take a moment to look at all your options. A lot of time people will all be headed to one turnstile and there will be a long line, while there are 3 open turnstiles on your left hand side that people aren’t using. So keep your eyes open. If you can go left, go left! (Everyone else will be going right).
- Security will check your bags. To make this process faster, open all compartments before you reach the security guard. They will appreciate it.
- When you are going through security, there are always 2 lines. One on the left side of the table and one on the right. The security guards are trained to take a guest from the left and then take a guest from the right. Again, the masses will all be lining up in one line, since you know this tip go ahead and go to the opposite side. He won’t look at you like you’ve grown 2 heads. I promise!
- Did you know that there is a secret entrance to the Animal Kingdom? If you go through the Rain Forest Cafe’s gift shop and out the doors at the back, there is a fun garden type area with oversized vegetation. There is also a working turnstyle with a CM that you can use to get into the park! A lot of people don’t know about this and thus it isn’t very busy.
- There is a welcome show at the Animal Kingdom. Minnie, Pluto and Goofy will soon arrive to welcome you to the park.
- Characters are often found just outside the entrance to Animal Kingdom. They are more likely to be there in the morning, but I have seen them in the afternoon too. These are usually animal or bug characters such as Rakiki, Terk and more.
- At the end of the day, Donald, Goofy, Mickey and Minnie will be at the exit to the park to wave goodbye and thank you for coming.
The Oasis
The Oasis is the Animal Kingdom equivalent of Main Street. It is usually open 30 – 60 minutes after the rest of the park closes.
There are quite a few trials through the Oasis. Usually the ones on the far left and right side are faster. And because most people go to their right, I would take the left path.
Discovery Island
Discovery Island is home to the amazing Tree of Life. There are 4 different trails that go through this area. Some take you right up to the tree!
Make sure you pick up a map of the park. You will notice 4 black paw prints. These are used to mark the Discovery Island trails.
While you explore the trails, look for hidden rocks. You will see some holes in the rocks. Be sure to look in them!
There is a character greeting spot on Discovery Island. It is located right by the bridge to DinoLand. Be sure to stop by to meet some of your favorites including Winnie the Pooh!
– Located inside the Tree of Life
– This is a FASTPASS attraction.
– Good place to go on a hot summer day.
– Might scare little kids. (We have not and do not plan to do this one yet)
Disney World is the Most Magical Place On Earth. Be sure to learn how to make the most of your trip by reading the Disney World Training series. You can also browse all the articles I have written in an easy to use outline. And if you are ready to book your trip, be sure to read about the perks of using an authorized Disney vacation planner (plus it’s FREE!).
Younger kids who are easily frightened (or afraid of bugs!) should not see “It’s Tough To Be A Bug”. What it is is a 4D 10-ish minute movie that allows you to get up close and personal with bugs. There are “stingers” hidden on each seat, and in one point of the movie you are “stung”, big spiders drop down from the ceiling (yes-they are low enough to actually touch you), and at the end of the performance, you are asked to remain seated while the “ladies and gentlebugs” exit, and pockets of air and pushed through the bottom of your seat to feel like bugs are crawling underneath your bum! For adults it’s all in good fun, but for small children, this ride may be a bit scary.
Not for all children though, my nine-year old sister loves the attraction, but I still close my eyes when the spiders come! If you aren’t sure if your child will enjoy this attraction, try looking it up on youtube (although you won’t be able to see the 3D effect) or googling some images.
Jasmine, Thank you so much for explaining what was scary! I probably would have gone because my daughter does not scare easy but after reading this I know that I want to skip this! Neither one of us really like bugs and I don’t think we could handle them crawling on us, even if it is just pretend!
I’m glad I could help! It’s a great show, but I wouldn’t want you or your daughter to have a bad experience with it!
I also want to thank you for the detail. I was on the fence about it, but I am now 100% sure that not only will my daughter be terrified – but I will, too!!
I completely agree with the “its a bugs life” show in the tree. It was one of the first things we did on our Disney trip and my young son was afraid for almost the rest of the rides at all of the Disney parks. Definitely do not recommend for younger kids!
I just have to add that the Dinosaur ride also scared me and I’m 26! The Lion King show is FANTASTIC!! There is a lot of kid participation. One other thing I must mention about AK is the breakfast pizza at Pizzafari. IT IS great…so great that I often crave it on random mornings. It’s not fair that I have to live in IL so far away…. :(
Fun stuff, and great tips, Kristin! You are giving us all the fever to go!!!
We are really looking forward to going to the animal kingdom. My kids can’t wait for the safari and although the last time I was there I wasn’t real impressed, I’m sure my kids will absolutely love it (I was a senior in high school when I first went)!
I agree with Janna. I’m not a big fan of AK either but I’ve enjoyed the Lion King show in the past. Do they still have the Lion King show? Anyhow, my boys always enjoyed this!
Thanks again for all your HARD work on these posts! I plan to print them off to study before we ever step foot on Disney property!
Don’t forget to look for DeVine-look closely or you may miss her!
The Lion King Show is a must see as well! Loved it.
I am so sorry for the horrible repetition of that last comment…it’s late…I hope you can get the idea of what I was trying to share…
The Animal Kingdom is a great place for character pics and autographs. We were able to see all the characters(Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Mickey, Chip and Dale, and a few more that I cannot remember right now…) Right before the first Lion King show, there are characters in the Camp Minnie Mickey area with very short/no lines. After the show lets out the lines are much longer. We were able to see all the characters(Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Mickey, Chip and Dale, and a few more that I cannot remember right now…) in about 10 minutes!! It was awesome!!
I love the safari ride. Every time we ride it its different. Sometimes we hardly see any animals, sometime we see tons. I also love the Lion King show. Its just like a broadway show. Pocahontas is usally near the entrance to the show. My grand loves her. We also like the bird show, but might be boring for little ones.
Just a tip for those with back problems don’t lean against the back of the bench on its Tough to be a Bug. I learnt this the hard way when I went the first time!There is a sting and it stayed with me my whole time. I wouldn’t take kids in this until they are about 10. We took my niece (5 year old) and she screamed the whole time…she hated it.
I am almost 40 years old and the Dinosaur ride is too scary for me! :)
I am not a big fan of AK but I think the Nemo musical is a must see!
I would also mention to do the Safari first thing (the animals are more active in the cooler morning) and that the DINOSAUR ride is WAY too scary for littler ones, but the Boneyard is great for them and right outside!
Some of our most interesting character pics have been from Animal Kingdom. We’ve had pics taken with Flik (A Bug’s Life), Pocahontas, Safari Fab 5, Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore, Rafiki (The Lion King), King Louie and Baloo (The Jungle Book), Tarzan and a few others I cannot think of right now. Time to break out the old photo album/scrapbook…
I agree about “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” both of my kids were terrified!! When my daughter turned 7 she tried it again, but she still didn’t love it.