How To Enjoy Disney’s Animal Kingdom To Its Fullest

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a favorite park to many guests. Those who love Animal Kingdom love its spirit of adventure, exploration, and nature. Animal Kingdom is Disney World’s largest park causing some guests to feel intimidated by its scale. The attractions are not located close together like you find at Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios but instead are spread throughout the park, which tends to frustrate some guests. However, with the right mindset you can enjoy Animal Kingdom to its fullest.

The Journey, Not The Destination

The first thing to keep in mind when visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom is that Animal Kingdom is a park that is meant to be experienced and explored. The attractions aren’t located in close-proximity to each other because guests are meant to journey from place to place and explore the land. Animal Kingdom’s pathways are designed to take you to quiet corners and lead you off of the main trail. Don’t worry so much about rushing from attraction to attraction and instead focus on what you might find along the way.

Discovery Island

Too many guests make their way through Animal Kingdom without exploring its central hub: Discovery Island. Discovery Island is the park’s “wild” side and is meant to transport guests into the world of nature. Guests will come across a variety of wild animal exhibits including otters, lemurs, vultures, flamingos, and other birds. Discovery Island takes you even closer to Animal Kingdom’s beautiful Tree of Life, and also is home to the 4D film attraction “It’s Tough to be a Bug”. Discovery Island is the heart of the park and deserves to be explored in its entirety.

Rafiki’s Planet Watch

Another section of park that tends to get overlooked is Rafiki’s Planet Watch. This area must be accessed by taking The Wildlife Express Train at Harambe Station. Once you arrive at Rafiki’s Planet watch you’ll find The Conservation Station where you can get exclusive views of animals including a veterinary room, nutrition center, amphibian and reptile room, and a science center. Animal experts are onsite and ready to answer your questions and educate you on all things wild. The Conservation Station also offers a unique Animation Experience where guests can take part in a 25-minute long drawing lesson of a featured Disney character. Each lesson features a different character so you never know what you might get to draw.  Rafiki’s Planet watch is also home to the Affection Section where guests can pet animals like goats, and an outdoor discovery trail. Rafiki’s Planet Watch is part of what makes Animal Kingdom so unique, and is proof that Animal Kingdom is so much more than just a theme park.

Shows and Entertainment

So many guests are focused on experiencing all of Animal Kingdom’s attractions but forget that Animal Kingdom is also home to some incredible shows. The Festival of the Lion King is a musical extravaganza featuring animatronics, puppetry, acrobatics, singing, and more. This iconic stage show celebrates The Lion King and the music behind it, and gives guests a one-of-a-kind experience that they’ll never forget.

Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond! is an incredible stage show that takes puppetry to a whole new level. This show tells the story of Finding Nemo and Finding Dory is an exciting way featuring larger-than-life effects and live singing and acting. When in Animal Kingdom, experiencing these shows is a must-do!

Animal Kingdom is a large park but it has so much to offer guests. In order to enjoy it to its fullest guests should explore and most of all…have fun!

Featured Photo: Emily Murray.