Last reviewed: October 2026
Animal Kingdom is an amazingly themed park. The themed lands are a unique display of world-building, and Pandora is unlike anything you will ever see.
This is my guide to the attractions found at Animal Kingdom, which includes a complete list of rides. I have included location, height requirements, Lightning Lane eligibility, and some thoughts on each ride so that you can plan your trip based on what's best for your family.
Animal Kingdom has 18 attractions, and 6 of them are rides: Avatar Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Na'vi River Journey and the Wildlife Express Train. The rest are shows, animal trails and play areas. DINOSAUR and TriceraTop Spin are gone, so older lists will show more.
My highly recommended list at Animal Kingdom is Avatar Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids, Na'vi River Journey and Festival of the Lion King (the best show in the park). Flight of Passage is one of the most popular rides in all of Disney World, and the only one here on Lightning Lane Single Pass.
All 18 Animal Kingdom attractions with their height requirement and Lightning Lane status. Tap a name to jump to the full description.
| Attraction | Land | Height | Lightning Lane |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avatar Flight of Passage | Pandora | 44" | Single Pass |
| Bluey's Wild World | Conservation Station | Any | None |
| Conservation Station | Conservation Station | Any | None |
| Discovery Island Trails | Discovery Island | Any | None |
| Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain | Asia | 44" | Multi Pass |
| Feathered Friends in Flight! | Asia | Any | Multi Pass |
| Festival of the Lion King | Africa | Any | Multi Pass |
| Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond! | Theater in the Wild | Any | Multi Pass |
| Gorilla Falls Exploration Trails | Africa | Any | None |
| Jumping Junction | Conservation Station | Any | None |
| Kali River Rapids | Asia | 38" | Multi Pass |
| Kilimanjaro Safaris | Africa | Any | Multi Pass |
| Maharajah Jungle Trek | Asia | Any | None |
| Na'vi River Journey | Pandora | Any | Multi Pass |
| The Oasis Exhibits | Oasis | Any | None |
| Wilderness Explorers | Parkwide | Any | None |
| Wildlife Express Train | Africa | Any | None |
| Zootopia: Better Zoogether! | Discovery Island | Any | Multi Pass |
The old Affection Section petting zoo reopened in June 2026 as Jumping Junction. Kangaroos and wallabies now share the habitat, tying it to Bluey's Wild World next door.
This is one of the most popular rides in all of Disney World. You will soar through the world of Avatar on a virtual banshee. This ride can cause motion sickness if you aren't great with the simulator type rides.
From my trips: Our VIP guide walked us into the Lightning Lane for Flight of Passage, and then we just had to stand in that line. A VIP tour doesn't mean you get right on. We stood in line for an hour, but the kids love Flight of Passage, so it was worth it.
An indoor play experience where kids dance and play games with Bluey and Bingo, including Butterfly Keepy Uppy from the show. It opened on May 26, 2026 as part of the rebuilt Conservation Station. The virtual queue ended on June 2, 2026. Now there is a standby line, and you wait for the train first.
This is a behind the scenes look at animals in the park being cared for. You will see veterinarians and other experts caring for animals and wildlife. They will be able to answer questions, and you can watch while they care for the animals. You may even see operations on animals as needed, but what you see varies on the needs of the animals that day.
These are trails that go all around Discovery Island. You can see wildlife as you walk around. Look out for Lemurs, Porcupines, Galapagos Tortoises, and more. Keep in mind this can be HOT.
This is a wild rollercoaster unlike any other. It feels like a normal ride, and suddenly you find yourself face to face with a Yeti before flying backward.
An outdoor bird show where macaws, hawks and owls fly out over the audience. The seating is shaded, the show is short, and it is one of the easiest wins in the park on a hot afternoon.
A big theater show with acrobats, stilt walkers, fire dancers and the songs from the movie. This is the best show at Animal Kingdom and it is worth building your day around a showtime.
From my trips: If acrobatics are your thing and a two-hour show is too long for your kids, Festival of the Lion King is way shorter, with Disney music and acrobats.
A 25 minute musical version of Finding Nemo performed with puppets. It is shorter than the show it replaced, and the theater is covered and air conditioned.
This walking trail has several animals including birds and fish and even gorillas. While it can be really interesting and fun, I always find this section to be insanely hot as you are walking through it. But the entrance is at the Safari exit, so if you hit the safari this is an easy and interesting walk through when you are done with that.
A 3D show in the Tree of Life Theater with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. This replaced It's Tough to be a Bug in November 2025, and it is much less startling for little ones than the old show was.
A river raft ride that is perfect for those hot days! I find this park to be the hottest of all of the parks, so this ride is a great and fun way to cool down. There is a good chance you could get soaked, so if you want to ride but don't want to get soaked you might want to wear a poncho.
From my trips: We didn't get as splashed as I hoped we would. Doing the water ride definitely helps in this heat. We hit Kali River Rapids three times in one day.
A guided safari ride (and yes, they actually drive these trucks. No fake Jungle Cruise type driving!) where you can see tons of animals. The guides have tons of information on the different types of animals you see as you drive by. Guides have mentioned that mornings and evenings are when the animals are most active. Also, this ride can be really hot, so morning and evening are a great time weather wise as well.
From my trips: The safari was one of the best I've ever been on, and I've been on it a lot. This time an adolescent giraffe was running back and forth. The safari was the only ride my daughter would do the entire trip. I told her we were going on a bus, because if she knew it was a ride, she'd say nope.
A walking path where you can see various animals like Komodo Dragons, Bats, and even Tigers! The walking path can be hot, but this is great for animal lovers.
People have mixed feelings on this ride, but I absolutely love it. It is a slow boat ride through a dark world of Pandora. It is one of the most beautiful rides I have ever seen.
From my trips: We rope-dropped Navi River Journey, and I couldn't believe how quickly the line grew.
This is a garden pathway where you will see waterfalls and amazing wildlife
A free scavenger hunt that runs across the whole park, based on Russell from Up. Kids earn badge stickers by completing activities at stations scattered around Animal Kingdom, which gives them something to do on the walks between rides.
Ride on this train from Africa to Conservation Station, the area that used to be called Rafiki's Planet Watch. This is a fun slow moving ride. If your kids love trains like mine, this can be a fun way to break up the day
From my trips: We took the train over to Rafiki's Planet Watch. It's so, so nice.
These attractions are gone, and they are listed here because people still ask about them. Most of DinoLand U.S.A. closed in stages between January 2025 and February 2026 to make room for Tropical Americas, which brings an Encanto ride and an Indiana Jones attraction. Disney has not announced an opening date. It's Tough to be a Bug is a separate case: Zootopia took over its theater.
This is a play area for small kids. A great place if your kids want to just run around and work off some energy after standing in long lines.
Take a wild ride to see dinosaurs through time. Be prepared for bumps and jolts, and some fun scares along the way. If you get motion sick, be prepared. There are a ton of bumps!
These are carnival-like games that are themed for Dinoland. My kids always want to stop to play games!
A 3d show that is charming and fun for everyone. Everyone from my kids to my grandparents enjoyed this show. The show features the characters from A Bug's Life.
This is a dumbo type ride, but instead, you are riding in a dinosaur. This is always a favorite for the kids (and for the adults in my family)
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See you at the parks,
-Julie
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