Complete Disney’s Animal Kingdom Guide (2025)
Animal Kingdom may not make it to the top of everyone’s Disney favorites list, but it IS on my favorite parks list (maybe even in the top spot, depending on the day). This Animal Kingdom guide will tell you everything you need know about visiting the park in 2025 — from the way to see characters to how to hop on the best rides.
For almost my entire life I have been ride or die for Magic Kingdom. It’s the park where I spent the most time growing up, and it’s of course where you can find Disney at its most classic (expect for Disneyland itself). Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, so I didn’t get a lot of time there as a kid.
But when I visited as an adult, I FELL IN LOVE. And now when I visit, it is always a top priority park for me.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is so different from Magic Kingdom and definitely unique compared any other park on property. It’s half zoo, half theme park. And when I say theme park I mean that word in the most literal sense because the theming of Animal Kingdom is STUNNING.
Looking for information on other Disney World Parks?
- Complete Guide to Magic Kingdom
- Complete Guide to Epcot
- Complete Guide to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
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Getting to Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom is the only park on Disney World Property that doesn’t offer more than one transportation option to the park. Because Animal Kingdom is set apart from the other parks (to give the animals space, keep them away from the fireworks, etc.) the only resort-offered transportation to Animal Kingdom is taking a bus. You’ll find a bus to Animal Kingdom at every Disney resort.
If you are staying at a non-Disney World resort, check to see if they offer free shuttle services to the parks. Many of them do.
If you are driving to Animal Kingdom, you will park in the Animal Kingdom parking lot. If you are staying at a Disney Resort, you won’t have to pay for parking. If you are an off-site day guest though, parking will be $30. Annual passholders do not have to pay for parking.
Getting Around Animal Kingdom
The only way to get around Animal Kingdom is walking.
There is, however, a section of the park that is set away from the rest of the park: Rafiki’s Planet Watch where you will find Conservation Station (where you can get a peek inside the veterinary facility and find The Animation Experience) and Affection Section (a petting zoo area). To get to Rafiki’s Planet Watch you will take the Wildlife Express Train in Africa.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Rides & Attractions in 2025
Animal Kingdom is a celebration of our planet, and you’ll find 4 main sections centered around Discovery Island (where the Tree of Life, the park’s main icon, sits) plus Rafiki’s Planet Watch, which you can take a train to.
For our Animal Kingdom guide, we’ll start with the park entrance and Discovery Island and then work our way clockwise around the park.
Animal Kingdom Entrance and Oasis
When you enter Animal Kingdom you immediately enter into the Oasis. You will have to choose to go right or left, but don’t worry — the two paths meet back up before going into the main part of the park.
In the Oasis there are several animal viewing locations. Here you will usually find several kinds of exotic birds, as well as wallabies and babirusas.
Discovery Island
Discovery Island is home to the Tree of Life. Definitely take some time to walk the winding trails around the Tree of Life and admire all of the intricate animal carvings. There are also several animal viewing areas including otters, vultures, and flamingos.
And a new Zootopia show is coming to the Tree of Life soon!
Discovery Island Attractions:
- Meet Minnie and Mickey at the Adventurers Outpost
- Discovery Island Trails (animal viewing)
Pandora – The World of Avatar
Pandora is based on the movie Avatar, but even if you haven’t seen the movie you should still make this section a priority. It is such an immersive and beautiful area and is truly one of my favorite “lands” in all the parks.
Pandora – The World of Avatar Rides and Attractions
- Na’vi River Journey (slow boat ride)
- Avatar Flight of Passage (thrill ride)
Africa
Africa is set in the fictional village of Harambe, and it has some of my favorite theming in the whole park.
Africa Rides and Attractions:
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Festival of the Lion King (show)
- Wildlife Express Train (to Rafiki’s Planet Watch)
- Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (animal viewing trail)
Rafiki’s Planet Watch
This is the section of the park you get to by taking the Wildlife Express Train. Here you can see some behind the scenes of the park, plus there is a petting zoo.
There’s a vet area here where you can watch the park’s vets in action. Pro tip: Go early in the morning for a chance to see this, because they schedule most exams and operations for the morning. (This is on my bucket list to see, but so far I haven’t been lucky enough to catch anything going on when I visit in the morning!)
Rafiki’s Planet Watch Attractions
- Affection Section (petting zoo)
- Conversation Station (behind the scenes look)
- The Animation Experience at Conservation Station (animation class)
Asia
Asia is set in the fictional kingdom of Anandapur, and it is kind of split into two sections: the more India-esque section near Feathered Friends in Flight and the more Nepal-esque section near Expedition Everest.
Asia Rides and Attractions
- Expedition Everest (roller coaster)
- Kali River Rapids (thrill water ride)
- Maharajah Jungle Trek (animal viewing; this is where the tigers are!)
- Feathered Friends in Flight (outdoor stage show)
DinoLand U.S.A.
You just have a bit longer to visit DinoLand USA!
Disney has announced they will be retheming the area to “Tropical Americas” land, bringing in theming from Encanto and Indiana Jones, which I love the idea of! This transformation will begin to take place in 2025, so you’ll find lots of construction here during your trip most likely.
Some rides have already closed (like Triceratop Spin), but DINOSAUR likely won’t be closing until 2026, so you still have time to get your rides in.
DinoLand U.S.A. Rides and Attractions
- DINOSAUR (dark thrill ride – closing permanently on February 2, 2026)
- Finding Nemo – The Big Blue and Beyond! (stage show)
How to Use Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Animal Kingdom
What is Lightning Lane Multi Pass?
Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a system in the My Disney Experience app that gives you access to Lightning Lanes (shorter lines) for certain rides. Lightning Lane Multi Pass usually costs $18 to $35 per ticket per day (it fluctuates based on demand and park, but Animal Kingdom is usually the cheapest). There is also one ride in each park that is a Lightning Lane Single Pass, which is a separate charge.
Standby lines are still available. You do not HAVE to use Lightning Lanes.
For guests staying at Walt Disney World Resorts, you can purchase and book Lightning Lanes for your trip 7 days in advance. When you purchase it, you can book 3 Lightning Lanes for each day you have purchased it.
For all other guests, you can purchase and book Lightning Lanes 3 days in advance.
And once you are in the park for the day, you can book a new Lightning Lane each time you use one.
There’s also a new Lightning Lane Premiere Pass which allows you to access every Lightning Lane in one park whenever you want. But honestly, I think this is an overpriced add-on (it’s $150 to $450 PER PERSON PER DAY) that’s completely unnecessary. So we’ll just ignore that it exists.
Lightning Lane Rides and Attractions at Animal Kingdom
Here are the rides that are part of Lightning Lane Multi Pass in Animal Kingdom (an asterisks indicates a ride that is especially popular where Lightning Lanes would be especially beneficial):
- DINOSAUR*
- Expedition Everest*
- Feathered Friends in Flight!
- Festival of the Lion King
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond!
- Kali River Rapids*
- Kilimanjaro Safaris*
- Na’vi River Journey*
There is also one ride that has a Lightning Lane Single Pass available for purchase. You can book this whether or not you buy Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
- Avatar Flight of Passage
Lightning Lane Strategy for Animal Kingdom
If you are using Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Animal Kingdom, we would recommend getting your first Lightning Lane for either Kilimanjaro Safaris, Na’vi River Journey, or Expedition Everest. Behind Flight of Passage, these are some of the most popular rides in the park. And note that Kilimanjaro Safaris often closes earlier than the rest of the park, so availability can be more limited.
Then at rope drop (first thing in the morning when the park opens) ride either Flight of Passage (if you aren’t purchasing an Lightning Lane Single Pass) or one of the other most popular rides: Na’vi River Journey and Expedition Everest. In fact, if you choose to go with Na’vi River Journey and Everest, you can likely ride them both before you need to go to Kilimanjaro Safaris for your Lightning Lane.
From there, book your next Lightning Lane for another popular ride (Na’vi River Journey or DINOSAUR maybe) and then find rides with low wait times or explore some of the many animal viewing areas while you wait for your next Lightning Lane.
Also, note that Expedition Everest does have a single rider line. So if you’re party doesn’t mind getting split up on the ride, you can use that line to shorten your wait time.
Do I need Lightning lane Multi Pass for Animal Kingdom?
Honestly, while having Lightning Lanes will really cut down on your Animal Kingdom wait times, you don’t exactly NEED it. If you have a whole day at Animal Kingdom there will be plenty of time to get on all the rides without Lightning Lanes. You’ll likely just have some long lines to wait in.
If you rope drop Flight of Passage and then hit Na’vi River Journey and the Safari, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting on the rest of the rides and wait times shouldn’t be too bad (this does depend on the time of year you are there though).
To me, the best money you can spend on at Animal Kingdom is the Individual Lightning Lane Single Pass for Flight of Passage. To me, this is one of the best rides on property and always has an insanely long wait. I would choose to buy this Lightning Lane above buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass for my Animal Kingdom day if I had to choose.
If you go this route, ride Na’vi River Journey, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Expedition Everest first thing in the morning. The wait times for these three rides in the first hour of the park opening are usually not bad at all.
Early Entry at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
If you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel or a select number of the “Good Neighbor” hotels, you are eligible for Early Entry. This means you can enter the park 30 minutes before regular day guests. This is a great time to take advantage of shorter wait times for some of the most popular rides!
Here are the attractions available during Animal Kingdom Early Entry:
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- Dinosaur
- Expedition Everest
- Na’vi River Journey
- TriceraTop Spin
Whether or not you have Early Entry will definitely impact your rope drop plans.
If you have Early Entry and are near the front of the rope drop crowd, go ahead and rope drop Flight of Passage!
If you have Early Entry but are pretty far back in the crowd, I would instead probably rope drop Na’vi River Journey (or Expedition Everest).
If you are not part of Early Entry, I would recommend rope dropping Na’vi River Journey, Expedition Everest, or Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Where to Meet Characters at Animal Kingdom in 2025
Here’s a guide to the characters you can meet at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Beyond these, though, be on the lookout for other surprise characters. You never know who Disney will decide to pull out for meet & greets.
Animal Kingdom Character Meet and Greets
Here is where you can meet some of your favorites!
Mickey, Minnie, & Friends
You can meet Mickey and Minnie at the Adventurers Outpost on Discovery Island. You can also meet Mickey, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy at Tusker House Restaurant.
Discovery Island Characters
There is a handful of characters you’ll be able to meet around Discovery Island, including Kevin (the bird from Up! who I have also seen in Asia), Russell and Dug from Up!, Pocahontas, and Moana. Check your My Disney Experience app for character meet-and-greet times.
Wilderness Explorers
Wilderness Explorers is a unique program to Animal Kingdom. It’s a bit like KidCot at Epcot, where kids can go around the park to different stations and earn rewards for completing activities. In this case they earn badges (stickers).
It’s a free program, and it’s an extra bonus that some kids really love, especially if they’ve been to the park several times. (My honest advice…if you’re new to Animal Kingdom, don’t stress about doing it on your first trip.)
There are Wilderness Explorer stations set up in every section of the park, so if you are interested, pick up a handbook (available at the Wilderness Explorers Headquarters near the bridge as you enter Discovery Island from the Oasis), check out the map, and be on the lookout for Wilderness Explorers locations.
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Outdoor Entertainment
Entertainment is a big part of Animal Kingdom. From the stage shows to the street entertainment, it’s all created to immerse you in a world beyond you own. Aside from the stage shows (mentioned above in attractions), here is a brief outdoor entertainment guide for Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Street Entertainment
One feature that makes Animal Kingdom so fun is the variety of street entertainment you can stumble upon throughout the park. There are musicians and performers in almost every section of the park, meant to transport you to a different land or country, often with a dance party included.
If there is a particular small performance you want to see (like the music performances in Africa, which are very popular), be sure to check out the times guide (found at the front of the park) or your My Disney Experience app. Here’s what you can usually find though:
- Viva Gaia Street Band on Discovery Island
- Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe in Africa
- Harambe Village Acrobats in Africa
- Kora Tinga Tinga (musical performance) in Africa
- Chakranadi (musical performance) in Asia
Winged Encounters
This popular bird show takes place in front of the Tree of Life several times a day. Learn about macaws and watch them fly overhead! Check My Disney Experience for times.
Tree of Life Awakenings
This short night time show makes the Tree of Life come alive with lights. It takes place after dark and cycles through about every 10 minutes. Honestly, I really love this short show and think it’s incredibly underrated. After the “show” ends, keep you eye on the tree…some of the animals might move!
Note that often this show doesn’t take place during the summer because the park closes before it gets dark.
Cool Kids Summer
In Summer 2025, Disney World is celebrating “Cool Kids Summer” with special entertainment offerings (i.e. lots of characters and music!)
In Animal Kingdom, you can head to Rafiki’s Planet watch for special crafts and then catch a new sing-along show at Discovery Island.
Guide to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Dining in 2025
Animal Kingdom has some of the best food on property I think, and the creative dishes here can sometimes be a relief from the more standard theme park fare you will find at most other parks. (Satu’li Canteen and Nomad Lounge are some of my favorite meals I’ve had anywhere on property.)
From Quick Service to Table Service, there is so much great food at Animal Kingdom. Here’s a list of all the restaurant options you can find at Animal Kingdom, and we’ve tried to include a note about what types of food is served (unless the title makes it obvious…like Pizzafari).
Also be sure to check what restaurants are open during your visit. Some are only open seasonally.
Animal Kingdom Discovery Island Dining
Discovery Island Table Service Restaurants
- Rainforest Cafe (chain restaurant at park entrance; you can also access this restaurant from outside the park)
- Tiffins Restaurant (fine-dining global cuisine)
- Nomad Lounge (small plates + cocktails—one of my favorite spots!)
Discovery Island Quick Service Restaurants
Discovery Island Quick Service Snacks and Drinks
- Creature Comforts (Starbucks location)
- Eight Spoon Cafe (mac & cheese dishes)
- Isle of Java (coffee and breakfast pastries)
- The Smiling Crocodile (pulled pork tacos and tamales)
- Terra Treats (pizza)
Pandora – The World of Avatar Dining
Pandora has just two options, both quick service.
- Satu’li Canteen (healthy custom bowls and unique snacks—another one of my favorites!)
- Pongu Pongu (drinks, some breakfast options, and a spring roll)
Africa Dining
Africa Table Service Restaurants
- Tusker House Restaurant (African cuisine and character meal)
- Dawa Bar (bar attached to Tusker House)
Africa Quick Service Restaurants
- Harambe Market (Mediterrean rice bowls and salads)
Africa Quick Service Snacks and Drinks
- Harambe Fruit Market (fruit + hot dogs and Mickey pretzels)
- Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery
- Mahindi (popcorn and nuts)
- Tamu Tamu Refreshments (the only place in Animal Kingdom for Dole Whip)
Asia Dining
Asia Table Service Restaurants
- Yak & Yeti Restaurant (Asian fusion)
Asia Quick Service Restaurants
- Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes (Asian entrees + a burger)
Asia Quick Service Snacks and Drinks
- Anandapur Ice Cream Truck
- Caravan Road (Asian inspired hot dog and pork dish)
- Drinkwallah (drinks and nuts)
- Thirsty River Bar (park snacks and drinks)
- Warung Outpost (drinks + Mickey pretzel)
- Yak & Yeti Quality Beverages (turkey legs + chicken wrap and salad)
DinoLand U.S.A. Dining
DinoLand U.S.A. Quick Service Dining
- Restaurantosaurus (American cuisine – closing permanently February 2, 2026)
DinoLand U.S.A. Quick Service Snacks and Drinks
- Dino-Bite Snacks (desserts – closing permanently October 20, 2025)
- Trilo-Bites (ice cream and buffalo chicken chips – closing permanently October 20, 2025)
Animal Kingdom Current Closures and Upcoming Attractions
Primeval Whirl, a coaster that operated seasonally in Dinoland U.S.A. has now closed permanently. Rivers of Light, a nighttime show, has also been permanently discontinued.
Current & Upcoming Closures
- DINOSAUR – Closing permanently on February 2, 2026.
- Restaurantosaurus, Restaurantosaurus Lounge, and Dino Institute Shop – Closing permanently on February 2, 2026.
- Dino-Bite Snacks and Trilo-Bites – Closing permanently on October 20, 2025.
- The Boneyard – Permanently Closed.
- Triceratop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama — Permanently Closed.
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug — Permanently Closed.
Upcoming Attractions
- Zootopia: Better Zoogether — New show in the Tree of Life opening late 2025.
- DinoLand U.S.A. will be overhauled beginning in early 2025 to make way for a Tropical Americas land which will include Indiana Jones and Encanto rides.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Tips and Secrets
Of course we need to include some insider tricks in our Animal Kingdom guide! Here are some tips to get the most out of your visit:
- The section of seating behind Flame Tree Barbecue is one of the best places to sit down and chill at the park! It’s peaceful and has a great view of the river and Expedition Everest. It’s usually pretty un-crowded, too. So much so that I’ve gone back there and wondered if I was allowed because there was literally no one eating back there during dinner.
- Nighttime in Pandora is THE BEST. Don’t miss it!
- Time your safari rides for early morning and/or evening so you can see animals at their most active. Rainy safari rides also usually have active animals!
- Balloons are not allowed in Animal Kingdom because of their potential harm to animals, so you won’t find them being sold here.
- If you want to try to see the vet room in action at Conservation Station, head there first thing in the morning. Procedures for animals are usually scheduled for the morning.
- As at every Disney park, free cups of water are available at every Quick Service location. So don’t spend your money on bottled water!
- There are lockers near the entrance to Kali River Rapids. They are free to use, so take advantage of them so your belongings don’t get wet!
- If you are looking for a great view of the character flotillas, try the outdoor seating at Nomad Lounge.
We hope this Animal Kingdom guide has helped you understand the park a bit better — from the attractions you want to experience to the restaurants you want to prioritize.
