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Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Explore far away lands and come face to face with animals from around the world!
Let’s Explore!
Discovery Island

Pandora

Africa

Asia

DinoLand U.S.A.

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Magical Moments
Touring Tips
Photo Gallery

Journey to exotic jungles, vast savannas, rugged mountains and prehistoric lands. The Animal Kingdom is a celebration of all of the creatures that share our planet, both past and present. Many of the most untamed areas in the world are faithfully recreated, from the desert plains of Africa and the lush forests of Asia to the snow capped Himalayas and the primeval land of the dinosaurs.

Choose a Land and Let’s Explore!

Discovery Island

The Tree of Life is home to your gateway to the exotic lands of the Animal Kingdom!

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Pandora

Journey to the world of Avatar and some of the greatest attractions in Walt Disney World!

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Africa

Head out on an a wild safari and see lions, giraffes, and elephants!

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Asia

Tigers, bats, and the fearsome Yeti await you in this far away land!

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DinoLand U.S.A.

Travel back to prehistoric times and explore the land of the dinosaurs!

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Magical Moments

  • The Animal Kingdom is much more than a collection of attractions. Wandering through the park is like taking a trip to exotic locations throughout the world. Whether it’s the rugged safari terrain of Africa or the mysterious rain forests of Asia, take the time to do lots of exploring and immerse yourself in the experience.
  • Obviously, if you love animals, this is the park for you. The variety of wildlife that you’ll find here is truly astounding; in addition to the gorillas, hippos, tigers and elephants that everyone’s familiar with, you’ll discovery lots of exotic creatures that you may never have been aware of.
  • Since most people tend to think of the Animal Kingdom as a half-day park, you’ll often find the crowds thinning rapidly late in the afternoon. This is an ideal time to stroll through the trails and enjoy the natural ambience of the different lands.
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Did You Know...?

  • There are approximately 300 species of wildlife at the Animal Kingdom, with a population of over 1700 animals. Additionally, there are over 4 million trees, plants, shrubs, ground-covers, vines, epiphytes and grasses from every continent on Earth (except Antarctica), representing over 4,000 species.
  • The Animal Kingdom covers over 500 acres, making it by far the largest of the Disney theme parks. It’s so big, in fact, that the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and The Disney’s Hollywood Studios could all fit inside with room to spare. Kilimanjaro Safaris alone is over 100 acres—just a little smaller than the entire Disney’s Hollywood Studios park.
  • A team of seven Imagineers (led by executive designer Joe Rohde), traveled all over the world doing research for the conceptualization and construction of the Animal Kingdom. The team logged in amazing 500,000 miles during their travels.
  • During construction of the Animal Kingdom, 4.4 million cubic yards of dirt were delivered by 60 dump trucks that continuously arrived on the construction site every day for two full years.
  • You may notice that there are no balloons or cup lids to be found at the Animal Kingdom. This is to protect the animals from potential choking hazards.
  • The Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund has devoted more than $6 million to conservation efforts, lending their support to over 230 projects across the globe.
  • When the Animal Kingdom, the term “nahtazu” was dreamed up to go along with the new park. Pronounced “not a zoo,” the word punningly helped to emphasize that the park was more than the typical animal displays found in your everyday city zoo. As of January 2006, “nahtazu” started to be phased out of the Animal Kingdom’s promotional material.
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Touring Tips

  • The Animal Kingdom is different from the other Disney theme parks. Some people look at the relatively small number of attractions and assume that this is a “half day” park. While that may be true if your sole intent is just to ride all of the attractions, the Animal Kingdom offers so much more! This is a park you’ll want to explore, there are lots of hidden treasures to be found…!
  • The most important tip is to enjoy the magic. Part of that begins with the planning of your trip, but once you’re there, remember to let yourself be immersed in the fantasy. The Animal Kingdom has so much to offer besides the attractions. Take time to explore the different lands and to enjoy the little things. Don’t be in such a hurry to get from point A to point B, there’s so much more to see in between!
  • Of course, the attractions are the big draw, and you will want to experience as many of them as you can. To enable you to visit the attractions you want without getting caught up in rigid timetables and frantic scurrying, try the following tips:
    • Visit the headliner attractions during less busy times to avoid long waits. Good times to visit are first thing in the morning and during parades or shows.
    • Take advantage of FastPass whenever you can. A good rule of thumb is to use FastPass if the standby wait time is more than 20 minutes. While you’re waiting for your FastPass time to arrive, visit some of the less crowded attractions or do some exploring.
    • Visit during Extra Magic Hours so you can ride the major attractions as often as you like with little or no wait (it’s also a great time to experience the magic of the park).
    • If you are staying for several days, don’t try to cram too much into a single day. Spread yourself out so you can take your time and enjoy everything the Animal Kingdom has to offer.
  • If your time allows, take a break in the middle of the day. Not only does this allow you to avoid the busiest time of day when crowds are the largest, it will give you a chance to experience more of the magic that Walt Disney World has to offer. Visit one of the deluxe resorts for lunch, or take a swim at your resort’s pool. By the time you get back to the park, you’ll be refreshed and ready for an evening of fun!
  • Another strategy to avoid the crowds is to do everything at the “wrong time”. For example, eat lunch at eleven and dinner at three. You’ll avoid the mealtime crush at the restaurants and also be able to enjoy the parks while everyone else is eating. You can also leave early to avoid the crowd of people trying to leave the park at day’s end.
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