Disney’s Animal Kingdom (The Complete Guide for 2026)

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World. This guide details our most popular planning tips for the park. Because Animal Kingdom is a significant park, we’ve simplified it by breaking down each area. We start with a brief overview, highlighting the park’s history. Then, we look at lands, attractions, and other planning aspects.

This planning information provides specifics for each attraction, including things like eligibility for early theme park hours, extended hours, and height requirements. We also discuss entertainment, characters, parking, and dining. We hope you’ll find these resources helpful when planning your Walt Disney World vacation.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom History

Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened on April 22, 1998 (Earth Day). It’s the largest Disney World park, spanning over 500 acres. Often, others refer to it as” one-of-a-kind” or “so much more than a zoo.” The park is unique in the fact that it combines thrills with conservation. Animal Kingdom is home to over 2000 animals representing over 300 species. Disney is an accredited member of the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums), following their guidelines for the care of the animals who call the park home.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023. Over the years, the park has had many notable milestones. A few that stand out are:

• The Disney Conservation Fund was established in April 1995 to support the protection of wildlife and wild places worldwide.
• The grand opening of the Asia section of the park was in 1999.
• In April of 2006, Expedition Everest opened in the Asia section of the park.
• Pandora, the World of Avatar, opened in May of 2017.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lands

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is home to multiple lands with attractions, dining, habitats, and shopping. Those lands include:

• Discovery Island
• Pandora, World of Avatar
• Africa
• Asia

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Attractions

The following rides, attractions, and entertainment are included as part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s lineup. We discuss meeting characters in another section further below. You can select any highlighted ride for a complete overview. For a brief overview, you might prefer our list of rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which only details the need-to-knows for each attraction.

The Tree of Life Awakenings is an entertainment offering that is held nightly in the cooler months of the year when it gets dark earlier. You can check the My Disney Experience app for showtimes. The show is usually shown from mid-November through early March when the park is open late enough to accommodate it.

Attractions with Height Requirements at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The following rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom have a height requirement:

• Kali River Rapids (38″)
• Avatar Flight of Passage (44″)
• Expedition Everest (44″)

Attractions with Lightning Lanes

The following attractions require a Lightning Lane Single Pass:

• Avatar: Flight of Passage (Single Pass Purchase)

The next set of attractions is part of the Lightning Lane Multi Pass:

• Expedition Everest
• Festival of the Lion King
• Feathered Friends in Flight
• Finding Nemo: The Big, Blue…and Beyond
• Kali River Rapids
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Na’vi River Journey
• Zootopia: Better Zoogether

To learn more, see our guide to Lightning Lanes at Disney World.

Where Should We Head First?

This will largely depend on the makeup of your party. Most guests (probably 90%) will head straight to Pandora, World of Avatar, to take flight on a banshee during Flight of Passage. Others might head to Expedition Everest and Na’vi River Journey. Kilimanjaro Safaris doesn’t open until regular park hours. It’s an excellent 2nd or 3rd attraction if you are eligible for early theme park entry.

Characters

• Mickey and Minnie Mouse (Adventurer’s Outpost)
• Donald Duck and Daisy Duck
• Chip and Dale
• Russell and Dug from UP! (Discovery Island)
• Moana (Character Landing)
• Kevin from UP! (Roams Discovery Island)
• Timon
• Rafiki
• Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps at Zoogether Day Gather Spot
• Goofy and Pluto (Near Expedition Everest)
• Pocahontas (The Oasis)

For more details, see our guide to meeting characters at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We also recommend checking the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit for exact locations and availability. Per Disney, entertainment is subject to change.

Dining at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom has some of the best dining among the four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort. These restaurants take walk-ups based on availability, but in most cases, you’ll want to have advanced dining reservations:

• Rainforest Cafe: This Landry-owned and operated restaurant is near the park’s entrance. Guests do not have to enter the park to eat at this location.
• Tiffins Restaurant: Tiffins is the park’s signature dining location. This location serves lunch and dinner and costs two table service credits for guests on the Disney Dining Plan.
• Tusker House Restaurant: This character dining restaurant offers the opportunity to meet classic characters in safari suits. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We have a review of breakfast at Tusker House Restaurant.
• Yak & Yeti: Landry also owns this restaurant, which sits in the Asia section of the park. It’s one of our favorite places to enjoy a table service meal with reasonable pricing. (Yak and Yeti Review)

Disney’s Animal Kingdom has a number of quick-service restaurants spread throughout the park. We have a separate guide that shares the menus and what we’ve tried at each one. Some of our favorites include:

• Flame Tree Barbecue (Flame Tree Barbecue Review)
• Satu’li Canteen (Satu’li Canteen Review)
• Nomad Lounge (Nomad Lounge Review)
• Yak and Yeti Local Foods Cafe (Local Foods Cafe Review)
• Harambe Market (Harambe Market Review)

You might like to browse our Animal Kingdom Quick Service Restaurant Guide.

Seasonal

If you’re visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom during the holidays, you’re in for a treat! The park offers festive decorations, a themed Santa meet-and-greet, specialty snacks, and so much more!

Tickets, Transportation, and Parking

Tickets for Disney’s Animal Kingdom can be purchased online or through an authorized travel agent or reseller. We use Firefly Travels for all of our reservations. If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel, you might prefer to book a room + ticket package instead of purchasing individual tickets.

Bus transportation is provided from every Disney World Resort Hotel to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Bus service is also offered from Disney’s Animal Kingdom to the other theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios) after 10:00 a.m. until the park closes. You cannot take a bus from Disney’s Animal Kingdom to Disney Springs. (You can take a bus from Animal Kingdom to Saratoga Springs and then walk to Disney Springs.)

Annual Passholders and guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort can enjoy complimentary parking at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Other guests will have to pay for parking. You can read more in our guide to parking at Walt Disney World.

Courtesy trams are provided from the parking lot of Disney’s Animal Kingdom to the park’s entrance. You’ll want to remember the row where you parked. The My Disney Experience offers a car locator service if you prefer to use it.

Other Theme Park Guides