When people ask me which Walt Disney World park I love the best, I always tell them “The Animal Kingdom.” I find that it’s less crowded, the food is out of this world, they have incredible drinks, and two of my favorite thrill rides, Expedition Everest and The Flight of Passage. You can’t plan a Walt Disney World trip without adding The Animal Kingdom to your itinerary, and sometimes twice!
I loved visiting The Animal Kingdom during the afternoon. We spent our morning at The Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios to get on the rides, an hour in the pool at our resort, and then hopped over to The Animal Kingdom or Epcot at 2 pm for the rest of the evening.
We used a Disney Park Hopper Plus pass for the week, which made everything convenient. It allows you to make a theme park reservation, and then you can park hop after 2 pm at any of the other Disney World parks. So if you can’t get a reservation for a park during your trip, no worries, you can go after 2 pm! We had a reservation for all the parks early in the mornings and then hopped over to other parks later in the day.
Purchasing Tickets and Passes at Walt Disney World
Reservations are easy to make on the My Disney Experience App (and from your computer if you’re signed in). After making reservations, they’ll be linked to your Disney magic bands. When making reservations for your family, you can also link the plans to theirs. If you don’t have a magic band, you can use your phone as one. The magic bands are the best things in the world! If you don’t want to bring a purse to the parks, you can swipe your watch for payment and passes!
No matter how often I visit The Animal Kingdom, I’m always running into new foods, attractions, and things I’ve missed out on. Check out my other Animal Kingdom blog posts so you don’t miss out on some of my other favorites.
The Ultimate Day at The Animal Kingdom Walt Disney World | What to Eat | What to Do
We were at the park a few years ago when a massive rainstorm hit. Almost everyone left, and we ended up having no lines on some of my favorite rides! We sat on Expedition Everest ten times in a row without getting off. Honestly, I could ride that rollercoaster all day. I love going to Disney with people who love thrill as much as I do. If the rollercoaster is fast, goes upside down, backwards, drops low, or is pitch black, count me in! Hopefully, my son will think I’m the cool mom one day and get on all the rides with me!
Plan your Disney World Trip!
After 2020, everyone is making their way to Disney World. As soon as you book your trip, start making those reservations. Give yourself atleast two months out to start planning. You can go last-minute, but you may not be able to experience everything you hoped to. Even if you’re unsure, you want to dine somewhere, book, and cancel later if necessary. You can also refresh your My Disney Experience App to see if reservations open up. We had a few spots open up last minute that we had wanted to dine at. And if you can’t make your Disney reservation, make sure to cancel in advance to give someone else the chance to take it.
The Tree of Life is the most well-known attraction at the Animal Kingdom. There are so many spots while walking Discovery Island Trails in the park where you can get a great view and a perfect picture. The Tree of Life represents the Circle of Life by honoring the animals.
The Tree of Life
The Tree of Life is around 145 feet tall and has over 300 animals carved into the tree. And don’t forget to look for the hidden mouse in the branches!
What to wear to The Animal Kingdom
You want to dress comfortably for the park! There is one water ride that has the potential to get you completely soaked, so bring a poncho or something you don’t mind getting wet. We spent most of the time outdoors, so we planned according to the weather.
Here’s what I wore: Shoes| Leopard Leggings | White Oversized Crop Top | Mini Green Backpack | Sun Hat
The Best Food at The Animal Kingdom
Eight Spoon Café
Order the pulled pork jelly doughnut sandwich
Flame Tree Barbecue
Order baked macaroni & cheese with pulled pork with an island breeze with a glow cube.
Harambe Fruit Market
Go with the grilled corn on the cobb.
Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery
Start your day with a cup of coffee and a pistachio honey croissant.
Pizzaffari
The perfect place in the park for a personal pan-sized pizza and a caesar salad.
Nomad Lounge & Cocktail Bar
Choose a vegetarian option like the Impossible Slider with Chipotle aioli and yucca fries. Wash it down with the Hightower Rocks!
Pongu Pongu Lounge
Order a pineapple-cream cheese spring roll with a fun boba drink!
Thirsty River Bar
Celebrate the Expedition Everest Ride with a Khumbu Icefall!
Tiffins Restaurant
You won’t regret anything you order at Tiffins! I fell in love with the salmon.
Trilo-Bites
Grab a quick bite to eat to hold you over for dinner. Highly recommend the buffalo chicken chips!
Tusker House
One of the tastiest buffets I’ve ever had! I have been dreaming of roasted carrots and their dessert bar since I left!
Yak & Yeti
Eggs rolls, honey sesame chicken, and fried rice. Order it all!
I’ve been to The Animal Kingdom more times than my one hand can count, and I love trying out new spots to eat! It’s best to go with someone who likes to split meals and snacks throughout the day. That allows you to try more options!
Buffalo Chicken Chips Trilo Bites
Rides at The Animal Kingdom
Avatar Flight of Passage
This is one of my top five favorite rides in Walt Disney World. I’m a big Avatar fan, so this was right up my alley.
Kali River Rapids
Prepare to get soaked!
Expedition Everest
I will go on this rollercoaster over and over again! We got lucky one year when it rained, and almost everyone left the park. We were able to sit on the rollercoaster and ride it as many times as we’d like and not get off because no one was in line!
Na’vi River Journey
This is a relaxing ride and a great way to get out of the heat!
Kilimanjaro Safaris
I loved the Safari and learning about the animals.
Hat Mickey Mouse | Pink Mickey Mouse Hat
You will DEFINITELY want to save room for Yak & Yeti!
Yak & Yeti | The Animal Kingdom
We were looking forward to having Yak & Yeti all day! After working up an appetite, we ordered the pork egg rolls, honey sesame chicken with fresh vegetables and white rice, chicken fried rice, and a mini mango pie!
IT WAS DELICIOUS! This meal is among my top favorites for Disney World.
Don’t ask how we did it, but we saved room for Mr. Kamals. How can you pass up chicken dumplings and seasoned ranch fries? Again, it’s best to go with a group of people who like to split everything so you can try all the delicious foods.
Mr. Kamals | The Animal Kingdom
What’s better than seasoned french fries on a hot day? Mr. Kamal’s fries were crispy, seasoned to perfection, and served hot! I hate when you get french fries, and they are cold and soggy. I’m not an experienced dumpling eater, but these were sooooooooo good.
Disney Skyliner |Transportation at Disney Parks Disney World
Getting around the Disney parks is a breeze with the busses, the monorail, and the Skyliner! The Skyliner lines go so fast! If you see a line with many people, your wait time may be up to fifteen minutes. They’re constantly getting people on and off the Skyliner. 
Best Photo Spots in The Animal Kingdom
You better dress your best because The Animal Kingdom has the most magical backdrops for photos throughout the park!
- The Tree of Life
- The Valley of Mo’ara at Pandora: World of Avatar
- The Village of Anandapur
- Harambe Market Wall
- You Are Most Beautiful Wall
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Maharajah Jungle Trek
- The Moss Wall
- The Broken Claws
- Dinoland USA Midway
- The Floating Mountains of Pandora
- Expedition Everest
And don’t forget to look for the hidden Mickeys throughout the park!
Harambe Fruit Market | Healthy Options Walt Disney World
And it’s tradition to order grilled corn on the cob at Harambe Fruit Market! If you are looking for healthy bites, they offer fresh pineapple, watermelon, grilled corn on the cob, pickles, and more! I have written several posts about healthy options at Disney World!
The best way to start Pandora is by stopping at Pongu Pongu for refreshing beverages and a Pongu Lumpia!
Pongu Pongu | Pandora The World of Avatar
The most refreshing beverages at The Animal Kingdom! They are also the prettiest.
Night Blossom – Non-Alcoholic Option!
Layers of apple and desert pear limeade topped with boba balls
Pongu Lumpia
Pineapple-cream cheese spring roll – UMM YUM! I need to get a copycat recipe asap.
Mo’ara Margarita
Sauza Conmemorativo Añejo tequila and Bols Blue Curaçao with lime juice topped with boba balls.
Rum Blossom
Bacardi Superior rum with layers of apple and desert pear limeade topped with boba balls.
As if we hadn’t had enough food, we were spoiled with a private dinner in the park before closing. 
Somehow I managed to fit in even more delicious bites of food! 
Giving the Cheeta Girls a run for their money!
We had an opportunity to explore Pandora after the park closed to watch the sunset over the floating mountains!
This is one of my favorite parts about visiting The Animal Kingdom! The backdrops are absolutely stunning, and you feel like you’re in a completely different world.
Flight of Passage!
It’s amazing how a ride can make you feel like you’re on top of the world!
I cannot wait to get back to Disney World soon. The best part is that I get to take my son next time! We will be a Disney family for sure! ♥️
Questions for you!
- Have you been to the Animal Kingdom?
- Which food do you want to try from my post?
- Have you ever brought your kids to Disney World? How did that go!?
All travel expenses were covered by Disney! All opinions are my own!
Look at your pants!
Cheeta vibes! lol
This post is perfect! So much detail and so many recommendations! I love Animal Kingdom, it’s definitely one of my favourite parks! It always seems to be the hottest park ever tho haha, definitely going to keep this post for future reference 🙂
Courtney x
c0urtinthemagic.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Courtney!!
I have been to this park about ten times and keep meaning to try the buffalo chicken chips!
You’ll love them!