10 Must Do Things at Animal Kingdom (5 Fast Pass, 5 Non Fast Pass)

It’s been a while since I did my last 10 Must Do Things post for Walt Disney World and I figured since we’re off back in just over 50 days I should maybe look at what I actually want to do. These posts help me as much as I write them to help other people.

Today I’m looking at Animal Kingdom. Unlike Magic Kingdom there isn’t a huge selection of rides and attractions but there is definitely enough for one or two days and there are some things you must do if you are only ever planning on visiting Walt Disney World once in your life! Animal Kingdom doesn’t receive enough love and it’s actually one of my favourite parks just to explore as there is so much to see if you take time to enjoy it. Plus, Tarzan is there in all his loin cloth glory! We missed him last time due to LM having a melt down (it was VERY hot in the park and she was tired after two busy days at Magic Kingdom) but on our next trip I intend on spending a lot more time there and finally photographing the two shows!

Anyway, attractions I recommend you use Fast Pass for;

Kilimanjaro Safari
The biggest attraction at Animal Kingdom is Kilimanjaro Safari and if you’re on a short break it’s the one thing I 100% recommend you do. A lot of people will never go on a real safari in Africa (myself included) so this is as close as you’ll get. The Animal Kingdom safari set up is amazing and you have a chance of seeing some really amazing animals in a safe environment for both you and them. Little Miss’ face was a complete picture as she saw elephants, hippos, giraffes, lions all for the first time and not in a book or on a screen. We don’t usually visit zoos as I don’t think they truly replicate the wild and the conditions the animals would be living in, Animal Kingdom on the other hand, it’s different and you can tell they truly care about the well being of the animals on site and that’s important to me. It can be hit or miss as to what you did see but apparently the best time to go is first thing in the morning and I agree, it really is. On our second trip I had a 9:15 safari booked and we managed to see lions which we missed back in April because we had a later one.

Kali River Rapids
As of yet Little Miss hasn’t been on this, and therefore I didn’t ride it in 2015 however it was one of my favourites as a child, purely because it’s like a blooming rainforest in Animal Kingdom and this water ride was a great way to cool off. It’s a rafting ride and if you weight your raft just right you can end up soaked. It’s not too crazy and I actually think LM will be tall enough to ride by March (fingers crossed anyway!) It’s fun and because it’s one of only a few thrill rides in this park the queues can get really long. It’s definitely worth using a FP on this even though the queue is mostly shaded and as it’s near water it is a little cooler but still, it’s not that amazing that it’s worth spending your whole morning or afternoon queuing for. Just FP it, enjoy it, cool off and move on.

Festival of the Lion King Show
Out of the two big shows at Animal Kingdom this is the one I recommend you FP. The theatre isn’t as big as the one for Nemo so it doesn’t hold as many and there are some seats that are better than other. Plus this show is a lot more interactive and people do get chosen to participate. If you’ve ever seen The Lion King musical it’s kinda like a condensed version of that (so, it’s spectacular basically). Little Miss really loves the audience participation. There is lots of animal noises, singing along and clapping. It’s really worth FP if you have a little one just to get a seat closer to the front. It’s in the round (as in the seats are around the outside and the performance happens in the middle) and the closer you are to the front the better the view as a lot happens on the floor. I have no photos to share as my camera died the first trip and the second trip we left at lunch because LM had a meltdown at the park so we missed our FP time. Typical. We will definitely be seeing it in March.

Expedition Everest
Oh my freaking god, this ride. I get on it thinking it would be just like Big Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom.. nope. So wrong. This has to be one of the biggest thrill rides on property next to Rock n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. It doesn’t go upside down but it’s fast and goes backwards in the dark. I was in so much shock that I basically laughed in horror the whole way around. But I would go on it again. As it’s the biggest ride at the park the queue is long. Either go straight to it at opening or FP it. It’s fantastic though and the story behind it is great too. If you’re into roller coasters you definitely need to this.

Dinosaur
I haven’t been on this ride again since I was a kid, but it’s one worth FP. I do feel all the biggish rides at AK are worth using a FP for if all your children meet height requirements because they usually garner the biggest lines since there are so few of them. Basically the ride takes you back in time to the age of the dinosaur, specifically the time the Disney movie Dinosaur is set. You then travel through and see lots of Dinosaurs, like a mini Jurassic Park. It is dark, it is loud, it is jerky but it’s also fun. Again, i’m hoping LM will be tall enough to ride by March, and if not, definitely by October. I’d say FP because it really isn’t worth wasting your whole day waiting in line for it.

Now onto what you can get by without FP or things you must do that don’t have a FP option;

Meet Mickey & Minnie
My favourite character meet at Animal Kingdom is Minnie and Mickey. This is something you can Fast Pass but you don’t really have to. What’s so special about this is it’s the only place Minnie and Mickey meet together and for me, that’s everything. I love seeing those two mice interact and I love to see LM’s face when she sees them both together. It’s great for interaction and they’re all kitted out in the explorer gear. The first time we met them in April they had a full scale domestic over who was keeping LM! It was so funny for myself, the attendant and photopass but of course Little Miss didn’t know what was going on. Every time we’ve been (and we’ve been during peak season) the queue has never been longer than 20 minutes because there are so many more unusual characters to meet.

Finding Nemo Show
I love love love this show, but I just feel you don’t need to use a FP on it. The amphitheatre where it’s held is huge and there are so many places you can sit to get a good view. FP seating is only up the middle (like the most expensive tickets in a theatre) but unlike The Lion King, there is no audience interaction so you don’t need your kids to be in prime position to get involved. I usually rock up not long before the show is about to start (so we don’t have to queue outside in the sun) and still always have a good seat. Just come in, sit down and enjoy. It’s one of my absolute favourite shows on Disney property even if the main song is catchy (and it did take the theatre that Tarzan Rocks was in, sob). It’s very cleverly done and so enjoyable especially for little ones, and the whole place is air conditioned. And all this is coming from someone who isn’t even that keen on Finding Nemo!

Explore
Animal Kingdom is a great park just to explore. For me it’s probably the closest I’ll ever get to places like Asia and Africa, and definitely the closest I’ll ever get to the age of the dinosaurs. There is so much “street” entertainment going on that help to really immerse you into the culture of the “land” you’re in. Get up close to the Tree of Life and see how many animals you can see (one of LM’s favourite games). If you have the time just take this park in slowly. I know the temptation on a Disney holiday is to rush from a to b to cram as much in, but if you do have a spare day or you’re not bothered about seeing every attraction or character.. just take it slow. Sample the different foods, talk to the cast members because they usually have some fantastic bits of knowledge about the area they’re working in. There are birds in the trees, enclosures with animals in spread all over the park. Enjoy the Pangani Forest Trail and the Maharajah Jungle Trek, take some time to see the animals and read the boards. You never know, you might learn something interesting.

Conservation Station
Some of our favourite Animal Kingdom memories were from last April. When it got really hot we took the train up to the Conservation Station and Rafiki’s Planet Watch. It’s always a lot quieter than the main park and you can get a closer look to some animals in the affection station. LM’s favourite bit was the fact you could meet Rafiki in an air conditioned area. You can also meet Chip & Dale outside, but the best part is they play a game before their meet starts where you pass a giant acorn around. LM loved it. She loved the extra time you got to interact with the characters. There was also this really cool guy called Gi-Tar Dan who made up a song about her. If you take your own food with you to the parks this is a great place to have lunch as there are some shade areas with tables, or there is plenty of room for you to sit out of the sun.

Character Hunt
Animal Kingdom has a lot of characters that are only in Animal Kingdom such as Pocahontas, King Louie and Baloo (although you can see them in MK at the Move It, Shake It dance party), Tarzan, Russell and Dug from UP, Flik.. Of course this means lines get long, and fast. We haven’t really done much character hunting due to the fact Animal Kingdom always feels like the hottest park and the queue lengths. However, it’s on the to do list for March as we will have a surplus of days. LM has really gotten into Tarzan over the last few months, and Pocahontas is the only princess we haven’t met yet. She also loves meeting King Louie and Baloo as they’re always so much fun. I just need to avoid her having a complete meltdown while in the park due to the heat and the fact there aren’t that many ride to break up the monotony of queuing.