Exploring Animal Kingdom with a Toddler

I’m going to go ahead and state an unpopular truth: Animal Kingdom is my favorite Disney World Park.  Yes, it’s a lot of walking.  Yes, it has more hills than any other park.  (I’m not sure how it’s possible to walk uphill while both entering and exiting the park!)  And yes, it has less roller coasters than the other parks.  However, I’m a lover of (almost) all animals, my favorite Disney movie is “The Lion King,” and I think Pandora is perhaps the coolest fictional location ever.  Go ahead and judge me.

Obviously, I had high hopes that my little girl would fall in love with this park as well, and she didn’t disappoint! 

Mama and Poppy approved Animal Kingdom ride favorites, in no particular order, include:

1. Na’vi River Journey

Heading into Pandora – The World of Avatar and jumping on this ride was our first stop.  There was no height limit on this ride, which meant my little one could sit in my lap on the boat and float through the bioluminescence of Pandora.  It was beautiful!  She loved it, I loved it, I loved that she loved it.  All. The. Love.  It’s just so serene.  Trust me.  Check it out.

2. Kilimanjaro Safaris

Another ride with no height limit, this one in Africa. Let me tell you, it was the coolest!  For those that haven’t been, this is a 22-minute safari ride through an African savanna habitat.  The Cast Member who led our safari on the Simba One was very knowledgeable.  We saw all kinds of animals: lions, giraffes, elephants, hippos, and so many others.  There’s nowhere that I’ve ever been where you can see all these animals up close, and some will even walk up towards the vehicle!  I was pointing at animals.  Poppy was pointing at animals.  Everyone was excited.  While every safari is different, I’ve heard it’s best to go earlier in the day before it gets too hot for the wildlife. 

3. TriceraTop Spin

This aerial carousel of dinosaurs is another ride with no height requirement, this one in DinoLand U.S.A.  Now, this was a ride that Grandma got to take Poppy on without me, so it was a special bonding moment for them.  Grandma was so excited they’d be able to fly together in dinosaurs, even if the view left something to be desired.  I’m not sure who had the better time.

Other Toddler Approved Favorites at Animal Kingdom:

1. Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail

This trail is a walking trail which is pretty lengthy, especially in the Florida heat.  That being said, the different animals you see are so amazing.  We got to see various reptiles, naked mole rats (insert Kim Possible flashback here), hippos, exotic birds, and gorillas!  If you take it slow enough, your little one might even decide to take a nap.  It really is that peaceful.

2. Maharajah Jungle Trek

Again, this is a walking trail, this time through Southeast Asian habitats.  You can see bats (which we skipped out on), monkeys, a Komodo dragon, and tigers!  I’m still in awe of being able to see this many different animals in one place!

3. Rainforest Café

This is definitely a restaurant that you don’t want to miss out on.  Now, let me clarify.  The food wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever eaten (think pub-type food); however, the theming is something that can’t be missed.  It really is like you’re eating in a rainforest, complete with rain showers that make the animatronic animals go wild.  Full transparency, Poppy did not like the thunderstorms and would cling to me every time they happened.  She did like seeing all the animals though. If you’d like to learn more, follow this link to check it out.

4. Street Musicians

There are so many different street musicians playing a variety of music.  Poppy loves music, so she really liked these shows when we stumbled upon one.

5. A Celebration Festival of the Lion King

Alright, I saved the best for last.  Obviously, completely my opinion based on how much Poppy enjoyed this show.  I was a bit skeptical at first, hoping that there wouldn’t be a toddler fit because she just wanted to get down and run (perhaps a bit of PTSD from our flight in, linked here for your reading pleasure).  Let me tell you, this larger-than-life show was everything I could’ve wanted.  It had singing, acrobatics, even a fire dancer!  Poppy couldn’t take her eyes off the show for the entire 22 minutes!  (I did have to tell her that I’d prefer if she didn’t become a fire dancer when she grows up.  I don’t think my heart could take it.)  It had the familiar characters of “The Lion King;” with new characters and all the fanfare you could want.  A must see.

What else can I do with a toddler at Animal Kingdom?

In addition to the Oasis Exhibits, where you can see a few other animals, there’s also “It’s Tough to be a Bug” and “Feathered Friends in Flight.”  The first is a 3D film where you can see what it’s like to be a bug.  The second is a 25-minute show about various types of birds.  I didn’t think Poppy would be too excited for either show, so we decided to skip these. 

I do wish we’d had time to explore The Boneyard, which is a dig site playground in DinoLand U.S.A.  At first glance it looked like a playground for kiddos that are a bit bigger than Poppy; however, I’m sure she would’ve had fun running around in there for a bit.

Disney Kitetails is a show at the Discovery River Theater where favorite Disney characters are depicted on 3D kites.  The music and performers really make the kites come to life.  I had a sleepy baby at this point, so we didn’t prioritize this show; however, I did get a chance to see it as we were walking around.

There are also several meet and greets available, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck.  If you’re lucky you’ll also see Kevin walking around the park!  For more specifics on park meet and greets, check out that blog post here.

Would I do this park again?

Absolutely!  I felt like there was enough here Poppy enjoyed doing to make it worthwhile.  She loves all things outdoors, nature, and animals, so it was the perfect park for her.  If your little one doesn’t enjoy animals, and is looking for more of a thrill, then this probably wouldn’t be a full-day park for you. 

I can’t wait until she’s older so that we can do Wilderness Explorers and some of the private tours!

Thoughts about genie+ and ILL

If you’ve never heard of Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lane, you should head on over and check out that post.

As for the rides and shows mentioned in this post, Festival of the Lion King, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Na’vi River Journey are all Genie+ rides (or shows), which we took full advantage of.  TriceraTop Spin only offers a standby line; however, it’s never much of a wait (Grandma and Poppy waited for 5 minutes). 

If you don’t want to spend the extra money on Genie+, then I’d suggest rope dropping Kilimanjaro Safaris, since that ride gets a longer wait. 

Agree with my suggestions or have any that I missed, please let me know in the comments.

Want to see how much fun Poppy had at Epcot? Check that post out here.