Orlando news: Animal Kingdom’s top seven attractions and roller coasters
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is America’s largest theme park by size, covering 580 acres, and is home to over 250 species and 1000 animals.
Uncover the beauty of nature, come face-to-face with species you didn't know existed, and ride what was once the most expensive roller coaster of all time - now third - all in this park, which offers plenty of enjoyment for all.
Opening its doors on April 22, 1998, Animal Kingdom was the last of Disney’s big four parks to open in Florida and has averaged around nine million visitors a year since 2021.
Here, Florida News Blitz writer Joseph Hannen provides a ranking of the seven best attractions to see and do whilst visiting, from seventh to first.
Na’Vi River Journey
Narrowly making this list is one of the park's two Avatar-themed rides, the Na’Vi River Journey, which opened in May 2017.
This calm and exotic boat ride takes you on a journey deep into Pandora’s rainforest, full of colour and glow.
Ideal for families and visitors who don’t fancy attractions with intensity, the Na’Vi River Journey has remained a popular choice amongst visitors, with queue times usually around the 60-minute mark throughout the day.
Personally, my lack of knowledge on the Avatar series limits my enjoyment, which is why this ranks lower than it maybe should.
Despite this, all visitors, Avatar fans or not, should make time for it.
Kali River Rapids
A fun river rapids ride, although the ride itself doesn’t quite match the excitement of the stunning queue.
Before boarding, guests are taken through an ancient Southeast Asian temple in what is one of Disney’s most impressive queue lines.
A raft boat takes you on an adventure through a lush Asian jungle with crashing waves and some thrilling moments.
Certainly an attraction worth doing, especially on a humid day, although it falls below the standard of Orlando’s other river rapid rides at Universal and SeaWorld.
However, Kali’s River Rapids went under refurbishment at the start of the year, so there could be a chance it has improved its ride experience.
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Festival of the Lion King
Animal Kingdom’s best show, Festival of the Lion King, is full of your favourite characters and songs from The Lion King film.
Live actors interact with the audience as each corner of the arena is designated its own animal, which is quite the sight.
The show is perfect for a half-hour cooldown, relaxing in an air-conditioned arena with impressive acrobatic monkeys stealing the show.
The show has been running for over 25 years, and it's easy to see why: full crowds every time enjoying the show.
Showtimes run from 10am to 4pm, running each hour, on the hour. Therefore, you can prioritise other attractions throughout the day; just don’t forget about it!
Maharajah Jungle Trek
Maharajah Jungle Trek is the best trail in the park; guests are taken on a scenic and ancient route full of sculptures and murals.
You can expect to find animals such as gibbons, a Komodo dragon, many bird species, and tigers, who are definitely the main event.
The tigers have a huge habitat with plenty of viewing points for guests to capture the ultimate pictures.
Waterfalls and bridges add to the beautiful route; there is no reason for any visitor to give this jungle trek a miss.
Avatar Flight of Passage
A ride that put Animal Kingdom back on the map as one of Florida’s leading theme parks, Avatar Flight of Passage is the best simulator ride in all of Disney.
The ride has a bunch of buildup scenes that successfully build up the excitement before riders are locked in on the back of a mountain banshee.
As for the ride itself, the experience lives up to the excitement and more; the intensity took me off guard as riders are taken on a visually stunning flight around Pandora.
You don’t need to be an Avatar fan to appreciate this ride's brilliance, and despite this ride seeing the highest queue times around the park, I can guarantee a lengthy wait is worthwhile.
MORE FROM JOSEPH HANNEN: Orlando news: Universal Islands of Adventure’s top seven attractions
Kilimanjaro Safaris
A real one-of-a-kind theme park attraction, the Kilimanjaro Safaris showcases an incredible range of wildlife, with a size comparable to entire theme parks on their own.
Guests ride around in a safari truck with the driver providing insightful facts about the animals throughout the journey.
The safari takes around 22 minutes, as guests can expect to see giraffes, hippos, elephants, zebras, and plenty more.
The safari’s unique nature makes it a must-re-ride, never mind a must-do once, as you are guaranteed new experiences and new sights you missed the first time.
Queue times are usually pretty low for the experience you get, so make sure to make the most of it, or I promise you’ll regret it.
I think most would have this top of the list, which I couldn't argue against; however, my thrill-seeking bias narrowly drops it to second.
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
My favourite attraction in the park, and probably top three across the Disney Parks, Expedition Everest is a very special attraction - a classic full of thrills.
Again, the theming of the queue is immaculate, hinting at what’s in store for riders who find themselves riding backwards at high speed in pitch-black conditions.
This comes before confronting the yeti and enjoying the ironic drop out from the mountain in a ride full of surprises for first-time riders.
Everest held the record for the world’s most expensive roller coaster, costing $100 million, until Hagrid’s Motorbikes at Universal and EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy both surpassed its total.
Expedition Everest must be prioritised, even for people who don’t love roller coasters, as the intensity isn’t too high for the enjoyment it provides.
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