Today we continue our attraction rankings series, moving on to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. If you missed any of the series thus far you can catch up here. Before we get to the rankings, let’s quickly brush up on the rules.

• No Meet & Greets. These are impossible to rank as each experience is unique. Also, I don’t particularly like them.
• No Live Shows. Nighttime shows are so hard to compare to rides. Also, big stage shows are impressive and don’t fit the profile of a typical ride. Basically you have to physically ride or walk through something. I’ll include walking trails at Animal Kingdom because I think they are vital to the park and are more attractions than entertainment (unlike live shows). I won’t be including any of the Rafiki’s Planet Watch ‘exhibits’ as I don’t think they’re exactly rides or walk-throughs.
• These are all my opinion. People have different tastes and every attraction is someone’s favorite. While that is corny and seems a little silly, I think the sentiment is mostly true. I can’t account for other people’s memories in these rankings and will try (probably unsuccessfully) to take some of the nostalgia out of my views of these attractions. You’ll likely disagree with me though. Please let me know what you disagree with in the comments.

This post will be shorter than other parks because there are fewer attractions. Animal Kingdom has a few actual reasons for this as there aren’t many theme parks like it in the world. The park isn’t about racing from attraction to attraction but instead is best experienced taking a leisurely pace and exploring the vast grounds. If you’re just doing attractions at Animal Kingdom and are skipping the live entertainment, the trails, the smaller animal exhibits and just soaking in the atmosphere, I’d highly recommend you adjust your touring plan. While the park isn’t for everyone, I think slowing down would make any experience at Animal Kingdom better. That is the reason why attraction rankings at this park don’t tell the full story.

With all of that being said, Animal Kingdom needs more rides. Pandora certainly helped but that was nearly a decade ago! I’m getting old. Another expansion, an upgrade at Rafiki’s Planet Watch or the coming Tropical Americas being a hit would do wonders and make this a top tier park. Hopefully that comes in the future since 8 rides just isn’t enough.

On to the rankings!

8. Zootopia: Better Together – This new 3D ride under the Tree of Life is a decent addition to Animal Kingdom. The animatronic used is cool and the movie is fun enough. Unfortunately. The plotting is at a breakneck pace and doesn’t always make the most sense. But this is fun enough and a strong entry for being last place.

7. Kali River Rapids – If the on-ride experience met the standards of Kali River Rapids’ queue then this would easily be in the top 3. Unfortunately, the ride is lackluster after the significant buildup of a beautiful, detailed queue. This river rapids ride has a few thrilling moments but the story falls flat, as do the visuals throughout the ride. Still, I have a soft spot for river rides and this is a fine attraction even if it could improve.

6. Na’vi River Journey – Pandora’s second attraction is somewhat disappointing. Having said that, there is a gigantic jump in quality up to this attraction. Na’vi River Journey certainly looks impressive, unfortunately there isn’t anything more to the attraction. Guests ride down a river and look at Pandora’s bioluminescent forest. It’s gorgeous to look at but the attraction has no plot to sink your teeth into.

5. Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail – This would be a near perfect trail in a zoo. There are a ton of animals to showcase. The trail loops around nicely and is a great length. The animals here are interesting, blending some obscure ones with favorites. With that being said, this attraction comes in 6th place because there isn’t as much of a theme here as elsewhere in the park. While I think this is definitely worth your time, I don’t think Gorilla Falls transcends being anything more than a walking trail to see some cool animals. The gorilla section is absolutely beautiful though.

4. Maharajah Jungle Trek – There is a pretty big jump from number 5 to the top-4. Maharajah Jungle Trek isn’t your typical theme park attraction, but it is magnificent. This animal trail tells the story of a beautiful land that was eventually overrun with poachers. Over time, animals and the people of the area ousted the poachers and learned to live in harmony. All of these stories are told through sculptures and murals on old ruins throughout the path. Intertwined with these ruins are amazing animals that you can get really close to. The path culminates in a few great areas to see tigers. I think the trek is one of the most beautiful areas Imagineers have ever developed. While I can understand people being more excited about thrill rides, this is an incredibly unique and exquisite attraction.

3. Expedition Everest – I have always thought Expedition Everest was a great roller coaster that was a step below some of Disney’s classic mountains. Then I rode this at night and it became one of my favorite attractions anywhere. Mind you, this is all with an audio-animatronic in the middle of the ride that is broken. If they ever figure out how to get the yeti in Expedition Everest working again then this attraction will be one of the best in the world. As is, I still love this roller coaster that’s augmented by the queue and surrounding Asian themed area. The prayer flags throughout Asia, the queue, and the actual ride makes the experience feel more authentic. Many people would have Everest as number one on this list and I wouldn’t argue. Animal Kingdom has a top-3 set of attractions that are unrivaled at Walt Disney World.

2. Avatar Flight of Passage – Flight of Passage is Animal Kingdom’s most recent E-ticket and is fantastic. This ride takes guests on the back of a banshee (those flying creatures in Avatar, the movie no one remembers). The ride system is similar to Soarin’ but in a different vehicle. Flight of Passage is certainly more thrilling than Soarin’ though. Visually, the ride is stunning and that starts in the queue of the attraction. If you are more of a thrill seeker than animal lover then this is a pretty clear number one.

1. Kilimanjaro Safaris – Kilimanjaro Safaris is one of of my favorite attractions in the world. The scope of this attraction that takes guests on a journey to see nearly 100 different types of animals is unheard of in theme parks. In fact, this attraction is nearly the size of some theme parks. Kilimanjaro Safaris is the perfect blend of entertainment and education in a ride, as the skipper has plenty of facts to go along with the sights. On top of that, the ride experience is never the same making this one of the most re-rideable attractions around. Kilimanjaro Safaris is the flagship attraction of Animal Kingdom and has more than earned that title.

Animal Kingdom has 8 attractions and, thankfully, all of them are worth your time. On top of that, there is some incredible entertainment and atmosphere throughout Animal Kingdom that’s not to be missed. In a broad view, there’s simply not enough rides at the park right now. That will hopefully change by the end of the decade. On the bright side, there are a few of Walt Disney World’s best attractions here.

What do you think of our Animal Kingdom Attraction Rankings? Let us know your thoughts or any questions you might have in the comments below. Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our Disney World Trip Planning Guide to help you out. Looking for discount tickets? You can find them on this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!