by Colin Carroll

I often hear people refer to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park as a “half-day” park. That may be the case if one treats this park like the Magic Kingdom. However, that is a mistake that you should definitely not make. This is not the kind of park where you need to rush between rides to make sure you can get everything in. The key to Animal Kingdom is “TAKE YOUR TIME!”

The Tree of Life has over 300 animals carved in it

There is so much to appreciate at Animal Kingdom and many visitors make the mistake of treating it like any other park and they end up missing the beauty of Animal Kingdom. The imagineers did a fantastic job on this park and it really needs to be taken slowly to fully appreciate it.

I’ll outline some of my tips for making a full day of this park focusing on the minor attractions. I know everyone will incorporate Expedition Everest, Dinosaur and Kilimanjaro Safari and I’ll give you my take on those as well. This will require some backtracking in the beginning of the day.

First, start out by heading for Expedition Everest, grab a FastPass and continue on to Kilimanjaro Safari. This is the best time to do the safari as the animals are usually active first thing in the morning. Once that is complete, head back and do Kali River Rapids before using your FastPass for Everest. Note: for Kali, you will get wet. If you are on the bottom of the raft as it goes down the big hill, you WILL get soaked. If you want to avoid this, wear a poncho.

Once you ride Everest, head for DinoLand USA and ride Primeval Whirl and Dinosaur. On a typical day, riding these should get you to lunch time and then you will have the rest of the day to focus on the beauty of this park. If you hit a crowd at DinoLand, grab a FastPass for one of the attractions and hit it after lunch.

For lunch, I would suggest the Flame Tree Barbecue. It has great food and lots of seating in the back. Try hitting it before noon if possible.

Here are some things you should do in the afternoon (in no particular order):

Explore the Oasis - There are over 30 species of animals to view. Take your time walking through the area.

Explore Discovery Island - again, the key is take your time. Some highlights are the Galapagos tortoise and the Capybara (the World’s largest rodent).

Tree of Life - go see “It’s Tough to be a Bug” and if it isn’t really lined up outside, take your time and look at the beauty of this tree and some of the carvings on it. This is truly an amazing structure that really needs to be appreciated. If the show is lined up, you will have time to appreciate it anyway.

 The Lion King and Finding Nemo Shows - work these in as they are amazing. Don’t let the huge lineup for Finding Nemo: the Musical deter you. There is plenty of seating in the theater and if you are not picky about where you sit, you can often join the line late and still get seats. Festival of the Lion King has been around longer so it doesn’t have quite the same long lines, but is an equally amazing and entertaining show.

DinoLand USA - the boardwalk-style games are a lot of fun and can be a great way to spend half an hour or so. The kids really love it.

Pangani Forest Exploration - Take your time walking through the trail. Many people rush through it to move onto something else. The gorillas are the highlight here so if there is a crowd at the Gorilla Research station, there is another viewing area past that on the suspension bridge.

Devine - While walking from Africa to Asia (or vice versa) keep an eye out for Devine. This performer is amazing, so if you see her, stop and observe. You will be happy you did.

Maharajah Jungle Trek - Same advice as for the Pangani: take your time going through this. The tigers are the highlight here so if there is a crowd by the first viewing area, keep walking as there is another great area on the bridge following it. Also, spend some time in the bird sanctuary to see if you can spot all the birds on the identification chart.

Gibbon Island - stop and take some time to watch the gibbons on the island outside Kali River Rapids. They are very entertaining.

Flights of Wonder - a great show, not to be missed.

Rafiki’s Planet Watch - there can be a long wait for the train but there are some very interesting exhibits at Conservation Station and you really need to take the time to go there and check out this attraction. The kids will love the petting area.

Parade - Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade is not to be missed and is one of my favorite parades. Get a spot by the Safari entrance to see it loop through twice.

As you can see, there is a lot to do and see at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. I didn’t even mention the Boneyard or Character trails which are a must if you have children. A great way to end the day is take in dinner at the Rainforest Café on your way out.

If you follow my advice, and take your time, you should have no problem making a full day at Animal Kingdom. Once you get the major attractions done, there is a lot to do and see at this beautiful park. Enjoy your time there and...

Happy Touring!

Photos by Pat Whitson