ANIMAL KINGDOM
Opened in 1998
Animal Kingdom is the most recent theme park to open and has five different theme sections to it. Those five are Dinoland U.S.A, Discovery Island, Asia, Africa, and their newest addition Pandora - The World of Avatar. As you enter the park and follow the path through Oasis - known as the Main Street U.S.A of Animal Kingdom, and walk through the trees, you then enter Discovery Island which is the center of the park and home to the Tree of Life. It is not a real tree but a 145 foot sculpture of a baobab tree. Here, there are different shows like Lion King projected onto it daily.
HOURS
9 A.M. to 8 P.M.
Hours may vary - to check the hours of a specific day, click here.
DISCOVERY ISLAND
Known as the "hub" or "headquarters" this is where all the lands come together and connect here. This is where you go from land to land and to the Oasis leading to the exit. The different land's do not connect together, they are like separate "islands." The Tree of Life can be found here where the 3DÂ show It's Tough to be a Bug is inside off, dining places like Pizzafari can be found here, as well as souvenir shops.
DINOLAND U.S.A
Opened in 1998
With the theme based in 1947, this land is full of retro style and bright colors with dinosaurs everywhere. It kind of has a fair or carnival feel with the bright lights, loud rides and activities topped with blasting music. Some rides that can be found here are Triceratop Spin, Chester and Hester's Dino-o-rama, Dinosaur, and Primeval Whirl.
Image source: Andrew Dupont on flickr.com
PANDORA - THE WORLD OF AVATAR
Opened in 2017
The most recent park expansion is based off of the world in the famous movie Avatar. This land offers unique dining with different foods and drinks, also different shops where you can create your own Avatar. The most popular ride in the park is also here which is Avatar: Flight of Passage, and the Na'vi River Journey. At night, the ground even glows in neon colors like it does in the movie.
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Image source: Chad Sparkes on flickr.com
ASIA
Opened in 1999 as the Park's First Expansion Land
Asia is home to one of the most popular rides in the park, Expedition Everest. It's a rollercoaster that takes you up and through Mt. Everest while crossing paths with an angry Yeti. In 2017, the lake in the middle went under a renovation creating the new show Rivers of Light. Other things guests can experience here are the different restaurants offering Asian cuisine, or ride the other rides like Kali River Rapids, Maharajah Jungle Trek, or watch a show with living birds - Up! A Great Bird Adventure.
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Image source: Haydn Blackey on flickr.com
AFRICA
This section of the park is where all the living animals are. Animal Kingdom is home to over 1,700 different animals including tigers, zebra, giraffes, hippos, flamingos, lions and more. To see these animals, there is the Kilimanjaro Safari tour that takes you through their African Savannah to see the animals. They also offer a Wild Africa Trek where you can walk on bridges over crocodiles and hippos. Something to keep in mind when visiting this part is to not reference it as a zoo. For more information on what animals live here and the care they receive, check out this website.
Fun fact: I had the chance to go on the Wild Africa Trek. It was an amazing experience. They fed hippos watermelons right in front of us, we walked over the crocodiles, and then enjoyed a specialty lunch with a view overlooking the African Savannah.
