Every Attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom, Ranked

We hate to say it, but Dinoland USA is one of our least favorite lands in any Disney Park. Unfortunately, it's themed to feel much like a carnival, and just doesn't feature that Disney magic we're accustomed to. Aside from the main attraction, the rides are dull and uninspired. The Dinosaur Activities are mostly for young children, and primarily involve digging around in sand. It's cool to find a fossil, but there's a lot more to explore in Animal Kingdom.

PRO SCORE: 10

We love conservation! It's important! Be a Disney Parks Pro and always throw your recyclable materials in the appropriate bins - they're everywhere! That said, the Conservation Station is hard to get to and takes up a lot of space. It takes a ride on the Wildlife Express Train to get there, and unfortunately there's not much to do once you do arrive. We love how Animal Kingdom tries to bring educational aspects to its park a la Epcot, but you can learn at some more exciting attractions. This isn't much better than an exhibit at a natural history museum. This attraction is currently closed under the guise that it will be making a return, but we wouldn't be surprised if something else takes its place soon.

PRO SCORE: 12

The Nature Trails are a very nice change of pace, and we love them for that. But, they're essentially just zoo attractions within a Disney theme park. Don't get us wrong, we love that, there are just better animal experiences available at Animal Kingdom. With that said, there are multiple nature trails to choose from, so we say you should at least check out one, or more if you don't have easy access to a local zoo. We like the Maharajah Jungle Trek as it features an up-close close at Tigers. Just keep track of time and don't miss out on some of the cooler attractions.

PRO SCORE: 15

Sigh, another Dumbo clone and this one is the least inspired of the bunch. It's flying Triceratop dinosaurs that go around in a circle. It's time for all of Dinoland USA to get an overhaul.

PRO SCORE: 14

As we've stated before, we're largely fans of the interactive adventures available at each of the parks. We also love the theming based on Up for this attraction, and are fans of the ability to earn badges just like Russell the Wilderness Explorer does in the movie. Many other attractions are worth more of your time, but these diversions give so much depth to the Disney parks. Adventure is out there!

PRO SCORE: 15

Again, this one loses points for being part of Dinoland USA. It's a carnival style steel mouse rollercoaster with some cheap dinosaur theming. It is a thrill ride, so you may enjoy it if these kinds of rollercoasters are your prehistoric preference, but it often has a longer wait than is worth the payoff.

PRO SCORE: 15

This show offers an up-close and personal experience with many different exotic birds. Birds will soar over your head and walk right by you, all alongside the charming duo of Russell and Dug from Up. The show can be a bit chaotic, but it's so cool to see all these vastly different species together in one place. Not to mention, Dug the dog is as endearing as ever. We recommend grabbing a beer from the outside kiosk and checking this one out (just watch out for overhead bird poop!)

PRO SCORE: 17

This live production of the Lion King is definitely worth checking out. There are some insane acrobatics, amazing costumes, an articulated Timon costume, and all your favorite Lion King jams! Any time we see this show it gives us energy and puts us in a great mood. It has been around for a while and can be tricky to line up show times, but it's worth catching if your schedule permits.

PRO SCORE: 18

While we're so happy to see Animal Kingdom extending its hours and adding nighttime entertainment, unfortunately this show leaves a lot to be desired. It's easily the weakest nighttime show at Walt Disney World. However, it's still very enchanting and features some dazzling lights, and we can never say we're not happy seeing a Disney nighttime spectacle. After all the delays and kinks this show went through, it's great that we ever got to see it at all. It's worth checking out for that evening magic, but don't feel bad if you can't make it.

PRO SCORE: 16

The Tree of Life is the majestic, peaceful icon of Animal Kingdom. We love it from far away, and we love it even more up close where you can admire all the intricate carvings of different animals. There are over 300 detailed creatures on the tree, and it's great that you can get close to them just by waiting in line for It's Tough to be a Bug. Take a moment to take in this 145 ft tall tree - and don't forget to take a picture!

PRO SCORE: 20

The animatronic shaman at the end of this ride is incredible! Its movements are so fluid and its facial expressions have so much detail, it truly seems like a living Na'vi. The rest of the ride, however, is a little underwhelming. Oddly enough, it reminds us of the Gran Fiesta Tour at Epcot's Mexico Pavilion, as it's mostly a boat ride with screen projections scattered throughout. Of course, this ride is much more modern and high tech, but we wish we could have gotten to see a lot more Na'vi animatronics. This one has a really long wait for what you get, so try to get a Fastpass.

PRO SCORE: 18

While we just mentioned how much we love the Tree of Life, it's even cooler to see it at night! This 15 minute projection show brings the animals on the tree to life. Much like Once Upon a Time at Magic Kingdom, this features very precise projections that continue to blow our mind. We also love how the lighting changes colors to match different ecosystems, and how each sequence features classic Disney songs like "Under the Sea", "Bare Necessities" and more. The best part is this show runs on a loop, so you can catch it any time and continue to watch it as you walk around the park at night.

PRO SCORE: 20

It's Tough to be a Bug is a 3D experience based on the movie A Bug's Life. We won't spoil them, but there are a lot of great interactive elements in this show that will get you from all angles. The show also features an awesome Hopper animatronic (when it's working). Also, the show actually has some genuinely scary moments! This almost always leads to crying children, but for adults it makes the show a lot more thrilling. Head on inside the Tree of Life and become an honorary bug!

PRO SCORE: 19

IN THE BIG BLUEE WORLDDD - This is one of the best live shows in any of the Disney theme parks! It features Broadway quality effects and puppetry that takes you deep underwater into the world of Finding Nemo. It also features Broadway quality music by none other than Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the composers behind a little film called Frozen. For us, this is a must-see, but keep in mind it's a full scale production and runs almost an hour in length. Be a Pro and plan accordingly!

PRO SCORE: 20

Be prepared to get absolutely soaked on this one! On a hot Florida day, that's a good thing though. This is your classic circular river rapids ride, but it's a whole lot of fun. You never know who might get soaked and who will stay dry, but you'll all get to experience the thrills of the rushing Kali rapids. Our Disney Parks Pro tip for this one is to bring an extra bathing suit and change before you ride! Otherwise, you'll probably be wet for the rest of the day.

PRO SCORE: 18

Kilimanjaro Safaris is one of our favorite rides, because unlike most Disney attractions, this one is entirely based in reality. Instead of transporting you to Pandora or Neverland, this ride takes you to the very real African Savannah, with very real living animals to see. You'll be feet away from elephants, giraffes, gazelle and more, and you never know what you might see as each ride is a completely different experience. Plus, it's awe-striking to see just how much vast space this attraction takes up! This ride alone makes Animal Kingdom the largest Disney park, and takes up more square footage on its own that most other theme parks do in their entirety.

PRO SCORE: 20

While we might have mentioned our distaste for Dinoland USA, we genuinely love its main attraction. It features the same state of the art ride system as Indiana Jones in Disneyland, which leads to lots of thrills as you travel back in time and face the Carnotaurus. Disney has always loved dinosaurs, but this is the first time they've been featured in a genuinely thrilling way, with an original story to boot. Plus, we just love the fact that it ties in with the early 2000s animated feature, a movie so random yet so deserving of its own theme park attraction.

PRO SCORE: 20

Alright, first we need to mention that the Yeti animatronic in this ride does not work and that's a real big shame. It was so cool for the few months that it functioned! With that said, this is still the best thrill ride at Animal Kingdom, and it's right up there with Rock N Rollercoaster as the best in all Walt Disney World. The feeling of going backwards and upside down at the same time is a real rush. Plus, the mountain itself is an engineering feat on its own. Just like the actual Everest, it's absolutely huge, and it's a sight to behold when you round the corner and set eyes on it for the first time. For being a crowning achievement and an awesome rollercoaster, this one ranks towards the top.

PRO SCORE: 20

We're just going to come right out and say it - we think this is the best theme park attraction out there right now. Flight of Passage fully immerses you in the world of Pandora and gives you the complete sensation of soaring through the air on a Banshee. In fact, you can feel the Banshee alive underneath you. You'll swoop and soar and race, but the ride also allows for moments of calm to take in the beauty of your surroundings. There are exotic locations to see, and alien smells you've never experienced before. Fastpasses for this one go quick, so right now we say make it your top priority over any other ride at Walt Disney World when it comes time to book. This one is a can't miss!

PRO SCORE: 18

There you have it: follow this guide, don't miss the E-tickets and Get the Most Out of the Magic - you're now officially an Animal Kingdom Ride Pro!

Image Credits