Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park

Reviews

• FF

  FEDE

  Apr 25, 2026
  5.0
  The best Disney park! The Safari is a breathtaking, real-life experience ​In my opinion, Animal Kingdom is the best park at Disney. What sets it apart is the incredible attention to detail and how it connects you with nature. ​The Kilimanjaro Safaris is, without a doubt, the highlight of the park. It is the best experience you can have because it feels completely real. Seeing the animals in such a vast, open environment makes you feel like you've been transported straight to Africa. It’s an authentic and moving experience that you won't find anywhere else. ​One important piece of advice: Be sure to buy the Lightning Lane (or specialized fast passes). The wait times here are "God-level"—the lines are incredibly long. If you want to actually enjoy the attractions like the Safari or Avatar without spending your whole day standing in line, paying for the faster entry is a must. ​Don't miss this park; it's a beautiful, immersive, and unforgettable adventure!
• LF

  Liam Findlay

  Apr 25, 2026
  3.0
  A fabulous, detailed park with reasonable wait times and brilliant value for money. I would have given 5/5 stars, were it not for these issues: - The biggest concern was the vast amount of plastic waste in the form of disposable cutlery. Every meal I bought came with plastic cutlery to throw away, and the daily plastic waste by the park must be gigantic. This is completely contradictary to the park's message of looking after the environment. - Vegetarian food options were very limited. One could argue that this is also contradictary to the park's message of looking after the environment. - The 'free' shuttle service from Disney partner hotel Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista was reliable but too infrequent. I spent my afternoons focussed on when I needed to leave the park so that I would reach the coach in time, and I left early each day to ensure that I would beat any crowds; if the coach had been to crowded for me to get on, I would have needed to wait another hour.
• JJ

  Jas Johal

  Apr 21, 2026
  5.0
  We had the most incredible experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but the absolute highlight of our day was the safari. It genuinely felt like stepping into another world. The animals were amazing, the setting was breathtaking, and the whole experience was far beyond what we expected from a theme park. What truly made it unforgettable, though, was our guide, Evan. From the moment we set off, his passion was infectious. You could immediately tell this wasn’t just a job to him. He brought the entire safari to life with his knowledge, energy, and genuine enthusiasm. Every animal we saw came with a story, a fact, or an insight that made the experience feel immersive and real. What stood out even more was how he engaged with our children. He spoke to them directly, answered all their questions with patience and excitement, and made the whole tour incredibly educational without it ever feeling like a lesson. They were completely captivated the entire time. One of the most memorable moments was when we asked Evan about his own journey and future plans. You could see his eyes light up as he spoke about going on his first safari in Africa later this year. That level of excitement and passion is rare, and it made the whole experience feel even more authentic. It’s people like Evan who turn a great attraction into something truly special. This wasn’t just a ride, it was an experience we’ll be talking about for a long time. Absolutely outstanding.
• LL

  Leo Lion

  Apr 9, 2026
  1.0
  I've dreamed about Animal Kingdom. Actually getting to bring my family was supposed to be a dream come true. If you're on the fence about which parks are best Universal or Disney, Universal was so much better! My visit to animal Kingdom started with rude staff right when I walked in through security. The women at the gates walking in and out of the park where very rude! I love animals... animal kingdom was the park I couldn't wait to get to. I knew ahead of time that there are only 2 rides in that park besides the safari but I've picked 3 rides that are must for my trip and one of those was the Avatar flight of passage. After paying hundreds of dollars for my family and I to get tickets for Animal Kingdom and paying a extra $30 to park we got in to discover that the only 2 rides in that park are closed. It's almost 2pm I asked when they were gonna be opening and the staff said they don't know if they were gonna come back up today. Orlando has a whole ZOO that's much cheaper than Animal Kingdom with things like zip lines, animal encounters, and a safari train. Plus one admission to animal Kingdom gets my entire family into the Orlando zoo! There were no discounts given because the rides were down. No credits, NOTHING! I didn't rope drop, I made it there after lunch right at about 1 pm and I was gone before 3! The STAFF, I really expected more from Disney based on other reviews BUT coming to Orlando I have encountered some extremely friendly people everywhere I have went EXCEPT ANIMAL Kingdom! The first people to greet you at the security gate yelling at me to separate my umbrella from my purse! It's not what you say, it's how you say it! I'm 44 years old with adult children, I just look like a child and I don't appreciate being yelled at! I did what I was asked, no problem but WOW! I see some animals and find the ride I came for. I found a team member and asked about when the ride, she said it's closed (the only other ride was also closed) I asked about what time would it reopen and I feel like I was blew off with an I don't know! I walked off and I walked by the group that the staff member was talking to previously and I heard those women telling their group that someone had gotten sick on the ride so it closed for maintenance but ME. I got none of that! I knew that I was older than most of the staff I encountered there but because I look like my 20 year old, I feel like they handled me like I was a child! Walking out there was another rude woman at the exit. I walked out with another family (they were white) and they even said that the way the women acted was uncalled for. I didn't get rude or anything, I hope there are cameras that caught my interaction but I hate everything about Animal Kingdom. I wanted to try some restaurants and get gifts for people but I after 2 hours in the park I am happy I went to Universal first and I don't even want to visit any of Disney's other parks! I was treated better in the Orlando gas stations than at Disney World! Universal was nothing short of AMAZING! The people and staff are awesome! The customer service BLOWS Disney out of this world! I wish I hadn't ordered my park tickets in advance because I could leave Orlando now without visiting another Disney park. My kids are adults so while I was at animal kingdom they were in Magic Kingdom, trying the Tron! They said it SUCKS! My kids said maybe if we had done Disney first then it wouldn't suck so bad but because Universal was so amazing it just makes everything and everyone with Disney look bad! I still have a few days here and I paid a lot to be here so I will try to make the most of it BUT if I can figure out how to get a refund for our remaining park days nothing will make me happier! I added a photo of me when I arrived and I was still happy, I left so upset I wanted to cry!
• JJ

  Jason Jacobs

  Apr 7, 2026
  1.0
  We visited Disney's Animal Kingdom as a family group, 4 adults, and kids ages 10, 9, 6, 4, and 1.5, plus one adult with a disability. The entrance process itself was smooth. Staff were friendly, scanned passes quickly, and gave each person a character ID card. It’s a cute idea, but in practice it caused some frustration with younger kids who didn’t like the character they received. The employee helping us was kind enough to swap them, even though that’s not really the policy. It might make more sense to let kids choose from a rotating display while waiting, since a 4-year-old girl isn’t going to be excited about getting Chewbacca. We also paid the extra $25 per person for the fast pass option (Lightning Lane), expecting it to help us get more done. Unfortunately, many of the major attractions weren’t even available through it, so the value felt very limited. Standby wait times were extremely long, with some lines exceeding 100 minutes. With a group our size and young kids, that made it very difficult to experience much of the park. In the past, we were able to use the DAS (Disability Access Service) due to ADHD and anxiety within our group. That option appears to be much more restricted now. From what we were told, eligibility is limited to more specific conditions, and even when granted, it only allows the individual plus up to three additional guests. For larger families, that creates a tough situation where the rest of the group either waits separately or uses standby lines. Overall, it ended up being a very tiring day. Over the course of about six hours, we were only able to do four attractions before deciding to leave. Given the cost and the limited amount we were able to experience, this didn’t feel worth it for our group. For families with young kids or larger groups, it may be worth considering other options. At the end of the day, we waited for the shuttle back to the hotel. I turned to my wife and said, “Look around, not one person here is smiling. Not one person looks like they just had the best day ever.” Everyone looked tired, hot, and defeated.