Visiting Animal Kingdom soon? Are you looking for the best rides in Animal Kingdom for 2024? Then keep scrolling for our honest opinion on what the best rides are in Animal Kingdom for 2024!
Animal Kingdom is an absolute stunner of a theme park with animals and lush vegetation to wander/explore. There is a peace to this park even amongst the madness that is visiting Disney World. That is the beauty of Animal Kingdom; you can have these quiet moments of peace finding different animals/walking paths but also enjoy the thrill of excellent rides. And Animal Kingdom does have some excellent rides. Make sure to take your time in the park, it is meant to slow you down.
Below you will find what we think are the best rides in Animal Kingdom for 2024. This is based on our experiences and years of visiting Animal Kingdom. There isn’t a fancy rating system; just do we like the ride and are we willing to put in the effort to ride it. (Wait in line or book on Genie+)
At Pragmatic Travelers, we only recommend what we actually enjoy and experience to provide quick and practical travel advice.
I grabbed all the information on the rides like accessibility and height requirement from Walt Disney World. In particular, the Animal Kingdom page.
More Walt Disney World Ride Guides
- Honest Opinion to Magic Kingdom Rides
- Honest Opinion to Epcot Rides
- Honest Opinion to Hollywood Studios
Best Rides in Animal Kingdom for 2024
Avatar Flight of Passage
- Height Requirement: 44″
- Type of Ride: Thrill Ride
- Accessibility: ECV must transfer to Wheelchair then to ride vehicle Audio Description, Video captioning, Assistive Listening, Service Animals not allowed, Some body shapes/sizes may stop guests from riding due to seating and restraints
- Warning for those with high blood pressure, motion sickness, heart, back or neck problems, etc. Expectant mothers should not go on.
Fly with the banshees in this incredible simulator. You can even feel the banshee breathing as you fly through Pandora in this 3D adventure. This is an amazing ride. There are these amazing moments where the banshee stops to take a breath and you can just enjoy the surroundings of Pandora. This is truly magical. Not to mention an excellent queue (line)!
Disney Pro Tip: Rope drop this ride or book an individual lighting lane because this ride gets busy then stays busy. The other option is to wait until the end of the day and try to ride then. Plus you should definitely visit Pandora at night.
Dinosaur
- Height Requirement: 40″
- Type of Ride: Thrill Ride
- Accessibility: Must transfer from Wheelchair/ECV, Video Captioning, Assistive Listening, Service Animals not allowed,
- Warning for those with high blood pressure, motion sickness, heart, back or neck problems, etc. Expectant mothers should not go on.
This dinosaur journey holds a special place in my heart. I just adore the theming, storyline and queue. It is an immersive experience with a great ride at the end. A must ride.
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
- Height Requirement: 44″
- Type of Ride: Thrill Ride
- Accessibility: Must transfer from Wheelchair/ECV, Some body shapes/sizes may stop guests from riding due to seating and restraints
- Warning for those with high blood pressure, motion sickness, heart, back or neck problems, etc. Expectant mothers should not go on.
This is an intense thrill ride where you start in a Tibetan village and journey to the top of the mountain. This ride has an amazing queue! I have gotten distracted so many times looking at all of the artifacts. The ride itself is a blast with big drops, twists/turns and a few surprises. If you are a fan of roller coasters, you will love this ride.
Disney Pro Tip: You don’t need to rope drop this ride. Head to Pandora first then make your way over to Expedition Everest. The line usually stays low unless the day is bonkers crazy. ALSO, your kids (who are old enough to ride) will love this. My students (8th graders) would go on 4 to 5 times in a row before they moving on to the next ride.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Height Requirement: All ages, heights
- Type of Ride: Slow Ride
- Accessibility: Must transfer to Wheelchair, Video captioning, Assistive Listening, Handheld Captioning, Service Animals are allowed with caution
- Warning for those with high blood pressure, motion sickness, heart, back or neck problems, etc. Expectant mothers should not go on.
The best ride in the park. You will ride in a safari truck and actually ride amongst animals. If you are lucky, you might even have close encounters with some giraffes! It is the perfect ride for all ages and the memories you make are priceless. For the warning attached to this ride, some parts are pretty bumpy but smooth most of the time. You know your body best. Listen to your gut on whether to ride or not.
Disney Pro Tip: In the morning, the animals are more active and eating. At night, the hyenas are coming out. During the day, the animals may not be as active due to the heat. Also the last row is the best for pictures.
Wildlife Express Train
- Height Requirement: Al ages, heights
- Type of Ride: Slow ride
- Accessibility: May Remain in Wheelchair/ECV, Handheld Captioning, Assistive Listening
So this is slow moving train ride that takes you backstage where you can see some of the animals who are not on the Safari. It was pretty exciting because you get close to them. PLUS this train takes you to the affection station where you can pet goats. Um, yes to a train that takes me to goats!
I’ll ride but won’t wait.
Na’vi River Journey
- Height Requirement: All ages, heights
- Type of Ride: Slow Ride
- Accessibility: Must transfer from Wheelchair/ECV, Audio Description, Handheld captioning
This is a slow moving boat road through Pandora. It is a stunningly beautiful ride with great animatronic technology. It is also short so a long wait time doesn’t really make sense for this ride. I would not wait longer then 20 minutes for this ride. Its a nice ride but not worth the wait.
Disney Pro Tip: This a great ride to go after you rope drop Flight of Passage as the lines should still be short. Make sure to check the app for updated wait times.
Rarely Go on
Kali River Rapids
- Height Requirement: 38″
- Type of Ride: Thrill Ride, Water Ride
- Accessibility: Must transfer from Wheelchair/ECV, Service Animals not allowed
- Warning for those with high blood pressure, motion sickness, heart, back or neck problems, etc. Expectant mothers should not go on.
A big nope. It is water thrill ride where you will get drenched. That is not my cup of tea. I hate walking around theme parks soaking wet. So nope nope.
TriceraTop Spin
- Height Requirement: All ages, heights
- Type of Ride: Slow Ride
- Accessibility: ECV must transfer to Wheelchair
It is a less iconic version of Dumbo. Only it is in a Dinosaur. Great for small kids but for me it’s a nope.
Your thoughts…
What do you think are the best Animal Kingdom rides for 2024? Which rides do you skip? If you have never been before, which rides are you most exited to ride in 2024? I would love to hear your thoughts, questions and ideas! Leave a comment below.
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