Disney's Animal Kingdom is a can't miss park when you're at Walt Disney World.  It has something for everyone in the family, whether they love rides, shows, or animals, Animal Kingdom has it all! This park is quickly becoming one of my favorite stops each trip because there is so much to explore.  Let's take a look at some of the attractions that you just can't miss on your Animal Kingdom day!

Pandora - The World of Avatar

Even if you aren't an fan of the Avatar films, this land is a must see and an incredible experience. When you enter the land, you truly feel like you have stepped foot into another world with floating mountains, banshees, and colorful plants. Once the sun goes down it becomes even more magical as the plants and rocks glow.



There are two attractions in Pandora: Flight of Passage and Nav'i River Journey.

Flight of Passage has a height requirement of 44' so the whole family may not be able to ride, but there is rider swap available for families with little ones. This ride takes you on the back of banshee where it feels like you're actually flying through Pandora.  This ride still has long lines even years after opening so this is a great one to rope drop or purchase an individual lightening lane so you minimize your time waiting in line.

Na'vi River Journey is a slow moving boat ride through the sites of Pandora ending with the largest animatronic in Walt Disney World.  The animatronic Na'vi Shaman of Songs is incredible to see. I would suggest getting a lightening lane for this attraction (this one is included in the Genie+ service).

Amazing Shows

Animal Kingdom is known for it's entertaining shows throughout the park. My favorites are Festival of the Lion King, Feathered Friends in Flight, and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond.  These shows are also a great way to get out of the sun during the warmer months (and can be an entertaining place for the kiddos to take a nap!).

Rafiki's Planet Watch

This is often one of Animal Kingdom's most overlooked attraction.  To get to Rafiki's Planet Watch you have to take a short train ride on the Wildlife Express Train that departs from Harambe Station in Africa.  Once there, you'll find the Affection Section petting zoo and Conservation Station. One of my favorite activities I've ever done at WDW is the Animation Experience inside Conservation Station.  This is a short class that happens several times per day where a Disney animator teaches you how to draw a Disney character.  You would be surprised how well they turn out, even if you think you can't draw!

Kilimanjaro Safari

Take a safari ride through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve and see many animals that call Africa home. This ride is always a must do for me when visiting Animal Kingdom. The open air vehicle helps provide some up close viewings of giraffes, elephants, hippos, and if you're lucky, lions!  Every ride can be a different experience so it's even fun to ride multiple times per day.

Animal Kingdom also has several walking trails where you can see many different kinds of animals from tigers to otters and everything in between. This park is such a fun way to spend your day at Walt Disney World that you really can't afford to miss it!

I'd love to help you plan your most magical trip to Walt Disney World! Contact me via my email kelly.mills@vincentvacations.org or through the contact me button on this page.

One of the questions I get all the time when planning trips for families with younger kids, is 'Do we really need to go to EPCOT?' and my answer is always a resounding 'YES!' Now, I may be a little biased considering that EPCOT is my favorite park and has been since I was a teenager but there are so many great experiences for families of all sizes. Let's go through my top 5 reasons that EPCOT is a must-do park every visit.

Characters everywhere!

Did you know you can meet SO MANY characters at Epcot?  Seriously, there are characters everywhere!  Some of my favorites are the princesses that meet in their countries inside the World Showcase.  Mulan meets in China, Snow White meets in Germany, Belle in France, and don't forget Epcot is the only place to meet Anna and Elsa (more on this later)! Along with all the princesses, you can meet the Fab 5 around the park, such as Pluto and Goofy at the entrance of the park, Mickey and Minnie are in the Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival, and Donald is usually by the Mexico pavilion. You can find Joy from Inside Out and Figment hanging out at the ImageWorks building.  There is also a great princess dining experience at Akershus in the Norway pavilion that is a slightly cheaper alternative to Cinderella's Royal Table.  If you have a character loving kiddo, this park is a great place for them to get those autographs and photos!

The Seas with Nemo and Friends Pavilion 

If you have kiddos that aren't huge fans of rides, this is a great hang out spot for them.  There are several activities located in this building alone, which if you're there in the warmer months, is a great escape from the heat. I love to visit each attraction in this building, starting with The Seas with Nemo and Friends is a slow moving ride in a seashell that takes you on a journey with Marlin and Dory to find Nemo.  You get to see all of Nemo's friends and at the end, you get to see inside the aquariums.  Once you step off the ride, you are immediately in the SeaBase aquariums where you can see all kinds of marine animals, including manatees and dolphins.  There is also a indoor play area, Bruce's Shark World, for the kids to get some energy out! Lastly, you can't miss Turtle Talk with Crush.  This attraction is a show where the audience gets to ask Crush the turtle all about being a turtle.  It usually ends up being hilarious as mostly kids as the questions and Crush often likes to mess with the adults.  This is a must do every time I'm here with my kiddos!

Kidcot Stops

Are you taking the kids during school?  Well, this is a great way to involve learning into your trip.  Each country has a Kidcot stop where they can pick up a memorable momento with facts and activities teaching about their culture and traditions. These are a fun (and free!) souvenir for the kids to collect while also allowing their grown ups to enjoy all the food and beverage offerings throughout the World Showcase.

Frozen Attractions

Although you may see Anna and Elsa in the parade at Magic Kingdom, Epcot is the only park you are able to meet them and emmerse yourself in Arendelle. You can have a special moment with both Anna and Elsa and the Royal Sommerhus located in the Norway Pavilion.  There are usually PhotoPass photographers there to capture the moment so if you have the MemoryMaker package, this is great place to use it. Also in the Norway Pavilion, you will find the only Frozen themed ride in Walt Disney World, Frozen Ever After.  This is a slow moving boat ride (with one little surprise that I don't want to spoil!) that takes you through Anna planning a party for Elsa. If you have a Frozen fan in your family, these attractions are a must do!

Image Works

ImageWorks is located in the World Celebration section and features several fun activities for kids of all ages! Journey Into Imagination with Figment is an easy ride for the whole family with no height restriction.  After the ride, you exit into ImageWorks and the 'What If' Labs.  Throughout the labs there are interactive activities where kids can explore the science of sound, create music, record themselves in slow motion, and even create their own dragon!  This is also a great place to meet some unique characters as mentioned previously. Like The Seas with Nemo and Friends, this is a great place to take a break from the heat if you are coming in the warmer months.

Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana

Do you have a kid that loves Moana or just playing in the water? This is a must do for them!  This interactive water experience lets you play and interact with water in all sorts of ways, while giving you the opportunity to stay dry if you wish.  This attraction is inspired by Moana's journey and her love of the ocean so sometimes you might even find Moana hanging out!  This attraction is a self-guided trail so you can take as much time as you'd like exploring and playing.  My favorite part of this attraction is the larger than life Motunui at the end!

As you can see, Epcot is a top notch choice for families with children and definitely worth spending a day there.  I'd love to help your family experience not only the magic of Epcot, but the entire Walt Disney World Resort and Theme Parks!  Reach out to me at kelly.mills@vincentvacations.com to start planning your trip today!