Disney's Animal Kingdom – Africa

Image: DisneyWhen we switch the discussion to Disney's Animal Kingdom, it generally gets easier. Africa is a perfect example of this, as this themed land has three attractions: Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, Festival of the Lion King, and Kilimanjaro Safaris. One of these is not like the others. Don’t get me wrong. I relish walking the exploration trail on occasion, but come on!

The argument here boils down to a wonderful, Cirque du Soleil-esque show, Festival of the Lion King, versus an imitable ride experience, Kilimanjaro Safaris. With Festival of the Lion King, you get to shout catchphrases and play along with the antics of remarkable tumblers. On Kilimanjaro Safaris, you embark on a journey through the natural habitats of countless creatures, watching in awe as they frolic.

The harsh truth here is that you can see things like Festival of the Lion King at plenty of other places. Kilimanjaro Safaris is the implementation of Disney's Animal Kingdom itself as a theme park attraction. It’s THE seminal attraction here.

Asia

Image: DisneyThis themed land shares similarities with Sunset Boulevard in that it has two rides and two attractions that aren’t as easy to quantify. The attractions are UP! A Great Bird Adventure and Maharajah Jungle Trek, neither of which is that special. The rides are Kali River Rapids, a ride sorely in need of plussing, and Expedition Everest, a masterpiece. Asia is Expedition Everest plus riff raff.

DinoLand U.S.A.

Image: DisneyOddly, this themed land has the largest number of potential candidates for best attraction. That’s certainly not the perception of DinoLand U.S.A., a discount section that diminishes the Disney brand with its existence.

The attractions are the Boneyard, Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, DINOSAUR, Finding Nemo – The Musical, Primeval Whirl, and TriceraTop Spin. It’s not exactly a championship lineup. The first two are kid-friendly areas that siphon traffic more than entertain. The last two rides listed there are thoroughly mediocre cookie cutter carnival rides masquerading under the Disney name.

The realistic options here are DINOSAUR and Finding Nemo – The Musical. I wouldn’t describe Finding Nemo as one of my favorite shows at Walt Disney World, but I’m impressed by it nonetheless. I am, however, a huge fan of DINOSAUR, one of the most underrated attractions at all of Walt Disney World. It’s definitely the class of DinoLand U.S.A.

Pandora – The World of Avatar

Image: DisneyThe last one is also the easiest. Pandora is a state-of-the-art themed land that is currently the crown jewel of the Disney roster. I wouldn’t be surprised if it held that title even after Toy Story Land opens, although it will inevitably lose that title when Galaxy’s Edge arrives.

With amazing, immersive innovations on display everywhere, Pandora is a true joy to visit. Its two attractions are housed in the same facility, and each one is tremendous. While Na’Vi River Journey features the best Audio-Animatronics and special effects at Walt Disney World today, Avatar Flight of Passage is the gold standard out of all theme park attractions at the moment.

So, what did I get right and where do you violently disagree? Feel free to brutalize me in the comments section! I fully understand it’s a naturally divisive topic.