4. It has some of the best rides at Walt Disney World

Disney’s Animal Kingdom has some absolute winners when it comes to rides—including the top rival to guest-favorite, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

We are talking, of course, about Avatar Flight of Passage, part of the World of Pandora based on James Cameron’s Avatar. Similar to Rise of the Resistance, Flight of Passage had such a major effect on Walt Disney World when it opened that it skyrocketed Disney Animal Kingdom’s popularity. It is easily the most lauded attraction in the park, offering guests the opportunity to experience a stunningly real flight over the world of Pandora on the back of a banshee (we like to think of it as “Soarin’ Over Pandora”).

Other highlights of the park’s attractions include:

• Kilimanjaro Safaris – A tour through the park’s African savannah where guests can view the park’s African animals up close To increase your chance of seeing animals, visit early in the morning or close to sunset.
• Expedition: Everest – Arguably Walt Disney World’s best roller coaster so far--a high speed adventure where guests race to escape the Yeti, guardian of the Forbidden Mountain
• Dinosaur – Despite being named after a children’s movie, this ride is surprisingly scary. While it may be too much for some young visitors, the end result is a thrilling excursion through the last dark moments of the age of the dinosaurs.
• Kali River Rapids – A positively drenching river raft ride. You will get wet!
• Na’vi River Journey – A slow paced boat tour through the jungles of Pandora at night
• Rafiki’s Planet Watch – This isn’t so much a ride but rather includes both a train ride, as well as several attraction surrounding the Conservation Station. Currently, the main activities are the Affection Section (a sort of petting zoo) and The Animation Experience, a live class where guests can learn how to draw favorite Disney animal characters.

These are just a selection of the offerings at the park which also includes children’s rides (many of which are in Dinoland U.S.A.), the Wilderness Explorers scavenger hunts, and shows like Festival of the Lion King, It’s Tough to Be a Bug, and Feathered Friends in Flight.

5. The World of Pandora

Speaking of attractions, no discussion of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is complete without a look at The World of Pandora.

Similar to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge over in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The World of Pandora is one of Walt Disney World’s most immersive lands. The land is home to two popular rides—Avatar Flight of Passage and the Na’vi River Journey. In truth, the land is an attraction unto itself.

Based on James Cameron’s Avatar, guests visiting the World of Pandora are invited into a dazzling world of bioluminescent plants, strange fauna, giant robots, and alien sounds. Just wandering around to take it all in is part of the experience, particularly at night when the whole land burst to life with mesmerizing lights.

The World of Pandora was designed to completely immerse guests in a fantastical science fiction world—everything from the food at Satul’i Canteen to the souvenirs in the shops are meant to feel like they come straight out of Avatar. You can even adopt a baby banshee to take home with you forever.

I think the best part of the World of Pandora is that you don’t have to be a fan of Avatar to appreciate it—you can know literally nothing about the film and still grin in awe at this incredible display of Disney magic.

6. Don’t skip the walking trails

We mentioned this in previous installments, but exploration plays a major part in any visit to Walt Disney World, especially at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. One of the best way for guests to experience the wildlife of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is on the park’s two main walking trails: The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek.

The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is the most popular, largely due to its close proximity to Kilimanjaro Safaris. This trail gives the guests the opportunity to encounter more of Africa’s diverse wildlife, with particular emphasis on the park’s family of gorillas. Other animals include meerkats, zebra, and an expansive aviary of African birds including weavers, hammerkops, and the enigmatic blue turaco.

Tucked next to Kali River Rapids over in Asia, The Maharajah Jungle Trek is even more impressive in many aspects. During a journey through this lush trail (themed after South Asian jungle ruins), guests will encounter Malayan flying foxes, Komodo dragons, gibbons, water buffalo, and tigers. The trail offers several great spots to view the park’s tigers in their expansive habitat, as well as the opportunity to explore a second aviary of Asian birds like metallic starlings, Nicobar pigeons (the closest living relative to the dodo), great argus pheasants, and even the ultra-rare Vietnam pheasant. We highly recommend taking your time in the aviaries—find a place to stand or sit still, and you’ll see all kinds of endearing behaviors from the resident birds.

Along with the two main trails, guests can also explore the Discovery Island Trails which include both small animal exhibits, as well as a tour of the detailed sculptures on the Tree of Life.