“Disney’s Animal Kingdom has a soul,” Dr. Scott Terrell, Vice President of Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment, said as I took another sip of coffee. I’m seated in Nomad Lounge, my usual Animal Kingdom haunt, surrounded by other invited members of the media. It’s rather early in the day to be in Nomad Lounge, a place I typically reserve for that middle of the afternoon respite when I need a blast of air conditioning and a cocktail (my go to order at the moment is the Sinaloa Sangria).
This morning, however, I was up before the sun to attend a panel discussion about Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the conservation efforts made in the nearly three decades the park has been operating.
The panel kicked off an exciting two days of tours, conversations, and insight into the work that happens both behind the scenes as well as in plain view of guests. The idea that Animal Kingdom has a soul was not a novel thought that morning; Dr. Terrell credits the term as coined by Josh D’Amaro, Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company. It became very apparent that not only does the park indeed have a soul, but that it is accessible to every family that visits.
In order to tap into Animal Kingdom’s specialness, however, you need to look beyond its E-ticket rides. The popular notion that Animal Kingdom is a “half day park” misses the mark when you consider these six unique experiences every guest should prioritize the next time they visit.
Slow down along the animal trails
What makes Disney’s Animal Kingdom unique among the four Walt Disney World theme parks are the multiple opportunities to walk along numerous self-guided trails and encounter animals. Where many guests miss out is really taking the time to slow down, to “stop and smell the animals,” as it were. Breezing through these trails in order to make it to your next Lightning Lane robs you of a meaningful, rich experience with both the animals and the Cast Members found along the trails.
Your two primary walking trails at Animal Kingdom are:
- Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (home to western lowland gorillas, hippos, and more)
- Maharajah Jungle Trek (home to sumatran tigers, gibbons, water buffalo, and over 50 species of birds)
Watching these animals over an extended period of time allows you to observe them differently, and you can even start to see some of their personalities come through. You may spot them foraging for food or playing with toys and other enrichment materials. Most importantly, pausing along the trails allows you to meet and interact with the Cast Members that are part of Disney’s Animal, Science, and Environment team.
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Talk to the Cast Members throughout Animal Kingdom
When discussing why families should think about Animal Kingdom differently compared to the other theme parks, Dr. Terrell points to the Cast Members. “Our animal care professionals, our educators, our scientists, our veterinarians, they are the true attraction here at Disney’s Animal Kingdom,” he shared. “You can ride Expedition Everest, it’s amazing, Flight of Passage, Kilimanjaro Safaris. But you have the opportunity to meet real life experts every single day.”
Any guest can meet and speak at length with these Cast Members, who Dr. Terrell lovingly refers to “rock stars,” throughout the park. Whether it’s out walking the trails, on Kilimanjaro Safaris, or at Conservation Station, there are multiple opportunities to meet actual veterinarians, scientists, and animal experts with decades of experience studying and caring for the animals that call Animal Kingdom home.
Not only is it highly encouraged to stop and talk with the animal experts, but speaking with guests is part of why the cast chooses to work at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. As Dr. Terrell adds, “It really is the Cast who believe that they can change the world through talking to a guest.”
Order your coffee with an extra shot of conservation
In between the animal walking trails and conversations with Cast Members, you’ll probably want a boost of caffeine to get you through the day (you are, after all, at a Disney theme park). Head to Creature Comforts and you’ll not only find your favorite Starbucks drink, you’ll also find opportunities to give back to the animals seen in the park that day.
Proceeds from many of the purchases at Animal Kingdom, whether it’s merchandise or food, goes to the Disney Conservation Fund, which has directed more than $141 million to support wildlife and nature conservation efforts around the world since 1995. At Creature Comforts specifically, the purchase of any Flat White latte goes directly to the protection of the cotton-top tamarin, which you can observe at Animal Kingdom across the way from Creature Comforts. Cotton-top tamarins are a critically endangered species of primate found only in the northwestern corner of Colombia.
I personally cannot start my day in a Disney park without coffee, so it’s nice to know I can’t start my day in Animal Kingdom without a contribution to helping out those little cotton-top tamarin cuties.
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Visit Conservation Station and chat with the animal care staff
If you want to really dive into the heart and soul of Animal Kingdom, hop on the Wildlife Express Train and take the over one-mile journey to Conservation Station. Open since day one, Conservation Station is home to the veterinarian facilities as well as the Animal Nutrition Center that cares for the animals on a round-the-clock basis.
During our visit, we were informed that most of the Cast Members at Conservation Station have been there since day one, which means most Cast Members have decades of experience with the animals and can likely rattle off one of hundreds of stories or interesting tidbits of information about the animals.
If you’re lucky, you may even witness a medical procedure taking place at Conservation Station. Since the park’s opening, the veterinarian team at Animal Kingdom have taken part in well over 20,000 medical procedures. For context, Animal Kingdom has been in operation for roughly 10,000 days as of this writing. So odds are there’s some sort of procedure taking place the day you visit. On our visit, an aardvark named Peanut was having a head-to-toe examination after not feeling well that morning.
Also found at Conservation Station is an area dedicated to the Animal Nutrition Center, a zero-waste facility responsible for the feeding of the over 5,000 animals in Disney’s care at Walt Disney World.
Going through 10,000 pounds of food prepared daily, the Nutrition Center practices sustainable feeding practices that includes growing much of its own vegetation on-site just beyond the perimeter of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Take a behind-the-scenes tour
One of the best ways to enhance your visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom is by signing up for a behind-the-scenes tour. Some of these add-ons clock in at just one hour in length, so you don’t have to commit your entire day or half day if you want to make sure you still have enough time for the rides, animals, and shows.
On the shorter end, there’s the Caring For Giants tour. This 60-minute expedition costs $39 per guest and brings you to an observation deck where you get an extended amount of time observing the elephants that roam the savanna on Kilimanjaro Safaris. While there, you’ll have the opportunity to chat with some of the experts that can share insights on the elephants. The Caring For Giants tour is offered daily.
For a more adventurous tour that brings you across rope bridges and a private VIP safari tour, there’s the Wild Africa Trek. This three-hour excursion costs $229 to $239 per person and includes African-inspired snacks and photo services. It is absolutely worth the splurge at least once on one of your next Disney World vacations.
Ride Kilimanjaro Safaris though the lens of conservation
I know I mentioned that Animal Kingdom is more than its rides and that this write up is focused on bringing your experience beyond them. That said, there’s one ride you want to prioritize, as it is truly a one-of-a-kind experience you won’t find anywhere else in the United States, or anywhere outside of Africa.
Easily the park’s crowning achievement, Kilimanjaro Safaris, is a testament to ride design and immersive storytelling. It is more than just a ride through animal habitats. The areas of the ride are intricately detailed to match the animals you are viewing, whether it’s a dense forest or wide-open savanna.
Since the animals seen on Kilimanjaro Safaris are free roaming, you’ll never know what could happen. Kilimanjaro Safaris is the closest people can get to some of these animals outside of taking a traditional safari in Africa. Instead of glass walls and fencing, the only things separating you from, say, an African elephant or warthog is a cleverly hidden moat, or, in the case of the giraffes, there is no barrier whatsoever. The proof is in the regular occurrence known as a “giraffic jam” that can temporarily pause the safari vehicles.
During that early morning panel discussion that began our two-day journey through Animal Kingdom, Dr. Scott Terrell referenced a plaque he keeps on the wall in his office. The plaque contains a quote from Roy Disney that equates the importance of animals and nature to the heritage of the Walt Disney Company as Mickey Mouse and Snow White. As Dr. Terrell puts it, “Animals and nature are rooted in the very soul and the very heritage of this company.” As you ride Kilimanjaro Safaris, consider a behind-the-scenes tour, or simply explore Disney’s Animal Kingdom, remember that this theme park and its Cast Members carry Walt Disney’s legacy as much as Disneyland.
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Disclosure: I was invited by Walt Disney World to learn more about Disney’s Animal Kingdom. When I attend hosted events as invited media, I am not required to review that experience on my channels, nor am I required to review that experience favorably. My goal, as with all of my coverage, is to provide an unbiased and honest recap of any event I attend to give you, the reader, an idea of what to expect if and when you visit. This policy applies to hosted events as well as coverage of attractions and events where I pay for my own travel. Thank you for your support!
A Park With Purpose: 6 Experiences That Go Beyond the Rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was originally posted on The World of Spark.
