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Best Rides for School-Aged Kids at Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom

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Explore Animal Kingdom with the whole family.


This is the second post in a series about the best rides for school-aged kids at Walt Disney World. Check out earlier posts for recommendations on rides in Magic Kingdom and rides at Hollywood Studios.

Before I had kids, I hated zoos. I blame it on the fact that my mother took me to Chicago’s free zoo dang near every weekend when I was little and the over exposure ruined me for all animals. Then I had kids and I realized that my mother might have taken me to the zoo so often not just because it was free, but because there is something really awesome about watching your children discover animals. It is that particular awesomeness that made me fall in love with Disney’s Animal Kingdom the very first time my family visited.

Animal Kingdom is like the Walt Disney World version of a zoo. There are roller coasters, round-and-round rides, and very well choreographed shows – but the best part is watching the animals. With that in mind, I present to you some of my school-aged children’s favorite attractions at Animal Kingdom.

Best Rides (and attractions) for “Not So Little” Kids at Walt Disney World – Animal Kingdom

Kilimanjaro Safaris – Animal Kingdom Africa

My children and I would stand in line for this ride multiple times a day if my husband would let us. It’s fun, educational, and different every time. Basically you ride in a truck through Disney’s wildlife preserve and get to see the animals of Africa, including giraffes, lions, antelope, rhinos, warthogs, zebras, and more.

Pangani Forest Exploration Trail – Animal Kingdom Africa

When you get off the safari, you can go one way back into the rest of the park or turn another way into the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. Take the trail. It doesn’t sound too exciting described as a “self guided tour”, but it is fascinating. The underwater viewing areas of the hippos offers one of the coolest animal-related sights I’ve ever seen.

Kali River Rapids – Animal Kingdom Asia

What’s a trip to a theme park without a water ride to leave your jeans damp for the rest of the day? You only have to be 38 inches to ride, so the entire family can get soaked together. Of course, that’s never how it works – one person will inevitably end up much, much wetter than everyone else.

It’s Tough to be a Bug! – Animal Kingdom Discovery Island

Hit this up early in the day and you probably won’t have to wait in line at all. It’s a multimedia show that makes us of 3D technology. I actually saw it the first time without my kids and laughed and screamed in spite of myself. This is another attraction that looks like it would be boring but ends up better than expected. It might be worth talking your older kids into.

Expedition Everest – Animal Kingdom Asia

This is Animal Kingdom’s iffy coaster – meaning your kid might love it or hate you forever for convincing them to go on it. It is a serious thrill ride and my daughter begged to ride and then refused to open her eyes the entire time. My son was ticked that his father made him go and then loved it. Adults will no doubt love it – but this is about your kids, right? If they want to go, they only have to be 44 inches to ride and there aren’t any upside down loops. If they don’t want to go, there’s a good chance they’ll be just as scared as they thought they would be by the Yeti effects.

Attractions to Avoid

There’s really only one attraction at Animal Kingdom that I would strongly urge you not to take your school-aged child on: DINOSAUR. It is terrifying. Terrifying. It looks harmless and only has a 40 inch height requirement, but it is one of the scariest rides I’ve ever been on.  Seriously. The photo of my family on the ride shows me cowering with my head in my 11-year-old’s shoulder. Please for the love of all things scary, warn your child that this ride will be freaky. Do not tell them you heard it was “awesome” and that everything will be “fine” – and then proceed to cower in their shoulder.

Animal Kingdom is a great park for spending the morning or afternoon before or after a round of swimming at the hotel pool. You can get a great experience in a short amount of time without feeling like you missed anything major. If you’re visiting with school agers, hit these highlights and you should have a memorable day for the whole family.

Photo courtesy of Britt Reints


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