Located on the western edge of Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Disney's Animal Kingdom is isolated from other resort properties to provide a quiet environment for its resident animals. Designed to immerse guests in the natural world through real-life and imagined representations of wildlife, the park avoids nighttime fireworks to protect its animal inhabitants and follows eco-friendly policies such as prohibiting plastic straws, lids, and balloons.
Opened on April 22, 1998, and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division, the park was the world's largest theme park at its launch, spanning 580 acres. Its layout features Discovery River separating central Discovery Island from surrounding lands including Oasis, Africa, Asia, Pandora – The World of Avatar, and Conservation Station. The visual focal point of the park is the Tree of Life, a 145-foot-tall artificial baobab tree set on Discovery Island.
The park hosts approximately 2,000 animals representing around 200 species alongside signature theme park attractions. Thrill-seekers can brave the steel roller coaster Expedition Everest in Asia, while families can set off on open-sided safari vehicles across the savannas of Kilimanjaro Safaris in Africa or ride the Na'vi River Journey dark boat ride in Pandora. Live stage entertainment includes the Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond!
Distinguishing itself as an accredited zoological facility by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the park caters to families, nature lovers, and thrill-seekers looking for a full-day experience. Visitors can explore walking paths like the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek, ride the Wildlife Express Train to Conservation Station, or take flight on Pandora's 3D simulator, Avatar Flight of Passage.
01 Signature rides & attractions
The park’s headline rides across its themed areas. Confirm heights and any single-rider lines on the day.
Compiled from Wikipedia · a full ride-by-ride list per themed area is on the way.
Park map
The free OpenStreetMap layer below shows the park and its surroundings — entrances, themed areas, car parks and access roads. Zoom in for detail; the official ride-by-ride park plan is linked below.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL, free). Official park maps are copyrighted — we link to them.
02 Tickets & prices
Ticket prices for Disney’s Animal Kingdom change by date and season, and the park sells single-day, multi-day and annual passes — buying online in advance is almost always cheaper than at the gate, and popular dates can sell out. Check the official site for live pricing before you travel.
We deliberately don’t list prices that change daily — the ticket button leads to live, up-to-date pricing.
03 Themed areas
Each area has its own theming — architecture, food and rides. Half the fun is simply walking through.
Good to know
- No plastic straws, lids, or balloons are permitted inside the park to protect the animals.
- The park uses biodegradable paper straws for environmental sustainability.
- No nighttime fireworks shows are featured to avoid disturbing the resident wildlife.