Your Guide to Animal Kingdom With Babies & Toddlers

Animal Kingdom is no doubt the biggest theme park within Disney World. With a total area of 580 acres, you must spend at least one-and-a-half days visiting its attractions.

Surprisingly, however, it is also the easiest park to navigate if you bring your baby or toddler.

After all, it has many family-friendly rides, and most attractions are suitable for little children; many fun activities, and most importantly, it’s the least crowded of the four theme parks.

So, if you plan to spend a day or two in Animal Kingdom with your baby or toddler, we got you covered in this guide.

In this guide, we’ll go through the rides and attractions you should visit in Animal Kingdom with your child. We’ll also offer some tips that will help make your vacation experience memorable and hassle-free.

Your Guide to Animal Kingdom With a Baby or Toddler

Despite the park’s overwhelming size, there’s nothing to be alarmed of. Most of its 580 acres area is designed as natural animal habitats.

However, it is a little remote compared to the rest theme parks. The good news is that you will have access to Disney’s transportation system to travel from your hotel to the park and vice-versa.

Before your planned vacation, bringing your stroller with you is a good idea. You can move around the park with your child without hassle. You could visit a stroller rental at the main entrance if you forgot to bring one.

However, you won’t be able to take it with you to your hotel. So, if you don’t want that hassle, we strongly recommend bringing your own and double-checking your bags before your trip.

Now, let’s head over to the actual guide.

The Best Rides for Babies/Toddlers

As mentioned earlier, you can safely bring your child with you on any of the following rides:

1. Kilimanjaro Safari

The Kilimanjaro Safari is probably the first option to consider when discussing a family-friend ride. We believe it is the best ride at Animal Kingdom, with Avatar: Flight of Passage at a close second.

Since it has no height requirement, you can bring your baby on a 20-minute safari ride.

This will take you through the park’s African savanna as you get up close with real live animals throughout the ride.

Your little child will likely love seeing animals for the first time, making it a worthwhile experience.

2. Na’Vi River Journey

Another child-friendly ride you and your baby should never miss is the Na’Vi River Journey.

This stunning ride features glowing elements as you go through a bioluminescent rainforest on a gentle boat ride.

You and your baby will witness fictional plants and animals from the popular Avatar franchise here.

While they might not yet appreciate the design, they should at least find the bioluminescent surrounding impressive.

3. Wildlife Express Train

The Wildlife Express Train is technically a transportation system but can still be considered a ride.

Since it has no height requirement, it is a perfect ride for you and your baby as you head to the remote Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

It’s a 7-minute ride that will give you and your little one a glimpse of the animal barns and enclosures on the way. It will then end at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, leading you to the Conservation Station.

Inside, you can look at how Disney takes care of the animals. It’s also a good experience for your baby as it will allow them to see and learn about the animals at a very young age.

A petting zoo area at Rafiki’s Planet Watch called Affection Section, which your child might love.

4. TriceraTop Spin

TriceraTop Spin is a carousel that floats in the air and then spins in slow circles.

As you go around for a few spins, this can appeal to babies and toddlers.

Since it has no height requirement, you can babywear so you and your little one can enjoy the ride.

The Best Attractions for Babies/Toddlers

Now, let’s move on to the best attractions you should visit with your baby at Animal Kingdom.

The first is The Boneyard, an outdoor play area many toddlers love. It has a dinosaur excavation theme with several slides on one side and a digging site on the other.

Next is It’s Tough to Be A Bug, a 10-minute-long show with fun and interactive elements. However, it involves some loud and scary moments which might not be ideal for your baby. If your child is easily frightened, then we don’t recommend visiting this one.

The last one is The Zoological Trails, consisting of the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, Oasis Exhibits, and the Maharajah Jungle Trek. These are located in different parts of Animal Kingdom, but we highly recommend visiting them all as they offer learning opportunities for your toddler.

Child-Friendly Dining Options at Animal Kingdom

Once you’ve entertained your baby, the next thing to consider is where to feed them. Luckily, several excellent options are a hit among toddlers at Animal Kingdom. These are as follows:

• Yak and Yeti – This restaurant offers excellent meals with cute theming and friendly staff. It also offers allergy-friendly meals as well as kid-friendly ones.
• Pizzafari – This quick-service restaurant offers kid-friendly pizza options at a reasonable price. You can even order via the My Disney Experience app.
• Sa’tuli Canteen – Another restaurant with excellent food and theming, Sa’tuli Canteen features very delectable desserts and plenty of kid-friendly meal options.

There are several other dining options in the park, but these three offer the best possible dining experience with kid-friendly dishes on the menu.

Visiting the Baby Care Center

Each theme park has its baby care center, and Animal Kingdom is no different. You can find it on the way to Africa, just a few meters from the Pizzafari restaurant.

Once you get there, you’ll notice Animal Kingdom’s baby care center is spacious and probably has all the baby items you need – except for toddler toilets.

You can find a spacious changing room, a feeding room, and a nursing room. You’ll also find a wide selection of baby care items to buy.

If you need to attend to your baby’s needs or want to take a break from your tour, you can go inside the center to cool off a bit.

Fun Things You Can Do at Animal Kingdom With Your Little One

We’ve already gone through the best attractions and rides you want to visit with your child.

Now, it’s time to talk about the five fun things you and your baby will love. They’re as follows:

1. Spend Time at DinoLand USA

If you’ve been to The Boneyard and the TriceraTop Spin, you’ve already been to DinoLand.

While you’re there, make sure you take the time and allow your toddler to enjoy the attractions in the area.

They can see and do many things in this dinosaur-themed carnival.

2. Witness the Performances of Street Dancers

Once you enter the park, head to the Tree of Life and look for Winged Encounters. These macaws and parrots will create a vibrant and exciting show as they fly around with their brightly colored wings.

As for the street performance, you can head to Africa, where most live performances are held.

You and your baby can witness performances from talented performers like the Pandora Drummers, Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe, and the Viva Gaia Street Band.

3. Attend the Festival of the Lion King Show

Your toddler might be too young to know who or what the Lion King is.

Nonetheless, the Festival of the Lion King show features many exciting elements to capture your child’s attention.

Even though it lasts 30 minutes, it’s easily one of the best shows in Disney World, so make sure not to miss this one with your baby.

4. Meet and Greet Disney Characters

You can encounter several meet-and-greets throughout the park.

The most popular would be Mickey and Minnie, though you can also come across characters like Donald Duck, Pocahontas, and Rafiki.

This will be a perfect time to introduce your little one to Disney characters and see their reactions.

5. Visit Tusker House for a Fun Character Dining

Aside from the meet-and-greets, you can bring your little one to a character dining at the Tusker House restaurant.

Here, you can meet characters like Goofy, Donald Duck, and Mickey wearing their safari gear.

They’ll even dance and sing through the meal, which your child might enjoy.

Tips To Make Your Animal Kingdom Experience With Your Baby More Enjoyable and Stress-Free

Animal Kingdom is huge, so we highly recommend taking it slowly. Let you and your child fully enjoy the experience, but plan your activity for the day in advance.

That said, here are some useful tips we can offer you to help make your Animal Kingdom vacation with a baby or toddler more enjoyable and stress-free:

• Plan for stroller naps in any of Animal Kingdom’s walking areas. Remember, Animal Kingdom is huge, so returning to your hotel for a nap mid-day will be a waste of time.
• We highly recommend visiting the park early in the morning since this is the time when most animals are active. If possible, take advantage of your Extra Magic Hours.
• If you want your baby to enjoy full-time meet-and-greets, then the best place for that would be at DinoLand USA. Use the My Disney Experience app to see which character is currently there.
• If you want to enjoy a ride that your toddler is not tall enough for, don’t forget to take advantage of Disney’s Rider Switch program.

Takeaway

It’s not easy bringing your baby or toddler with you on vacation to Disney World, particularly Animal Kingdom. However, it doesn’t have to be challenging and stressful either.

All it takes is careful planning so you can learn to maximize your time and get to your intended attractions with your child as soon as possible.

We hope you have a fun and memorable experience with your little one!