5 Disney World Animal Kingdom Rides to skip -

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is one of the most unique parks at Disney World. It’s a combination of theme park and zoo, but so much more than the two are individually. You could easily spend two to three days in this park and not see everything there.

There’s rides, shows, animal encounters, atmosphere entertainers and don’t even get me started about the food. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have three or more days to spend in each park at Disney World. So we’ve got to prioritize.

In the spirit of making time for all the best attractions, here’s our list of Disney World Animal Kingdom Rides to skip.

Na’vi River Journey

Yup, I said it. Na’vi River Journey – as beautiful as it is, isn’t worth your limited and valuable time.

Why?

Because the line is just far too long. Fastpasses are available for this attraction, but it is in the same tier as Flight of Passage. Meaning, you can only pick one.

Na’vi River Journey is one of the most gorgeous Disney World Animal Kingdom Rides and uses groundbreaking technology to bring to life its star Animatronic.

But, Disney hasn’t quite worked out all the bugs that come along with groundbreaking tech and as a result, the Na’vi Shawman has been known to disappear from time to time.

In fact, the entire ride was shut down for three consecutive days in April – believed to be caused by electronic malfunctions.

Is it a good ride? Yes, if you have time to spare. But with so many options for Disney World Animal Kingdom Rides and the average time guests spend in this park, Na’vi River Journey sits low on my list.

Primeval Whirl

From one of the most popular Disney World Animal Kingdom Rides to one of the most despised.

Okay. Despised is a bit harsh but still, Primeval Whirl is remembered by many guests as the ride that sent them to a chiropractor.

Located in Dinoland U.S.A. Primeval Whirl is a crazy mouse style coaster. Meaning that the track is a mess of extremely sharp and fast turns, but not many jaw-dropping plunges. It’s intended to be a milder coaster aimed at tweens who are intimidated by Expedition Everest.

However, the breakneck pace of those hairpin turns has been known to cause some mild whiplash. And that’s just not really fun for anyone.

If you’re traveling with kids or tweens who can’t wait for this attraction, let them go it alone and sit this one out. Then treat yourself to Buffalo Chicken Chips at Dino-Bites while you wait.

Tricera Top Spin

Wait, that looks sort of familiar.

That’s because the exact same ride exists in not one but TWO different lands in Magic Kingdom. (And some rumors suggest yet another is planned for Epcot)

Tricera Top Spin makes the list of Disney World Animal Kingdom Rides to skip because it’s the same thing as Dumbo the Flying Elephant (Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland) and Aladdin’s Magic Carpets (Magic Kingdom, Adventureland).

It’s a fun attraction, but you don’t need to ride every version. In fact, given the choice, I would recommend Dumbo over the others. It’s more iconic, you have control over the “flight path,” and instead of a line they give you a pager and let you and your family hang out in a play park until it’s your turn.

Even if you are only visiting Animal Kingdom and no other parks, it’s simply not worth the time. Tricera Top Spin is a pretty generic ride. With the high price of admission, there are many better ways to spend your time.

Rainforest Cafe

That’s an unusual looking ride.

You caught me. This entry to the list of Disney World Animal Kingdom rides to skip isn’t actually a ride at all, it’s a restaurant. And honestly, it’s a pretty cool restaurant at that.

The Rainforest Cafe offers an array of sandwiches, salads, burgers, and more. All of which are delicious. What really makes it special however is the decor.

The interior of the restaurant is decorated like a rainforest. Complete with thunder, lightning, and animatronic animals that somehow always catch you off-guard. It is sure to create a lasting memory for you and your family.

Why am I telling you to skip it?

Because you don’t need a ticket to the park. You can come back on a day when you aren’t planning to be in the parks, like arrival or departure. In fact, this is my family’s traditional first-night dinner.

If you’re in the market for a quality table service meal at Animal Kingdom check out Tusker House or Tiffins.

Up! A Great Bird Adventure

Our final entry to the Dinsey World Animal Kingdom Rides to skip list is also not quite a ride but just as skip-worthy.

Up! A Great Bird Adventure is a recent “addition” to Animal Kingdom. While the park has had a bird show for several years, it has recently been revamped to include characters from the popular movie Up.

The problem here is that the show just isn’t very entertaining. (sorry, not sorry) While Dug and Russel cause some mischief throughout the performance, the movie’s cult favorite, Kevin, is nowhere to be found. Disney missed a real opportunity here to have Kevin popping up throughout the show for the audience, but having the performers miss him until the end.

Then the cast members could talk about what a Snipe actually is and speak to conservation efforts.

Unfortunately, though Up! A Great Bird Adventure is the same show with unnecessary characters smooshed in for good measure.

Still, want to see it? You can! If you’re not convinced or wish you could see the show and save yourself time – check out this video of the full show.