Animal Kingdom for People Who Don’t Like Thrill Rides
Don’t like thrill rides? Animal Kingdom may be perfect for you! See which rides are scary, which are gentle and everything else you can do.
Estimated reading time: 26 minutes
Don’t like thrill rides?
Animal Kingdom may actually be one of your favorite parks at Disney World.
Seriously.
If Expedition Everest makes you want to run screaming in the opposite direction, run screaming in the opposite direction. 😂 You can skip it.
You can skip Flight of Passage.
You can skip Kali River Rapids.
And you can still very easily fill an entire day at Animal Kingdom.
That’s because Animal Kingdom is probably the Disney World park that depends the least on thrill rides to make it worth visiting.
This is a park built around animals, immersive environments, Broadway-caliber shows, live entertainment, fantastic food, characters, walking trails and some of the most beautiful theming anywhere at Walt Disney World.
And even most of the actual rides at Animal Kingdom aren’t particularly thrilling.
So if you’re traveling with grandparents, young kids, someone who gets motion sick, someone who hates roller coasters—or you’re simply a person who has zero interest in terrifying yourself on vacation—don’t write off Animal Kingdom.
Let’s talk about what you can ride, what you might want to skip and just how much there is to do here without ever setting foot on a major thrill ride.
First: What Exactly Counts as a Thrill Ride?
This is actually harder to answer than it sounds.
Because when someone tells me, “I don’t like thrill rides,” I need to know what they mean.
Do you hate roller coasters?
Big drops?
Going backward?
Spinning?
Motion simulators?
Huge screens that make your brain think you’re moving when you’re not?
Are you afraid of heights?
Do rough rides hurt your back?
Or do you simply not like anything that makes you feel even slightly out of control?
Those are completely different things.
For example, I don’t personally put something like Slinky Dog Dash in the same category as TRON Lightcycle / Run or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Yes, Slinky Dog is technically a roller coaster. But there’s a pretty enormous difference between a family coaster and launching onto a motorcycle at almost 60 miles per hour.
And then you have attractions like Rise of the Resistance. It’s incredibly thrilling, but I wouldn’t describe it as a traditional thrill ride. Most of the excitement comes from the story and what’s happening around you.
Animal Kingdom has the same problem.
Is Flight of Passage a thrill ride?
Maybe.
Is Kali River Rapids?
Technically, probably.
But I don’t skip Kali River Rapids because I’m afraid of it. I skip it because I don’t want to spend the rest of my Animal Kingdom day walking around looking like somebody pushed me into a swimming pool.
Thrilling? Debatable. Soggy? Absolutely.
So instead of getting wrapped around the axle trying to decide exactly what qualifies as a “thrill ride,” I think it’s much more useful to talk about what each attraction actually does.
How Thrilling Are the Rides at Animal Kingdom?
Here’s the quick version.
| Animal Kingdom Attraction | My Thrill Rating | What Might Bother You |
|---|---|---|
| Expedition Everest | High | Roller coaster, speed, drops, backward movement, darkness |
| Avatar Flight of Passage | Moderate | Large screen, simulator motion, simulated drops and flying |
| Kali River Rapids | Mild to Moderate | Rapids, movement, a drop and potentially getting VERY wet |
| Kilimanjaro Safaris | Very Low | Bumpy roads |
| Na’vi River Journey | None | Honestly, pretty much nothing |
| Wildlife Express Train | None | It’s a train |
And that’s one of the first things I want people who don’t like thrill rides to understand about Animal Kingdom.
There really aren’t that many rides here to begin with.
Animal Kingdom has always been much more than a ride park. That’s occasionally used as a criticism of it, but for someone who doesn’t enjoy thrill rides, it’s actually one of the park’s biggest advantages.
You’re not entering a park where 75% of the major attractions immediately go on your “absolutely not” list.
Far from it.
Expedition Everest Is the One True Thrill Ride
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way.
Expedition Everest is a thrill ride.
No semantic debate required. 😂
It’s a roller coaster. It’s fast. There are drops. You go backward. There are dark sections. There are moments when you don’t know exactly where you’re going.
I actually think Expedition Everest is fairly manageable compared with some of Disney World’s more intense thrill rides, but if your definition of “I don’t do thrill rides” means “I don’t ride roller coasters,” this is the attraction I’d tell you to skip.
And that’s okay.
You aren’t going to ruin your Animal Kingdom day by skipping Expedition Everest.
In fact, while the thrill seekers in your group are riding it, this is an excellent opportunity to slow down and explore Asia—which is one of the most beautiful areas of the entire park.
Go wander Maharajah Jungle Trek.
Watch the tigers.
Explore the aviary.
Look at the murals and ruins.
Grab some seasoned fries from Mr. Kamal’s.
Or just find somewhere beautiful to sit for a few minutes.
The rest of your family can go get chased by a Yeti.
You’ll be fine.
Flight of Passage Is More Complicated
Avatar Flight of Passage is where the definition of “thrill ride” gets fuzzy.
Because Flight of Passage is absolutely thrilling.
But it’s not a roller coaster.
You don’t actually plunge hundreds of feet.
And you don’t go upside down.
You aren’t racing around a track at 60 miles per hour.
Instead, you sit astride a ride vehicle in front of a massive screen while the vehicle moves in synchronization with the film. Your brain gets a very convincing impression that you’re flying on the back of a banshee through Pandora.
You swoop, dive, and soar…
And it’s spectacular.
My daughter rode Flight of Passage when she was five years old and loved it. Granted, she’s always been a little daredevil, so take that data point for what it’s worth. 😂
My husband, on the other hand?
Absolutely not.
He doesn’t do well with giant-screen attractions. Soarin’ makes him nauseous, and Flight of Passage does the same thing.
And that’s why simply labeling Flight of Passage a “thrill ride” isn’t particularly helpful.
If You Can Ride Soarin’, Can You Ride Flight of Passage?
I think Soarin’ is a useful starting point for figuring this out.
If you comfortably ride Soarin’ and enjoy the sensation of simulated flight, there’s a decent chance you’ll be able to handle Flight of Passage.
Flight of Passage is definitely more intense. The movements are stronger, the visuals are more immersive and the sensation of diving and flying is much more convincing.
But if your problem with thrill rides is primarily roller coasters, speed, huge physical drops or going upside down, I wouldn’t automatically rule out Flight of Passage.
On the other hand, if large screens and simulated motion make you nauseous, this may be exactly the kind of attraction you should skip—even if you’re perfectly comfortable on a traditional roller coaster.
Again:
It’s not about whether an attraction is officially “thrilling.” It’s about what makes YOU uncomfortable.
What About Kali River Rapids?
Kali River Rapids is another attraction I’d put in the “depends what you mean by thrill ride” category.
There are rapids. Your raft spins around. There’s a drop.
But I personally don’t find it particularly scary.
The bigger issue is that you can get wet.
And I don’t mean:
“Oh, goodness! A few drops of water landed on my Disney shirt!”
I mean wet.
Potentially why-did-I-wear-denim-today wet.
Which is why I almost never ride it. 😂
If you hate drops or unpredictable raft movement, Kali may be outside your comfort zone. But if your definition of avoiding thrill rides is simply “I don’t ride roller coasters,” you may be perfectly happy on it.
Just understand what you’re signing up for.
Kilimanjaro Safaris Is Technically a Ride. Sort Of.
I mean, you’re in a vehicle.
So we’re counting it.
But Kilimanjaro Safaris is essentially exactly what the name says: a safari.
You’re riding through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve looking for giraffes, elephants, lions, rhinos, hippos and other animals.
The roads can be bumpy. Very bumpy in places.
But there are no roller-coaster drops, launches, spinning sections or giant simulator screens.
And because the animals are real and moving around freely, every safari is a little different.
This isn’t something I’d classify as a thrill ride at all.
For many people—including people who don’t particularly care about rides—it’s one of the best attractions in Animal Kingdom.
Na’vi River Journey Might Be the Least Thrilling Ride at Disney World
And I mean that as a compliment.
Na’vi River Journey is basically the anti-thrill ride.
You get into a boat.
The boat moves slowly through Pandora.
Beautiful things happen around you.
There is lovely music.
You see the Shaman of Songs.
Then you get off.
That’s pretty much it. 😂
No drops, speed, spinning…. or even jump scares.
It’s beautiful, relaxing and incredibly gentle.
Honestly, it might be even more chill than “it’s a small world.” And I say that as someone who loves “it’s a small world.”
If you’re looking for a Disney attraction where your nervous system can basically go on vacation with you, Na’vi River Journey is it.
And Then There’s the Wildlife Express Train
It’s a train.
You’re good. 😂
And that brings us to the really important part.
Because even if you’ve read everything above and decided:
Nope. I don’t want Everest, Flight of Passage, or Kali. Frankly, Sara, I’m not even sure I want the rides at all.
Fantastic.
You are still nowhere close to running out of things to do.
Because at Animal Kingdom, the rides are only a fraction of the park.
And that’s where this gets fun.
You Can Skip Every Thrill Ride and Still Fill an Entire Day
This is where Animal Kingdom becomes kind of ridiculous—in the best possible way.
Let’s say you looked at everything we just discussed and decided:
No Expedition Everest. Or Flight of Passage. And no Kali River Rapids.
Fine.
You have eliminated three attractions.
That’s it.
You haven’t eliminated Kilimanjaro Safaris. You haven’t eliminated Na’vi River Journey. And more importantly, you haven’t eliminated the enormous portion of Animal Kingdom that isn’t a ride at all.
This is one of the reasons I push back so hard when people treat Animal Kingdom like a ride checklist.
If you’re measuring this park by the number of rides you can complete before lunch, you’re missing the thing Animal Kingdom does better than almost any other Disney park.
The environments are attractions.
The animals are attractions.
The trails are attractions.
The shows are attractions.
The live entertainment is an attraction.
The food is part of the experience.
And none of those things requires you to strap yourself into a roller coaster.
Start With the Animals
If you don’t like thrill rides, this is where I’d spend a LOT of your Animal Kingdom day.
Start with Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Then get off the Safari and walk Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.
And please don’t treat Gorilla Falls like the hallway you have to walk through before getting to your next Lightning Lane.
Actually explore it.
You’ll see gorillas, birds and other animals, and depending on what the animals are doing that day, you could spend quite a while here.
Then later, when you make your way over to Asia, do the same thing with Maharajah Jungle Trek.
This is where you’ll find the tigers, along with an aviary and some absolutely gorgeous theming.
And here’s something that I think gets lost when people are rushing around Animal Kingdom:
You don’t know what the animals are going to do.
This isn’t an animatronic that performs the same sequence every six minutes.
Sometimes the tiger is sleeping but other times she’s walking right past you.
Maybe the gorillas are doing something fascinating.
Sometimes your Safari driver has to stop because an animal has decided that the road belongs to him now.
That’s part of the fun.
You can’t optimize every minute of Animal Kingdom because the animals did not consult My Disney Experience before making their plans for the day. 😂
Animal Kingdom Has Some of the Best Shows at Disney World
And this is another enormous advantage for people who don’t like thrill rides.
Animal Kingdom has several substantial shows that can easily become some of the highlights of your day.
Festival of the Lion King
If you’re only going to see one show at Animal Kingdom, this would probably be my pick.
Festival of the Lion King combines live singing, dancing, acrobatics, characters and some genuinely impressive performances.
This isn’t something I would classify as filler between rides.
It’s one of Animal Kingdom’s major attractions.
And because performances happen at scheduled times, it also naturally slows your day down.
You’re not just sprinting from Lightning Lane to Lightning Lane.
You find your showtime, get there early enough to get inside, and then watch an actual show.
And for people who don’t enjoy rides—or grandparents who are very happy to sit in air conditioning for a while—that can be glorious.
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
Finding Nemo is another legitimate stage production, not a five-minute diversion.
You’ve got performers, puppetry, music and a real story.
And just like Festival of the Lion King, you need to account for more than the posted runtime.
You have to walk there, arrive before the performance, and watch the show.
Then everybody exits.
A show can easily occupy a meaningful chunk of your touring day—which is one reason I laugh a little when people say there isn’t enough to do at Animal Kingdom.
There is.
You’re just not counting most of it.
Feathered Friends in Flight!
And then there is Feathered Friends in Flight!, which showcases—you guessed it—birds.
It’s funny, it’s impressive, and it’s another attraction that requires absolutely no tolerance for roller coasters, drops or motion simulators.
One thing to remember with all of Animal Kingdom’s shows is that you can’t necessarily experience them whenever you feel like it.
They have performance schedules, and some have substantial gaps between performances.
That means a good Animal Kingdom day often involves planning around the shows rather than simply working clockwise around the park.
Don’t Forget Zootopia
Zootopia: Better Zoogether! gives you yet another attraction that doesn’t require thrill-ride tolerance.
And this is exactly the kind of experience that makes Animal Kingdom work so well for multigenerational families.
Your teenager can ride Expedition Everest.
Grandma does not have to ride Expedition Everest.
Your preschooler cannot ride Expedition Everest.
But all three of them can experience something like Zootopia together.
That’s a recurring theme at Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom Is Fantastic for Multigenerational Families
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think Animal Kingdom may be one of the best Disney World parks for a group with wildly different ride tolerances.
Imagine you’ve got grandparents, parents, teenagers and a five-year-old traveling together.
The teenager wants Flight of Passage and Everest.
Grandma doesn’t ride roller coasters.
Dad gets sick on simulators.
The five-year-old isn’t tall enough for everything.
At some parks, that can result in a lot of splitting up.
At Animal Kingdom?
Everybody can ride Kilimanjaro Safaris and watch Festival of the Lion King.
Animal Trails are fun for all ages.
Finding Nemo is a show, not a thrill ride.
Everybody can watch Feathered Friends in Flight, meet characters, and explore Harambe.
Food is not a contact sport either.
And everybody can stare at the Tree of Life.
Then when the thrill seekers want to ride Everest, they go ride Everest.
The rest of the family doesn’t have to sit on a bench staring at their phones until everybody comes back.
Go look at tigers.
Get a snack.
Watch the monkeys.
Enjoy Asia.
There’s always something else nearby.
Slow Down and Explore Harambe
Harambe is one of my favorite examples of why Animal Kingdom works for people who aren’t primarily interested in rides.
You could walk through Harambe thinking:
Safari. Lion King. Done.
Or you could actually look around.
Listen to the music.
Watch the performers.
Bang on the drums.
Look at the signs and buildings.
Take pictures.
Grab something to eat.
Watch what’s happening around you.
Animal Kingdom is packed with details that you will completely miss if you’re staring at your phone trying to figure out whether you can make your next Lightning Lane in seven minutes.
This park rewards wandering.
And if you don’t particularly care about maximizing rides?
Congratulations. You already have the correct mindset. 😂
Asia Is Much More Than Expedition Everest
This is especially important if Expedition Everest is the attraction you’ve already decided you aren’t riding.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that means there’s nothing for you to do in Asia.
There is SO much more here.
Walk Maharajah Jungle Trek.
See the tigers.
Spend some time in the aviary.
Look at the incredibly detailed ruins and murals.
Watch Feathered Friends in Flight!
Stop and listen to live entertainment if it’s happening.
Get Mr. Kamal’s seasoned fries.
Have lunch or dinner at Yak & Yeti.
Watch everybody else come screaming down Expedition Everest while feeling very smug about your life choices. 😂
You can spend a substantial chunk of your afternoon in Asia without riding Everest once.
Pandora Is Worth Visiting Even If You Skip Flight of Passage
This is another big one.
Please don’t skip Pandora just because you don’t want to ride Flight of Passage.
Pandora is one of the most beautiful lands Disney has ever created.
Walk around.
Look at the floating mountains.
Listen to the sounds.
Notice the plants.
Take pictures.
Ride Na’vi River Journey if you’d like something incredibly gentle.
Eat at Satu’li Canteen.
And if Animal Kingdom stays open late enough for you to see Pandora after dark, do it.
Pandora changes dramatically at night.
The bioluminescent landscape comes alive, and suddenly the land itself feels like an attraction.
Again:
You don’t need Flight of Passage to experience Pandora.
Spend Some Time Around the Tree of Life
And please don’t use Discovery Island exclusively as the place you walk through while getting from one land to another.
Look at the Tree of Life.
Really look at it.
There are hundreds of animals carved into it, and it’s one of those Disney creations where the longer you look, the more you notice.
Explore the trails.
Take some photos.
Meet characters.
Do Wilderness Explorers if you’re traveling with kids—or honestly, if it sounds fun to you.
And if you’re there when the Tree of Life Awakenings are being shown, stick around for them.
You could spend an entire Disney vacation racing toward the next attraction.
Animal Kingdom is the park that keeps whispering:
Hey. Look at this.
Meet Some Characters
Animal Kingdom can also be a fantastic character park.
And once again, character greetings are something everyone in your group can do regardless of age, height or ride tolerance.
Depending on the current lineup, you may find familiar Disney characters as well as characters that make particular sense in Animal Kingdom.
And with the new Bluey experience coming to the park, this part of Animal Kingdom is becoming even more interesting for families.
If characters matter to your group, don’t treat them as something you’ll squeeze in if you happen to walk past an empty line.
Build them into your day.
And Yes, Eat
I feel like this needs its own section because Animal Kingdom is not a park where I would recommend surviving on a sad hamburger simply because you need calories.
There is some really good food here.
You can have a character meal at Tusker House.
Sit down at Yak & Yeti.
Have a more upscale meal at Tiffins.
Grab a bowl at Satu’li Canteen.
Eat barbecue at Flame Tree.
Grab something from Harambe.
Get snacks, ice cream, or Mr. Kamal’s fries.
One of the easiest ways to make Animal Kingdom feel like a relaxing vacation day instead of a military operation is to actually stop and eat.
Novel concept, I know. 😂
What Will Tropical Americas Mean for People Who Don’t Like Thrill Rides?
This is going to make the argument even stronger.
Once Tropical Americas opens, Animal Kingdom will gain additional attractions—including an Indiana Jones adventure, an Encanto attraction and a carousel.
We’ll need to experience the finished attractions before I tell you exactly where each one lands on my personal thrill scale.
Indiana Jones will presumably be the one we’ll need to examine most closely for thrill-averse guests.
But the bigger point is that Tropical Americas isn’t simply adding another thrill ride.
It’s adding an entire new environment to explore, along with attractions designed for different audiences.
So Animal Kingdom isn’t moving toward becoming a park where you need to love roller coasters to have fun.
It’s moving even farther in the opposite direction.
What Would I Do for a Full Animal Kingdom Day Without Thrill Rides?
Honestly?
I wouldn’t approach it like a compromised Animal Kingdom day at all.
I wouldn’t think:
“Well, I can’t ride the good stuff, so what can I do instead?”
That’s completely backward.
I’d think:
I’m going to Animal Kingdom. What do I want to experience today?
Maybe start with Kilimanjaro Safaris while the morning is still relatively cool.
Walk Gorilla Falls.
Have breakfast or an early snack in Harambe.
See Festival of the Lion King.
Explore Discovery Island.
Meet a character.
Head to Asia.
Walk Maharajah Jungle Trek.
See Feathered Friends in Flight!
Have lunch.
Watch Finding Nemo.
Spend some time in Pandora.
Ride Na’vi River Journey.
Eat at Satu’li Canteen.
Wander.
Take pictures.
Listen to music.
Watch the animals.
And if the park is open late enough, see Pandora or the Tree of Life after dark.
That sounds like a fantastic Disney day to me.
And we haven’t ridden a single roller coaster.
So, Is Animal Kingdom Worth It If You Don’t Like Thrill Rides?
Absolutely.
In fact, I think Animal Kingdom is one of the easiest Disney World parks to recommend to someone who doesn’t like thrill rides.
If you hate roller coasters, skip Expedition Everest.
Simulators make you sick? Skip Flight of Passage.
If you hate getting soaked—or simply share my deeply held conviction that walking around a theme park in wet clothes is not fun—skip Kali River Rapids. 😂
You’re still left with animals, safaris, gentle rides, Broadway-style shows, live entertainment, character experiences, excellent food, gorgeous environments and some of the best places in Disney World to simply wander.
And that’s really the secret to Animal Kingdom.
You don’t need to love thrill rides to love this park.
You barely need to love rides at all.
Because Animal Kingdom was never designed to be a collection of rides with some animals scattered between them.
Animals matter.
Shows matter.
Food matters.
Music matters.
Harambe matters.
Asia matters.
Pandora matters.
The Tree of Life matters.
The environments are attractions.
So let the thrill seekers go find the Yeti.
You’ll have plenty to do while they’re gone.
More Animal Kingdom Planning Guides
Planning an Animal Kingdom day that works for your family? These guides can help you decide what to ride, what to skip and how to experience much more than just the park’s biggest attractions.
- Best Non-Ride Things to Do at Animal Kingdom — Don’t want to ride anything at all? From animal trails and shows to characters, live entertainment and incredible theming, there is plenty to fill your day without getting on a ride.
- Best Rides at Animal Kingdom — See every Animal Kingdom ride, what each one is like and which attractions are worth prioritizing for your family.
- Guide to Shows at Animal Kingdom — Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo, Feathered Friends in Flight! and more: here’s which shows you shouldn’t miss and how to fit them into your day.
- Is Animal Kingdom a Half-Day Park? — Yes, you can race through the highlights in half a day. Here’s why I still think Animal Kingdom deserves a full day—and what you’re missing if you leave too soon.
- Animal Kingdom Characters Guide — Find out which characters you can meet at Animal Kingdom and where to find them.
- Animal Kingdom Early Entry Strategy — You don’t have to join the mad dash to Flight of Passage. Here’s how to use Early Entry depending on your priorities.
- I Skipped Flight of Passage at Rope Drop—Here’s What Happened — In this real-world touring case study, I skipped the Pandora rope-drop rush and tested a much more relaxed Animal Kingdom morning.
- Can You Have a Huge Disney World Day Without Rope Drop? I Tested It — I arrived at Animal Kingdom after Early Entry, used Lightning Lane Multi Pass, stayed through Extended Evening Hours and then park hopped to Magic Kingdom for an enormous Disney day.
- Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Guide — Which attractions benefit most from Lightning Lane, when you might want a Single Pass and when you can save your money.
- Best Quick-Service Restaurants at Animal Kingdom — From Satu’li Canteen and Flame Tree Barbecue to Harambe Market, here’s where to grab a great meal without a table-service reservation.
