5 Attractions We Hope Never Close at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

We understand Disney is constantly adding, changing, and remodeling portions of the parks, including the attractions. We actually expect this and are excited to see the changes unfold, as Disney seems to become even more amazing with every new addition! But when the need for updating or changes occurs, sometimes a previous attraction is removed.

While we don’t foresee any changes in the following attractions, we found it interesting to list what five attractions we hope never close at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

1 – Kilimanjaro Safari

Kilimanjaro Safari is one attraction we feel defines Animal Kingdom in a nutshell! The African safari, numerous animal encounters and sightings, an adventurous safari guide, and a rough and bumpy vehicle – attractions don’t get much better than this! We feel the uniqueness of Kilimanjaro Safari and the time and effort placed into the behind-the-scenes work (to the extent of hiring veterinarians for the animals’ health) will provide this attraction with a golden ticket to hopefully never close!

2 – Expedition Everest

If they closed Expedition Everest, where would the Yeti go? Surely, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Imagineers wouldn’t want the Yeti making his way over to Magic Kingdom somehow and terrifying the young ones in Fantasyland… although he would make a cute animatronic addition to “it’s a small world.” Since Expedition Everest cost Disney roughly $100 million dollars, we seriously doubt this wild coaster will be closing anytime in the near or far future.

3 – Festival of the Lion King

As many times as we’ve seen the Festival of the Lion King, we still can’t get enough of this spectacular Broadway-style live show. The characters, the costumes, the performers, the music, the crowd excitement – it’s all so fascinating! We could see Disney possibly making changes to the show, such as their recent relocation of the show within Animal Kingdom, but we think Simba and his gang at here to stay.

4 – Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!

It doesn’t look like Nemo is going anywhere. On June 13, 2022, Disney’s Animal Kingdom debuted “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!” marking the freshly reimagined return of one of its most popular musical entertainment experiences. This fully updated, 25-minute stage show incorporates live performers and puppets and many favorite production numbers from the original “Finding Nemo: The Musical.” In addition to a new script, the show features new set pieces with a fresh look and a new LED video wall designed to visually extend the world created by the physical sets on stage – such as a 32-foot-long sunken submarine and a 15-foot-tall fish tank volcano.

5 – Affection Section

We’ve heard before that it’s a Disney theme park – not a zoo. Ok, ok… yes, it may be a Disney theme park, but what good would an Animal Kingdom theme park be without the ability to touch some of the animals physically? This open-air petting section is located in the park’s Rafiki’s Planet Watch area. It’s a great place to unwind with the kids, learn about conservation and animal care, and get hands-on with some sweet animals. We’d miss these sweeties if they ever had to close this attraction.

Once again, we don’t believe any of these attractions are endanger of being removed from Animal Kingdom. These favorite attractions are ones we just hope never do go on the extinct list!