If you love animals, then Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the theme park for you! Animal Kingdom is one of four parks within Disney World but this park is more than that. They are also an AZA certified zoo which means that the animal’s welfare is their no. 1 priority. Animal Kingdom is definitely a unique experience especially a first time visitor like me! I appreciated that they focused not only on the animals but on education, species preservation and their environment. I found this park to be relaxing, fun and eye-candy for a photographer! The Animal Kingdom was the perfect destination to tell a story with my camera.
The entire Animal Kingdom park is a treat to photograph but I especially loved taking pictures on the Safari as well as photographing “Asia”. Beyond the animals, guests are treated to wonderful live shows, delicious fare with an African flare and fun rides! Here is my list of photo ideas. This could even be a fun, “What do you see?” game to play with the kids.
We started our visit at the Tree of Life. How many animals do you see? An owl and some monkeys were some of the animals we spotted. The Tree of Life is the center of the park and can be seen from different angles. Get up close or stand back for full-frame photo!
“It’s tough to be a Bug!” is a fun stop. Take a selfie with the fun 3-D glasses on or take one of the kids. I hope you’re not afraid of the dark because that’s when the excitement happens!
The Lion King Show is a blast. We snorted like a warthog with our section leader while flame dancers illuminated the stage, acrobats flew through the air and our favorite Lion King characters made an appearance. Capture a photo of a monkey and make sure you have your camera set to a speed to capture the animal action!
If you have the chance, I recommend riding the Kilimanjaro Safaris twice like we did. It was nice getting different angles of the animals and it seemed the babies were more active later in the day. It was thrilling to see a Rhino cross in front of our vehicle then go watch the giraffes grazing from trees. How many giraffes can you photograph? I’d definitely bring a zoom lens for this ride.
Asia offered lovely nooks to photograph. Make your way to the tiger exhibit. Their exhibit windows are decorated beautifully and I love the shape to them. Can you manage to get a shot here without people?? I found this area to be peaceful and beautiful.
I somehow missed the Dole Whip but I happily settled for this ice cream cone from the Anandapur Ice Cream Truck in. I have to say it was one of the best soft serve ice creams I’ve ever had. It was warm that day so maybe my mind was messing with me but find the colorful truck in Asia. Make sure to take a photo of the ice cream and the truck!
I also loved finding random objects or even signs to photograph. Can you find these sink fixtures or this Mickey?
I did NOT ride the Expedition Everest BUT I did photograph it. There’s a great spot beyond the Ice cream Truck. Watch for the car to drop down the tracks from Everest!
Petting zoo! Llamas, goats, pigs — oh my! The Petting Zoo definitely wins the award for photo cuteness! Kids love petting zoos and parents love snapping photos of them interacting with farm animals. Get in a little closer for some close-ups. Watch out! Trynot to get head butted by any of them!
Get your bird-watching done for the day. I first spotted these guys at Epcot. They were in Animal Kingdom as well. They must be prettier versions of pigeons. They make for interesting subjects. Watch out though, they like onion rings!
There is so much to do and see at the Animal Kingdom. I can’t wait to go back and explore with my family. Make sure to stick around for the new night show called “Rivers of Light”. If you are into nighttime photography, I would definitely add this to your plans. Whether you have a smart phone or a DSLR there’s plenty to photograph here. What do you love to photograph at Animal Kingdom?
Are you planning a trip to the park this year? I suggest staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and I recommend seeing Zootopia to get you in the animal spirit! If only the Animal Kingdom had a sloth!
