Disney's Animal Kingdom

Disney's Animal Kingdom is a 580-acre theme park built around nature and animals — part zoo, part thrill park, and the largest of Walt Disney World's four gates. Its icon is the Tree of Life, carved with hundreds of animal figures.

Highlights include Pandora – The World of Avatar with the Flight of Passage ride, the Kilimanjaro Safaris trek past live African animals, Expedition Everest, and Kali River Rapids. Pandora is especially striking after dark, when the landscape glows.

It's a short drive from our Orlando homes. Because much of the day is spent outdoors and walking, mornings are cooler and the animals are more active — a good park to start early.