More Toddler Hits: Animal Kingdom-"It's Nahtazu!", But it Sort of is

Animal Kingdom for toddlers is an easy one. While Disney would prefer to promote it as more than a zoo in order to appeal to an older audience with things like Expedition Everest, when it comes to toddlers and preschoolers it is pretty much exactly like a mega zoo with dinosaurs.

It's unfortunate, that most toddlers go through a dinosaur stage between 2-6 and yet, the most potentially appealing attraction for such kids in Animal Kingdom is off limits to them. Dinosaur has a height requirement of 40" and even then, you may want to think twice. Only the most dinosaur loving and fearless preschooler is going to be able to handle the intensity and darkness. The Primeval Whirl over in Dinoland is also a no-go as it has a height requirement of 48". This leaves the Triceratops Spin, which is a clone of Dumbo and the midway carnival games, as well as The Boneyard playground.

However, pretty much everything in Camp Minnie-Mickey is tailor-made for little kids. As is the Affection Section at Rafiki's Planet Watch, which is basically a petting zoo, but requires a steam train ride to get to it for extra fun. Anything with animals in it, is sure to be a hit. The various animals along the trails, the Maharajah Jungle Trek, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and of course, the Kilimanjaro Safari offers the most exciting non-zoo like view of the animals. The Jammin' Jungle Parade is also usually fun for toddlers.

The Baby Center at Animal Kingdom is also the nicest looking due to it being the newest.

Then, just to top it off, Disney has brought out their big ammo by using their biggest success n the 2000s with the current generation with Finding Nemo: The Musical in the Asia area.

Some toddlers might enjoy It's Tough to Be a Bug, but the 3D effects and the darkness that occurs may also alarm them. Along with the "bug attack" that happens in the movie.

There is a bit of a down-side to the plethora of toddler-friendly attractions and entertainment. The uneven ground of Animal Kingdom, the lack of places to take an air conditioned break in and lack of water fountains, in a rare designing mistake of the Imagineers. Therefore, I usually recommend Animal Kingdom as a half-day Park.