These Are the Worst-Rated Rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Find out what the worst-rated rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are!

People walking towards the entrance of Disney World Animal Kingdom. — Credit: Michael Lehet, Flickr

Few theme parks are as immersive or as thematically impressive as Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Promising to transport guests to different places around the globe, Animal Kingdom is full of immersive and richly-detailed areas, some real, and others fictional.

During their day at the park, guests can explore several different continents, including Africa and Asia, as they experience an array of unique rides, attractions, and other experiences.

Of course, guests can also get lost in the park’s newest addition, Pandora—The World of Avatar, an incredibly realistic and immersive land that seeks to transport guests into the world of James Cameron’s Avatar film franchise.

All of Animal Kingdom’s lands and areas feature exciting experiences, with several more exciting projects on the horizon. However, the park is also home to a few duds, some of which may be considered some of the worst at Walt Disney World as a whole. Take a look as we uncover the worst-rated rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Kali River Rapids

This water-based raft ride is another attraction we recently discussed here at Inside the Magic and often ranks low on guests’ lists of Disney attractions for a number of reasons. For some, the thought of getting soaked during a day at a theme park is off-putting, and we don’t blame them.

There’s hardly anything worse than getting drenched all the way down to your socks and then having to walk around like that for hours on end.

Kali River Rapids is also an incredibly short experience, clocking in at around 3 and a half minutes. While longer than other rides, Kali River Rapids doesn’t feel long enough for the sheer amount of water guests face. In comparison, take, for example, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Disney World’s other main water ride.

Sure, guests may still get drenched on the ride, but given Tiana’s Bayou Adventure lasts around 11 minutes, the threat of getting soaked seems far more worth it.

TriceraTop Spin

Similar to our Magic Kingdom ride ranking article, one of the worst-rated and most “eh” rides at Animal Kingdom is another carnival spinner ride known as TriceraTop Spin. Just like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, and Astro Orbiter, TriceraTop Spin twirls guests around in a circle at relatively low speeds and heights.

The attraction can certainly be a lot of fun for younger guests, but older riders will likely never choose it over some of Animal Kingdom’s other experiences. As we stated in our previous story, capacity is crucial for any theme park, Disney included, making these somewhat dull spinner rides a necessity.

This rings especially true for Animal Kingdom, which does not have many rides or attractions to begin with, though many would probably prefer something a little more exciting than TriceraTop Spin.

It’s Tough to Be a Bug

The last entry on this list is not a ride but a show known as It’s Tough to Be a Bug. Inspired by Pixar’s A Bug’s Life (1998), this immersive 3D show puts guests in the middle of the action as they learn about different types of bugs, both good and bad.

During the show, guests are educated on the history and behaviors of some bugs, ranging from cute insects to intimidating spiders. Eventually, Hopper takes over the show and wreaks havoc on the unsuspecting audience, pelting them with attacks from hornets to black widow spiders.

Flick and his friends eventually get things back under control, but the attraction can certainly be scary for younger guests. Not only is the 3D fairly convincing but the seats guests sit in are actually equipped with water and scent sprayers, as well as rubber-tipped “hornet stingers” that pop them in the back.

It’s harmless and completely safe, but for those who have never experienced It’s Tough to Be a Bug, the show can certainly be overwhelming and even frightening. It’s common to hear children’s screams and cries as the show continues, which is probably why the entire experience wraps up in less than 10 minutes.

More on It’s Tough to Be a Bug:

Discover what it’s like to be a bug during this 3D movie and live show inspired by the Disney•Pixar file A Bug’s Life.

Become an Honorary Bug
See the world from a bug’s point of view with a little help from Flik inside the great Tree of Life.

Meander along a winding pathway—past tangled roots, unfurled branches and detailed carvings of animals—to the Tree of Life, the symbol of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Venture inside the tree’s base, where you will receive a pair of 3D glasses before taking a seat inside the approximately 430-seat Tree of Life Repertory Theatre.

Bug Entertainment for the Whole Family
Flik, the loveable ant from the Disney•Pixar film A Bug’s Life, invites you and your family to become honorary insects by donning a pair of special “bug eye” glasses and watching an exciting 3D film and live show on the survival techniques of bugs

Two character figures resembling a fox and a rabbit, dressed as police officers, are displayed with themed props and luggage in a dimly lit, colorful setting at Shanghai Disneyland. — Credit: Disney

There is a silver lining for those who despise the last two attractions on this list, with both It’s Tough to Be a Bug and TriceraTop Spin set to close permanently in 2025. Disney confirmed the closures of both attractions earlier in 2024, a decision that some felt had been coming for a long time.

TriceraTop Spin is located in Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand U.S.A. section, a land dedicated to prehistoric creatures of the past. However, this land will soon close to make way for several new attractions. The land will close in phases, beginning in January 2025, with the closure of the carnival side first.

Encanto and Indiana Jones will serve as the anchors of the new area, which Disney has described as a “South America”-inspired haven for guests to explore.

It’s Tough to Be a Bug will also close in 2025, with Disney set to replace the show with a Zootopia-themed 3D show. Zootopia is a franchise Disney has leaned into over the last few years at its international parks and is a brand the company will likely continue to use over the next decade, with the sequel to the original film from 2016 set to release in 2025 as well.

The new Zootopia show will debut in late 2025, but Disney’s reimagined DinoLand is not expected to open for several years. The project is essentially being split into halves, with the other carnival side of DinoLand going extinct first. As a result, DINOSAUR and its surrounding areas will remain open through 2025, giving guests and fans alike at least another year to enjoy it.

All of these changes come at one of the most exciting and transformational periods for the Walt Disney World Resort as a whole, with several more attractions, rides, lands, and experiences closing or being significantly modified over the next decade.

Perhaps most exciting of all is the new “Villains” land coming to the Magic Kingdom. Guests are still years away from seeing any work actually start, but Disney confirmed at its D23 event in September 2024 that this long-rumored land is finally coming to fruition at the Magic Kingdom.

Do you like any of these rides and/or attractions? What’s your least favorite ride at Walt Disney World?