Asia

As ambiguous and all-encompassing as the Africa [1] section, the Asia section of Animal Kingdom [2] incorporates Chinese, Indian, Tibetan, Balinese, and Mongolian influences into the fictional kingdom of Anandapur. Just as Asia itself houses more than half of the world’s population, you’ll sometimes feel as if half of that day’s Disney visitors are crammed into the sights and attractions of this part of the park.

This is primarily due to the presence of popular rides like the white-water Kali River Rapids and the excellent Expedition Everest roller coaster. The former is a fairly standard theme-park soaker, accentuated by some environmental messages and some great special effects. As for Expedition Everest, the mere presence of the Abominable Snowman would be enough to make this coaster a winner, but when combined with high speeds, a brief bit of backwards motion, and a 50-foot drop, it’s no surprise that this ride is almost always subject to incredibly long lines.

Less adrenaline-pumping is the Maharaja Jungle Trek, another expertly themed walking tour through various animal habitats. This one features komodo dragons, tapirs, fruit bats, peacocks, deer, and tigers.

Flights of Wonder is a 25-minute show featuring an array of trained hawks, falcons, parrots, and other birds. The plot of the show is silly and unnecessary, but the birds—and their trainers—are incredibly impressive.