When you come through the gate at Disney's Animal Kingdom park, you'll know right away you're in for a unique experience. Your first good clue: The first animals you see in the park won't be Disney characters. They probably won't be cuddly, either. What you are likely to find immediately inside the entrance is a Disney cast member in safari gear holding a live animal borrowed from a park exhibit. These animals, usually caged, are mostly of the variety designed to delight kids and make parents keep their distance. Snakes, spiders, and bugs are favorites, although you might see a bird or two, as well. Knowledgeable handlers are eager to talk about all the animals. Further on, there's a miniature zoo filled with exotic wildlife from around the world. (Don't worry; you'll have many more opportunities to view live animals before you're through!)

Discovery Island
Once you've run the critter gantlet, it's time for…more bugs! Make your way to the Discovery Island area of the park. The first thing you'll notice here is the impossibly large Tree of Life. (It's not a real tree--but it fooled you for a minute, didn't it?) Your kids will make a beeline for it, since this is where you'll find the main Discovery Island attraction, a 3-D extravaganza called "It's Tough to be a Bug!" Put on your bug-eyed glasses and prepare to see the world through insect eyes, as presented by Flik and Hopper from the Disney/Pixar film A Bug's Life.

Camp Minnie-Mickey
Mickey and Minnie Mouse really have been known to stop by this area of the park--in fact, it's the best place in Disney's Animal Kingdom to get a character autograph. It's also where you'll find "Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends," a show starring many animals native to North America.

Africa
From the temperate forests of the United States and Canada, it's just steps to Africa--in Walt Disney's world, anyway. The centerpiece of this part of the park is the Mombasa Marketplace, a re-creation of a lively East-African trading center. You'll want to stock up on supplies (and lunch) before you board a special four-wheel drive vehicle for a Kilimanjaro safari. Those aren't animatronic lions, rhinos, and giraffes you'll drive past--those are real, free-roaming African savannah animals. A word of warning: As much as kids love spotting the wildlife, there are some scary elements to this attraction, including a collapsing bridge and a brush with poachers, so you might want to leave the littlest ones to catch a second showing at Camp Minnie-Mickey.

Rafiki's Planet Watch
Here's another place where kids (and grown-ups, too) might learn something--but chances are, you'll all be having too much fun to notice. Catch a train in the Africa area to get to Planet Watch. Kids of all ages will love the petting zoo, a real hands-on exhibit. From there, take the proverbial walk on the wild side in the Habitat Habit area. Cotton-top tamarins (an adorable, white-capped primate) are the stars of the show here. Rafiki's Planet Watch also features a Conservation Station, where visitors learn about what they can do to help save endangered species. You can also learn about how the animals in the park are lovingly cared for.

Asia
The next stop is Asia. Get set to get soaked on the Kali River Rapids ride, where you raft through the wilds of an Asian jungle. You'll also discover a magical world above your head when you experience the Flights of Wonder show, where wild and exotic birds demonstrate their natural behaviors. And speaking of animals, finish up your trip through Asia with the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Here you'll explore the ruins of an ancient temple that is now home to hordes of wild animals, including monkeys, tapirs, exotic birds, and even prowling tigers.