As magical as Disney World is, it’s not all balloons and Mickey Waffles and princesses ALL the time.

In fact, Disney World is home to some seriously CREEPY stories, from weird myths to chilling tales, and today we’re digging into the strangest stories from Disney’s Animal Kingdom! 

We love a creepy story. From Magic Kingdom lore to a spooky cookie story, we’re endlessly fascinated! We’ve now shared chilling tales from all three other Disney World theme parks including EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. 

Now we’ve come to the last of the four! Just because it’s the youngest park at Disney World doesn’t mean Animal Kingdom lacks any creepy stories of its own, as we’ll see with this batch of spooks! 

Snake on the Loose! 

People come from all over the world to marvel at animals in Animal Kingdom, but usually said animals are safely contained away from tourists. The keyword here is USUALLY. 

According to an Animal Kingdom Cast Member, one time several years ago they saw a 10-foot snake (eek!) casually emerge from some shrubs and slowly slither through a crowded line of people before disappearing into a wooded area. The craziest part? No one noticed the 10-foot snake by their feet!

We’ve definitely had MORE THAN ONCE we’ve encountered a slithery little…um…friend(?) of our own here. We’ve seen harmless little snakes slip by in flowerbeds or crossing walkways, but it’s rare. Just keep your eyes peeled. They don’t want to mess with humans, but you might encounter a friend of your own!

 The Expedition Everest Queue That Feels a Little Too Realistic

There’s no denying the detail and depth of the queue at Expedition Everest is above-and-beyond amazing! Disney makes you feel like you’re trekking through forests and temples in Nepal before embarking on a mountain voyage! The eerie thing, though, is how some of the details in the queue are a tad chilling… .

For anyone who pays attention to the line details, especially the news clippings, they’ll notice that a central theme of the story is about a lost expedition of hikers who went missing while ascending the Forbidden Mountain and presumably encountering the Yeti. Comforting context to have immediately before ascending Forbidden Mountain yourself! 

The Poaching Theme for Kilimanjaro Safaris Was Originally MUCH Darker. MUCH!

Most of Kilimanjaro Safaris is a fun, lively romp through various exotic terrains, spotting larger-than-life animals and giggling at quirky commentary from the safari guides. One thing that’s NOT something to giggle about? Poaching. 

It’s a dark, tragic topic that gets discussed on the videos in the queue. The original plans for the immersive attraction centered around a mother elephant, Big Red, and her baby, Little Red. 

To really hammer home the fact that poachers are evil, Disney thought it was a fine idea to suddenly show the “dead” body of a fake elephant, Big Red. Orphaned Little Red is nowhere insight, and the safari guide embarks on a chase to catch the poachers who killed the mother. Only to find out the poachers captured the baby in a cage! Everything works out in the end (well, except for Big Red!). This storyline…did not stick around long (shocker, eh?).

It’d be like if Disney turned that Bambi scene (you know the one) into a ride. Though the poachers were eventually caught, the notion of showing guests such a brutal scene is a bit aggressive and potentially traumatizing, which is why Disney smartly nixed it. Interestingly, this scene didn’t make it past Cast previews of the park (so JUST employees and families) before they realized this was probably a bad idea. Good call, we think!

Losing Consciousness on Flight of Passage

Flight of Passage is one of the most dazzling and stunning rides in Disney World. Beloved by MANY, there’s a good reason why it frequently commands the longest lines in the parks! But let’s be honest: such an overwhelming and immersive attraction isn’t exactly for everyone. 

After several visitors began losing consciousness on the ride, which sees guests strapped to a bike-shaped vehicle that mimics the motions of a banshee that soars through Pandora for several minutes, Disney had to add warning cards before the ride entrance, similar to those at other dizzying rides, like Mission: SPACE. Because you simply won’t enjoy Flight of Passage if you’re not conscious. 

Extra Secure Restrooms

Bathrooms are something we all need and visit regularly, but have you ever observed a key difference at the restrooms in Disney’s Animal Kingdom? You may notice that they have something that you won’t find at other Disney Park restrooms. Locks. Now, of course, stalls have the fastening mechanism. What we’re talking about are locks on the external doors!

Many Disney Park bathrooms have open access entrances to minimize bottlenecks of guests going in and out, as well as minimize touchpoints on potentially germy areas. But you won’t find any of those at Animal Kingdom. All Animal Kingdom restrooms are secured with an external door that has a lock on it. Why? Safety is always a top priority, so on the extreme off-chance that an animal got loose from its habitat, guests can secure themselves inside a bathroom until the emergency is addressed. So, next time you visit the facilities at Animal Kingdom, observe that entrance door, and say a silent thank you to the Imagineers, who truly thought of everything!

Too Thrilling Attractions at Animal Kingdom

Aside from unexpected wildlife encounters, the park is home to some unsettling and intense attractions that can be triggering (and straight-up unsafe) for some guests. 

Two of the most thrilling and jarring attractions are at Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest and Dinosaur. Sometimes these attractions prove to be a little too thrilling and have been the cause of some heart episodes for some guests. Nowadays, Disney is VERY clear with warning signs for guests with heart issues, for very good reason. Take your personal heath situation into consideration before boarding. 

A Gun on Dinosaur

As if the INTENSE Dinosaur ride wasn’t scary enough on its own, just imagine finding a loaded gun on the ride car! 

The scene involved another grandma-grandson duo, who found the weapon in their ride vehicle and alerted Cast Members. Police were called, and when the gun’s owner was found, he claimed he didn’t realize you couldn’t bring such things into a theme park, and that it must have fallen out of his back pocket on one of the ride’s many bumpy moments. Thankfully, now metal detectors exist! 

Well, there you have it! From ride queue mythology to a waaaay too dark safari storyline, Animal Kingdom clearly has its fair share of creepy history! We’re just glad we can ride Kilimanjaro Safaris without the excessive sadness.

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What is the creepiest thing that’s ever happened to you at Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments!