Hi Rebecca!
I have to start off by letting you know I am an Animal Kingdom LOVER. So, my opinion will be completely weighed to the YES YOU NEED TO DO ANIMAL KINGDOM side!
Animal Kingdom is a smaller park, it's slightly more crowded and has lots of foliage which can sometimes make it hot. HOWEVER, this should not deter you from the amazingness of the park!
As far as the animal-ness goes, even if you are not an animal lover (which I am not) you and your toddler will love the Kilimanjaro Safari, the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and the Maharaja Jungle Trek. You will get to see the animals UP CLOSE and you will think you are literally in another country.
The attractions and shows in Animal Kingdom are top-notch and not to be missed: Festival of the Lion King is amazing, It's Tough To Be a Bug is a hilarious 3D show, Finding Nemo: The Musical is an amazing creative puppetry show--not to mention the very cool Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade.
There is also stuff for the thrill rider (which you can still do by taking advantage of the Baby Swap): Dinosaur, Expedition Everest and the Kali River Rapids.
See?! I cannot speak more highly of it! And honestly, I haven't even mentioned a ton of other great attractions and the fact that the center point of the park--The Tree of Life is something I could just stare at for hours!
To find out more about what is exactly designed for toddlers and younger kids, please download the
Magical Beginnings Map. It highlights all the fun stuff for little ones and your toddler will LOVE to look at it!