What Time Does Animal Kingdom Open?

What time do the gates open at Animal Kingdom?

While Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park is typically open from 8 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m., the hours of specific attractions are often different.

How early should you go to Animal Kingdom?

Being at Animal Kingdom for rope drop is important if you want to beat the crowds and go on rides with little to no wait. The following tips will help you make the most of Rope Drop at Animal Kingdom. Note that Disney occasionally tinkers with its opening procedures, so the information here is subject to change.

Animal Kingdom is usually the first Disney World park to open in the morning, and the first to close. Expect it to open at 8 a.m. daily, and possibly earlier during holidays and other times of peak attendance. On-site guests eligible for Early Theme Park Entry should arrive at the entrance 60 minutes before official opening (30 minutes before Early Entry) on all days.

Off-site guests should arrive 30 minutes before official opening on all days. Once you’re in the park, you’ll usually find all of Pandora, along with It’s Tough to be a Bug, Expedition Everest, DINOSAUR, and TriceraTop Spin, already open. Because the park has relatively few attractions, most guests who arrive at park opening have left the park by midafternoon.

Can you do Animal Kingdom in 7 hours?

Disney’s Animal Kingdom – You may struggle to understand this at first, but every Walt Disney World theme park works differently. Photo: Disney Each of them possesses its own quirky behavior. To wit, Animal Kingdom combines elements of a zoo visit with a day at a theme park. As such, animal lovers will likely spend more time here than basic theme park lovers.

• During your first visit(s), you’ll want to do as much as you possibly can.
• On an average day, you can experience all the ride-based attractions in six or seven hours.
• The rest of your time depends on how much of the Animal Kingdom experience you desire.

Walking around Pandora – The World of Avatar could legitimately take five minutes or an hour, depending on how you approach it. Similarly, the bird and animal shows could be amenities you consume in 30 minutes, or they could take multiple hours. Photo: Kent Phillips Personally, I’d estimate that a single full park day at Animal Kingdom should provide you with more than enough time to experience everything. During later visits, it’s more of a half-day park. In other words, you could start here and then Park Hop somewhere else when you do everything you enjoy.

Can I do Animal Kingdom in a day?

Our 1-day Animal Kingdom itinerary details step-by-step strategy for minimizing wait times & avoiding crowds at the theme park’s most popular rides & shows, including Avatar Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and more. This Walt Disney World touring plan covers attractions, restaurants, zoo exhibits, and more.

• This single day Disney’s Animal Kingdom (DAK) itinerary has been updated again due to the return of more entertainment and meet & greets, as well as Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary entertainment ending.
• We’ve also made seasonal tweaks and accounted for changes in popularity and wait times due to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.

However, this itinerary assumes you will not be buying those line-skipping services–it instead works around them. If you do plan on spending the extra, consult our 1-Day Animal Kingdom Itinerary with Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, We visit Animal Kingdom frequently “for the sake of research” (and to watch our otter homies hanging out in their grotto), monitoring wait times, testing various approaches, and fine-tuning our strategy as crowds have increased and decreased during that time.

This is the revised Animal Kingdom itinerary for 2023 that we’ve devised as a result. This post continues our series of Walt Disney World Park Itineraries & Touring Plans designed to answer the frequently asked question, ” what would you do if you only had one day in _ Disney park? ” Animal Kingdom is an interesting mix of zoological offerings and traditional theme park attractions requiring a balanced approach that juggles the park’s various types of attractions.

It’s possible to experience what we call “animal fatigue” in this park, which is exactly what it sounds like–losing interest in the surplus of animal exhibits and walking trails. To combat this, we recommend scattering these throughout your day, doing a healthy mix of rides and walkthroughs. Nevertheless, Animal Kingdom is the easiest park to accomplish in a partial day; you can either arrive early or stay late at Animal Kingdom and do the entire park with relative ease. See our recent post: Animal Kingdom Afternoon Arrival Strategy, The same general principles apply when arriving during Early Entry–you essentially just reverse the order of attractions. This is less about Animal Kingdom not having enough to fill an entire day and more about the aforementioned animal fatigue and poor pacing. The end result is the same; there’s a mass exodus around 3 pm and the park is relatively quiet during the last two hours of the day.

We’ve stressed this in other recent planning resources, but figured it was worth reiterating as there’s a huge difference between early/late wait times and those during the middle of the day. If you want to know which approach is currently best for every park, see our recent Best Time-Saving Strategies at Walt Disney World,

That details the best and worst ways to save time in lines, and is really useful if you’re overwhelmed and don’t want to read a dozen others! Now, on with the 1-day Animal Kingdom itinerary Zig When They Zag — There’s going to be a lot of temptation to do Pandora — World of Avatar first thing in the morning, but resist that–unless you’re an on-site guest arriving for Early Entry, in which case, you should absolutely do Pandora first. Even if you’re not at Animal Kingdom for those extended a.m.

hours, consider starting with the Avatar rides if official park opening time is 7:30 a.m. and you’re there for that. It’s still early enough that you can beat the crowds and longest wait times for Avatar Flight of Passage. However, if you’re rolling up at 8 am on a busy day, head elsewhere. Over 90% of guests (literally) will make a beeline for Pandora in the morning, resulting in the longest lines and wait times of the day at Avatar Flight of Passage in the morning hours.

At that point, you’re not going to beat the Pandora crowds, so zig when others zag. Animal Kingdom’s other headliners all should be near-walk ons for the first hour of the day—you don’t even have to arrive at rope drop for this. Sleeping in and showing up 30 minutes late is fine. Start Your Adventure at the Outpost – If you’re arriving “too late” to start in Avatar land, begin with Adventurers Outpost, which is the Minnie & Mickey Mouse meet & greet in Animal Kingdom. It might seem silly to start here, but this is the 4th longest line in Animal Kingdom on average, and very few people think to do it first.

Consequently, it’s slower in the morning and wait times are significantly longer between around 10 am and 3 pm. There’s also a Lightning Lane to Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost, and once users of that paid FastPass system start using that in large numbers–which usually happens around 9 am–the standby line slows to a crawl.

That alone can be unpleasant, which is why we strongly recommend knocking this out in the first hour of the morning. You can be in and out quickly, and on your way to the second stop of the day. (If it’s more convenient, you probably can do this second so long as you’re not visiting on a peak season day.) Two-Week Safari — This is a great option both from a time-savings perspective and for the best possible experience. The reason we recommend Kilimanjaro Safaris in the morning is because it’s great for animal activity and also for photographing the animals with nice, soft light. Kali River Soaking – This rapids rafting ride is a crowd-pleaser that is worth doing if you haven’t done it before. It’s fun and goes through cool environments (albeit lacking show scenes) with a conservationist message. The potential for getting soaked is incredibly high, so don’t do it if that’s going to be a problem. Peak XV Summit – After you’ve gone through the wash cycle on Kali River Rapids, it’s time to air dry on one of Walt Disney World’s best roller coasters. Even an hour or more after official park opening time, Expedition Everest should still have a relatively reasonable wait time. See the Awesomest Animals – Everyone knows dinosaurs are the best animals ever. Unfortunately, Dinoland/Dino-rama are unquestionably the most disappointing theme park lands anywhere, ever. The backstory might be good ( debatable ), but unless your preferred way to experience a theme park is “reading,” then the actual land will disappoint you. Start Seeing Shows – When it comes to a day at DAK, pacing is paramount (that should be the park’s mantra). At this point, you’ve already done several rides, so it’s time for some shows. Since you’re in the neighborhood, it’s a good time to watching the newly-reimagined “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond!” musical. Snack Time – If you’re getting hungry, it’s a good time for a pit stop at Dino-Bite Snacks. This location serves a variety of, as the name suggests, snacks. Without a doubt, the highlight is their ice cream sandwiches. The options vary by season, but the shared commonality is that they use freshly-baked, house-made cookies. Otter Odyssey – At this point, you can reasonably slow down and start enjoy walk-through trails and animal-centric attractions while “waiting out” the crowds. One we’d direct your attention to that’s easily overlooked is Otter Grotto (near the aforementioned Starbucks). Lunch – Animal Kingdom really brings it when it comes to dining. For lunch, we recommend slowing down and having a table service meal. Animal Kingdom gets pretty hot midday, and this is a great time to escape that heat with a longer, relaxing meal. Currently, our #1 pick for those wanting an exceptional, fine dining caliber (in a realized setting) meal is Tiffins, Flights of Fancy – Previously known as UP! A Great Bird Adventure, this show is now called Feathered Friends in Flight and has mercifully cut Russel and Dug from Up, It’s still a bird show targeted towards families with small children, but it no longer feels dumbed down to a 3 year old level.

No offense to the characters from Up –a movie we love–but this show is much better without them. Before or after the bird show, explore trails or watch various animals in the park. From fully-fledged attractions like Pangani Forest Exploration Trail to smaller exhibits around the Oasis, Animal Kingdom has a lot to see that’s often overlooked.

Slow down and take the time to explore, discovering various animals and details tucked away in quiet corners. Stumbling upon these hidden gems is very rewarding! Maharajah Jungle Trek – This is another animal trail that you could really do whenever. Regardless of when you choose to do it, we strongly recommend that you don’t skip this one. Maharajah Jungle Trek is another under-appreciated Animal Kingdom attraction, as this walk-through exhibit has some beautifully imagineered environments. Festival of the Lion King – Acrobats, singers, and other performers in tribal attire and vibrant costumes, plus parade floats with Lion King characters and other creatures enact scenes inspired by the Lion King in a very lively theatrical show. There’s a lot of stuff going on, in what basically amounts to a lot of audio-visual stimulation.

The show just flat out works, and the almost abstract nature allows the audience to just sit back and enjoy the wow-inducing performers. Festival of the Lion King is an exceptional show–a relaxing, indoor way to break up the day. It’s now entirely back to normal, which means the tumble monkeys and aerial acrobats have returned.

For lower crowds and shorter waits, we recommend one of the late afternoon shows. Winged Encounters – Periodically, there’s a show directly in front of Tree of Life called “Animal Kingdom: Winged Encounters – The Kingdom Takes Flight.” If you can’t find showtimes for this, ask a Cast Member around the Tree of Life when it’s scheduled to occur. Insect Interlude – It’s Tough to Be a Bug is a good option to round out the middle of the afternoon here. It’s a fun 3D show housed inside the park’s iconic Tree of Life, which is arguably the coolest thing about the experience. With that said, you can truly do It’s Tough to Be a Bug whenever. No strategy required for this one, so slot it in whenever is convenient for you. Two-Week Sunset Safari – We’ve already gone to different corners of the globe, scaled the Earth’s highest mountain (a couple of times), and now, we’re going to do a few weeks worth of safaris. That’s more impressive than going around the world at Epcot in a day! For this ride aboard Kilimanjaro Safaris, we recommend waiting until late afternoon, getting closer to sunset time. Unwind at Dinner Time – One of the biggest “problems” you’ll have with visiting Animal Kingdom is that there are too many good places to eat. I guess that’s a good problem to have. On the one hand, there’s Satu’li Canteen in Pandora – World of Avatar,

This counter service restaurant has inventive, high-quality, and even healthy cuisine that is excellent. On the other hand, Flame Tree BBQ is a good option if you’re looking for something unhealthy and distinctly carnivorous. One of the things this brings to the table is stunning views of Everest from the seating area.

The food is also really good at Flame Tree BBQ, but we think it’s gone downhill in recent years with higher portion sizes. Travel 4.4 Light Years Away – The final stop of your day needs to be Pandora – World of Avatar. Right now, we recommend arriving to the land around 90 minutes before park closing. At that point, Na’vi River Journey should have a posted wait time of 55 minutes or less, with an actual wait time usually around 30 minutes.

(Adjust your arrival accordingly based on the wait time in My Disney Experience.) That should be a sufficient buffer to finish the boat ride and make your way to the park’s headliner, Avatar Flight of Passage, with 15-30 minutes left in the day. At this point, the posted wait for Flight of Passage will likely be over an hour (it might even be triple digits!), but the actual wait time will be significantly lower than that.

If you don’t arrive within the first 30 minutes Animal Kingdom is open, these will be the shortest waits of the day at both Pandora attractions. On your way out, be sure to watch the Tree of Life Awakenings, which are brief montages that play on the Animal Kingdom park icon. That should mark the conclusion to a satisfying day at Animal Kingdom. While the park is still relatively relaxed and less stressful of a touring experience than Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios (especially after the 3 pm mass exodus), you should still follow this strategy to avoid the few headaches that do exist at Animal Kingdom.

Even a few years after Pandora – World of Avatar opened, wait times for both Avatar attractions can still be quite long, especially at rope drop, so pack your patience! If you want to experience other attractions besides those we’ve listed, make sure to check out our Animal Kingdom Park & Attractions Guide, which rates and reviews all attractions.

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews, To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post.

Is there a nighttime show at Animal Kingdom?

Tree of Life | Animal Kingdom Attractions | Walt Disney World Resort

Witness the majestic centerpiece of Disney’s Animal Kingdom park as it comes alive at night like never before! An All-New Nighttime Experience Watch in wonder when the animal spirits within the great tree awaken during a mesmerizing showcase of colour and light.

After night falls, pay special attention to the Tree of Life at the center of Disney’s Animal Kingdom park. Approximately every 10 minutes, flickering fireflies magically appear and stir to life the wondrous animals spirits carved into the tree’s towering trunk—bringing to light a stunning visual swarming with vivid colour and animated imagery.

Gaze upon a graceful young doe embarking upon a thrilling journey. Behold love blossoming between a pair of hummingbirds. See a spry fox spreading gifts of love among the denizens of a wintry forest. A feast for the eyes, each revelation celebrates the eternal balance and harmony that exists in all living things, big or small, and is sure to inspire and delight the entire family, big and small.

Please note: Tree of life Awakenings experiences begin after dark and occur approximately every 10 minutes until the park closes. : Tree of Life | Animal Kingdom Attractions | Walt Disney World Resort

What is the best day to go to Animal Kingdom?

Animal Kingdom – And finally, we come to Animal Kingdom ! At this park, the predictably busy day is Saturday, That’s when you’ll find the longest lines for the rides and the shows with full auditoriums. Do yourself a favor and plan to visit on a different day. Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom Which day? Well, according to our experience, we recommend Thursdays, Due to its relaxing nature, Animal Kingdom is a park that’s at its best when there are fewer people, and on Thursdays and middle-of-the-week days, your chances are higher of that being the case. Pathways in Pandora We’re just big fans of strolling the animal trails on a quiet morning or hopping on Kilimanjaro Safaris without waiting in a long line. It’s the best way to do the park! So there you go — those are our recommendations for which day to visit each Disney World park.

Is Animal Kingdom better at night or day?

On Mar 12, 2022 Linda from ME Asked Please note that experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer. ” Linda, Thanks for sending your question to planDisney! One of the premiere reasons to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park is to see the amazing array of animals that Disney showcases in such amazing ways. These natural treasures are an essential part of your park experience, presented in ways that zoos around the country don’t quite match. There are, of course, many things to do in the Animal Kingdom park that are not reliant on animals, especially since the arrival of the Pandora – The World of Avatar land. But the furry, scaled, and feathered friends are still the stars of the show! Because live animals are such a large focus of so many of the attractions at this park, visiting in the morning is crucial. While Disney has found ways to extend the fun into the afternoon and evening hours, most of the animals viewed here are far more active, and therefore visible, in the morning. I strongly recommend you arrive at the park at opening time, or as soon afterwards as possible, to maximize your visit. BONUS TIP So yes, the Animal Kingdom is definitely a morning-centric park. But should you skip it at night? Heck no! I love the exotic, phosphorescent world of Avatar! That land is more fun to visit at night. Also, the new Beacons of Magic show on the Tree of Life is mesmerizing. Finally, dinner at Tiffins or Yak & Yeti bring some of the best dining with an exotic flair to be had anywhere in Walt Disney World. Write me back if you have any other questions about the Animal Kingdom park. Have a Magical Vacation! Doug

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What day is Animal Kingdom least crowded?

Animal Kingdom – As a general matter, Animal Kingdom is the park that requires the least strategy and is the easiest place to beat the crowds in all of Walt Disney World. It doesn’t require Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes, and is pretty easy to knock out everything–and then some–if you stay for a full day. Weekend wait times are only “worse” at Animal Kingdom due to the middle of the day. If you’re staying on-site and taking advantage of Early Entry (or even going in the first couple hours the park is open), it’s pretty easy to beat the crowds. Moreover, there’s a pretty steep fall off in wait times during the last couple hours Animal Kingdom is open. That makes Animal Kingdom trickier than other parks at Walt Disney World in terms of our recommendation. Statistically, it’s a “bad” park to do on Saturday or Sunday. Personally, we don’t hesitate to visit it on either of those days because it is so easy to outsmart the crowds–just arrive early and/or stay late, and do shows or animal exhibits midday when crowds peak.

• If you’re able to follow that advice, Animal Kingdom is a solid Saturday or Sunday choice.
• That early opening time coupled with a late closing time—and a limited slate of attractions—makes Animal Kingdom easy to knock out.
• Even on crowded days, the strategy for Animal Kingdom is relatively simple, as covered in our 1-Day Animal Kingdom Itinerary,

Just be sure not to fight the midday crowds or try to swim upstream and you should be fine! (Honestly, the best practice is to choose your days for Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Epcot first. Whatever is left over can be “assigned” to Animal Kingdom.

Can I do Animal Kingdom in half a day?

Animal Kingdom may be Walt Disney World’s most underrated park, but an Animal Kingdom itinerary should definitely be a part of your Orlando, Florida vacation plans. Let me tell you why: Many write off Animal Kingdom as a half-day park or a glorified zoo.

This park is indeed a premier animal care facility, but the attractions are as good as any of the other parks in Walt Disney World, I think the balance of exciting rides and nature is what makes Animal Kingdom so special. I worked at Animal Kingdom for seven years before I transitioned into writing. There are so many special parts of Animal Kingdom that I want to share with you.

Trust me when I say that I’ve put together the perfect Animal Kingdom itinerary! Disclosure: Travel Lemming is an independent reader-supported blog. You can support us by purchasing via the affiliate links on this page, which may earn us commissions when you make a purchase or hotel reservation through one of our affiliate partners.

What are the longest waits at Animal Kingdom?

Animal Kingdom – And finally, we get to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The longest wait there (on average) was Flight of Passage at 102 minutes, Na’vi River Journey followed with 64 minutes, and Kilimanjaro Safaris was next at 58 minutes. Na’vi River Journey Here’s a full look at the average wait times for this week:

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail : 0 minutes The Boneyard : 0 minutes TriceraTop Spin : 11 minutes It’s Tough to Be a Bug : 12 minutes Kali River Rapids : 14 minutes Dinosaur : 16 minutes Expedition Everest : 28 minutes Kilimanjaro Safaris : 58 minutes Na’vi River Journey : 64 minutes Avatar Flight of Passage : 102 minutes

Animal Kingdom Wait Times And that’s a look at the average wait times for this past week. We’ll keep an eye out for more news and let you know what we find. For more planning tips, check out our posts below! What’s your best advice for avoiding the long lines in Disney World? Tell us in the comments!

Are there fireworks at Animal Kingdom?

Does every park at Disney World have fireworks? – Not every park at Disney World has fireworks. And, in fact, at some of the parks, your nighttime entertainment is quite limited. The only 2 parks with full firework shows are Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Hollywood Studios has shows that incorporate a few firework elements, but because of the animals, Animal Kingdom has no fireworks.

Does Animal Kingdom require a lot of walking?

Walking Distance at Animal Kingdom – The largest of the parks, Animal Kingdom is 580 acres – but thankfully most of that isn’t walkable and is used for animal habitats and conservation. Discovery Island acts as the “hub” for this park, and the different lands shoot off from here, as does the path to the Tree of Life.

Walking around Animal Kingdom can cost you a lot of steps, since all of the attractions are quite spread out, as well as it’s almost 2 miles to walk completely around the park. The two most popular places guests head once entering Animal Kingdom are Pandora and Expedition Everest in Asia. Pandora is a 1/3 of a mile walk from the front gate, while the distance to Expedition Everest is a half of a mile.

By the end of your day at Animal Kingdom, you may have tracked through all the lands several times, and you might do some backtracking here as well. You’ll easily walk 20,000 steps here in a day – and since there isn’t a lot of shade in the park, be mindful of taking care of yourself!

What rides to hit first at Animal Kingdom?

Arrival, Early Entry, and Rope Drop at Animal Kingdom – When it comes to mornings at Animal Kingdom, the park can be broken into two parts—Pandora and everything else. If you have Early Entry, you have a good opportunity to get through the two rides in Pandora—Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey—which are (more or less) the two most popular rides in the park.

• If you don’t have Early Entry, you probably won’t bother with these, instead focusing your time on the short waits everywhere else, leaving yourself two possibly long waits to sit through later in the day.
• One nice thing about Animal Kingdom is that major rides can open at three different times.
• Most rides open at Early Entry.

Kilimanjaro Safaris usually opens at the time the park is scheduled to open. Kali River Rapids sometimes opens an hour after the park opens. With Early Entry you could potentially be at three rides right when they open. Even without Early Entry you maybe can get to two rides at their opening times.

1. One of the biggest challenges of a morning at Animal Kingdom is the distance between the rides.
2. Rides like Everest and DINOSAUR see short waits early in the day because they’re long walks from Pandora.
3. They’re also short rides themselves (unlike Kilimanjaro Safaris).
4. This makes them worth visiting early, in your mind, but be prepared for people in your party to complain about walking basically the entire park in an hour or so.

Everest has a single rider line (a backup option if waits get too long for you) and a very enjoyable queue, so it’s probably fine to delay it a bit. If you’re not into running back and forth, by far the most natural way to go through the park in the morning is Pandora (if you have Early Entry), then Kilimanjaro Safaris, then Everest (maybe with a stop at Kali River Rapids), then Dinoland USA. After an initial surge of rides, maybe about 2 hours into the day, you can slow down a bit. Streetmosphere typically starts around 10AM, so you might want to catch some of that. One strategy we use a lot is to go to Creature Comforts—the Animal Kingdom Starbucks, near Africa —get coffee, and watch entertainment in Africa.

7:44 Arrive 8AM Park Opens 8:12 Everest (walk on) 8:36 Kilimanjaro Safaris (14 min wait) 9:16 DINOSAUR (walk on) 9:33 TriceraTop Spin (walk on) 10:10 Kali River Rapids (walk on) 10:15 Maharajah Jungle Trek

Things went very well on this particular morning, but even 20 minute waits for DINOSAUR and Kali River Rapids would have simply required us to delay Maharajah Jungle Trek into the afternoon.

How long is each ride at Animal Kingdom?

Africa Waypoint 1: Just past bridge into Africa 0.0 minutes Africa Waypoint 2: In front of Kilimanjaro Safaris 0.0 minutes Africa Waypoint 3: Where paths to Pagani Trails and Train Station intersect 0.0 minutes AK Waypoint 26: Intersection of Main Loop and Path to Harambe Market 0.0 minutes Asia Waypoint: Where main path splits off to Kali River 0.0 minutes Dinoland Waypoint 1: Near path to Asia 0.0 minutes Dinoland Waypoint 2: Just over the bridge to Dinoland from Flame Tree 0.0 minutes Dinoland Waypoint 3: Second path to Restaurantosaurus 0.0 minutes Dinoland Waypoint 4: First path that leads to Restaurantosaurus 0.0 minutes Dinoland Waypoint 5: Third path to Restaurantosaurus 0.0 minutes Dinosaur Waypoint: Where path to FASTPASS splits off 0.0 minutes Discovery Island Waypoint 2: Intersection with Path to Pandora 0.0 minutes Discovery Island Waypoint 3: Near bridge to Asia 0.0 minutes Get Lightning Lane Return Time for Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King 0.0 minutes Get Lightning Lane Return Time for DINOSAUR 0.0 minutes Get Lightning Lane Return Time for Feathered Friends In Flight! 0.0 minutes Get Lightning Lane Return Time for It’s Tough to Be a Bug! 0.0 minutes Get Lightning Lane Return Time for Kali River Rapids 0.0 minutes Get Lightning Lane Return Time for Kilimanjaro Safaris 0.0 minutes Get Lightning Lane Return Time for Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost 0.0 minutes Get Lightning Lane Return Time for Na’vi River Journey 0.0 minutes Get Lightning Lane Return Time for The Animation Experience 0.0 minutes Main Entrance 0.0 minutes Oasis Waypoint 1: Halfway up the trail on the left side of the Oasis 0.0 minutes Oasis Waypoint 2: Halfway up the trail on the right side of the Oasis 0.0 minutes Oasis Waypoint 3: Behind the Oasis before the bridge to the Tree of Life 0.0 minutes Rafiki’s Planet Watch Waypoint: In front of Conservation Station 0.0 minutes Tree of Life Waypoint: In front of Tree of Life 0.0 minutes Dino-Sue 1.0 minutes Get Lightning Lane Return Time for Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain 1.0 minutes TriceraTop Spin 1.5 minutes Habitat Habit! 2.0 minutes Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost 2.0 minutes Fossil Fun Games 3.0 minutes DINOSAUR 3.5 minutes Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain 4.0 minutes Expedition Everest Single Rider Line 4.0 minutes Character Greetings Around Animal Kingdom 5.0 minutes Cretaceous Trail 5.0 minutes Na’vi River Journey 5.0 minutes Tree of Life Awakenings 5.0 minutes Avatar Flight of Passage 6.0 minutes Divine 7.0 minutes Wildlife Express Train: Africa Station 7.0 minutes Wildlife Express Train: Rafiki’s Planet Watch Station 7.0 minutes It’s Tough to Be a Bug! 8.0 minutes Winged Encounters – The Kingdom Takes Flight 8.0 minutes Discovery Island Character Landing 10.0 minutes Kali River Rapids 10.0 minutes Affection Section 15.0 minutes Chakranadi 15.0 minutes Discovery Island Trails 15.0 minutes Harambe School 15.0 minutes Harambe Soccer Meerkats 15.0 minutes Harambe Village Acrobats 15.0 minutes Kora Tinga Tinga 15.0 minutes Muziki 15.0 minutes Oasis Exhibits 15.0 minutes Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe 15.0 minutes Valley of Mo’ara 15.0 minutes African Village Band 20.0 minutes Conservation Station 20.0 minutes Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail 20.0 minutes Kilimanjaro Safaris 20.0 minutes Maharajah Jungle Trek 20.0 minutes Feathered Friends In Flight! 25.0 minutes Wilderness Explorers 25.0 minutes The Animation Experience at Conservation Station 30.0 minutes The Boneyard 30.0 minutes Festival of the Lion King 30.0 minutes Island Groove 30.0 minutes Viva Gaia Street Band 30.0 minutes Finding Nemo: The Big Blue.

Is there a light show in Animal Kingdom?

Rivers of Light is Animal Kingdom’s first nighttime spectacular.

Does Animal Kingdom still have light show?

Animal Kingdom Lands The Rivers of Light show has been discontinued and Disney KiteTales is now performed at the Discovery River amphitheatre. This vibrant show takes place on Discovery River at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, between Discovery Island and Expedition Everest,

Live music and performers, floating lanterns, water screens, and swirling animal imagery are all used during the performance to showcase the beauty of all living things. The show begins as the storyteller hosts set out from the river banks on intricately-detailed, lantern-adorned boats for a breathtaking dance combining water and light to summon the spirits of the animals.

This display boasts a celebratory combination of song, light, and color with a grand finale so glorious that you are sure to feel a sense of “peace and oneness with nature.”

Rivers of Light Dessert Party

Imagineer Joe Rohde describes the show by saying, “It takes the idea of the special nature of the animals that are in this park and turns it into a celebration of the beauty of these animals. It starts simply and humbly, continues to unfold and grow as bigger and more elaborate lanterns appear, and then huge curtains of water and light emerge from the water with animals within them.

Rivers of Light Photo Gallery

NOTE: A dining package is available for this show! When you book lunch or dinner at Tiffins, you will receive a voucher for reserved seating to that evening’s show with the purchase of your meal. IMPORTANT: Be sure to specify that you want the dining package when you book your advanced dining reservation. Rivers of Light Dessert Party ©Disney Guests can enjoy a sweet ending to their day by with an array of Disney’s Animal Kingdom-themed, house-made desserts, snacks, and specialty alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages before enjoying a VIP view of Rivers of Light. Check-in for the party will begin 60-minutes prior to the main show (8:15 p.m.

1. For a 9:15 p.m.
2. Show) at the Rivers of Light Asia Viewing Area Terrace located across from Expedition Everest.
3. When the show is just about to begin, guests will head to the VIP Seating Area.
4. Price is $79 for adults and $47 for children (including tax) and payment in full is required at the time of booking.

This experience takes place on select nights and reservations can be made by visiting the Walt Disney World website or by calling (407) WDW-DINE. Guests must be at least 21 years of age or older and able to present a valid form of ID to consume alcoholic beverages.

Is Animal Kingdom worth it at night?

Pandora after dark – Of all the lands at Animal Kingdom after dark, Pandora: The World of Avatar is my favorite! I will admit to never having seen Avatar (and honestly, never having wanted to really!) but this land at night is absolutely magical. The floor is lit up with the bio luminescence of the world (the picture above is of the floor you walk around on!) and there are bright lights and sounds everywhere. The end of the night is also a great time to try to get on some of those Pandora rides with the long lines! Flight of Passage and the Na’vi River Journey can easily have waits upwards of two hours during the day, and if you don’t feel like getting to the park an hour and a half before opening (yup, that’s a thing!) then you either wait in a crazy long line, skip the ride, or hold out until close to park closing.

1. Ride wait times are often inflated at the end of the night, and even though a wait time might say 90 minutes, if you jump in line 15 minutes before the park closes (which is totally fine, you can get in that line right up until the park closes) then chances are that you’ll be off much sooner.
2. It’s also fun to leave the park once the majority of the guests have left, affording you some beautiful views of an empty Animal Kingdom.

Of all the Walt Disney World parks to visit at night, I would highly recommend taking the time to spend a few hours at Animal Kingdom after dark. This park is a totally different place at night, and has such a different feel than during the day. It’s definitely worth exploring after dark!

Should I spend a whole day at Animal Kingdom?

You can easily spend a large chunk of your day exploring the park on these animal trails, encounters, and watching the entertainment options. I highly recommend spending more than half a day in Animal Kingdom to find all the unique options it offers!

How many rides are at Animal Kingdom?

There are a total of 173 rides at Disney World Orlando. There are 41 rides at Magic Kingdom, 42 at Epcot, 17 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and 46 at Animal Kingdom.

What has the longest wait time in Animal Kingdom?

Animal Kingdom – And finally, we get to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The longest wait there (on average) was Flight of Passage at 102 minutes, Na’vi River Journey followed with 64 minutes, and Kilimanjaro Safaris was next at 58 minutes. Na’vi River Journey Here’s a full look at the average wait times for this week:

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail : 0 minutes The Boneyard : 0 minutes TriceraTop Spin : 11 minutes It’s Tough to Be a Bug : 12 minutes Kali River Rapids : 14 minutes Dinosaur : 16 minutes Expedition Everest : 28 minutes Kilimanjaro Safaris : 58 minutes Na’vi River Journey : 64 minutes Avatar Flight of Passage : 102 minutes

Animal Kingdom Wait Times And that’s a look at the average wait times for this past week. We’ll keep an eye out for more news and let you know what we find. For more planning tips, check out our posts below! What’s your best advice for avoiding the long lines in Disney World? Tell us in the comments!

Does Animal Kingdom require a lot of walking?

Walking Distance at Animal Kingdom – The largest of the parks, Animal Kingdom is 580 acres – but thankfully most of that isn’t walkable and is used for animal habitats and conservation. Discovery Island acts as the “hub” for this park, and the different lands shoot off from here, as does the path to the Tree of Life.

• Walking around Animal Kingdom can cost you a lot of steps, since all of the attractions are quite spread out, as well as it’s almost 2 miles to walk completely around the park.
• The two most popular places guests head once entering Animal Kingdom are Pandora and Expedition Everest in Asia.
• Pandora is a 1/3 of a mile walk from the front gate, while the distance to Expedition Everest is a half of a mile.

By the end of your day at Animal Kingdom, you may have tracked through all the lands several times, and you might do some backtracking here as well. You’ll easily walk 20,000 steps here in a day – and since there isn’t a lot of shade in the park, be mindful of taking care of yourself!

Is Animal Kingdom worth it at night?

Pandora after dark – Of all the lands at Animal Kingdom after dark, Pandora: The World of Avatar is my favorite! I will admit to never having seen Avatar (and honestly, never having wanted to really!) but this land at night is absolutely magical. The floor is lit up with the bio luminescence of the world (the picture above is of the floor you walk around on!) and there are bright lights and sounds everywhere. The end of the night is also a great time to try to get on some of those Pandora rides with the long lines! Flight of Passage and the Na’vi River Journey can easily have waits upwards of two hours during the day, and if you don’t feel like getting to the park an hour and a half before opening (yup, that’s a thing!) then you either wait in a crazy long line, skip the ride, or hold out until close to park closing.

Ride wait times are often inflated at the end of the night, and even though a wait time might say 90 minutes, if you jump in line 15 minutes before the park closes (which is totally fine, you can get in that line right up until the park closes) then chances are that you’ll be off much sooner. It’s also fun to leave the park once the majority of the guests have left, affording you some beautiful views of an empty Animal Kingdom.

Of all the Walt Disney World parks to visit at night, I would highly recommend taking the time to spend a few hours at Animal Kingdom after dark. This park is a totally different place at night, and has such a different feel than during the day. It’s definitely worth exploring after dark!