Animal Kingdom One Day Itinerary [2022]

Welcome to our newly updated i-twenty-four hours itinerary for visiting Beast Kingdom. When we concluding gave our itineraries a complete revamp dorsum in…2019 probably…Animate being Kingdom was a real challenge to fit into a day. The good / bad news is that's no longer the case, and at least for the next few months we expect the park to fit pretty easily into a total day while still filling that full solar day nicely. Let's talk almost how to spend a full day at Creature Kingdom!

Introduction

Animal Kingdom is pretty like to Epcot in that you lot're looking at about iii rides you really demand to worry about, plus a scattering that you lot're hoping only to walk right onto.

And, like Epcot, you're in a tough position where if you don't want to spend coin on Genie+ or individual Lightning Lanes, yous're probably going to have a long await or ii. Buy some mix of these things, though, and there's a good chance you get to well-nigh 5PM and realize they weren't really necessary.

Streetmosphere entertainment is finally returning to Animal Kingdom. In the by, this was a core office of our full days at the park, so we're excited to run across it coming dorsum. As of this update, Kora Tinga Tiinga (in Africa) and Chakranadi (in Asia) are dorsum, and the Tam Tam Drummers (also Africa) are gear up to return in early November. I'one thousand hoping to revisit this itinerary sometime in December.

Animal Kingdom has a lot of flexibility. Activities like the two main animal trails (Maharajah Jungle Expedition and Gorilla Falls) can be done at about whatsoever time of the twenty-four hours (they do often open up afterwards and close earlier than the park, though). Same with "Information technology'due south tough to exist a bug" and visits to Rafiki's Planet Watch.

The major stage shows accept multiple showtimes. And a successful rope drop will become yous through most of the major rides speedily. Equally long as y'all're doing something, you're probably making good apply of your time.

Before You Become to Animal Kingdom

You can add together Genie+ to your twenty-four hours either earlier your trip (if you lot add together it for the unabridged length of your ticket) or anytime afterwards midnight on the morn of your visit (if y'all're adding it simply for this day). In either case, if you're going to utilize Genie+, brand sure you purchase information technology earlier 7AM.

If you're a guest of a Disney resort, 7AM is likewise when you'll have the risk to buy individual Lighting Lanes for Avatar Flight of Passage and Trek Everest. Guests who aren't staying at a Disney resort can make their commencement individual Lighting Lane booking at the time the park opens.

Nosotros don't recommend either of the individual Lightning Lanes, but a Flight of Passage purchase can salvage you 60-ninety minutes of time waiting in line, peculiarly if you don't have Early Entry.

Arrival, Early Entry, and Rope Drop at Animal Kingdom

When it comes to mornings at Animate being Kingdom, the park can be broken into 2 parts—Pandora and everything else. If you accept Early on Entry, y'all have a skillful opportunity to get through the two rides in Pandora—Avatar Flying of Passage and Na'vi River Journeying—which are (more or less) the two most popular rides in the park.

If you don't have Early Entry, y'all probably won't bother with these, instead focusing your time on the short waits everywhere else, leaving yourself two mayhap long waits to sit through later in the twenty-four hour period.

Ane overnice affair about Animal Kingdom is that major rides usually open at three different times. Most rides open at Early Entry. Kilimanjaro Safaris usually opens at the time the park is scheduled to open up. Kali River Rapids usually opens an hour after the park opens.

With Early Entry y'all could potentially be at three rides right when they open up. Even without Early Entry you lot tin get to 2 rides at their opening times if you want.

Since Expedition Everest is a paid Lightning Lane option, we've been making a habit of heading there early. It has a single rider line (a backup choice if waits get besides long for you) and a very enjoyable queue, and so it'south probably fine to delay it a flake.

The downside of going to Expedition Everest early is that it involves a lot of extra working. By far the nigh natural way to get through the park in the morning time is Pandora (if you accept Early Entry), and so Kilimanjaro Safaris, and then Everest, and so Dinoland Usa.

If y'all can become to Dinoland United states of america early on you lot can knock off two rides—DINOSAUR and TriceraTop Spin.

After an initial surge of rides, maybe about 2 hours into the solar day, you tin slow down a flake. Streetmosphere typically starts effectually 10AM, and so you might desire to grab some of that. One strategy we use a lot is to go to Brute Comforts—the Animal Kingdom Starbucks, near Africa—go coffee, and scout entertainment in Africa. Then, time permitting, you might also caput to nearby Gorilla Falls Exploration trail.

On the day we're basing this itinerary on, we skipped the coffee finish and went to the other major animal trail:

  • 7:44 Make it

  • 8AM Park Opens

  • 8:12 Everest (walk on)

  • 8:36 Kilimanjaro Safaris (fourteen min wait)

  • nine:16 DINOSAUR (walk on)

  • 9:33 TriceraTop Spin (walk on)

  • 10:10 Kali River Rapids (walk on)

  • 10:fifteen Maharajah Jungle Trek

Things went very well on this detail morn, but even 20 minute waits for DINOSAUR and Kali River Rapids would have just required united states of america to delay Maharajah Jungle Trek into the afternoon.

Belatedly Morning at Animate being Kingdom

I really like to keep my afternoon open up for shows / walking trails / Rafiki's Planet Scout. I also like to have lunch at Satuli Canteen. All of this unfortunately means the cease of morn is a "skillful" time to look in a ridiculously long line for Flight of Passage or Na'vi River Journeying.

If your morn didn't go smoothly y'all might notwithstanding accept some other major rides left, simply I remember y'all basically demand to have two of Flight of Passage, Na'vi River Journey, and Kilimanjaro Safaris washed before lunch.

  • 12:xx Avatar Flight of Passage (89 minute wait)

Afternoon at Animal Kingdom

During tiffin I take a few minutes to make sure I've got a good handle on my schedule for the rest of the day. The major shows are Commemoration of Festival of the Panthera leo King and Feathered Friends in Flight. On busy days King of beasts King tin can fill up up. A Lightning Lane via Genie+ will guarantee y'all a seat, or y'all can go far way early (say, 45 minutes). We like to try our luck arriving near fifteen minutes early, and if that doesn't work come dorsum earlier for a later prove.

KiteTails is a new offering, and while it's overall enjoyable I don't typically watch the whole evidence. Instead I'll watch from a altitude for just a few minutes. Seating for this probable won't make full up in any instance.

Rafiki'south Planet Lookout man, home to Affection Section (the petting zoo) and the Animation Experience (drawing class), along with a few other offerings, is ordinarily worth at least a short visit. You'll take the Wildlife Limited Train v minutes each fashion as function of the visit.

There's also the ii main brute trails— Maharajah Jungle Trek and Gorilla Falls—if you haven't done those. I'll typically budget about 30 minutes for each. If you can simply do i, we personally prefer Maharajah Jungle Trek.

  • 2PM Celebration of Festival of the Lion King

  • 2:45 Rafiki's Planet Watch

  • 3:30 Feathered Friends in Flight

  • 4PM Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail

  • 5:15 KiteTails

Evening at Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom has no cadre dark show like you'll find at the other three parks. The Tree of Life transforms into a "Beacon of Magic" some nights, and the holidays also see special projections on the tree at night.

These are nice effects, simply I'one thousand not upset to miss them if I need to be on a ride late (they're also short enough that unless y'all're ane of the terminal people being hustled out of the park, you lot can probably end to lookout them on your fashion out).

Final showtimes for the major shows are normally a few hours before the park closes, and most things other than rides close before the official park close. That leaves basically two things to worry most after well-nigh 5PM / 6PM – rides and drinks / dinner.

Tusker Firm is a graphic symbol repast and a good restaurant. We've had a few meals here now and enjoy it. We still oasis't been to Tiffins, which is a nicer restaurant.

Attached to Tiffins is Nomad Lounge, one of our favorite bars at Walt Disney World. To visit Nomad Lounge you need to join the "walk up list" in the app—the bar doesn't have reservations.

In our instance, we nonetheless had 1 ride to get on:

  •  6:26 Na'vi River Journey (46 min expect)

Every bit of this update, Animal Kingdom has lots of 7PM closes the next few months, so I don't want to add too much here. For the sake of thoroughness, I'thousand going to add one last thing even though we didn't actually do information technology as part of this solar day:

  • six:45 Information technology'south Tough to be a Problems

Terminal Itinerary and Conclusions

  • seven:44 Go far

  • 8AM Park Opens

  • eight:12 Everest (walk on)

  • viii:36 Kilimanjaro Safaris (fourteen min expect)

  • nine:sixteen DINOSAUR (walk on)

  • 9:33 TriceraTop Spin (walk on)

  • ten:x Kali River Rapids (walk on)

  • ten:15 Maharajah Jungle Trek

  • 12:twenty Avatar Flight of Passage (89 minute await)

  • 12:54 Lunch at Satuli Canteen

  • 2PM Celebration of Festival of the Lion Rex

  • two:45 Rafiki's Planet Watch

  • 3:30 Feathered Friends in Flight

  • 4PM Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail

  • 5:15 KiteTails

  • 6:26 Na'half-dozen River Journeying (46 min wait)

  • 6:45 It'south Tough to be a Bug

In the heyday of FastPass+, it was pretty easy to use the system to get on all of Animal Kingdom's rides and focus virtually of your energy crafting a schedule around the other offerings of the park.

Since the 2020 closure, Animal Kingdom is probably the park that's suffered the about. Streetmosphere brought life to the park and helped make information technology a total twenty-four hour period park. Nosotros're glad to see some streetmosphere finally returning, but nosotros're downwards one ride (Primeval Whirl) and one major phase evidence (Finding Nemo the Musical, returning 2022).

With the resurgent Hollywood Studios cartoon more than morning crowds these days, Brute Kingdom is a pretty easy park to tour even without Genie+, individual Lightning Lanes, or Early Entry. Without any of these you might wait in a long line or 2, only we don't call up there's enough in the park correct now to justify spending much money to skip the lines.

All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered

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Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, nosotros've got everything y'all need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.

When information technology comes time to book we'll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether y'all need a dining programme in our Consummate Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney Earth Advance Dining Reservations!

Don't forget to principal your Disney World Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep yous out of long lines and then you tin maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Epcot Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Animal Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.

Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn near the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.

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