Top 10 Tips for The Perfect Day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Of the four theme parks in Walt Disney World, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is both the newest and a favorite of many guests. The park aims to bring guests directly into nature and allows them to celebrate its beauty while learning about the importance of conservation and preservation. Guests who spend time in Disney’s Animal Kingdom can enjoy going on an African safari, river rafting, taking on a mythical creature, traveling back in time, and getting up close with beautiful animals. With so many amazing experiences to enjoy in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, it is no wonder that guests want to make the most of each moment there to create a perfect day. There are several easy tips to follow, which are designed to save both time and frustration while spending time in the park. Here are the top tips to follow to ensure a perfect day in Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

1 – Consider Paying for Access to Lighting Lane

On busy days, you might want to consider purchasing access to the new Lightning Lane when visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom. There are two Lightning Lane paid options that include different attractions. First, you can purchase Disney Genie+ for the day of your visit. This costs anywhere from $15-$39 per day, per person. With Genie+, you can access the Lightning Lane at eleven attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. See the list below for the Genie+ attractions at the park.

Disney Genie+ Attractions:

1. Festival of the Lion King
2. Dinosaur
3. Expedition Everest
4. Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
5. It’s Tough to be a Bug!
6. Kali River Rapids
7. Kilimanjaro Safaris
8. Na’vi River Journey
9. Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
10. The Animation Experience
11. Feathered Friends in Flight!

A second option for purchasing Lightning Lane is the a la carte method. The attraction below is NOT included with your Genie+ purchase and must be purchased separately. 

Individual A la Carte Lightning Lane Attraction:

1. Avatar Flight of Passage

Keep in mind that you do not have to purchase either of these options to enjoy these attractions. Most of the attractions listed above have moderate wait times, and some regularly have low wait times. Using our tips below, such as arriving at park opening, you may be able to avoid having to purchase these options.

2 – Rope Drop for Disney Resort Guests

Disney Resort guests who want to enjoy a perfect day in Disney’s Animal Kingdom should aim to arrive at the park for rope drop. That’s because one of the benefits of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel is that you get entry into the park 30 minutes before the official park opening. Once the gates are open, resort guests arriving for rope drop at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are some of the first inside, enjoying few crowds and low wait times. Thirty minutes may not sound like much, but it gets you in line before non-resort guests, and it may make the difference between waiting under thirty minutes for Flight of Passage (see #3) or waiting over two hours. 

3 – Pandora – The World of Avatar

After being let inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom, guests should immediately head straight to Animal Kingdom’s most popular land, Pandora – The World of Avatar. The land, the largest expansion in the history of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is based on Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron’s record-breaking box-office hit, Avatar, which was released in 2009. The film was insanely popular, mostly due to Cameron’s amazing special effects. The movie is a science fiction film about humans attempting to colonize a habitable moon called Pandora. Living on Pandora sounds like an excellent opportunity for this cast of humans, but they are met with resistance from the local tribe of Na’ vi. Animal Kingdom’s lush world of Pandora is set a generation after a great conflict; the Na’ vi and humans are at peace, and the land is experiencing a rebirth. Pandora now welcomes Disney guests as eco-tourists. The land is a fantastic spectacle of Disney Imagineering, creativity, and storytelling. As you explore the vibrant terrain sprawling beneath mountains that appear to float in the sky, you’ll see waterfalls cascading down the mountainside into meandering streams and pools. Then, you’ll discover two thrilling new expeditions: Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’ vi River Journey. Grab a bite to eat at the quick-service restaurant Satu’li Canteen, or grab a drink and snack at Pongu Pongu. There are so many amazing things to explore. Visiting Pandora is an absolute must-do on your trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

As we noted above, Avatar Flight of Passage is an Individual A la Carte Lightning Lane Attraction that requires a separate purchase and is not included with Genie+. This is one of those attractions where you may benefit from purchasing a Lightning Lane pass to skip the line. Wait times can vary wildly, anywhere from 30-120 minutes. If you absolutely know you want to pay for this, do it right at 7:00 am if you are a resort guest or at park opening as a non-resort guest. If you want to use the wait-and-see approach, check the wait time first before purchasing and then decide whether or not it is worth the extra cost to skip the line.

4 – Visit Kilimanjaro Safaris Next

One of the most popular attractions in Disney’s Animal Kingdom can be found in the Africa section of the park in the village of Harambe. Kilimanjaro Safaris invites guests into the Harambe Reserve for a two-week safari filled with up-close experiences with beautiful animals. Guests can board authentic safari vehicles and set off for the African forests and savannahs for an unforgettable experience. Guests are smart to visit Kilimanjaro Safaris first thing in the morning when the wait time is shorter, and the animals tend to be more active thanks to breakfast being served and cooler temperatures.

5 – Enjoy Kali River Rapids

The Asia section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is home to a thrilling attraction that is sure to leave guests soaked. Kali River Rapids has guests board family-style rafts and set sail down the Chakranadi River. The journey begins peacefully as guests pass by lush jungles and flowing waterfalls but turns dangerous as guests experience firsthand the devastation of illegal logging. With plenty of twists and drops along the way, guests are sure to get soaked while enjoying a ride on Kali River Rapids. 

6 – Single Rider Expedition Everest 

Another thrilling attraction in Disney’s Animal Kingdom can also be found in the Asia section of the park. Expedition Everest brings guests on a journey that begins as a calm tea train tour in the foothills of the Forbidden Mountain. However, guests soon find themselves forced deep inside the mountain thanks to a piece of broken track and end up desperately trying to escape the clutches of the fabled Yeti. Since Expedition Everest is so popular with guests, it tends to have long wait times on busy days in the park. Guests who want to enjoy the attraction should opt to use the Single Rider Line, which offers the same experience with a typically much lower wait time so long as guests don’t mind being split up at the loading platform.

7 – Enjoy Dinosaur

Dinoland in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is home to all things prehistoric, including a thrilling attraction. Dinosaur invites guests into the Dino Institute, where the technology to travel back in time has been perfected. Guests embark on what should be a quiet tour of a calm era but find themselves scrambling to make it out when they find themselves too close to a massive asteroid impact. With mostly dark scenes and plenty of scary dinosaurs, Dinosaur is a truly thrilling attraction.

8 – Don’t Skip the Trails

While there are plenty of exciting attractions in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, some quieter ones tend to be overlooked by guests. Those who want to enjoy a perfect day in the park should definitely not miss out on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail or the Maharajah Jungle Trek, both self-guided walking tours offering guests beautiful scenery and up-close encounters with animals like gorillas and Asian tigers.

9 – Enjoy The Live Shows

There are also two live shows in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which simply can’t be missed. The Festival of the Lion King is housed in the Harambe Theater and retells the classic Disney animated story through song, aerial ballet, fire dancing, acrobatics, and familiar characters. “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!” is housed in the Theater in the Wild and brings the classic Pixar film to life with larger-than-life puppets and special effects. Both shows are must-see experiences in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and guests should definitely enjoy them on perfect days in the park!

10 – Stay After Dark

Disney’s Animal Kingdom may stay open well into the evening hours with some very special experiences just for after-dark. You don’t want to miss the Tree of Life Awakenings. Approximately every ten minutes after dark, different animal projections will appear on the tree in a magical way until the park closes. A nighttime safari on Kilimanjaro Safaris is a cool way to experience this attraction. Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest also take on new character and thrill when riding in the dark. Finally, at night, Pandora – The World of Avatar transforms into an entirely new experience. The bioluminescent plants of Pandora illuminate the land at night, giving breathtaking views of the Pandora landscape that are entirely different from the daytime experience.