Animal Kingdom I Day Itinerary [2022]

Welcome to our newly updated one-day itinerary for visiting Animal Kingdom. When we final gave our itineraries a consummate revamp dorsum in…2019 probably…Fauna Kingdom was a real challenge to fit into a day. The skilful / bad news is that's no longer the case, and at least for the side by side few months nosotros expect the park to fit pretty hands into a full mean solar day while still filling that full day nicely. Allow's talk almost how to spend a full day at Animal Kingdom!

Introduction

Beast Kingdom is pretty like to Epcot in that you're looking at well-nigh three rides you really need to worry almost, plus a handful that y'all're hoping just to walk right onto.

And, similar Epcot, you're in a tough position where if you lot don't want to spend money on Genie+ or individual Lightning Lanes, you're probably going to have a long wait or two. Buy some mix of these things, though, and in that location'southward a good hazard you get to about 5PM and realize they weren't really necessary.

Streetmosphere amusement is finally returning to Animal Kingdom. In the past, this was a core part of our full days at the park, so we're excited to see it coming dorsum. As of this update, Kora Tinga Tiinga (in Africa) and Chakranadi (in Asia) are back, and the Tam Tam Drummers (as well Africa) are set to render in early November. I'm hoping to revisit this itinerary sometime in December.

Creature Kingdom has a lot of flexibility. Activities like the two main animal trails (Maharajah Jungle Trek and Gorilla Falls) tin exist washed at nigh any fourth dimension of the day (they do ofttimes open afterward and close earlier than the park, though). Same with "Information technology's tough to be a bug" and visits to Rafiki's Planet Watch.

The major stage shows accept multiple showtimes. And a successful rope drop will become you through most of the major rides quickly. As long as you're doing something, you lot're probably making proficient use of your time.

Before You Get to Fauna Kingdom

You tin can add Genie+ to your day either before your trip (if you lot add together it for the entire length of your ticket) or anytime after midnight on the morn of your visit (if you're adding it just for this day). In either example, if you lot're going to use Genie+, make sure y'all purchase it before 7AM.

If you're a guest of a Disney resort, 7AM is also when you'll accept the chance to buy individual Lighting Lanes for Avatar Flying of Passage and Expedition Everest. Guests who aren't staying at a Disney resort tin can brand their showtime private Lighting Lane booking at the time the park opens.

We don't recommend either of the private Lightning Lanes, but a Flight of Passage purchase tin salve you lx-90 minutes of time waiting in line, especially if you don't have Early Entry.

Arrival, Early Entry, and Rope Drop at Animal Kingdom

When it comes to mornings at Fauna Kingdom, the park tin can be broken into two parts—Pandora and everything else. If you take Early Entry, you accept a good opportunity to go through the two rides in Pandora—Avatar Flight of Passage and Na'6 River Journeying—which are (more or less) the ii most pop rides in the park.

If you don't accept 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 down through later in the day.

I prissy thing about Fauna Kingdom is that major rides usually open at three different times. Almost rides open at Early on Entry. Kilimanjaro Safaris commonly opens at the time the park is scheduled to open. Kali River Rapids ordinarily opens an hour after the park opens.

With Early Entry you could potentially exist at three rides right when they open. Even without Early Entry yous can get to two rides at their opening times if you want.

Since Expedition Everest is a paid Lightning Lane selection, we've been making a habit of heading in that location early. It has a single rider line (a backup selection if waits get also long for you lot) and a very enjoyable queue, so information technology's probably fine to delay it a chip.

The downside of going to Expedition Everest early is that it involves a lot of extra working. By far the nigh natural way to go through the park in the morn is Pandora (if you have Early Entry), then Kilimanjaro Safaris, so Everest, then Dinoland The states.

If you tin can get to Dinoland The states early you can knock off 2 rides—DINOSAUR and TriceraTop Spin.

After an initial surge of rides, perhaps most 2 hours into the 24-hour interval, you tin irksome downwardly a bit. Streetmosphere typically starts around 10AM, and so yous might want to catch some of that. 1 strategy nosotros use a lot is to go to Creature Comforts—the Creature Kingdom Starbucks, near Africa—go java, and watch entertainment in Africa. Then, time permitting, you lot might too head to nearby Gorilla Falls Exploration trail.

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

  • 7:44 Arrive

  • 8AM Park Opens

  • eight:12 Everest (walk on)

  • 8:36 Kilimanjaro Safaris (14 min look)

  • 9:16 DINOSAUR (walk on)

  • 9:33 TriceraTop Spin (walk on)

  • ten:ten Kali River Rapids (walk on)

  • 10:15 Maharajah Jungle Trek

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

Late Morning at Fauna Kingdom

I really like to keep my afternoon open up for shows / walking trails / Rafiki's Planet Spotter. I also like to have luncheon at Satuli Canteen. All of this unfortunately ways the finish of morning is a "proficient" time to look in a ridiculously long line for Flying of Passage or Na'vi River Journey.

If your morning time didn't go smoothly you might still take some other major rides left, just I think you basically need to have two of Flight of Passage, Na'vi River Journey, and Kilimanjaro Safaris done before tiffin.

  • 12:20 Avatar Flight of Passage (89 minute wait)

Afternoon at Animal Kingdom

During dejeuner I take a few minutes to make sure I've got a good handle on my schedule for the residuum of the day. The major shows are Commemoration of Festival of the Lion King and Feathered Friends in Flight. On busy days Lion Rex can fill up up. A Lightning Lane via Genie+ will guarantee you lot a seat, or y'all can go far way early (say, 45 minutes). We like to effort our luck arriving most 15 minutes early, and if that doesn't work come up back earlier for a later show.

KiteTails is a new offering, and while information technology's overall enjoyable I don't typically scout the whole show. Instead I'll picket from a altitude for but a few minutes. Seating for this likely won't fill up upwardly in any case.

Rafiki's Planet Scout, habitation to Amore Section (the petting zoo) and the Animation Experience (cartoon course), along with a few other offerings, is usually worth at least a curt visit. You'll take the Wildlife Express Train v minutes each style as office of the visit.

In that location'south besides the two main animal trails— Maharajah Jungle Trek and Gorilla Falls—if y'all haven't done those. I'll typically budget about 30 minutes for each. If you tin can only practice one, we personally prefer Maharajah Jungle Expedition.

  • 2PM Celebration of Festival of the Lion King

  • 2:45 Rafiki's Planet Watch

  • 3:30 Feathered Friends in Flying

  • 4PM Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail

  • v:xv KiteTails

Evening at Brute Kingdom

Animal Kingdom has no cadre nighttime show like yous'll detect at the other iii parks. The Tree of Life transforms into a "Beacon of Magic" some nights, and the holidays too see special projections on the tree at night.

These are nice effects, simply I'grand not upset to miss them if I need to be on a ride late (they're likewise curt enough that unless y'all're one of the last people being hustled out of the park, you tin probably finish to lookout them on your fashion out).

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

Tusker Business firm is a character meal and a good restaurant. Nosotros've had a few meals here at present and relish it. Nosotros however oasis't been to Tiffins, which is a nicer eating place.

Fastened to Tiffins is Nomad Lounge, one of our favorite bars at Walt Disney World. To visit Nomad Lounge y'all need to join the "walk upwardly list" in the app—the bar doesn't take reservations.

In our case, we nonetheless had one ride to get on:

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

As of this update, Animal Kingdom has lots of 7PM closes the next few months, then I don't desire to add too much hither. For the sake of thoroughness, I'g going to add together 1 final matter even though we didn't actually do it as part of this day:

  • 6:45 Information technology'southward Tough to be a Issues

Final Itinerary and Conclusions

  • 7:44 Arrive

  • 8AM Park Opens

  • 8:12 Everest (walk on)

  • 8:36 Kilimanjaro Safaris (14 min await)

  • 9:16 DINOSAUR (walk on)

  • 9:33 TriceraTop Spin (walk on)

  • 10:10 Kali River Rapids (walk on)

  • 10:15 Maharajah Jungle Trek

  • 12:20 Avatar Flight of Passage (89 minute wait)

  • 12:54 Lunch at Satuli Canteen

  • 2PM Celebration of Festival of the King of beasts King

  • two:45 Rafiki'south Planet Scout

  • 3:30 Feathered Friends in Flight

  • 4PM Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail

  • five:xv KiteTails

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

  • 6:45 It's Tough to be a Bug

In the heyday of FastPass+, it was pretty like shooting fish in a barrel to utilize the system to get on all of Fauna Kingdom's rides and focus most of your energy crafting a schedule around the other offerings of the park.

Since the 2020 closure, Beast Kingdom is probably the park that's suffered the nearly. Streetmosphere brought life to the park and helped make it a full twenty-four hours park. We're glad to see some streetmosphere finally returning, just nosotros're down 1 ride (Primeval Whirl) and ane major stage bear witness (Finding Nemo the Musical, returning 2022).

With the resurgent Hollywood Studios drawing more morning crowds these days, Animal Kingdom is a pretty easy park to bout even without Genie+, individual Lightning Lanes, or Early Entry. Without any of these y'all might expect in a long line or 2, simply nosotros don't think at that place'due south enough in the park right at present to justify spending much coin to skip the lines.

All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered

Don't be overwhelmed by Disney Earth planning! Take a second to cheque out our about of import content and you'll non merely be an skilful, but you lot'll relieve big $$$ along the manner.

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

When it comes time to book nosotros'll help you find discount Disney Globe tickets. Make up one's mind whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Accelerate Dining Reservations!

Don't forget to primary your Disney World Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategy a few months in advance. Nosotros'll keep you out of long lines and so you lot can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides every bit well: Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Epcot Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Animate being 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 about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, cheque out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.

Finally, before you head out, exist sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you lot're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to cease.