How long do people usually spend in Animal Kingdom?
Some Guests feel that Disney's Animal Kingdom park is a half-day park. But you and I know that those naysayers are incorrect! With so much to do and see throughout the park, my family and I always plan to spend an entire day at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It also happens to be our favorite of the four Theme Parks.
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Many Disney fans say that Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a half-day park, and to a certain degree, I can understand that. Whether we spend half a day there or the entire day, I do four things every time I visit.
Animal KingdomThe 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.
Objectively, the best days to visit Animal Kingdom are weekdays. Across the board, average daily wait times are lower Monday through Friday than they are Saturday or Sunday.
The worst day of the week to visit has historically been Monday! Perhaps it's because people expect the weekends to be the busiest, so they go with a weekday instead. Nonetheless, Monday wait times might be a bit higher than you'd want.
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.
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.
If you really just want to do theme parks every single day of your trip, then I'd suggest 2 full days at Magic Kingdom, 1 or 2 full days at Epcot, and then one day at each Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
I strongly recommend you arrive at the park at opening time, or as soon afterwards as possible, to maximize your visit. So yes, the Animal Kingdom is definitely a morning-centric park.
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.
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.
Then Magic Kingdom is the most must-do Disney park for first timers since it's made in the image of Walt's original dream. So Animal Kingdom is the skip for a first-timer. Definitely put it on your list of things to do when you come back to Disney, but prioritize the more iconic parks and attractions!
Splurge on after-hours eventsIn 2023, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom are selling tickets for dates early in the year at prices that rival a full day's admission. “That is an enormous time saver,” said Jeffrey Merola, a Walt Disney World guidebook author and owner of Mouse Vacation Planning.
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.
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!
For anyone who has spent time in Animal Kingdom, you may notice some HUGE differences from the rest of Disney World's parks! In addition to the fact that it's got legit live animals, this is also the ONLY park that doesn't have fireworks. It's a policy that likely won't change, either, for good reason. Here's why!
TIP: The best times to ride the Safari is first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon. The animals are often more active during both of these times. This is a wonderful opportunity to see herds of free-roaming animals in a “natural habitat”.