This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
This is our ideal Animal Kingdom Itinerary. We have always found it hard to spend a full day at Animal Kingdom until recently. I honestly has become one of our favorite parks to visit and spend time at. Use this itinerary to help plan your day at Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom has fewer rides than other parks and really three main rides that will be very popular and have long lines and the remaining rides have moderate lines.
Animal Kingdom while limited on rides does have a lot of other fun things to do. Shows, trails, animals, and the Wilderness Explorer Adventure are some of the things to do besides rides at the park.
Rope Drop:
Rope Dropping at a Disney Park is a big deal. Rope Dropping is when guests arrive at a Disney Park before grand opening to be there when the cast members “drop the ropes” to open the park to all the guests.
Guests use rope drop to basically rush to their favorite ride, in hopes of getting there quickly in order to avoid a long wait time.
Rope Dropping at Animal Kingdom means guests try to get to Flight of Passage or the Kilimanjaro Safaris first. Na’vi River Journey is also a very popular ride for guests to rope drop to.
Park guests may also have Extra Magic Hours available where they can get into the park even earlier for rope drop.
Animal Kingdom Genie+:
We have a post on everything you need to know about Genie+ at Animal Kingdom, so check that out here.
If you do get it, we suggest Lighting Lane for Flight of Passage since that will be your longest line or rope dropping it.
This itinerary is going to not use Genie+ in it but if you decide you want to use it you can. It will help make the day easier to time things out.
Animal Kingdom hours:
Most of the time Animal Kingdom is open 8am-7pm but hours can change to make sure to check your app the night before and adjust as needed.
Early entry is going to be for those staying on Disney property resorts. If you are staying you will be able to get into the park by 7:30.
For the purpose of this post, we will assume the park does open at 8am and you do not have early entry. If you do, then follow the same pattern you will get done with things in better timing.
Itinerary Outline:
- Arrive to the park 20-30 minutes before opening
- Kilimanjaro Safari
- Expedition Everest
- Adventure outpost Meet Mickey and Minnie
- DINOSAUR
- Triceratops Spin
- It’s Tough to be a Bug!
- Kali River Rapids
- Finding Nemo
- Festival of the Lion King
- Tails and Animals
- Na’vi River Journey
- Avatar Flight of Passage
Animal Kingdom Morning:
With the park opening at 8 you want to arrive at the park around 7:30-7:40.
- Kilimanjaro Safari
The safari is all the way in the back of the park so you want to take a left at the tree and head to Africa.
We suggest doing the Safari first because it can get high wait times, the queue is all outdoor, and it’s the best time to see the animals.
While wait times may go down in the afternoon most animals will be hiding away from the hot sun and not be very active.
Next you will be leaving Africa and heading to Asia.
Since you should be able to walk right on the safari you can still get to Everest pretty early and not have to wait very long.
Everest does have a single rider line which could make your wait time even shorter is you don’t mind riding with a stranger.
If meeting a character is on your list of must-dos while visiting Disney, then this is the perfect spot. You will want to head over to Discovery Island next.
Currently this is the only spot that you will be able to meet Mickey and Minnie together in all of Disney World.
Now we will be heading to DinoLand U.S.A. If by this time you need a little pick me up Isle of Java is right before the entry and has Joffrey’s coffee!
This next ride may not be for the entire family. You must be 40 inches tall to ride but just a warning, two of our kids who are tall enough do not enjoy this ride.
It’s dark and scary and may not be enjoyed by everyone. For those of you who do want some trills you can use rider swap.
Your next ride is a ride everyone can ride that is also in DinoLand U.S.A.
This ride has no height requirement and it pretty much Dumbo, but with Dinos.
This ride should be a walk on or 5-minute wait. This ride typically never has a long line.
Afternoon at Animal Kingdom:
Since you got a lot of rides in during the morning during the afternoon, I suggest getting in all the shows when it’s really hot.
Since your right next to it you can head over to your first show.
Check your My Disney Experience App for showtimes. Show times are currently 12:00pm, 1:00pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm.
The next attraction will be Discovery Island.
This is a show that does not have a long wait time. This attraction also needs a warning that it is dark and can be scary. We usually skip this attraction.
If you want to get really up close to the Tree of Life and see some animals you can take this time to walk the Discovery Island Trails.
Another attraction near the Tree of Life is Animal Encounters: Winged Encounters – The Kingdom Takes Flight. This show is underrated and one of my favorites. Seeing the bird up close and fly above you in the park is awesome.
Another Bird show is Feathered Friends in Flight! This show is another great show that has birds flying overhead.
If you are interested in seeing lots of animals you can find them on this trail in Asia.
- Maharajah Jungle Trek
This is a self-guided trail where you can see Komodo dragons, bats, and tigers.
- Kali River Rapids
This river raft ride is a favorite too many and if you want to get wet you would love it. It can have a longer wait times in the afternoon depending on the weather.
If you want to beat the heat in another way without getting wet then an indoor show it the best option!
This is the most popular show in Animal Kingdom and for a good reason. The show is incredible and a must watch!
Since it is more popular we suggest getting to the show early to wait in line before they let you inside.
Lunch at Animal Kingdom:
When it comes to when you stop for lunch you may be in different parts of the parks than others. Here are a few of our suggestions for a quick service lunch.
In DinoLand U.S.A Restaurantosaurus is going to be your quick service option. This dining location is going to have all your basics like cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and chicken tenders. While you’re not going to find unique food here at Restaurantosaurus you will find something for all the picky eaters. Plus they have lots of indoor seating!
In Discovery Island you will find Flame Tree Barbecue with is a popular quick service that serves BBQ. Pulled pork, smoked chicken, and even ribs are on the menu and the kids can get a hot dog or PB&J. You are not going to find any indoor seating but they do have a lot of outdoor seating and some covered seating.
If you are near Asia, you can grab lunch at Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafe. While Yak and Yeti the indoor dining does require reservations you will also find right next door their quick service location. Some of our favorites include the American Kobe Cheeseburger, Honey Sesame Chicken, and Teriyaki Chicken Salad.
For kids you will also find cheeseburger, chicken strips, and PB&J. Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafe does have outdoor seating but during the busy lunch time it could be hard to find a seat. They have very few covered places to eat.
Evening at Animal Kingdom:
Animal Kingdom will close earlier than any other park and has the lowest crowds in the evening compared to other parks. Which is why we suggest waiting until evening to try and get onto the most popular ride.
- Na’vi River Journey
This ride isn’t going to be as long as flight of passage but it does typically have a long line that could be up to/over an hour wait. This ride is a smooth dark boat ride in a beautiful glowing rainforest. This ride is perfect for the entire family with no height or age restrictions.
- Avatar Flight of Passage
Avatar flight of passage is the most popular ride in Animal Kingdom with wait times reaching an average of 112 minutes. When it comes to rope dropping this ride that is where everyone else is headed and the lines even first thing in the morning can get high pretty fast.
If you wait until about an hour until close you can get onto this ride with much shorter wait times then you will see during the day. Another bonus, after the ride you get to see Pandora at night. At night you will find Pandora all lite up and glowing!
The only problem you can run into is if the ride as technical difficulty during the evening and ends up closing for the day. While this is not something that happens often it is a possibility. If this ride is on your must do (and it should be, it’s awesome!) then you can purchase an individual lighting lane for this ride.
Dinner at Animal Kingdom:
Since you will be in Pandora in the evening, we suggest Satu’li Canteen for dinner.
This is a quick service restaurant, so no reservations are needed. It’s also our favorite quick service in Animal Kingdom and has delicious and unique food.
We love getting the chicken or beef bowls. The cheeseburger steamed pods are another favorite and a very popular item. For kids you can also get bowl or steamed pods. They also have hot dogs and cheese quesadillas.
Animal Kingdom Printable Itinerary:
If you want something in the parks and you don’t want to have to keep your phone out here is a printable Itinerary that should help in your planning. This is all the ride in order of when you should ride them.
Just click on the picture below or click HERE to print.
Check out our vlog of Animal Kingdom’s One Day Itinerary:
Check Out Some of Our Other Posts on Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
Rides and Attractions at Animal Kingdom – When planning a trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom knowing the Rides at Animal Kingdom is helpful in making plans for your trip! In this post we will list and describe all the rides at Animal Kingdom!
DiVine Animal Kingdom – DiVine is a rare character interaction that happens at Animal Kingdom. She can usually be found near plant life on the walkways on stilts.
Restaurants at Animal Kingdom – The complete guide to all the Restaurants at Animal Kingdom. This will feature everything from the food carts to the character dining in this Animal Kingdom Restaurant Roundup!
We hope you are enjoying sharing our Disney adventures and tips with you. We want you to have the best trip ever! Be sure to check out our other social media channels for more fun videos and posts FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, TWITTER.
Also, our Facebook Group Disney World Insider Info and Tips is a great place to meet and chat with other Disney World fans like us!
