Jambo, Diana! Welcome to planDisney!
Disney's Animal Kingdom Park is always full of surprises. I remember entering the park for the first time back when it opened in 1998! As a hard-to-impress teen, I was completely stunned by what I found. Animal Kingdom was so much more, and so much
better, than whatever I was expecting! To my surprise, I immediately fell in love with the laid-back vibes, immersive theming, and the way it all felt so uncharted. Animal Kingdom has only grown and evolved since then, and nowadays I LOVE taking my kids to explore Disney's wildest park!
Since you'll be visiting in the evening, the first thing you need to know is that Animal Kingdom typically closes earlier than other Walt Disney World parks. I just took a peek at the park hours for the date of your visit, and Animal Kingdom is currently scheduled to close at 6 PM. Of course, this is subject to change, so keep an eye on the
Hours & Events Calendar as your visit approaches.
If you do decide to squeeze in a visit,
Zootopia: Better Zoogether!, Festival of the Lion King, and
Na'vi River Journey are all great for pre-schoolers. But if you can only squeeze in one or two attractions, I recommend
Kilimanjaro Safaris (my kids love seeing the animals up close and personal!) and
Bluey's Wild World. My 6- and 9-year-olds both got such a kick out of this interactive experience on our last visit. After all, it's pretty hard to beat a game of Keepy Uppy with Bluey and Bingo themselves!
Speaking of character experiences, Animal Kingdom is FULL of exciting character meet-and-greets. My friend
Casey recently broke down all the characters you can meet (and where to find them) in
this Disney Parks Blog post. Be sure to check this out if your kiddo loves character hugs!
Before I let you go, I have one final tip to extend your time in Animal Kingdom. While the park is scheduled to close at 6 PM, many restaurants accept reservations
just before park close. This means you can enjoy the park right up until the last minute, and then spend an additional hour or so dining inside Animal Kingdom!
With a 3-year-old in tow, I think
Tusker House Restaurant would be a wildly wonderful choice! Here, you'll dine with Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Goofy dressed up in their safari gear. It's a great way to prolong those Animal Kingdom vibes and squeeze in some extra Disney magic. Best of all? After your meal, you'll exit through a nearly empty park. My husband and I did this once at Magic Kingdom, and I promise it's a magically surreal experience you will never forget!
Diana, I just checked, and as of now, there is a 5:55 PM dinner reservation available at Tusker House on the day of your visit. If you like this idea, don't forget to log into My Disney Experience to secure your Advance Dining Reservation!
I hope this helps, Diana! If you have any other questions or decide to adjust your plans, feel free to
contact me directly here at planDisney.
Adventure awaits,
Allison