Greetings, Explorer, and welcome to planDisney.
We are so happy to meet you, Sonja! I’m Shantel, and I will be more than happy to provide some tips and tricks so that you can make the most of your time at
Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
When my family visits, we usually rope drop every park. That means we get there a little earlier than when the park is expected to open, so that we are in the park when it officially opens. As soon as the clock strikes that special opening time, we are off to our first attraction.
Kilimanjaro Safaris! I’m not sure if this is the safari you are in search of, but this one is fantastic! We usually don’t book a Lightning Lane for this attraction since we head there first, but you can if you would like! If you’re staying at a
Disney Resort, you qualify for Early Theme Park Entry and advance
Lightning Lane purchases and selections, 7 days in advance of your stay, to be exact.
After our safari, we head over to our first meal of the day. Character dining at
Tusker House! I will admit we start our day with a granola bar to hold us over until our reservation, but this schedule of things works out nicely for us. Depending on where you are planning on dining will impact your overall schedule. So keep that in mind when scheduling your day with Lightning Lanes and dining reservations. I recommend at least an hour of wiggle room time if you are staying in the theme park. Give yourself more time if your dining reservation is outside of Animal Kingdom.
There is also a different safari available to experience if the one I mentioned isn’t the one you are referring to.
Wild Africa Trek is part of the Enchanting Extras collection and something you can make reservations for. Typically, you can schedule this 60 days in advance of your visit, but since you are well within that time frame, you can go ahead and check
the availability to see if you can add this to your plans. Keep in mind, you will need a valid theme park ticket to add this experience to your plans. TIP: If the day you originally planned to visit Animal Kingdom doesn’t have any availability, check other dates and modify your tentative schedule. Especially if this tour is on your must-do list!
Sonja, I hope this helps answer your question so that you can get back to exploring! Have a great visit, and if there’s anything else you need, you know where to find us.
The Wilderness Must be Explored!
Shantel