Hi Emily! Welcome to planDisney!
I have to agree with you.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is underrated in my book. I love this park for many reasons, including the detail that Disney Imagineers used in creating each area. The African section is my favorite and is always so lively between the
Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe and the Marketplaces full of shopping Guests. I highly recommend participating in the various scavenger hunts that are offered in the park. Africa has one themed to the Lion King where you are searching for statues of characters from the movie. On my most recent trip a few weeks back, my daughters tried out the
Wilderness Explorer trail based on Russel's journey from the movie Up. We all had a blast locating the Troop Leaders throughout the entire park and learning a ton about nature.
There are certain areas of the
Walt Disney World Resort that come alive at night, with Pandora - The World of Avatar being one of them. From the colorful lighting to the hidden sounds, it's one of the most beautiful areas I've ever been to. Currently, the park is scheduled to close at 7 PM on the dates you will be visiting. It looks like the sunset is going to be around 8 PM from my research. It is possible that Disney adjusts the closing times of the parks prior to your visit. On my most recent trip, the
Magic Kingdom Park extended their closing hours by two hours most nights from what it was originally slated to close at. Animal Kingdom also changed their hours to close at 8 PM while I was there. I would continue to check the park hours as your dates get closer to see if any changes occur.
With that said, I have a tip for you on your upcoming stay.
Avatar Flight of Passage typically has long wait times all the way up to closing. If you are interested in riding this attraction, hop in line before park closing and wait in the standby queue to ride. Depending on how long the wait time is, it's quite possible that you end up coming off the ride and get to walk through Pandora as it gets dark. The same may go for Na'vi River Journey, although this attraction may not have as long of a wait.
Emily, have a magical time on your upcoming stay! Make sure to follow the
Disney Parks Blog for any updates and announcements!
See ya real soon!
Greg