Hi Terry! Thanks for stopping by planDisney!
Tusker House Restaurant is such a fun character dining experience at
Disney’s Animal Kingdom! I love that Mickey gives Donald top “billing” at this restaurant. Your family is going to have a great dinner, as well as a memorable experience meeting the characters!
All in-park dining experiences, at any Disney Park, do require Guests to have valid theme park admission. In this case, you would need a theme park ticket to enter Disney’s Animal Kingdom then attend your dinner reservation at Tusker House Restaurant.
Terry, you mentioned that Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park closes at 6:00 PM on the date of your dining reservation. I encourage you to check the
Disney Parks Calendar frequently as park hours are subject to change. It is possible that park hours could be extended as we get closer to your visit. For example, I am visiting later this month and found that the parks including Disney’s Animal Kingdom just announced extended operating hours for some of the days that we will be visiting!
Another option is to see if you can modify your dining reservation for a slightly earlier time. Guests frequently change their dining reservations. You might be able to find an earlier time, even on the “day of” the reservation.
Enjoy your Disney Character Dining experience at Tusker House Restaurant!
Dreams do come true!
Jonathan