Hi Kimberly, and welcome to planDisney!
I'm not
lion when I say I love everything about the Animal Kingdom Theme Park and the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It sounds like you are planning a
wild vacation!
I am excited to hear that you are interested in the
Starlight Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. With night vision devices, you'll see the
un-fur-gettable animals at the lodge in a whole new way.
Like Judy Hopps, I did a little investigation into your question to give you the most up-to-date information. At the time of this writing, I see that Animal Kingdom Theme Park has announced
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours for July 2nd and 9th. On these dates, the theme park will be open for Deluxe Resort hotel Guests until 8 pm. Please keep in mind that theme park hours are always subject to change, so you'll want to keep an eye on the
Hours & Events Calendar. If you have booked the 8:30 pm Starlight Safari, it is recommended that you arrive 15 minutes early for check-in. The
bus ride from
Animal Kingdom Theme Park to
Animal Kingdom Lodge takes approximately 10 minutes, but you should also consider the potential wait time for the bus. To ensure you have enough time, I would suggest to plan to be at the bus stop around 45 minutes before your safari check-in time—this means you should aim to be at the bus stop by 7:30 pm, if you plan to get to Animal Kingdom Lodge by 8:15 pm on a date with extended hours. I would always rather be too early than too late, so adjust these times if you see the park is crowded or feel you need more time.
Kimberly, I hope you have a Hakuna Matata vacation this summer. I hope this information helps. Please reach out to us anytime; we're happy to help!
Happy planning,
Shonette