Hi there, Scott, and welcome to planDisney!
You are well on your way on your Disney World vacation planning journey.
Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of my all-time favorite Resort hotels; I dreamed about staying along the safari when I was a kid and now I've made it a (frequent) reality. You're already within your advance dining reservation booking window, so let's jump right into what you need to know about bus transportation.
The
Crystal Palace is a must-do for my longer Disney World vacations, especially if my husband is craving Mickey Churro Waffles (he always is). But how early can you arrive from Animal Kingdom Lodge? The first Disney buses to the theme parks begin transporting Guests about 45 minutes to an hour before
Early Theme Park Entry. For example, this morning, Magic Kingdom opened at 8:30 for eligible Resort hotel Guests. This means that the earliest bus today was most likely around 7:30 a.m.
The 12-mile bus ride from Animal Kingdom Lodge to
Magic Kingdom takes about 20 minutes. You'll want to consider the bus stop wait and the travel time when deciding what time to dine at the Crystal Palace. The bus will drop you off near the front of the park and the restaurant is about a 5-minute walk from the park's entrance. But you'll also want to take in the early morning beauty of Cinderella Castle...
If you want the earliest breakfast time for the Crystal Palace, which is usually 8 a.m., you can either take the bus or you can use a rideshare service like a
Minnie Van to go directly to Magic Kingdom at any time you want. I think that either option will get you there on time (or at least within the 15-minute grace period).
AN EXTRA GEM: I suggest that if you don't mind waiting to eat until closer to lunch time, you can actually partake in both breakfast and lunch selections. My family likes that in-between time because we get the best of both buffet options.
I hope that this helps you decide when to start your day at Magic Kingdom, Scott. Please don't hesitate to revisit us if you have additional Disney vacation planning questions.
I'm all ears!Magic always,
LeAndra