Hi Marc, welcome to planDisney!
One of my favorite memories from my Walt Disney World Resort honeymoon in 2007 is having popcorn on Main Street, U.S.A., at 3:00 a.m. That's not a typo. I was actually in Magic Kingdom Park with a general admission ticket at 3:00 in the morning. Crazy, right?! While I haven't seen Magic Kingdom Park open late like that in years, I often take advantage of late-night park offerings like
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours for eligible Disney Resort hotel Guests and special events like
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. I have yet to attend a
Disney After Hours event, but my panelist pals tell me they're a great way to maximize park time with very few crowds.
I understand the wish your heart makes is to experience the glow of
Pandora - The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park after dark. After sunset, the land is transformed and covered by bioluminescence which leaves a lasting impression. You can immerse yourself even further by getting face paint that glows alongside the native plants.
The Walt Disney World Resort Park
Hours and Events Calendar is currently posted through mid-October. For reference, Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park closed at 7:00 p.m. most nights last November, but it did stay open until 8:00 p.m. some nights. The fact that Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park does not currently have a nighttime spectacular and that the animals have an early bedtime could attribute to an earlier closing than in years past. My best tip for extending your post-sunset time at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park during your stay is to get in line for one of the two attractions in Pandora (
Na'vi River Journey or
Avatar Flight of Passage) two minutes before the park closes. No matter the wait time, you can experience the attraction and walk at a leisurely pace toward the park exit. It will be plenty dark for some excellent photos.
Thanks for making planDisney part of your vacation-planning team, Marc. Come back and
see us again soon!
Choose magic,
Jennifer