Welcome back to planDisney, Rachel; gear up to take a walk on the wild side!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park is my favorite theme park for a good reason: No visit is ever the same. While the theme park is one of the more relaxing of the four fun destinations, there’s a surprise around every corner. Will you watch birds in flight, get entangled with the mysterious character DiVine (usually near the theme park’s entrance), or even draw a Lion King character with an animator at the
Animation Experience?
Kilimanjaro Safaris is especially unpredictable—(in a good way, of course. Depending on the time of day and on the animals’ moods (they’re live creatures, after all), they can be super active, pretty chill, or not in their areas at all. I love it that you already know the best tip to catch as many animals as possible: They usually are the most active in the early morning hours when the sun is lower in the sky.
Hakuna Matata, my friend! I’ve seen different species active at other times of day as well, and the few times I’ve heard a lion roar or walk around were actually around theme park closing time. Once, an animal was in the middle of the road for so long that our safari was extended by 15 minutes. Be prepared for whatever adventure comes your way!
AN EXTRA GEM: At the moment, the
Hours & Events Calendar shows that Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park opens at 8 a.m. and as early as 7:30 a.m. for Guests staying at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel. The earlier you can get to the theme parks, the better. Not just because of the rising sun, but also because of the rain. As a native Floridian, I can tell you that many of those random “sun showers” or ominous, but short-lived, thunderstorms occur later in the day.
Rachel, I hope that you have an amazing time exploring the savanna and beyond! If you have any additional Disney vacation planning questions, just
give us a holler here at planDisney.
Magic always,
LeAndra