Animal Kingdom Tips
- Animal Kingdom seems to be busiest on Mondays and least crowned on Saturday.
- The temperature in the Animal Kingdom easily feels like it averages 10 degrees hotter than any other place on Disney property. This is due to the dense vegetation which has created a "rain forest" effect. It’s the humidity. So be prepared with plenty of water. Cannot express how important to stay hydrated.
- Use the secret entrance. This is an entrance through the back side of the Rain Forest Café gift shop. Head over to the front entrance of the Café, head back through the gift shop and you’ll come out at a manned entrance to the park! Scan your magic band and you’ve beat the crowds!
- Outside the entrance to Animal Kingdom are cast members with buckets and brooms, they are not cleaning up trash, take a closer look, they are drawing water art on the pavement! It’s so cool and relaxing to watch.
- Always look down while at the park, there are leaf impressions, mud cracks, and animal prints all along the walkway. In Pandora, all those cracks light up at night.
- Do Kilimanjaro Safari in the morning. The animals tend to be more active. Try to get on the left side of the truck, the viewing is better.
- And if it rains don’t leave, head over to the Kilimanjaro Safari. The animals love the rain, you’ll get wonderful pictures!
- Bring a zip lock bag with you for Kali River Rapids, put your phone and anything that you don’t want to get wet in there. Also bring rain ponchos so you’re not trying to dry off in the restrooms using the hand dryers! When you’re leaving the ride hand your poncho to someone in line that forgot theirs! Your good deed for the day.
- Don’t rush past the Tree of Life, there are over 300 animals carved into its bark. Its an absolute work of art. One of the Disney’s hidden gems. There is a great photo op between Africa and Asia to the get perfect picture of the Tree of Life with no crowds in the background.
- Beat the crowds at Pandora Flight of Passage, try to get in line around 12:00 and 12:30, most visitors are taking lunch breaks and you’ll experience shorter lines allowing you to soar through Pandora!
- Don’t miss Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Take the Wildlife Express train over to Conservation Station. Here you can meet Timon and Rafiki from the Lion King, get a closeup look at the Veterinary Treatment Room, watch meals being prepared for the park residents at the Nutrition Center, peek into the windows to Amphibians, Retile and Invertebrate and check out what the scientists are working on at the Science Center.
- You can get a grown-up version of the famous Disney World Dole Whip with rum at Tamu Tamu in Africa. It’s so yummy on a hot day.
I hope that you find these useful, remember it’s only a guide, things change. Just go with the flow. This is the one park where you can take it easy and enjoy the views. No need to rush through. Hakuna Matata