How to Spend Your Time - The Easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit 2015 - page 160

Touring at Animal Kingdom
GENERAL TOURING PHILOSOPHY With the fewest number of attractions, touring Animal
Kingdom is fairly straightforward. We like to begin at Kilimanjaro Safaris in the upper left-
hand corner and then work our way through Asia and then DinoLand. You'll find short to
non-existent waits through lunch if you follow the Morning Touring Plan below, in addition
to minimizing walking. After lunch, relax and visit the low key attractions and stage shows
when temperatures and humidity peak. Depending on crowds, plan to arrive 10-20 minutes
early for Finding Nemo the Musical and Festival of the Lion King. Flights of Wonder is a
charming, funny, and informative show that should not be skipped. More so than any other
theme park, Animal Kingdom empties out by 4:15pm because there's no night-time enter-
tainment to keep guests at the park. Stay through close and you'll find low crowds in the
last 60-120 minutes of operation.
CHARACTERS Mickey and Minnie in Adventurers Outpost are the only priority and they are
FastPass+ enabled. Meet them in the first 30 minutes or last hour of operation to reduce
waits or use FastPass+. Russell and Dug next to It's Tough to Be a Bug and Pocahontas in
Discovery Island are also priorities and see 15-30 minute waits.
ROPE DROP Animal Kingdom usually begins letting guests inside the park 15 minutes prior
to official open. Guests are free to head to the attraction of their choice, but only Kiliman-
jaro Safaris, Expedition Everest, and TriceraTop Spin usually operate before official open.
EARLY CLOSURES Depending on time of year (particularly November-February), Kiliman-
jaro Safaris and the animal exhibits may close early due to darkness (usually around 5pm).
Check your Times Guide to verify. Most quick services close an hour before close. Res-
taurantosaurus, Flame Tree Barbecue, and the sit-down restaurants should continue serving
through close. Consider a dinner reservation right around park close at Tusker House, Yak
& Yeti, or Rainforest Café, and you'll be able to walk out of the park with very few other
people around.

FastPass+ Priority
It's relatively easy to tour Animal Kingdom without FastPass+ if you tour efficiently in the
first or last two hours of operation. Doing so will give you an opportunity to use FastPass+
elsewhere. Here, FastPass+ is best used at Kali River Rapids in the afternoon when waits
are longest and temperatures highest. The Adventurers Outpost Meet and Greet has a lim-
ited capacity and is another priority. A third use is best at Kilimanjaro Safaris or Expedition
Everest. Consider acquiring a 4th or 5th FastPass+ selection to one or both of the shows in
the afternoon.

FastPass+ Priority
1.

Kali River Rapids (when highs are 80+ degrees)

2. Adventurers Outpost Mickey and Minnie Meet

3. Kilimanjaro Safaris

4. Expedition Everest

5. Kali River Rapids (when highs are less than 80 degrees)