About this Plan
This touring plan is carefully crafted to optimize your time experiencing Animal Kingdom’s rides and attractions. This plan can be used if you’re visiting the park for a single day or multiple days. It’s also suitable if you have a Park Hopper ticket, which permits access to more than one Walt Disney World park within the same day.
Download the App
Before visiting Walt Disney World, we recommend downloading the My Disney Experience app from the App Store or Google Play Store. The app provides wait times, showtimes, a resort-wide map, and more.
Entering the Park
We suggest arriving at the park entrance at least 35 minutes before the park opens, particularly during summer, U.S. holiday weekends, and other busy periods. Keep in mind that it may take up to 30 minutes to reach the front gates from the parking booth if you’re driving. Once inside, you can grab a map to help you navigate the park. Downloading the official My Disney Experience app allows you to view attraction wait times, check showtimes, navigate the park using GPS, and much more, all on your smartphone.
Experience Within First or Last Few Hours
The following attractions typically have the longest wait times. To avoid lengthy lines, you should visit them as soon as the park opens or a few hours before the park closes as the wait times are generally shorter. The attractions listed below are in alphabetical order, not the order in which you should experience them; visit the attractions based on your interests and their proximity to one another.
Avatar Flight of Passage
Attraction type: 3D flying theater simulator ride
Height requirement: Minimum height of 44 in (112 cm)
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Attraction type: High-speed roller coaster
Height requirement: Minimum height of 44 in (112 cm)
Experience After Noon
The attractions in this section can experience high crowds, but they are typically more manageable. It’s best to visit them after noon. The attractions listed below are organized alphabetically, rather than in the order you should experience them; visit them based on your interests and their proximity to each other.
Affection Section
Temporarily closing on February 23, 2026, with plans to reopen in summer 2026
Attraction type: Petting zoo
Height requirement: Any height
Conservation Station
Temporarily closing on February 23, 2026, with plans to reopen in summer 2026
Attraction type: Educational center
Height requirement: Any height
Feathered Friends in Flight!
This attraction has scheduled showtimes. Plan accordingly and arrive early.
Attraction type: Live show
Height requirement: Any height
Festival of the Lion King
This attraction has scheduled showtimes. Plan accordingly and arrive early.
Attraction type: Live stage show
Height requirement: Any height
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
This attraction has scheduled showtimes. Plan accordingly and arrive early.
Attraction type: Live theater show
Height requirement: Any height
Kali River Rapids
Attraction type: Water raft ride
Height requirement: Minimum height of 38 in (97 cm)
Wildlife Express Train
Temporarily closed; set to reopen in summer 2026
Attraction type: Scenic train ride and transportation system
Height requirement: Any height
Experience at Dusk
The experiences in this section are nighttime shows, viewable only after dark. Remember to consider showtimes when visiting other attractions in the park.
Tree of Life Awakenings
This attraction has scheduled showtimes. Plan accordingly and arrive early.
Attraction type: Nighttime show featuring projection mapping
Height requirement: Any height
Experience at Any Time
The attractions below usually have low crowds, making them accessible most times of the day compared to the park’s other attractions. Please note that although these attractions are listed in the “Experience at Any Time” section, some of them may close before the park does; they are included here because of their minimal crowds. The attractions listed below are organized alphabetically, not in the order you should visit them; experience them based on your interests and their proximity to each other.
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
Attraction type: Self-guided outdoor trail
Height requirement: Any height
Dining
We’ve highlighted some of our favorite dining locations for lunch and dinner that you might enjoy. However, for lunchtime, you can also opt to pack snacks or buy some from the many concession stands in the park if you prefer to minimize your time dining.
Pizzafari
Craving pizza? Head to Pizzafari! Situated in Discover Island, Pizzafari provides quick-service pizza, salads, and more.
Satu’li Canteen
Satu’li Canteen is a quick-service restaurant located in Pandora – The World of Avatar. It’s one of our favorite quick-service spots because of its unique and tasty food. The menu features a variety of bowl options with your choice of protein (or tofu), base (such as noodles or rice and beans), and sauce. Another delicious option is the Cheeseburger Steamed Pods – Bao Buns.
Tiffins Restaurant
Located in the Discovery Island area of the park, Tiffins Restaurant is a fine dining restaurant that serves African, Asian, and Latin cuisine. To dine at Tiffins, it’s recommended to make a reservation, which you can do online by clicking here.
Yak & Yeti Restaurant
Yak & Yeti Restaurant is a table-service establishment located in the Asia area of the park. It offers a variety of pan-Asian dishes. If you’re interested in dining here, making a reservation is recommended. You can do so online by clicking here.
Vegetarians and Vegans
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, Animal Kingdom offers a wide variety of meals for you. Click here to view our Walt Disney World vegetarian and vegan guide. This guide highlights various dining locations throughout the park with meals that cater to your dietary needs.
For complete information on all of Walt Disney World’s rides and attractions, click here.
Additional Information
Tips
- If you’re visiting the park for just one day, we recommend having breakfast before you arrive to maximize your time for enjoying the attractions.
- To reduce your wait times, consider purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass and/or Lightning Lane Single Pass. For more information on these services, click here. When using your Lightning Lane Multi Pass, we recommend choosing attractions from the “Experience Within First or Last Few Hours” section as these typically have the longest wait times. This approach will help you maximize your time by enjoying the park’s top attractions with minimal waiting.
- If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World on-site hotel, take advantage of early theme park entry. This gives you a head start, allowing you to experience more attractions throughout the day. Select non-Disney hotels also offer this benefit. To see a complete list of participating hotels and learn more about early entry, click here. If you’re staying at a deluxe Walt Disney World hotel or another qualifying hotel, you can also enjoy extended evening theme park hours on select nights in select theme parks. To see a complete list of participating hotels and learn more about extended evening hours, click here.
- At select quick-service restaurants throughout the park, you can use the My Disney Experience app‘s mobile ordering service. This feature allows you to order your meal in advance, so when you arrive at the restaurant, you can quickly pick up your food and avoid long lines at the ordering counter.
- Don’t rush from one attraction to another. Take your time to explore the different themed areas of the park, especially Pandora – The World of Avatar.
- Remember to capture your memories by taking photographs with characters and in the various themed areas.
To see more tips for visiting Walt Disney World, click here.
Note
This touring plan includes most rides and attractions at Animal Kingdom, so visiting them all in a single day may not be feasible if crowd levels are high. It’s best to choose the attractions that interest you the most.
