Our one-day Animal Kingdom itinerary offers an excellent and efficient plan to spend a day exploring Walt Disney World’s largest and best theme park. We agree Animal Kingdom is the best themed park at Walt Disney World.
We used to race through it but now we know to take in Animal Kingdom’s beauty as we fly through Pandora abroad a banshee, climb Mt. Everest and explore Kilimanjaro Safaris. With the vast amount to see and do in Animal Kingdom, this itinerary will allow you to experience everything Animal Kingdom has to offer.
Since this is Walt Disney World, we recommend staying onsite. If money is no problem, we recommend staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Animal Kingdom Lodge is the closest resort hotel to Animal Kingdom. Unfortunately, due to the safari nature of Animal Kingdom, no resorts are within walking distance or on a monorail loop to the park. Bus transportation is the only way to get to Animal Kingdom.
Fast Pass Strategy
Staying onsite allows for Fast Pass+ selection 60 days in advance and Extra Magic Hours. Both are essential to successfully carry out this itinerary. For simplicity, we’ll assume you are a Disney resort hotel guest and you picked your Fast Pass+ selections 60 days in advance.
Like EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom’s Fast Pass+ selections are sorted into tiers. You can select one Fast Pass+ from tier one and two from tier two. Below is Animal Kingdom’s Fast Pass+ list:
Tier One:
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- Navi River Journey
Tier Two:
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Expedition Everest
- DINOSAUR
- Kali River Rapids
- Primeval Whirl
- Rivers of Light
- It’s Tough to Be A Bug
- Festival of the Lion King
- Finding Nemo Musical
- Adventures Outpost Character Greeting
- Up! A Great Bird Adventure
- The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
From tier one, the obvious pick is Flight of Passage. Based on the movie Avatar, Flight of Passage is one of the best attractions at all of Walt Disney World. It is also one of the most popular with wait times easily exceeding three hours shortly after the park opens. If Flight of Passage is available, select it.
To better increase the odds of this Fast Pass+ being available, we recommend visiting Animal Kingdom on the last day of your trip. The further out your visit is from your check in date, the more likely Fast Passes will be available. We visit Animal Kingdom at the end of our trips and so far we’ve lucked out and found Flight of Passage Fast Passes.
For tier two, we recommend Fast Pass+ for Kilimanjaro Safaris and Expedition Everest. Both are excellent attractions and some of my favorite at Walt Disney World. In a prefect world, let’s assume your schedule looks like this for an 8AM opening:
- Flight of Passage: 9:30AM – 10:30AM
- Kilimanjaro Safaris: 10:30AM – 11:30AM
- Expedition Everest: 11:30AM – 12:30PM
If you can’t receive a Fast Pass+ for Flight of Passage, we’ll assume you received one for Navi River Journey. Now with your Fast Pass+ selected, we need you at the gates of Animal Kingdom by 7:30AM for the 8AM opening. Disney bus transportation starts about an hour before park opening so get up early and be ready to go. Like all other Disney parks, Animal Kingdom unofficially opens its gates thirty minutes early.
Morning: Pandora - The World of Avatar
The morning will focus on navigating Pandora and riding Flight of Passage. We’ll assume all went well in the morning and you managed to make it to the gates of Animal Kingdom by 7:30AM. Unlike other Disney parks which let you roam the “Main Street” area for thirty minutes to shop, Animal Kingdom immediately begins pushing you towards Flight of Passage
As soon as they let people through the gates, park castmembers begin restoring order to the chaos and leading people to the ride entrance. Because of this, it’s incredibly important to be there at 7:30AM or thirty minutes before park opening.
If you don’t make it, you are already at a disadvantage and the line will be long by the time you show up at park opening. Again, I cannot stress this enough. Get to the park early. Get there thirty minutes before it opens.
Once you get through the gates, it will be a while before you board Flight of Passage. You’ll be led through the main area of Animal Kingdom before you enter Pandora. In Pandora, there is a large queuing area specifically for this attraction. AND then you enter the ride entrance. From here it’s still awhile.
Fortunately, you are moving and Pandora is beautiful to look at as you move through the line. I see Pandora as Disney’s warm up for Galaxy’s Edge. The Floating Mountains look so real along with all the flora Disney created. It looks even better at night.
Eventually, you’ll enter the ride building. Once inside, it will probably be another thirty or so minutes before you ride the attraction. The details are great inside and you will see not one, but two ride preshows. They suck but whatever. They serve more to remind you of the movie and how to ride the attraction. I wish I could skip them but I guess it adds to the experience?
Anyways, they’ll explain the attraction and its importance. Once you view the second one, you FINALLY enter the attraction. Each attraction viewing area seats 16 guests. You board what looks like a motorcycle and put on 3D googles. The castmember verifies your restraints and BOOM you’re off. The attraction lasts four and a half minutes and every second is precious. Until I ride Rise of the Resistance, Flight of Passage is the best ride at Walt Disney World.
After Flight of Passage, walk to the other Pandora attraction, Navi River Journey. The attraction is fun, but nowhere as exciting as Flight of Passage. At this time in the morning, I would assess its wait time at 30-45 minutes. If you scored a Fast Pass for Navi River Journey (since you couldn’t get a Fast Pass for Flight of Passage), take pictures and explore the beauty of Pandora instead and ride Navi River Journey when your Fast Pass return window opens.
Navi River Jounrey takes you on a slow boat ride through the jungles of Pandora. Not much happens but it’s visually pleasing. The ending does feature a great audio-animatronic. Once it ends, it’s time to ride Flight of Passage a second time.
I’m sure by now Flight of Passage is 2-3 hours long. Yes, it gets busy quick. However, you got a Fast Pass and you can skip the 2-3 hour wait. With a Fast Pass, you should be on the attraction within thirty minutes. Enjoy your second ride through. Flight of Passage gets better and better each time you ride. I love it so much.
After Flight of Passage, it’s time for the Kilimanjaro Safaris Fast Pass+. The attraction is located in the Africa section of the park on the other side. It’s a bit of a walk, but Animal Kingdom is beautiful and it’s an easy walk. You’ll pass the Tree of Life and the Asia section.
By the time you arrive at the ride entrance, it should be time to use your Fast Pass+. The Fast Pass+ line moves quickly and you should be on the attraction within 15 minutes. Kilimanjaro Safaris takes you through the safari portion of the park and you will view live African animals like elephants, lions and rhinos. You seat in a “safari vehicle” and your driver provides commentary. Make sure to have your camera ready to take pictures.
Once it’s over, it may be time for your Expedition Everest Fast Pass or you may still have some time. The attraction is about a ten minute walk from Kilimanjaro Safaris. If you still have time, we suggest taking pictures in the Africa or Asia sections of the park. PhotoPass photographers are everywhere and there are some great spots for a photo. Once it’s ten minutes out, walk over to Expedition Everest.
Expedition Everest is one of our favorite story roller coaster. Until I rode Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure park (you can read my full review of Hagrid’s HERE), Expedition Everest was my favorite story coaster. Hagrid’s is superior, but Expedition Everest is still a lot of fun.
The theme of Expedition Everest centers around a travel agency, Himalayan Escapes, helping guests climb Mt. Everest. However, there are reports of a yeti roaming the mountain and mysterious disappearances of guests. The queue takes your through the village of Serka Zong and here you board the train.
However, the journey doesn’t go to plan and the ride faces some issues in the mountain. I won’t spoil it but it’s a lot of fun. The ride is quick at three minutes and it showcases the talent of Disney Imagineering.
Afternoon: Lunch, DINOSAUR and Shows
After Expedition Everest, it will be lunchtime. For lunch, we recommend Nomad Lounge. The lounge is located in Discovery Island and focuses on specialty cocktails and small plates. Themed to the traveler and the wandering Nomad, discovery is at the heart of this restaurant.
Nomad Lounge is located in the same building as Tiffin’s and the flavors of Africa, Asia and South America define much of the menu. During our visit in 2019, we ordered a variety of small plates for lunch. Examples included the Nomad Sliders and Poutine. To drink, I ordered the Tempting Tigress, a bourbon based cocktail.
The food and cocktails were excellent. Stella and I prefer sharing small plates for lunch rather than eating a huge meal. One, it saves money and two we don’t need to eat a lot. Additionally, on your way to lunch, pull out your phone and try to score a Fast Pass+ for DINOSAUR. We’ll assume your grabbed it for after lunch.
DINOSAUR is located in Dinoland, USA and takes guests back to the past on a turbulent journey through the late Cretaceous period. The ride vehicle is exactly the same as the one used in Indiana Jones at Disneyland.
The attraction is fun but it’s nothing special. If Fast Pass+ was not available and standby was 45 minutes or less than we recommend standby. Head to the attraction and take your journey back in time. Once you finish, it will be time for shows.
Animal Kingdom offers a selection of quality shows. The top three are Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo – The Musical and Up! A Great Bird Adventure. All three shows are offered everyday from the early afternoon to the early evening. We recommend you fit one or all of these shows in between your Fast Pass+ return times or after lunch when you’ve used your first three Fast Passes.
Each show is about 30-45 minutes. All shows offer Fast Pass+ service but I wouldn’t waste a Fast Pass on a show. Use your Fast Passes for thrilling attractions instead. The shows have plenty of seating and if you show up 15 minutes before showtime you’ll be fine.
Check the showtimes on the official Walt Disney World app and see which times fit in your schedule. Avatar and thrilling attractions are your focus in the morning before lunch. Once you finish lunch, see which showtimes are still available and fit them in the afternoon. Don’t forget to be grabbing additional Fast Passes (like DINOSAUR) after lunch. Use shows to fill in the gaps.
I enjoyed each show but after seeing them a couple times, I probably won’t watch them again for a long time. They are entertaining but I can’t continue to watch them. I prefer to ride Animal Kingdom’s thrilling attractions and take in its theming.
Animal Kingdom does offer quite a few character meet and greets. During our visits, we’ve met Mickey and Minnie, Doug and Russel, Pocahontas and Tarzan. Check the official Walt Disney World app for meet and greet times. We’ve never waited more than 30 minutes to meet a character and found the lines move quickly.
If you like characters, then try to fit them in with your downtime in the afternoon. They can be met all over the park and chances are a meet and greet is never too far from your current location. If the line is short, hop in and grab a quick photo. Of if you’re like me, fill up that autograph book.
Evening: Dinner and Rivers of Light
Once the evening come along, it is time to begin finishing up at Animal Kingdom. The park used to close around 6PM, but now it stays open later for evening entertainment. As darkness settles, we recommend leaving the park for dinner. If you are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, the resort hotel has a stacked lineup of dining options.
We recommend trying one of the restaurants at Animal Kingdom Lodge to take a break from the park and see the beauty of the lodge. You can check out the full dining lineup by reading our review of the Animal Kingdom Lodge HERE.
If you plan to stay at the park, Tiffins is an excellent choice for a sit down meal. Located in the same building as Nomad Lounge, Tiffins is Animal Kingdom’s signature dining restaurant. It is expensive, but offers a great selection of exotic foods for every taste.
For a cheaper option, Flame Tree Barbecue offers excellent BBQ options. Satu’li Canteen in Pandora is another excellent quick service dining option. Plus, it allows you to see Pandora during the night, when the whole land lights up due to “bioluminescence”. Pandora is outstanding at night and must be seen. If you’re exploring Pandora, check out Pongu Pongu for dessert and excellent specialty beers on tap.
After dinner, decide which showing of Rivers of Light you will attend (usually 7PM or 8:15PM). If you have time, continue to use Fast Passes (if available). We recommend riding Expedition Everest at night. It’s fantastic at night and the lack of light adds more to the thrills. Trust us, when the yeti screams at you as you plunge into darkness, it’s terrifying. Just plan to arrive at the Rivers of Light stage thirty minutes before showtime.
Once it’s time, walk over to Rivers of Light. The entrance is located just outside Expedition Everest. The show is good. It showcases the natural bond of mankind and nature. You will see a dazzling nighttime pageant of lantern floats and theatrical imagery.
We thought the show was good but like the rest of Animal Kingdom’s shows, probably won’t see it again for awhile. We rather explore Pandora or ride Expedition Everest. The show lasts about 20 minutes. Once it’s over, it’s time to head back to your resort hotel. And just like that, your day is over exploring one of Disney’s best theme parks.
Conclusion
Animal Kingdom is our favorite theme park at Walt Disney World. We love the natural theme and its uniqueness among Disney’s parks. The park hosts some of our favorite attractions and we love the beauty of its landscape. Seriously, you can spend all day taking pictures of every inch of this place.
Animal Kingdom used to be a half day park. But with the addition of Pandora and more evening activities, Animal Kingdom is now a full day park. You can spend one day exploring, but two would be better to really take it all in without rushing.
If you decide on one day, we hope this itinerary helps. Like we said above, you must arrive early and be ready to fight the crowds to board Flight of Passage. Once you ride the attraction first thing in the morning, the rest of the day should be easy and relatively straight forward. Don’t forget about your Fast Passes and always check your phone for additional ones once you use your first three.
The park hosts some quality shows and you should be able to fit those in your busy schedule. Rather than see all three, pick one you really want to see. Seeing all three in one day is a lot and they can start to blend together. To really experience the shows, pick one.
Lastly, don’t forget about breaks. Take time to take photos and meet characters. Check the app for character meet and greet times and you should be able to see some during your downtime. The park has great food options like Nomad Lounge and Flame Tree Barbecue. Take time to eat and drink. It will help with the experience.
Thoughts?
Thanks again for reading our One-Day Animal Kingdom Itinerary. Again, we hope this will help with your vacation planning needs. Since you’re visiting Walt Disney World, please read our One-Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary HERE and our One-Day EPCOT Itinerary HERE for tips and tricks navigating Walt Disney World’s oldest theme parks.
What do you think of Animal Kingdom? Have you ridden Flight of Passage? How good is the Tempting Tigress from Nomad Lounge? Wish DINOSAUR ate Michael Eisner? Let us know in the comments below!
