Planning a trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park? Well, you’ll need to know all there is to know about Animal Kingdom, such as what is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park Hours & FAQ you’ll want to know the answer to so you’re completely prepared for your Disney trip because the last thing you want is to arrive late, arrive too early, waste precious park time, or not have a walt Disneu World theme park strategy!
So let’s get started and uncover all you need to know about the massive Disney Animal Kindom Park! We will go over the general park hours, tips for the animal kingdom, and FACTs & FAQs that you should know when planning your trip!
What time is Early theme park Entry at Animal Kingdom?
Early theme park entry: 30 minutes before park opening usually
Early theme park entry will generally be 30 minutes before opening time for disney resort guests staying at participating hotels. If you are, by chance staying at participating Disney Resort Hotels, then you get to enjoy the added benefit of early entry into the park.
What this means is that you will be given special access to certain areas of the park before the park is actually open. This creates the perfect opportunity for running to that huge ride that always has a long line or being the first to buy a limited edition souvenir; it really can make all the difference in the world, even if it is only 30 extra minutes of park time.
Animal Kingdom opening hours do vary between 8 am to 9 am so be sure to double-check the opening times for the dates you will be visiting. If the park is opening at 8am, then early entry will most likely be at 7:30 am for eligible guests. Meanwhile, if the park is opening at 9 am then early entry will probably be at 8:30 am for eligible guests.
If you are lucky enough to be able to take advantage of Early Entry Make sure you do! Walt Disney World Is Huge, so every extra minute definitely helps!
When is Rope Drop at Animal Kingdom?
Rope drop times can vary depending on the opening times of the park. An important thing to take note of is that Animal Kingdom’s hours vary, with the usual opening hours being either 8 am or 9 am. So, you can almost bet that rope drop will be at 8 am or 9 am most days.
Just be sure to check the official park hours for the dates you will be visiting, as they can change without notice, so you know when the park opens and when to be there for rope drop.
It’s highly recommended to be at the park between 30-45 minutes early for rope drop. Although during peak seasons like summer and holidays, you might want to be at the park even an hour before rope drop so you have the best chance of getting that from the front row spot at the rope of your choosing.
Why Should You Rope Drop Animal Kingdom?
If you are a fan of the hit movie Avatar, then you’ll want to have a solid rope drop strategy for being able to nab popular theme park rides like Avatar Flight Of Passage and na’vi River Journey. If you head over at regular park opening time you’ll have a late start and chances are have a long wait.
Also, if you’re trying to make the most of the trip and want to be able to do as much as possible, then make sure to Utilize Disney Mobile Checkout for your shopping needs and master using Mobile Food Orders!
What are the regular theme park hours at Animal Kingdom?
Average Operating Hours For Animal Kingdom: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Typically the regular hours at Animal Kingdom can vary though not by much, considering that the park is home to some really special animals that need extra special care and handling.
They also need some time away from park guests to decompress and relax after seeing thousands of visitors at a time throughout the day. Other times the regular park hours will change will be during special after-hours events or during special holiday seasons.
With that said, you can expect operating hours at Animal Kingdom to be from 8 am or 9 am until 7 pm or 8 pm.
When Does Animal Kingdom Open?
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Opens around 8:00 am to 9:00 am, depending on the time of year.
When Does Animal Kingdom Close?
Disney’s Animal Kindom closes from around 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, depending on the time of year. You’ll notice that animal kingdom does have an earlier closing time than the other walt disney world parks.
Why Does Animal Kindom Close So Early?
Disney’s Animal Kingdom probably has to close earlier than the other Walt Disney World theme parks because it has real animals, and it’s important to give the animals breaks and respect their time, and probably provide necessary in-depth care during this quiet time; due to this, Disney closes the park earlier than the rest.
When are park hopper hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom?
Park hopper availability will customarily start at 2 pm and go until park closing time which is often either 7 pm or 8 pm.
When does Animal Kingdom have after-hours?
After Hours: Event That Last 3 hours and starts after park closing, so usually around 7-8pm.
Animal Kingdom does do after-hours events at Animal Kingdom, which is a special 3-hour after-hours park event for ticket holders. The event usually consists of special menu items, cool-themed areas to explore, and more!
Just Make Sure You Don’t Try To Sneak In To The After Hours Events Because That’s An Easy Way To Get In Trouble And Sent To Disney World Jail!
Are There Any Current Animal Kingdom After Hours 2023 Events?
At this time, there are no scheduled after-hours events for the rest of 2023, though be sure to keep an eye out for any after hours announcements because they will show up when least expected!
Other After-Hour Events In Disney World!
Don’t be sad, though, because Disney has a few other after-hours nighttime entertainment and special holiday events happening throughout 2023 that you can purchase tickets for (as long as they aren’t sold out). There will be after hours on select nights at EPCOT from June 1-August 24.
There are also after hours on select nights at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park from May 20-September 2.
Meanwhile, at Magic Kingdom, we have Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on select nights from August 11-November 1 and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on select nights from November 9-December 22.
And at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we have the Disney Jollywood Nights on select nights from November 11-December 20.
When does Animal Kingdom have special holiday hours?
The Animal Kingdom park doesn’t really do any special holiday hours since it has to close early due to the animals within the park. On the other hand, the other parks, like Magic Kingdom, for example, might stay open extra late on New Year’s Eve.
Animal Kingdom Park Hours FAQ
Disney World parks run on a 365 days a year 7 days a week schedule. So, no, the park is never meant to be closed, even on Christmas and New Year. But Florida is known for experiencing terrible hurricanes, and if an extreme weather emergency like that were to occur, then Disney World may shut the park down for safety reasons, but this is still highly unlikely and has only happened a handful of times before.
Most rides will open at regular opening times. However, certain rides will open during the early entry period for the early entry-eligible guests to experience.
Some people can spend a full day there and be happy with their experience, while others may need two there to experience it fully. It also depends on the foot traffic of the park and whether it’s peak tourist season or not; if it is, then lines will be longer, and you’ll get to do less, so also keep that in mind. But definitely, from personal experience, a day is enough but two is always better, especially if traveling with children and having to take more breaks than normal.