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Animal Kingdom Touring Plan for a One Day Visit

Planning a trip to Walt Disney World can be stressful, especially when you only have one day for each park. You feel like one day, simply, isn’t enough time to do everything you want to do. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. If you plan accordingly, you can manage to experience all of your must-do’s and favorites with time to spare, especially in a park like Animal Kingdom. Here is a plan to make the most of your day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

1. Make a meal plan and stick to it.

Meals are the most time-consuming part of your day, next to waiting in line for attractions, but they’re also the most crucial. If you don’t make time to eat, you will run out of energy quickly and not be able to make it the whole day. If you plan on having a table service meal, make dining reservations in advance. If you plan on grabbing a quick service meal, choose a time of day and try to stick to it. You can also opt to eat a big breakfast so that you only have to grab a snack and dinner later on in the day.

2. Decide if you want to see a show at the park.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom puts on two incredible productions daily that are, honestly, both worth seeing. Finding Nemo: The Musical and Festival of the Lion King both play a few times every day and are fun for the whole family. However, these experiences are lengthy, meaning you will have to carve out a chunk of time in order to see them. Finding Nemo is the longer of the two since it is a Broadway-style production, so keep that in mind when making your plans.

3. Check the weather.

This may sound silly, but it’s an important factor! Checking the weather before making plans to go to the park will greatly impact your plan for the day. If it’s going to be chilly or rainy, you’re going to want to skip some of the outdoor attractions, like Kali River Rapids. However, if it’s really hot and dry, you might want to do more indoor attractions, like It’s Tough to Be a Bug. Some attractions may also go down due to weather, so keep that in mind as well.

4. Reserve a FastPass+ for Expedition Everest.

If you and your party are tall enough for this attraction and you like it, you need to reserve a FastPass+. This is one of the most popular (if not the most popular) attractions in the park. The wait time can climb to 140 minutes or higher on a busy day, and if it’s hot, you’ll be slowly dying in line. Reserving a FastPass+ will ensure you get to ride and will free up your time to wait in line for something else that may not be as popular but is still just as fun.

5. Reserve a FastPass+ for Kilimanjaro Safaris.

This is another attraction that is incredibly popular and can have a long wait time during busy days and during the afternoon hours. If this is something you want to do, and you should because it’s awesome, I highly suggest snagging a FastPass+ for it. Or, if you plan on being at the park when it opens, make this the first attraction you do, freeing up for your FastPass+ reservations for something else later in the day.

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Kilamanjaro Safari

6. See Rivers of Light and plan for extra time.

This is Animal Kingdom’s newest nighttime show and it’s definitely worth seeing. However, due to its popularity, it’s suggested that you arrive with plenty of time to find a seat, especially if you’re doing stand-by. There are FastPass+ reservations and dinner packages available for this show, which means that seats will be a little limited to start. Technically, you could watch from outside the theatre, but you may not get the same experience.

By following this simple plan, you will open up more time to enjoy other activities around the park, such as riding Dinosaur, which is a personal favorite, or meeting some of your favorite Disney pals. There are also plenty of live entertainment options that take place, so don’t be afraid to stop and take a few moments to enjoy all of the sights.