Orlando 2026 May 8–17
Day 9 Sat, May 16
🦁 Animal Kingdom WDW

Animal Kingdom + park hop

Half-day park. Pandora at rope drop. After AK closes at 6 PM, park-hop to one of the other 3 parks (we have Park Hopper).

All Animal Kingdom info
Rides, heights, dining, characters

Park hours

Open
8:00 AM
Close
6:00 PM
  • Saturday — AK busier than midweek but half-day pacing still works. After 6 PM close, park-hop options: MK (Happily Ever After 10 PM), EPCOT (Luminous 9 PM), HS (Fantasmic 9 PM, Wonderful World of Animation 9 PM).

Source: Disney Food Blog · Disney Tourist Blog

Rope drop

Pandora opens with the park. Straight to Avatar Flight of Passage — line jumps from 30 to 90+ within an hour. Then Na'vi River Journey, then Safaris while animals are active.

Must do (7)

  • Avatar Flight of Passage (44" — paid LL Single Pass only; Lucy + adults)
  • Na'vi River Journey (everyone)
  • Kilimanjaro Safaris (morning)
  • Expedition Everest (44" — single rider)
  • Kali River Rapids (38" — ponchos)
  • Festival of the Lion King
  • 🎟️ After AK closes ~6 PM — hop to MK / EPCOT / HS for evening (decide that morning)

All rides (8)

  • Avatar Flight of Passage
    44" ⚡ LL Single thrill

    Blocks: Briggs, Louie

    Best ride at AK. Now paid LL Single Pass only — buy at 7am, 3 days out.

  • Na'vi River Journey
    ⚡ LL Multi mild

    Slow boat. Briggs and Louie can ride.

  • Expedition Everest
    44" ⚡ LL Multi Single Rider thrill

    Blocks: Briggs, Louie

    Backwards section. Single rider is fast.

  • Kilimanjaro Safaris
    ⚡ LL Multi mild

    Best in the morning.

  • Kali River Rapids
    38" ⚡ LL Multi moderate

    You will get soaked. Ponchos.

  • Festival of the Lion King
    mild

    Indoor show. Rainy-hour pick.

  • Finding Nemo — The Big Blue and Beyond!
    mild

    Indoor show.

  • TriceraTop Spin
    mild

    Dumbo-style kid ride.

Meals (4)

Express / Lightning Lane

LL Multi Pass priority: Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest, Na'vi River Journey, Kali River Rapids.

LL Single Pass: Avatar Flight of Passage — moved off Multi Pass in 2026. Buy at 7am, 3 days out (off-property).

Shows & parades (4)

  • Festival of the Lion King 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm
    show Africa (Harambe Theater)

    30 min, indoor A/C — top priority.

  • Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond! 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm, 4:30pm
    show DinoLand (Theater in the Wild)

    Indoor, ~25 min.

  • UP! A Great Bird Adventure
    show Asia (Anandapur Theater)

    Outdoor covered, ~25 min. Times in My Disney Experience.

  • Discovery Island Drummers / Viva Gaia Street Band
    show Discovery Island

    Outdoor atmosphere — periodic sets.

Live show times
My Disney Experience TouringPlans live times

Times above are typical patterns — confirm in the app or TouringPlans on the day.

Rain backup

Pandora rides indoor. Lion King covered. Safari runs in rain. Everest closes for lightning.

Notes

Height blocks

  • Bowen (46”): clear on everything
  • Briggs (42”): out at Flight of Passage (44”), Everest (44”)
  • Louie (~43”): out at Flight of Passage, Everest

Plan: AK rope drop at 8 AM, half-day energy, leave AK ~5–6 PM. Park-hop to one of the other 3 parks for evening fireworks/show.

Park Hopper rules: can hop after 2 PM (Disney rule). Park-to-park transit ~20–30 min via car or Disney bus.

Hop options for tonight (Sat May 16):

  • 🏰 MK — Happily Ever After 10 PM. Repeat favorites + fireworks. Drive ~30 min from AK to TTC.
  • 🌐 EPCOT — Luminous 9 PM. Festival snacks, slower pace. Drive ~10 min from AK.
  • 🎞️ HS — Fantasmic 9 PM (single Sat showing? — verify, weekend may have 9 + 10:30 PM doubles). Drive ~5 min from AK.

Closest hop: HS or EPCOT.