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Have you considered taking a trip to Disney World and thought about how to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom in one day? Well, we did. We took a trip to Disney World and choose to spend one day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with the kids. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a very cool park! It was our first time visiting and we loved it. Don’t let the size steer you away from visiting Animal Kingdom in one day. It CAN be done! Keep reading to learn a few tips and tricks, regarding how to do it. It’s probably easier than you think, without missing out!
Eat a Healthy Breakfast Before Going To Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Stopping for snacks throughout the day takes up time better spent exploring the park. To combat the issue, be sure to eat a big, hearty breakfast before heading to the park. If you’re looking for a fun way to start your day at Animal Kingdom with breakfast, make an early reservation at the Rainforest Cafe. The delicious food and animatronic animals are sure to please the family. Better yet, after the meal, head to the gate to secure a spot near the front of the line. We stayed at the Legoland Beach Retreat the night before we went to Disney, so we were up early and the kids had a full breakfast!
Show Up Early To Disney’s Animal Kingdom
No matter which Disney park you’re visiting, arriving early gives you as much time to explore as possible. This is especially true of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The park has so much to offer, along with shorter hours. So, time really is of the essence. In order to maximize your experience, it’s wise to make your way to the gates approximately 30 minutes before opening. We woke up very early and got the kids ready and out of the hotel as soon as possible. I wanted to make sure that we enjoyed our day at Animal Kingdom to the fullest.
Check Out the Times Guide At Disney’s Animal Kingdom
At Animal Kingdom, expected operating times for many attractions vary from day to day. To help you plan your day, the park publishes a daily “Times Guide.” It gives you updated information on what’s going on that day. If you take advantage of the ‘My Disney Experience” app, you can use it to get information on start times as well.
Take A Photo Infront Of The Tree Of Life At Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The Tree of Life is the icon that best symbolizes Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Tree of Life is a 145-foot sculpture of a baobab tree located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World. It has been there since the park opened in 1998. The kids noticed all the animal sculptures around it. Make sure to check it out with your kids, and see what they find!
Begin with Popular Safaris At Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Both Kilimanjaro Safari and the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail are very popular attractions that generally have long wait times. In order to cut down on the amount of time you stand in line, make the effort to enjoy these rides early in the morning before the crowds stroll in. The Safari was the first ride we did when we got to the park. We had fast passes so the wait time was about 15 minutes which was perfect!
Join The Dance Party At Disney’s Animal Kingdom
There were several dance parties going on at different times of the day in different locations of the park. All of them had an African vibe to it, the music, the drums, the dancers and everything. The kids loved it, and I even joined in on one of the dances and it was so much fun.
Enjoy the Animals At Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The animals are the real stars of Animal Kingdom. Many guests love the rides and atmosphere of the park, but sometimes forget it’s also an accredited zoo. While you’re getting a Times Guide for the day, pick up an “Animal Guide” as well. It will tell you the best times and places to experience exotic animals as they are in their native habitat. The kids loved the flamingos!!
Take A Photo With Your Favorite Character At Disney’s Animal Kingdom
There are Disney characters all over the park, waiting to take photos with Disney guests. Make sure to find out what time and where your favorite Disney characters will be so that you can get there on time. When we got to one of the characters, the line was really long, so the kids just waved from distance.
Watch at Least One Show At Disney’s Animal Kingdom
A day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom wouldn’t be complete without taking the time to watch at least one show. Choices include “Festival of the Lion King,” “UP! A Great Bird Adventure,” and “Finding Nemo: The Musical.” To streamline things, it’s entirely possible to make advance reservations to any and all of these performances. No matter which one you choose, you’re in for a treat! Festival of the Lion King was amazing, butttttt, make sure to show up super early !! We were running late and got seats all the way in back.
Stop For Dessert At Disney’s Animal Kingdom
After a long hot day walking around the parks, it is important to stop for a treat. What kid doesn’t like a yummy treat? There are several dessert stands around Disney’s Animal Kingdom park and you can’t miss them. The kids were excited for some Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream as you can see below, and definitely didn’t want to be bothered for a photo.
Find The Bubble Stands At Disney’s Animal Kingdom
There are bubble stands all over the park, and the workers love to lure kids over with them. You’ll be surprised to find out what kids remember as their favorite memory at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The kids said their favorite thing was playing with bubbles. Whatttttttt? So make sure to find a bubble stand and let the kids have some down time chasing the bubbles.
Shop on the Way Out At Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The gift shops in Animal Kingdom have some of the best merchandise in all of Disney World. These shops stay open for about an hour after the park closes, which means your shopping spree doesn’t need to cut into your park time. Better yet, if you wait to buy gifts when you leave, you won’t have to carry them around the park all day.
There you have it! Several great suggestions as far as how to make the best of one day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Remember, it’s a fun zoo and amusement park rolled into one and the kids had a blast!!!
Have you taken your kids? What was your experience right?
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Disney provided us with 2 complimentary tickets. However, as always all opinions expressed are my own.
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How To Book Affordable Accommodation When You Travel
When booking accommodation, TripAdvisor is the way to go because you can read reviews and see photos from other travelers to get a feel of where you will be staying. Other great sites to book hotels are HotelsCombined, Booking.com and Hotels.com. Don’t forget to check HomeAway and VRBO for house and villa rentals too. Perfect for when you travel with a large family, and also to save money when hotels are expensive. Another favorite of mine is BookVIP – they offer huge resort savings.
How To Book Activities When You Travel
My favorite website to search for activities, tours and especially skip the line tickets is Viator and Get Your Guide. This makes trip planning so much easier because you don’t have to search several sites as both websites have several options to choose from. Same also goes with TripAdvisor Attractions – you can search and book activities as well as read reviews.
How To Book Rental Cars When You Travel
Instead of checking every single website, I use RentalCars.com, Car Rental 8 and Skyscanner Car Rentals to find car rentals all over the world with just one click. If you plan to park at the airport, visit Airport Parking and make a reservation.
Why Travel Insurance Is a Must When You Travel
People book trips and forget the most important part, purchasing travel insurance. Because we travel often, I purchase our travel insurance through Allianz for a year at a time which means that we are covered for all trips within that year. Travel insurance will protect you and your family against theft, injury illness, flight cancellations and so much more. It is a MUST!
Looking to save even more money when you travel?
Visit my Travel Resources page to see all the reliable and trustworthy brands that I use to book my travel with. I only recommend brands that I’ve used and can vouch for, so you’re in good hands! ? Also check out these posts below:
- How To Save Money On Flights
- Best Websites To Find Cheap Flights & Error Fares
- Tips On How To Make Travel Affordable For Families
Top Travel With Kids Tips
Traveling with kids and have a few questions you need answers too, these posts below will help your trip run smooth.
- Best Travel Gear For Kids
- How To Travel With Kids Internationally Alone
- Top Must Have Items When Traveling With Kids
- Everything You Need To Know About Traveling With A Car Seat
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