My Ideal Day in Animal Kingdom with Kids
Out of all the parks in Walt Disney World, Animal Kingdom is the one I crave. Like the midnight craving of microwave popcorn AND an ice cream Snickers all at once.
The craveability for me? Because it’s CHILL.
Animal Kingdom shows up late, in denim cut offs, with those Cool Girl Sunglasses that only certain people can pull off…and bralass.
She’s the laid-back day we all need.
Is Animal Kingdom a full day?
Can you spend an entire day here? Of course. Easily.
But for our three kids (currently ages 7, 3, and 0) we like heading in early and see where we land after lunch time. If the kids can hang, we’ll continue on some of the bigger rides that they’re too little for, like Expedition Everest and DINOSAUR.
And I’ll be honest…that scenario hasn’t happened in years. We’re usually tuckered out, hot, and jump at the chance for a shower and an early bedtime.
Our 3, 2, 1
Here’s what we prioritize:
- Avatar Flight of Passage (44″)
My oldest is the only one tall enough to ride this, and she loves it as much as we do! - Na’vi River Journey
- Kilimanjaro Safari
- If it’s not too hot, the “Boneyard” playground
- One nature trail (either Gorilla Falls or Maharajah Jungle Trek)
- Lunch at Nomad Lounge
7am: Booking Lightning Lanes
At 7am, I’m going to book a Lightning Lane for Kilimanjaro Safari for the earliest return time possible – like, legit park opening – and buy an Individual Lightning Lane for Flight of Passage for lunch-ish (anything between 11:30-1:30pm)
Early Entry at Animal Kingdom
The vibe here is ~laid-back~, which means we’re out the door early, but not rushing. I’m 100% getting coffee before I step foot on that bus to Animal Kingdom.
Since we always stay at a Disney World resort, we’ll be able to use Early Entry: this is the perk of getting into the parks 30 minutes before official opening.
The problem with Early Entry at Animal Kingdom for me is:
1. The park opens eaarrrllyyy. Like, too early for my taste to make sure I’m there when Early Entry starts.
2. Kilimanjaro Safari doesn’t open until official park hours.
3. Everyone is going to speed-walk to Pandora World, which isn’t passing with the vibe check.
I’m never planning our day with time stamps, but for this “ideal” day, let’s just pretend shall we?
In the meantime, swipe more itineraries like this in my Park Guide Collection here. Ok, let’s do this!
Our itinerary for Animal Kingdom
8:00am
We’re going to head straight to Kilimanjaro Safari as our first ride. Once we scan into our Lightning Lane, I’m going to book Na’vi River Journey for a return time flanking our ILL for Flight of Passage (hopefully between 11:30-1:30pm).
After the safari we’ll walk the Gorilla Falls Trail and/or grab breakfast at Kusafari Bakery if we haven’t eaten yet.
10am
Next we’ll head to the Festival of the Lion King and get in line for the morning showing.
Afterwards, we’ll walk from Africa to Pandora World using the not-so-secret trail from Africa so we can watch some characters go by on flotillas.
My girls love this because they can enjoy the interactions…from a distance. 😂
11:15am
As we’re passing it, I’m going to join the walkup list for Nomad Lounge, and request the porch.
Depending on our timing, we’ll scan into either Na’vi River Journey or our Individual Lightning
Lane for Avatar Flight of Passage, whichever is sooner.
After riding Na’vi, I’ll either book our next Lightning Lane for Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurer’s Outpost as our next Lightning Lane, or something in another park if we’re hopping.
Does it sound like I’m speaking a mix of French and gibberish right now? Everything you need to know about Genie+ is here.
12:30pm
Hopefully our table is ready at Nomad Lounge. If we’re short on time, can’t get a table, or the kids are just *not* having it, we’ll grab a quick lunch from Satu’li Canteen and a drink from Pongu Pongu instead. Easy peasy.
2pm
Unpopular opinion: we love It’s Tough to be a Bug (albeit terrifying…) and will catch a show before heading back to the room, park hopping, or continuing on to the bigger rides.
This will be a great air-conditioned break before scanning into our Lightning Lane for the Mickey meet-and-greet.
After scanning in, I’ll grab a Lightning Lane for whatever has a longer wait; DINOSAUR or Expedition Everest.
3:30pm
If we’re still in the park (and it’s not too hot), we’ll hit the “Boneyard” playground while we do Rider Switch for DINOSAUR.
4:30pm
If I had to guess, my kids are probably melting into the ground right now, but we’ll finish the day off with Expedition Everest if we can, most likely using the Single Rider line.
This is best case scenario, with no random ride closures, rain, a sick kid, or meltdowns. That’s why I always start my park planning with our “3, 2, 1″s:
- Three attractions
- Two experiences
- One dining reservation (in this case, Nomad Lounge doesn’t take reservations but…you get the idea. Some kind of concrete dining spot that you’re planning around.)
Going to Disney World? Here are 3 ways I can help:
1. Want someone to hold your hand through each step of the way? Laid-back Magic has helped more than 600+ people. Learn more about it here →
2. The Planning Shop: Needed planning help like, yesterday? Get tools + guides, starting at $19, when you dive into the shop →
3. Watch my free video on how to sketch out your entire vacation—in less time than it takes to watch 2 Bluey episodes →
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My Ideal Day in Animal Kingdom with Kids
Out of all the parks in Walt Disney World, Animal Kingdom is the one I crave. Like the midnight craving of microwave popcorn AND an ice cream Snickers all at once.
The craveability for me? Because it’s CHILL.
Animal Kingdom shows up late, in denim cut offs, with those Cool Girl Sunglasses that only certain people can pull off…and bralass.
She’s the laid-back day we all need.
Is Animal Kingdom a full day?
Can you spend an entire day here? Of course. Easily.
But for our three kids (currently ages 7, 3, and 0) we like heading in early and see where we land after lunch time. If the kids can hang, we’ll continue on some of the bigger rides that they’re too little for, like Expedition Everest and DINOSAUR.
And I’ll be honest…that scenario hasn’t happened in years. We’re usually tuckered out, hot, and jump at the chance for a shower and an early bedtime.
Our 3, 2, 1
Here’s what we prioritize:
- Avatar Flight of Passage (44″)
My oldest is the only one tall enough to ride this, and she loves it as much as we do! - Na’vi River Journey
- Kilimanjaro Safari
- If it’s not too hot, the “Boneyard” playground
- One nature trail (either Gorilla Falls or Maharajah Jungle Trek)
- Lunch at Nomad Lounge
7am: Booking Lightning Lanes
At 7am, I’m going to book a Lightning Lane for Kilimanjaro Safari for the earliest return time possible – like, legit park opening – and buy an Individual Lightning Lane for Flight of Passage for lunch-ish (anything between 11:30-1:30pm)
Early Entry at Animal Kingdom
The vibe here is ~laid-back~, which means we’re out the door early, but not rushing. I’m 100% getting coffee before I step foot on that bus to Animal Kingdom.
Since we always stay at a Disney World resort, we’ll be able to use Early Entry: this is the perk of getting into the parks 30 minutes before official opening.
The problem with Early Entry at Animal Kingdom for me is:
1. The park opens eaarrrllyyy. Like, too early for my taste to make sure I’m there when Early Entry starts.
2. Kilimanjaro Safari doesn’t open until official park hours.
3. Everyone is going to speed-walk to Pandora World, which isn’t passing with the vibe check.
I’m never planning our day with time stamps, but for this “ideal” day, let’s just pretend shall we?
In the meantime, swipe more itineraries like this in my Park Guide Collection here. Ok, let’s do this!
Our itinerary for Animal Kingdom
8:00am
We’re going to head straight to Kilimanjaro Safari as our first ride. Once we scan into our Lightning Lane, I’m going to book Na’vi River Journey for a return time flanking our ILL for Flight of Passage (hopefully between 11:30-1:30pm).
After the safari we’ll walk the Gorilla Falls Trail and/or grab breakfast at Kusafari Bakery if we haven’t eaten yet.
10am
Next we’ll head to the Festival of the Lion King and get in line for the morning showing.
Afterwards, we’ll walk from Africa to Pandora World using the not-so-secret trail from Africa so we can watch some characters go by on flotillas.
My girls love this because they can enjoy the interactions…from a distance. 😂
11:15am
As we’re passing it, I’m going to join the walkup list for Nomad Lounge, and request the porch.
Depending on our timing, we’ll scan into either Na’vi River Journey or our Individual Lightning
Lane for Avatar Flight of Passage, whichever is sooner.
After riding Na’vi, I’ll either book our next Lightning Lane for Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurer’s Outpost as our next Lightning Lane, or something in another park if we’re hopping.
Does it sound like I’m speaking a mix of French and gibberish right now? Everything you need to know about Genie+ is here.
12:30pm
Hopefully our table is ready at Nomad Lounge. If we’re short on time, can’t get a table, or the kids are just *not* having it, we’ll grab a quick lunch from Satu’li Canteen and a drink from Pongu Pongu instead. Easy peasy.
2pm
Unpopular opinion: we love It’s Tough to be a Bug (albeit terrifying…) and will catch a show before heading back to the room, park hopping, or continuing on to the bigger rides.
This will be a great air-conditioned break before scanning into our Lightning Lane for the Mickey meet-and-greet.
After scanning in, I’ll grab a Lightning Lane for whatever has a longer wait; DINOSAUR or Expedition Everest.
3:30pm
If we’re still in the park (and it’s not too hot), we’ll hit the “Boneyard” playground while we do Rider Switch for DINOSAUR.
4:30pm
If I had to guess, my kids are probably melting into the ground right now, but we’ll finish the day off with Expedition Everest if we can, most likely using the Single Rider line.
This is best case scenario, with no random ride closures, rain, a sick kid, or meltdowns. That’s why I always start my park planning with our “3, 2, 1″s:
- Three attractions
- Two experiences
- One dining reservation (in this case, Nomad Lounge doesn’t take reservations but…you get the idea. Some kind of concrete dining spot that you’re planning around.)
Going to Disney World? Here are 3 ways I can help:
1. Want someone to hold your hand through each step of the way? Laid-back Magic has helped more than 600+ people. Learn more about it here →
2. The Planning Shop: Needed planning help like, yesterday? Get tools + guides, starting at $19, when you dive into the shop →
3. Watch my free video on how to sketch out your entire vacation—in less time than it takes to watch 2 Bluey episodes →
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