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With seven days out of the week and four parks to visit, spending a day at Animal Kingdom can feel overwhelming. What’s the best day to go for the lowest crowds? When’s the best time to view the animals? Is Genie+ even worth it at this park? Here, we’ll take a look at some factors to consider when deciding on the best day to visit this park and answer your most pressing questions.
So, what’s the best day of the week to visit Animal Kingdom? We’ve done the research and we’re ready to share our findings with you.
Understanding Crowd Patterns
According to our research, Mondays are generally the best days to visit Animal Kingdom. This is because most travelers fly out from Sunday – Sunday and start their vacation on Monday. Magic Kingdom is by far the most popular park, so many guests choose that park to visit first.
Analyzing Wait Times
Mondays at Animal Kingdom have had the shortest wait times over the past four years since Lightning Lane was introduced. However, Sundays are also a good choice, as they tend to have lower wait times than other days of the week at Magic Kingdom.
Our crowd calendar can be a helpful tool in predicting wait times and crowds at Animal Kingdom. It takes into account factors such as holidays, special events, and school schedules to help visitors plan their trips accordingly.
Average Ride Wait Times at Animal Kingdom
Here is a comprehensive overview of the average ride wait times at Animal Kingdom:
| Attraction | Average Wait Time (mins) |
|---|---|
| Avatar Flight of Passage | 100 |
| Na’vi River Journey | 90 |
| Kilimanjaro Safaris | 60 |
| Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain | 45 |
| DINOSAUR | 25 |
| Kali River Rapids | 25 |
| TriceraTop Spin | 10 |
Is Genie+ Worth it at Animal Kingdom?
Disney Genie+ is a paid service that allows guests to reserve Lightning Lane access to select attractions, bypassing the regular standby lines. But is it worth the extra cost at Animal Kingdom?
The answer depends on your priorities and budget. We strongly recommend logging into your My Disney Experience app at midnight the day of your Animal Kingdom trip. From here, check to see if Genie+ is selling out. If so, that’s a good indication that the park will be considerably busy that day. If it’s still readily available, you might want to hold off on your purchase.
In our experience, Animal Kingdom is the least busiest park. In fact, most people purchase Park Hopper Tickets and park hop out of Animal Kingdom in the afternoon.
That means once the morning rush has died down, you’ll likely get to tackle the heavy-hitter attractions in this park like Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest.
Keep in mind that Animal Kingdom is not just a theme park – it’s an entire zoo. That means there aren’t just rides to experience, but experiences such as the Gorilla Falls trek, collecting Wilderness Explorer badges, and Broadway-like shows such as Festival of the Lion King. Unlike other parks, this one ticks off so many different boxes.
So if you want to experience everything Animal Kingdom has to offer, Genie+ might be a great option for you.
Tips for Using Disney Genie+ Effectively
To make the most of Disney Genie+, here are a few tips and tricks:
- Purchase Disney Genie+ early in the day to take advantage of early access to Lightning Lane reservations.
- Use the 120-minute rule to strategically stack and save time. This means reserving your next attraction as soon as your current one is complete, as long as it’s at least 120 minutes after your first reservation.
- Prioritize the most popular attractions first, such as Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest.
- Check the My Disney Experience app frequently for availability and updates on wait times and ride closures.
Is Spending a Half-Day at Animal Kingdom Enough Time?
If you want to do it all, you need to spend an entire day at Animal Kingdom. Many people use Animal Kingdom as a half-day with their park hopper tickets. But we don’t recommend that option – and that’s aside from my bias as my favorite Disney World park.
Animal Kingdom indeed has the least amount of attractions in total at any Walt Disney World theme park, but Animal Kingdom has so much more to offer. With one of the best shows on Disney property and my personal favorite, you don’t want to miss out on the Festival of the Lion King. With the recent modifications made to Finding Nemo: The Musical, it’s also being considered another dominant force in the Disney World show roster.
Plus, Animal Kingdom is like a glorified zoo – don’t you want you and your kiddos to see all the animals in their habitat?
If you don’t care about the shows or expeditions, then a half-day might be all you need depending on the time you go. The last time we went to Disney World in September, which is considered slow season, Expedition Everest still went up to a whopping 50-minute standby wait time in the morning. Once everyone park-hopped out of Animal Kingdom, we walked right onto the ride – good thing we didn’t waste our time earlier!
Why You Should Visit Animal Kingdom at Night
If you’re one of the people who park hop out of Animal Kingdom in the afternoon, you’re missing out on an incredible experience. Home to Animal Kingdom is one of the most beautiful immersive lands on Disney property – that’s right, we’re talking about Pandora: The World of Avatar.
We know what you’re thinking – Pandora is extremely popular and everyone knows about it. But have you ever experienced Pandora at night? It’s truly a breathtaking experience.
We’re not even talking about the attractions here, but the sheer amount of bioluminescent flora and fauna that lights up this land at night is truly a sight to marvel at.
But since Animal Kingdom closes relatively early, around 7:00 pm, you’ll need to be in Disney World from November – March to experience Pandora at night. Otherwise, it’s still quite bright when the park closes. Thankfully, slow time falls around January – February, so you can experience the most gorgeous land with not a soul in sight.
When is the Best Time to Go to Animal Kingdom to Get a Good View of the Animals?
One of the best aspects of Animal Kingdom is the opportunity to see animals up close. But when is the best time to visit the park for optimal animal viewing?
Generally, the best time to see animals at Animal Kingdom is in the morning or later in the evening. Many animals are more active during these cooler times of day and may be easier to spot.
On Kilimanjaro Safaris, one of the park’s most popular attractions, animals tend to be more active in the morning before the heat of the day sets in. Riding the safari first thing in the morning or in the last couple hours before the park closes can provide the best chances of seeing animals like lions, elephants, and giraffes roaming the savanna.
Keep in mind that animal activity can vary day-to-day and depends on factors like weather. However, planning your animal viewing around morning or evening hours is a good strategy to maximize your chances of seeing the park’s incredible wildlife.
Tips for First-Time Visitors
If you’re visiting Animal Kingdom at Disney World for the first time, there are a few things you should keep in mind to make the most of your day.
Navigating the Parks
Animal Kingdom is the largest Disney World park by a large margin with a lot of ground to cover, so it’s important to have a plan. We recommend downloading the My Disney Experience app to help you navigate the park and keep track of wait times for attractions. You can also use the app to make Genie+ reservations, which will save you time in line.
In terms of attractions, Expedition Everest is a must-ride for thrill-seekers. This roller coaster takes you on a high-speed journey through the Himalayas, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Other popular attractions include Kilimanjaro Safaris, which takes you on a tour of the African savanna, and Avatar Flight of Passage, which simulates flying on the back of a banshee.
Making the Most of Your Day
To make the most of your day at Animal Kingdom, we recommend arriving early and staying late. The park opens the earliest, but we suggest arriving at least 30 minutes before opening to get through security and be one of the first in line. If you stay on Disney property, you have the added benefit of getting in half an hour before everyone else does. This will give you a head start on the crowds and allow you to ride popular attractions with shorter wait times.
On our last trip back in September, we decided to do Animal Kingdom on Sunday and Monday. Staying at Pop Century, we woke up at 6:30 am to get there by around 7:20. Sometimes, they’ll let you in 10 or so minutes early, so the earlier you get there the better.
However, we will say Sunday was extremely crowded versus Monday’s empty park.
FAQ
As one of the best parks, you likely want to make sure you go to Animal Kingdom on the best day. If you still want to know more, our FAQ section will have you covered.
What Day of the Week Typically Has the Lowest Attendance at Animal Kingdom?
Based on our research, Wednesdays have had the shortest wait times at Animal Kingdom for the past four years. Saturday and Sunday also have some of the lowest wait times at Animal Kingdom.
Are There Certain Days When Animal Kingdom is Less Busy?
Yes, there are certain days when Animal Kingdom is less busy. Weekdays are usually less busy compared to weekends.
Is There a Recommended Day of the Week to Experience Shorter Lines at Animal Kingdom?
Wednesday is the recommended day of the week to experience shorter lines at Animal Kingdom as they have had the shortest wait times.
Which Day of the Week is Ideal for a Quieter Visit to Animal Kingdom?
If you want a quiet visit to Animal Kingdom with very minimal crowds, we suggest planning your day on Monday or Wednesday.
