Once overlooked as the smallest park in the Disney World portfolio with shortest park hours, Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida is positioning itself to become the jewel in the theme park's crown starting this Summer. Memorial Day weekend, the park will light up the night — quite literally — when it pushes back the clock and stays open for evening hours.
The new hours will usher in new experiences — new shows, new versions of existing rides — and add the thrill of darkness to longtime favorites like Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids. Read on for details about the new experiences at the park, as well as some tips for doing the park after dark with your family.
The gem of Animal Kingdom, the Kilimanjaro Safari, gets a nighttime makeover this year. Through the use of new lighting technology, Disney has created a perpetual sunset that shines over part of the park and allows the safari jeeps to roll into the night. The park has also brought in hyenas and African wild dogs — two nocturnal species — to enhance the experience. But before heading onto the safari, you'll want to know a few things.
Go about 30 minutes before dusk: While the faux sunset Disney's created is amazing (that's it in the photo above), it doesn't light the entire safari and it can be difficult to see the animals once it is dark.
Sit in the first two rows: Doing so will allow you see any animals lit by your driver's headlights.
Allow children to sit on the ends of the rows: Slightly obvious, but the end seats will give them the best views.
Don't plan on taking photos: Consider this your tech-free ride. Flashes are banned because they'll scare the animals, and due to the darkness, most photos just don't come out. So rather than focusing on your selfie with a rhino, spend your time enjoying the nocturnal habits of the animals.
Several times each evening, the iconic Tree of Life at the center of the park will "come alive" with lights and images projected on it. The dramatic event — trust us, it's more emotional than you'd ever expect — is not to be missed, but you should prepare for it.
Get as close as you can: There are no seats for this event, it's a standing-room-only one, so you'll want to get as close as you can so your little ones don't have an adult in front of them blocking their view.
Some images may be scary for younger parkgoers: Though they only last for a few seconds, some of the animals projected onto the — think jaguars with lit up eyes — may be considered scary for small tots. If you prepare them early, they should be fine.
Animal Kingdom's much anticipated "Rivers of Light" show does not have a debut date yet, but after seeing a shortened preview of it, it's obvious that it will be a major draw to the park when it does launch. The show focuses on giant flowers floating in Discovery River. Water spraying in the middle of the lake forms a backdrop on which projections of birds and other animals prance around. Before going, though, keep these tips in mind:
Sit midway up the theater: The new amphitheater built around the lake is large enough that every seat is a good seat. But you might want to move a few rows up from the bottom if you have little kids. With so many of the beautiful light effects taking place in the river, and a riverbed full of tall grass, you'll want to ensure your kids have the best view possible.
The Jungle Book: Alive With Magic will take the place of Rivers of Light for now: Until River of Lights is ready, Animal Kingdom's evening live show will be based on the new The Jungle Book movie. The show will feature songs and scenes from the film — with an Indian influence.
