Rivers of Light in 2019When my family and I moved to Florida in 2010 and became Annual Passholders, the first park that we visited was Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It was the closest to the house that we were renting, and we wanted to break in those passes! Back in 2010, it was fairly easy to get everything done at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in a few hours. Most people referred to it as a “half-day park” and that was a pretty good assessment.
Then things changed. In 2017, Pandora – The World of Avatar opened. This was a game changer. Pandora isn’t just a land with a couple of attractions, it is an attraction! Walking through Pandora after dark is magical, especially near the park’s closing time when the crowds are mostly gone. The sights and the sounds are incredible, even if you aren’t an Avatar fan.
Back in 2017, we also had Rivers of Light. It was arguably the most unique nighttime show that Walt Disney World had offered up to that point. It was the perfect way to end the evening. Of course, even that wasn’t really the end of your evening, because you’d have to marvel at Tree of Life Awakenings on your way out.
With all that and a twilight ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris, Disney’s Animal Kingdom lost its reputation for being a half-day park. You could spend a full day there and still not do everything.
When Walt Disney World reopened in July, 2020 after a four month closure, park hours had changed. Eventually, the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios started to have later operating hours. But that didn’t happen at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Here we are, over four years later, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom is once again a half-day park. As I write this, it closes at 6:00 today! Sunset is at 6:44. That means that there will be no special lighting features in Pandora, and no projections on the Tree of Life.
Sadly, Rivers of Light never returned after the parks closed down. (The same thing with the evening safari.) The area was used for a while for Disney KiteTails, but that was a daytime show. KiteTails didn’t make it either, so now that big, beautiful theater is just taking up space.
I know that we’re going to get Indiana Jones and Tropical Americas Lands at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. But that means that for a while there will be even less to do at the park! And how long does a new land take to build? Mickey’s Toontown Fair closed at the Magic Kingdom in February, 2011. The final piece of New Fantasyland, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, didn’t open until May, 2014. It also took over three years for Camp Minnie-Mickey to turn into Pandora – The World of Avatar. Based on Disney’s history, it is unlikely that we will see the new lands at Disney’s Animal Kingdom before 2028.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is still must-do. There are fantastic shows, fun characters, animal trails, family rides, and, of course, some of the biggest thrills at Walt Disney World. The days are getting shorter, which means that we will soon see Pandora lit up again. But will you spend the full day there, or Park Hop and go back at the end of the evening? That’s a question worth asking when you’re trying to plan out your day.