Nighttime Entertainment at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Evenings are a little bit different at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Not all that long ago the park closed early, but now there’s a traditional show, a short show with several different scenes, and an out of this world experience. Here are the nighttime entertainment options at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Rivers of Light

There are no fireworks at Disney’s Animal Kingdom because they don’t want to spook the animals, but that doesn’t mean that there’s no wow factor. The opening date for Rivers of Light was delayed several times, but it was worth the wait. Rivers of Light combines music, floating lanterns, nature, live performers, and more. It’s a beautiful show. When Rivers of Light first opened FastPass+ was almost a necessity, but now seeing the show with standby isn’t as difficult. The entrances can be hard to find; the FastPass+ Entrance is in Asia, the Rivers of Light Dining Package Entrance is in a different spot in Asia, and the Standby Entrance is in DinoLand U.S.A. Go ahead and ask a Cast Member for directions, you won’t be the only one.

Tree of Life Awakenings

The Tree of Life is the icon at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and it is a wonder during the day. At night it transforms, with Tree of Life Awakenings. Short scenes play out on the tree in front of your eyes. They take place about every ten minutes, and none of them last all that long. Some people will watch until the scenes start to repeat so that they don’t miss anything. Others will only watch one or two scenes. As beautiful as the Tree of Life is during the day, it doesn’t compare to Tree of Life Awakenings.

Pandora – The World of Avatar

Pandora – The World of Avatar isn’t a nightly show, but it still needs to be experienced. A bioluminescent glow covers the area, and you will feel as if you’re truly on a different world. It’s simply breathtaking. If possible, hang back and experience Pandora close to when Disney’s Animal Kingdom is set to close for the night. You’ll be able to better hear the sounds when the crowd has died down. Pandora – The World of Avatar at night is one of my favorite experiences at Walt Disney World. There’s nothing like it anywhere else.