Animal Kingdom 1 Day Itinerary (How to Tour) - WDW Prep School (2025)

Worried about long waits for Animal Kingdom attractions, especially in Pandora with Flight of Passage?

Having well-organized touring plans that make good use of Lightning Lanes is key to avoiding long lines and waits during your Disney World trip, including at Animal Kingdom.

Below, find an Animal Kingdom touring plan that fits your group, along with Lightning Lane suggestions to make sure you’re maximizing your time having fun instead of wasting it in line.

Let’s take a look…

In this article

Animal Kingdom Rides and Attractions

Animal Kingdom is more than “just” a zoo. Although it is true that you will find all sorts of animals in the park, there are also some of the most unique rides and experiences of the 4 theme parks at Walt Disney World.

And, it just happens to be one of our personal favorites.

Not counting the animal exhibits, there are about 15 rides and shows at Animal Kingdom.

In this guide, we’re first going to give you a list of all the available major attractions you’ll find at Animal Kingdom. And don’t worry, if you need additional information, we’ll link off to more detailed descriptions of each.

Next, we are going to give you a brief description about Lightning Lane passes, including why we sometimes recommend it for Animal Kingdom, but also why we think you also might be able to skip it here. This is important to understand before you start creating your touring plans.

Then, we’ll dive into the meat and potatoes of this post – the touring plans. You can use them as is or, just use them as the starting point to creating your own plans that are perfect for you and your traveling companions.

Note: Please refer to our Complete Guide to Characters at Animal Kingdom for the full list of available character meet-and-greet opportunities.

  • Get more info on all the attractions below in our Complete Guide to Animal Kingdom Attractions

Lightning Lane basics

If you are already familiar with the Lightning Lane system, feel free to skip down to the next section. Otherwise, keep reading and we’ll go over a brief overview. If all of this is new to you, though, we recommend you check out some of our other Lightning Lane resources to help get you all caught up on how this service works.

Disneys Lightning Lane system is essentially a way to skip the regular lines for certain attractions at Disney parks. The Lightning Lane is a special, shorter line available at select attractions, so you don’t have to wait in the regular line (called the Standby Line). Think of it as the express lane on a highway.

If you visited Walt Disney World before 2020, you might remember the old FastPass+ system. Lightning Lanes are kind of like that, but with a big difference: while FastPass+ was free, Lightning Lanes come with an extra cost. Pricing is based on demand, so busier times of the year tend to be more expensive.

There are actually 3 different types of Lightning Lane passes:

  • Lightning Lane Single Pass: With this pass, you pay to skip the line for one specific ride, typically the most popular attractions. Prices range from around $10–$25 per ride, per person. Each park has at least one attraction with a Single Pass option, which is NOT available with the Multi Pass. You must make a reservation and ride within a specified return window.
  • Lightning Lane Multi Pass: With a Multi Pass, you’ll get access to most Lightning Lanes in the park (except for the 1-2 attractions that require a Single Pass). Costs range from around $19–$34 per person, per day, depending on the park and date. You can pre-select up to 3 attractions in advance and secure additional rides during your visit, subject to availability.
  • Lightning Lane Premier Pass: With the Premier Pass, you can skip the line for every eligible attraction (both Single Pass and Multi Pass rides) ONE TIME, for one day, without needing reservations. Prices range from $129–$449 per person, depending on demand and park.

Why we sometimes recommend you use Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Animal Kingdom

Lightning Lane Multi Pass will make touring Animal Kingdom easier during busy times of the year, but if you are traveling during a less busy time of the year, and you don’t mind standing in some lines (and possibly skipping breaks) you can get a lot done at Animal Kingdom without it.

With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you will definitely find it a lot easier to get everything accomplished in 1 day, though.

But, if you are trying to save a buck, we recommend you skip purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Animal Kingdom and instead use your money to purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass for Flight of Passage.

Consider also purchasing a Lightning Lane Single Pass

Animal Kingdom currently has 1 Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction:

  • Avatar Flight of Passage:$11-$18

If you only want to buy one thing (either Lightning Lane Multi Pass or a Lightning Lane Single Pass for Flight of Passage), we recommend purchasing the Flight of Passage Single Pass. Doing that will free you up at Rope Drop to knock out a couple of other major attractions before the lines get too long.

Best Times to Ride Graphic (Save to Your Phone)

We have a handy graphic that can help you see the recommended times to visit the attractions at Animal Kingdom.

We suggest you save this image to your phone, so you can reference it on your trip:

How touring works with Lightning Lane Passes:

If you are purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass (and Single Pass), you’ll often hear people talking about “stacking” and “churning”.

The reality is that on most days – no matter how busy it is – you’ll find yourself doing both.

Here’s what they mean:

Stacking

Stacking simply means strategically grouping Lightning Lane reservations close together so you can ride things quickly, right after another.

Some people like to stack for late morning or early afternoon, but you can also stack reservations for the evening.

Stacking works well if you are planning to spend all day in 1 park (for example you can rope drop the park, use the first few hours while the lines are shortest to tour using the Standby Line, and then in the afternoon when the lines are longer you can use your Lightning Lane passes), but it is also a popular technique to use if you are planning a late start or if you are hopping to a different park.

Things to keep in mind:

  1. You can have a limit of 3 Lightning Lane Multi Passes at a time.
  2. For parks with Lightning Lane Multi Pass tiers (Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot), your pre-selections will only allow you to book 1 high-demand Tier 1 ride. However, once you have used 1 Lightning Lane pass, additional passes can be either Tier 1 OR Tier 2 (based on availability).

Churning

Churning simply means focusing on snagging Lightning Lane reservations as close together as possible, literally churning through reservations as efficiently as possible.

When churning, to maximize your chances of more rides using the Lightning Lane, you’ll want to have one of your pre-selections be close to park opening.

As soon as you tap in at the final tapstile — ideally before you even board the ride — go ahead and book your next Lightning Lane pass right away. Focus on grabbing the most popular attractions available, but aim for return times as close to the current time as possible rather than stacking for later in the day. Then, just keep going: tap in, ride, repeat! Keep churning through those Lightning Lane passes until availability runs out.

This technique works for people who don’t mind cross-crossing the park and for those who plan to stay in the park for a large chunk of the day.

Important things to know about touring Animal Kingdom

  • Even though Kilimanjaro Safaris isn’t listed as an official Early Theme Park Entry attraction, it isn’t unusual for it to open up a bit early (especially during the summer months when it gets lighter earlier).
  • Expedition Everest has a Single Rider Line. If you don’t mind having your party split up, consider using that to save time in line.
  • If you do decide to use Lightning Lane Multi Pass here, make sure you know which attraction you should book first.

Early Entry at Animal Kingdom (Arrive before park opening)

To make the best use of your time, arrive at the tapstiles at Animal Kingdom no later than 30-45 minutes before Early Theme Park Entry.

Even if you are not eligible for Early Theme Park Entry, you’ll still want to plan to arrive no later than 30 minutes before it begins.

Resort and non-resort guests will be separated immediately after the tapstiles. Make sure you are on the correct side.

Once you get closer to the Tree of Life, make sure you go towards the crowd that is gathering to head towards whatever attraction you are heading to first. If you are unsure where that is, there will be Cast Members nearby to assist you.

At Animal Kingdom, there are 2 attractions we recommend you head towards if planning to attend Early Entry:

  • Flight of Passage (if you want to avoid paying for a Lightning Lane Single Pass for it)
  • Na’vi River Journey (if you plan to skip riding Flight of Passage OR if you plan to purchase an Lightning Lane Single Pass for Flight of Passage)

Get more information about how Rope Drop works

How to get to Animal Kingdom for Early Entry

Here’s our advice on what time you should be heading to the parks based upon how you plan to get there. If your goal is to be at the very, very front, we recommend you err on the side of following the earlier times listed:

Bus

While we used to recommend arriving at the bus stop 60 to 75 minutes before Early Entry begins, after testing the timing out many times, we now recommend 90 minutes. That 90-minute window is especially important if you:

  • want to be on the first bus (which we recommend), or
  • if you are staying at a large resort like Art of Animation, Pop Century, or the All-Stars, or
  • if you are staying at a resort with multiple internal stops, like Caribbean Beach or Coronado Springs.

Expect the first bus of the day to arrive between 1 hour to 75 minutes before Early Theme Park Entry starts. The goal is to be on the first bus of the day, and the lines for the buses will get very long, very fast. Arriving 90 minutes before Early Theme Park Entry will get you to the front of the pack, and likely on that first bus.

Car

When traveling by car, plan to arrive at the parking lot entrance about 70 minutes before Early Theme Park Entry. If the parking lot booths are not open at that time, you should be able to just wait for them to officially open up. But, don’t show up too early because they may not let you wait for the booths to open and instead will force you to turn around and come back closer to opening.

  • Read more about Parking at Disney World

Animal Kingdom touring plans

We like to organize touring plans by hour because minute-by-minute touring plans can make you feel like you’re running from place to place without any flexibility, but grouping them by hour can at least give you some sense of timing as you plan.

Remember, though:

These plans are just examples of how to put together your day. Because of the uncertainty of return times with Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you may find your day going a little bit differently – and that is okay!

Here are some example Animal Kingdom touring plans.

1-Day Animal Kingdom Touring Plan with Lightning Lane Passes

Lightning Lane Multi And Single Pass recommendations:

  • Lightning Lane Multi Pass Reservations:
    • Kali River Rapids
    • Expedition Everest
    • DINOSAUR
  • Lightning Lane Single Pass: Avatar Flight of Passage (aim for early afternoon)

As soon as you tap into your Lightning Lane Multi Pass and your next booking window is open, book the following reservations in this order:

  • Festival of the Lion King
  • Any attractions you missed or would like to ride again

Early Theme Park Entry

  1. Na’vi River Journey
  2. Kilimanjaro Safaris (this attraction isn’t officially open during Early Entry but often is. If it isn’t operating yet, it is still a good option to line up for ahead of the regular entry guests)

1st Hour

  1. Kilimanjaro Safaris (if not yet open during Early Entry)
  2. Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
  3. Expedition Everest with Lightning Lane Multi Pass

2nd Hour

  1. DINOSAUR with Lightning Lane Multi Pass
  2. Meet Moana
  3. It’s Tough to be a Bug

3rd Hour

  1. Kali River Rapids with Lightning Lane Multi Pass
  2. Feathered Friends in Flight

4th Hour

  1. Lunch
  2. Flight of Passage with Lightning Lane Single Pass

Rest of the Day

  1. Festival of the Lion King
  2. Rafiki’s Planet Watch

Good anytime attractions (rarely have long lines):

  • It’s Tough to be a Bug
  • Maharajah Jungle Trek
  • Rafiki’s Planet Watch / Animation Experience
  • Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
  • Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!

1-Day Animal Kingdom Touring Plan without Lightning Lane Passes

Early Theme Park Entry

  1. Flight of Passage

1st Hour

  1. Na’vi River Journey
  2. Kilimanjaro Safaris

2nd Hour

  1. Kali River Rapids
  2. Expedition Everest

3rd Hour

  1. DINOSAUR
  2. Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!

4th Hour

  1. Lunch

Rest of the Day

  • Festival of the Lion King
  • It’s Tough to be a Bug
  • Maharajah Jungle Trek
  • Rafiki’s Planet Watch / Animation Experience
  • Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
  • Meet Moana
  • Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
  • Feathered Friends in Flight

Links to our other touring plans

Planning to visit the other 3 parks? Check out our touring advice for those below:

  • How to tour Magic Kingdom
  • How to tour EPCOT
  • How to tour Hollywood Studios
Animal Kingdom 1 Day Itinerary (How to Tour) - WDW Prep School (2025)

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