Disney’s Animal Kingdom After Dark: Complete Guide for Families

Visiting Animal Kingdom at night is a completely different experience from what you’ll see during the day. After sunset a new magical world appears. Use this list to help you enjoy all that Animal Kingdom offers at night. Bonus: it includes details about the updated nighttime show–Rivers of Light: We Are One.

Disney‘s Animal Kingdom After Dark

Everyone has a favorite Disney park, and Animal Kingdom is certainly my family’s favorite. Not only is it home to the most popular ride at Disney World (Flight of Passage), but it’s also the most fun to explore. And let’s be honest, the Dole whip with rum is an added bonus!

Visiting Animal Kingdom after dark is a must when visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. This park comes to life after the sun goes down and there are so many things worth sticking around for. Check out our list of must-see nighttime shows, rides that are more exciting after sundown and must-see areas of the park.

Rivers of Light: We Are One Nighttime Show

This Animal Kingdom night show is an update to the original Rivers of Light show that ended May of 2019. Get ready to watch the impressive innovative technology and special effects that have been added to Rivers of Light. Disney never disappoints with these nighttime spectacular shows in any of the parks.

Seating is limited, so there are two ways to ensure a seat to watch the show. 1)  Book a FastPass+ 2) Purchase the Rivers of Light dining package which includes dinner at either Tusker House or Tiffins Restaurant and premium seats for viewing the show. To learn more about make these dining reservations, click here.

Pandora at Night

Pandora inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar is my favorite themed area of Animal Kingdom. The sights, smells and rides in this area of the park are some of the best in all of Walt Disney World. Visiting at night ensures you won’t miss out on the incredible details that can only be seen after sun down.

Pandora at night is enchanting and the bioluminescent forest is indescribable. The sparkling path ways will lead you around as you soak in the magic surrounding you. You can tell Disney’s goal is to connect you closer to the wonder of nature as you feel captivated by this new world.

TravelingMom Tip: Check out 16 of Our Favorite Secrets at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Tree of Life 

The Tree of Life will take your breathe away as it’s the first thing you see when entering Animal Kingdom. This iconic tree is even more impressive at night when the show ‘Tree of Life Awakenings’ transforms the tree with projected images and mystical music. You can watch this once or many times during your visit at night, because the Tree of Life Awakenings begins after dark and happens every 10 minutes until the park closes.

Kilimanjaro Safari

Our family loves going on the Kilimanjaro Safari. It’s not only a fun way to observe some of our favorite animals, but we also learn so much about what Disney is doing to help protect our precious wildlife. You will feel like you’ve be transported to a real African Safari.

This 18-minute expedition is special at night because you can see nocturnal animal that you might not be able to see during the day. My recommendation is to ride the Kilimanjaro Safari right at sunset. The animals always seem to be more active and you still have a little daylight left.

TravelingMom Tip: Here’s how you can make the most out of a One Day Visit to Animal Kingdom.

Expedition Everest 

Expedition Everest is one of the hottest rides in Animal Kingdom. Riding this roller coaster at night adds another level of thrill. At night the entire mountain is lit up making it both fun to ride and beautiful to look at. This is the one ride that my kids want to experience over and over again. Both early in the morning and at night, the wait times are much shorter.

TravelingMom Tip: Headed to Animal Kingdom with a toddler who won’t be able to experience thrill rides? Here’s what you can do with them!

Disney After Hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

Disney After Hours is a special event that requires an extra ticket purchase. It gives you the opportunity to enjoy the park for an extra 3 hours hours after it closes at 9 p.m. The special event is running now until March 2020. You can arrive as early as 7 p.m on the day of the event and stay until midnight. You will get the chance to experience the park without the daytime crowds.

TravelingMom Tip: There are a few nighttime experiences that are no longer happening inside the park. These include Discovery Island Carnivale and The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic.

Make sure to plan a night at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park during your next Walt Disney World vacation. You’ll be amazed at all that happens in the dark!