Animal Kingdom was a day I used to be actually wanting ahead to. There’s one thing about that park that simply has a extra relaxed vibe to it, particularly as a result of we’d not have to buy and navigate Genie+ or LL for the day. Nevertheless, relaxed is not how we started the day. My household is a bunch of troopers and appeased me with good attitudes about our tremendous early morning.
Rope Drop Technique for Animal Kingdom
- Park opens: 8:00 (7:30 for on property visitors)
- Depart resort: 6:10 AM
- Mode of Transportation: drive our vehicles and park in AK lot (free parking for onsite visitors)
- No Genie+ or Lightning Lane
- Rope Drop: Flight of Passage (44”) (if Lacey shouldn’t be tall sufficient, get rider swap at entrance), then straight to Safari (line might be ~45 minutes). Then Everest (44”).
- Different Rides: River Rapids (38”), Powerful to be a Bug, Navi River
After we took the exit for Animal Kingdom we have been shocked and confused by it’s CLOSURE. Had we missed one thing?! I frantically began texting Christen (it’s cool as a result of she’s an early riser, too) and she or he responded with “oh my gosh inform me I didn’t get you there that early.” We didn’t thoughts in any respect although and I really felt immense pleasure in undertaking a feat that Christen herself hadn’t but skilled, haha!
Apparently they don’t take away the cones into the parking zone till 6:30 AM so we have been the primary of the primary arriving there a couple of minutes earlier than they even opened. The parking attendants waved us into the very first parking spot as we entered and congratulated us (on being full Disney nut jobs, ;)).
It was such a humorous begin to the day, nevertheless it paid off. We have been on the very entrance of the road and, conveniently, the loos have been proper subsequent to us on the entrance. Once they opened the park we led the move of individuals immediately into Pandora and to Flight of Passage.


It’s superb to me how shortly individuals file in, although. It’s not like we simply strolled alongside; we needed to transfer alongside at a very good tempo, particularly having to stash the strollers as we hopped into line. We aren’t the one devoted Disney rope droppers!
With the ability to stroll proper onto Flight of Passage was tremendous cool. Fortunately Lacey was tall sufficient and all of us loved attending to fly on the again of a Banshee. We then scooted proper subsequent door to stroll proper onto the Navi River journey, as sluggish cruise, however with stunning particulars.
Afterwards we hightailed it throughout the park to get in line for Safari. The animals are most lively within the mornings and evenings, so it behooves you to attempt to go throughout these time intervals. Fortunate for us, the road was solely about 40 minutes, so we waited.
The safari was fabulous! Being that I’ve been on it twice earlier than, I knew it wasn’t unusual to not see all of the animals, however we lucked out with seeing so many- giraffes, rhinos, hippos, zebras, elephants, and even a LION, amongst others.




We saved issues transferring and headed straight to the final of the tremendous well-liked rides, the curler coaster Everest. It had a few 30 minute wait via it’s detailed and entertaining que. Like the opposite coasters, poor Hailey had a mini soften down in line. It in all probability makes us appear to be horrible dad and mom forcing her to journey, however afterwards she normally cherished the expertise, so push we did.
Sorry for the photograph kiddo, however I wished to seize the fact. Not less than we all know we have now no have to schedule a visit to Carowinds or some other amusement park…

As predicted, afterwards we was simply high quality! It was beginning to warmth up at this level of the day, so we took a couple of minutes for a shady snack, then slowly made our approach across the park exploring.
We watched the kites pushed by jetskis on the lake, visited the gorillas, performed just a few honest video games, watched some road performances in Africa, dipped our cooling towels into ice water a number of occasions, and skilled what it was wish to be a bug (It’s Powerful to Be a Bug is certainly one of my favorites at Animal Kingdom).
For these questioning if we regretted renting a stroller for our 10 and eight yr outdated… completely not. In actual fact, I might need rented a double if I used to be going once more, ha! Perhaps not, however I used to be tickled by the truth that the larger youngsters wished their flip within the strollers, too.





By the point our 12:45 lunch reservation rolled round, we have been all prepared for a break from the solar and a few grub. We had hoped the Tusker Home would be capable to accommodate our group of 9 on the similar desk (you may solely make reservations for as much as 8 individuals however should you ask they’ll generally mix you). Nevertheless, we needed to cut up, however we have been all hungry sufficient that we didn’t thoughts an excessive amount of.
The Tusker Home was once a buffet however now it’s served household model, so that you keep at your desk as characters make their approach round to go to. Name me an enormous child, however I LOVE the characters. They’re participating and pleasant and so they don’t rush by. I used to be so joyful to see the women nonetheless loved them a lot, too.










The meals was fairly good. It began with a easy salad, then a bread and roll platter with chutneys and different sauces, then the primary dishes that included hen, pork, steak with chimichurri, rice, potatoes, greens, and a shrimp curry. Mother doesn’t eat a lot meat, so that they introduced out a vegan curry, too. They may also deliver you as a lot as you want, and we ordered a second salad and a second fundamental dish plate. They serve three little desserts, which all of us cut up as we left greater than happy!
After lunch it was near 2:15. We mentioned whether or not we wished to remain or go, however at that time we had carried out all of what we had wished to do, so we headed again to our automotive in that very first parking spot. 😂
We drove again to The Seaside Membership the place we turned into fits and loved the lazy river, a prolonged sport of pool volleyball (the sandy backside of the pool is the most effective!), and the pirate slide earlier than thunder moved in late afternoon. Then we showered, ordered pizza (my brother used Uber Eats to get Flipper’s Pizza, which was scrumptious), and all of us met to devour pizza and watch the sotrm exterior make it rain sideways, earlier than heading off to mattress. One other profitable day within the books!


