Animal Kingdom Trip Report: Ride Order and Times at Walt Disney World
- Ride Avatar Flight of Passage early with Single Pass; by 5:20 p.m. the wait was only 20 minutes
- Yak & Yeti took walk-ups with about a 10-minute wait; lunch came to $85.84 with tip
- When DINOSAUR went down, Lightning Lane guests got their reservation returned
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Today I’m sharing my visit to Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World ✨
Before the trip, I spent a lot of time planning, driven by the ambition to ride every attraction and the goal of moving as efficiently as possible with minimal backtracking. To help anyone who’s figuring out their own route, I’ve laid everything out in the exact order and at the times I actually rode. (For reference, I bought Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass and used the paid passes throughout the day.)
Visit date: September 29, 2025 Weather: Sunny (a brief shower around 5 p.m.)
7:10 Shuttle to Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom tends to open early in the morning, so we got ready early and took the shuttle over.
Before even going in, we couldn’t resist snapping photos at the entrance, buzzing with excitement.
The first thing you see after entering is the Tree of Life! Up close, you can see animal carvings all over the trunk and roots. Disney’s attention to detail never fails to amaze me 👏
We had time before our Single Pass window opened, so we explored Pandora – The World of Avatar first. The islands that look like they’re floating in the sky make it an iconic photo spot.
Thanks to the exotic atmosphere, every photo comes out beautifully just walking around 💙
8:10 #1 Avatar Flight of Passage (Single Pass)
Animal Kingdom’s signature attraction and its most popular ride! You ride a banshee and fly across the world of Avatar in this 4D simulator. The wind, scents, water spray, and movement all come together perfectly, and it truly felt like I was “flying.” This is one you really have to experience for yourself…! 😍
8:40 #2 Na’vi River Journey (Multi Pass)
A boat ride that lets you slowly take in the world of Avatar. Thanks to the vibrant lighting and detailed animatronics, it has a dreamy, peaceful atmosphere. You especially have to see the animatronic in the final scene. It’s incredibly lifelike…!
It was so hot and humid that we took a short break with an iced slush. The sweet-and-sour lemon flavor washed away all the fatigue 😋
10:00 #3 Festival of the Lion King (Multi Pass) A stage show based on Disney’s classic The Lion King. Songs, acrobatics, and performances come together into a really upbeat show! The stage is close to the audience, so it’s very immersive.
11:00 #4 Kilimanjaro Safaris (Multi Pass) It truly feels like you’ve entered the African savanna! You can see all kinds of animals while riding in an actual vehicle. Watching the animals roam freely was a unique experience 🦒
11:45 #5 Bird Show (Multi Pass) There was so much open seating that I wondered, “Is this not popular?” But I was amazed the whole time 👏 Trained birds fly in sync with the performers, and watching them take off right in front of you is really impressive.
The giant bird from the movie UP, spotted after the bird show!
12:40 Lunch at Yak & Yeti
This Asian restaurant is well known as one of Animal Kingdom’s best places to eat. Lots of the dishes suit Korean tastes, too. I didn’t book ahead; after the bird show I joined the walk-up list and waited outside for maybe 10 minutes before getting in.
We ordered the House Salad, Lo Mein with Shrimp, and Korean Beef with Chicken Fried Rice as a side, plus one Coke! Our server kindly refilled the Coke for us. The fried rice was especially good!
The bill was $73.42 plus a $12.42 (17%) tip, for a total of $85.84.
13:30 Meeting Mickey and Minnie
A rare chance to meet Mickey and Minnie together, dressed in their explorer outfits! The inner part of the queue is indoors, so we could wait in the cool air. They struck all sorts of poses, and the photos came out super cute 💛
The framed pictures in the waiting area show Mickey and Minnie traveling hand in hand. A fun little detail!
14:10 Meeting Donald Duck
We met Donald Duck near DinoLand U.S.A. The line was short, so we got in almost right away! His playful poses and antics were adorable. The highlight was how he switched which foot he lifted every time he signed an autograph 🩵
14:30 DINOSAUR: canceled (Multi Pass) We had a Multi Pass reservation, but when we got there the ride suddenly went down temporarily. We waited about 30 minutes, and as the delay dragged on, Lightning Lane guests tapped their tickets and got the reservation returned. (After all that walking to get there…)
A T-shirt spotted on the way out: you hate Mondays too?!
On the way out, we ran into Donald and Daisy heading off for the day. Bye!
15:30 #6 Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond! (Multi Pass) A musical where the Finding Nemo characters appear as puppets. The music is touching, and it’s great to watch with kids 🎶
16:00 #7 Expedition Everest (Multi Pass)
Animal Kingdom’s only roller coaster, and the ultimate thrill ride! There’s a section where you go backward, which is a real rush. (It’s an older ride, so it’s a bit rattly, but that’s part of its charm.)
16:20 #8 Expedition Everest (again) The wait was short, so we rode it one more time!
16:40 #9 Kali River Rapids (Multi Pass) It suddenly started pouring, so we rode the river rapids in the rain… Between the rain and the splashing water, I couldn’t tell which was soaking me, but my pants got completely drenched. Luckily it was hot, so they dried quickly.
17:00 #10 DINOSAUR (Multi Pass)
DINOSAUR had reopened, so we tried again! This attraction takes you exploring the age of the dinosaurs, and its dark, thrilling effects are impressive.
17:20 #11 Avatar Flight of Passage (2nd ride) After riding everything, we saw the wait was only 20 minutes, so we hurried back for another ride!
This was day two of our Walt Disney World trip. I still hadn’t adjusted to the time difference and was tired, but I felt so accomplished having ridden every attraction I wanted.
That’s the end of my Animal Kingdom trip report! For Animal Kingdom tips, check out the post below.
🔗 Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom tips
I hope my blog helps make your trip just a little more magical 💫 If you have any questions or want to know more, feel free to reach out through the contact page. Thanks for reading ❤
Dreamer
I've loved Disney and theme parks since I was a kid. Questions? Reach out through the contact page. Contact →
