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Animal Kingdom Itinerary for Toddlers (1–3)

One-day plan: rope drop to close.

Updated

Your day at a glance

Rope drop

Rope drop (park open)

Rope drop: Kilimanjaro Safaris

Morning

Park open–noon

Kilimanjaro Safaris, Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (walk-through wildlife habitat)

Lunch

12:00–1:00pm

Pizzafari or Flame Tree Barbecue

Afternoon

1:00–5:00pm

Discovery Island Trails (animal habitats), Maharajah Jungle Trek (walk through tigers, deer, birds; no wait)

Dinner

6:00–7:00pm

Tusker House Restaurant (character dining with Donald, Daisy, and friends)

Evening

7:00–close

Tree of Life awakenings (short light projection show on the Tree of Life)

Rope drop: Kilimanjaro Safaris

Animals are most active at dawn. Rope drop for Kilimanjaro Safaris means seeing giraffes at the fence line and elephants in motion. The best Animal Kingdom experience for toddlers.

Morning plan

  1. 1Kilimanjaro Safaris
  2. 2Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (walk-through wildlife habitat)
  3. 3Na'vi River Journey (no height requirement, slow indoor boat ride; the standby line runs long, so use Lightning Lane)
  4. 4Zootopia: Better Zoogether! (gentle indoor show in the Tree of Life Theater)

Lunch

Pizzafari or Flame Tree Barbecue

Flame Tree Barbecue has the best outdoor seating in Animal Kingdom: beautiful pavilions overlooking Discovery River. Worth the walk to find the covered seating area.

Afternoon plan

  1. 1Discovery Island Trails (animal habitats)
  2. 2Maharajah Jungle Trek (walk through tigers, deer, birds; no wait)
  3. 3Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond! (Nemo show in indoor theater)
Pro tip: The walk-through animal trails are free, have no wait, and are fascinating for toddlers. They're the most underused attractions in Animal Kingdom.

Dinner

Tusker House Restaurant (character dining with Donald, Daisy, and friends)

Evening plan

  1. 1Tree of Life awakenings (short light projection show on the Tree of Life)
Animal Kingdom closes earlier than other parks, often at 6pm. The Tree of Life awakenings only run after dark, so they make a finale on dates when the park stays open past sunset; check the calendar for your date.

Lightning Lane priorities

  • 1.Avatar Flight of Passage (adults while a parent stays with toddler)
  • 2.Na'vi River Journey
Pro tip
Zootopia: Better Zoogether! is a gentle, fully indoor show in the Tree of Life Theater, with no startling effects, which makes it a dependable air-conditioned break for families with young kids.
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