Animal Kingdom Itinerary for Tweens (10–12)

One-day plan: rope drop to close.

Updated

Your day at a glance

Rope drop

Rope drop (park open)

Rope drop: Avatar Flight of Passage

Morning

Park open–noon

Avatar Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest (ride it twice in the morning, when the posted wait is usually 5 to 10 minutes)

Lunch

12:00–1:00pm

Satu'li Canteen

Afternoon

1:00–5:00pm

Kali River Rapids (team soaking mission), Festival of the Lion King

Dinner

6:00–7:00pm

Yak & Yeti Restaurant or Tiffins

Evening

7:00–close

Expedition Everest second ride at dusk

Rope drop: Avatar Flight of Passage

Flight of Passage is the headline experience, and it is also where every rope-drop crowd goes first: over summer 2026 its posted wait in the first hour was a median 55 minutes. Get there at park open, or buy its Single Pass in advance and rope drop Expedition Everest instead.

Morning plan

  1. 1Avatar Flight of Passage
  2. 2Expedition Everest (ride it twice in the morning, when the posted wait is usually 5 to 10 minutes)
  3. 3Kilimanjaro Safaris
  4. 4Na'vi River Journey

Lunch

Satu'li Canteen

Tweens old enough to appreciate interesting food will love Pandora's food options: build-your-own grain bowls, and the cheeseburger steamed pod for picky eaters.

Afternoon plan

  1. 1Kali River Rapids (team soaking mission)
  2. 2Festival of the Lion King
  3. 3Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (they like the gorillas more than they expect)
Pro tip: Tweens tend to underestimate Kilimanjaro Safaris. A good safari guide and active animals change minds instantly. Time it well.

Dinner

Yak & Yeti Restaurant or Tiffins

Evening plan

  1. 1Expedition Everest second ride at dusk
  2. 2Avatar Flight of Passage if waits drop in the evening
  3. 3Tree of Life awakenings at park close
Animal Kingdom closes earlier than other parks. Build in time for the finale well before close.

Lightning Lane priorities

  • 1.Avatar Flight of Passage
  • 2.Expedition Everest
Pro tip
Kilimanjaro Safaris is best early, when the animals are most active. Every row of the truck is open-sided, so if your tween wants photos, an outside seat on either side beats the middle.
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