Crowd Level
low
Avg High
89°F
Avg Low
69°F
Rain Days
9 days
Pros
Reasons to visit in May
- ✓Kilimanjaro Safaris runs with shorter waits, and animals tend to be more active during the cooler early morning hours before the heat sets in.
- ✓Avatar Flight of Passage sees more manageable lines than during busier months, making a single Lightning Lane Single Pass purchase go further.
- ✓Discovery Island Trails and the shaded Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail are pleasant to walk without the peak-season shuffle of crowds.
- ✓Wilderness Explorers can be tackled at a relaxed pace across Africa and Asia without long waits at each badge station.
- ✓Kali River Rapids offers a genuinely refreshing break once the afternoon heat builds, without an all-day line to get on it.
Cons
Things to watch out for
- ✕Asia and Africa have almost no shade along the walking paths, and by midday the heat becomes genuinely uncomfortable.
- ✕Afternoon storms are common enough that outdoor shows like Feathered Friends in Flight! can be delayed or called off with little notice.
- ✕Kali River Rapids will soak you, and there's nowhere quick to dry off before the next humid, sweaty stretch of walking.
- ✕Mother's Day and Memorial Day weekends bring a noticeable crowd bump to Kilimanjaro Safaris and Pandora that the rest of May doesn't have.
- ✕Pandora's Na'vi River Journey queue has minimal shade, so a slow-moving line there feels much longer in the afternoon heat.
Pro tip
Ride Avatar Flight of Passage first, at rope drop, since even in a low-crowd month it's the one line that can build fast once the park opens. From there head straight to Kilimanjaro Safaris by 9am while temperatures are still bearable and the animals are more active. Save Kali River Rapids for after 1pm, when the afternoon heat makes getting wet feel like relief instead of a nuisance, then retreat indoors to Conservation Station exhibits like Animal Care at Conservation Station or Butterflies – Disney Animals during the worst of the midday sun. Aim to be done with outdoor trails like Maharajah Jungle Trek before storms typically roll in after 3pm.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Animal Kingdom in May
No ticketed events at Animal Kingdom in May.
That is usually good news — regular park hours, no early closures for a hard-ticket party. See what is running elsewhere at Walt Disney World.
Resort-wide dates
Must-Do Rides
View all rides →
Rides at Animal Kingdom
AttractionsWith no festival crowds to compete with this May, you can move through Animal Kingdom's lineup, from Pandora's Avatar Flight of Passage to the animal trails of Africa and Asia, at an easy pace.
Pandora – The World of Avatar
Asia
Africa
Pandora – The World of Avatar
Asia
Asia
Africa
Discovery Island
Discovery Island
Discovery Island
Conservation Station
Discovery Island
Conservation Station
Conservation Station
Discovery Island
Discovery Island
Africa
Africa
Conservation Station
Africa
Asia
Discovery Island
Africa
Discovery Island
Discovery Island
Discovery Island
Discovery Island
Africa
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