Animal Kingdom

Walt Disney World Touring Plans: Animal Kingdom updated with Genie+

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Please note: Walt Disney World operations continue to be in a state of flux. For recommendations about visiting Walt Disney World right now please visit WDW Prep School.

Although a visit to Walt Disney World is a vacation, it’s like no other vacation you’ve ever taken. Considering the expense, the last thing you want to do is spend your days waiting in lines. Having a solid touring plan for each park is a must. That way you can prioritize your “must sees” and get the most bang for your buck.

That said, if you are someone who likes to go with the flow and be more casual about planning, Disney’s new free Genie tool will help. Or you can use the excellent TouringPlans system which costs $18 for full features for a year. In essence for either system you put in your “to do” list and it optimizes your plans based on walking, wait times, and real time crowds. I seriously cannot endorse TouringPlans enough and wouldn’t go on a Walt Disney World trip without it. Their app’s wait time accuracy is unmatched, whereas Disney’s free wait time system is often wrong.

Generally, avoid lines means arriving at the parks early. Being there at park opening aka “rope drop” allows you to squeeze in some top attractions before lines build. Conversely, you can usually get on some high demand rides with minimal wait very late in the day right before closing, or during fireworks presentations. These tactics are tried and true regardless of what system is currently in place for Disney park guests. Please note that many parks open upwards of 45 minutes ahead of the posted time, and if you stay on property you can enjoy an additional half hour early entry to any park each day. That means an even more early arrival (I know, groan).

Animal Kingdom is probably my least favorite park. And that’s not to say it’s bad – it isn’t. It’s just an entirely different sort of experience. The highlights here are live animals, not rides. And the lush vegetation makes the park the hottest of the four. It also can make it extremely confusing to navigate. I’ve gotten lost in the park more times than I can count.

There are only a few attractions that garner a long wait here. They are:

  • Kilimanjaro Safaris
  • Expedition Everest
  • Avatar Flight of Passage
  • Na’vi River Journey
  • Dinosaur

In my opinion you have two options at rope drope. One option is to head directly back to Kilamanjaro Safaris, which is a great idea since being one of the first vehicles through in the day pretty much gaurantees a very close animal encounter. On last visit we were stopped for quite a while because a giraffe was blocking the way. So fun.

The second option is to head directly to the Pandora area and ride either Avatar Flight of Passage or Na’vi River Journey. This was very new at last visit and I was unable to ride Flight of Passage as a result. The Na’vi River Journey was a very cool spectacle.

Included in the $15 per person per day Genie+ System is:

  • Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King
  • DINOSAUR
  • Feathered Friends in Flight!
  • It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
  • Kali River Rapids
  • Kilimanjaro Safaris
  • Naʻvi River Journey
  • The Animation Experience

The two top tier attractions not included in the pass, but instead will have a one off fee are:

  • Avatar: Flight of Passage
  • Expedition Everest

My initial reaction is to spring for the surge pricing on Avatar: Flight of Passage, and take your chances with the rest. It’s also noteworthy to mention that Expedition Everest offers a single rider line, which if you are willing to ride alone can significantly shorten your wait time on this ride.

One thing that’s nice about Animal Kingdom is that it is more at your own pace. Much of what do here is seeing the animals themselves. I would advise seeing what you can early or later in the day. At peak heat the animals are smartly napping. Don’t forget about the excellent shows here as well.

Full attraction roundup:

  • Kilamanjaro Safaris – Go out in an open air animal safari in a Jeep. Best done in the morning when animals are most active.
  • Gorilla Walk
  • Bird Walk
  • Tiger Walk
  • Na’Vi River Journey – boat ride through Pandora at night
  • Avatar: Flight of Passage – mild thrill ride
  • Take time to explore the interactive features of Pandora – touch the plants.
  • Expedition Everest
  • Kali River Rapids
  • Triceratops Spin – Circular flying dinosaur
  • It’s Tough to Be a Bug – 4D show with 3D glasses in the Tree of Life
  • If you have time: Rafiki’s Planet Watch – barnyard petting zoo – train to it and back – easily an hour long excursion

Shows:

  • The Lion King – Amazing musical production – do not miss. Shoot for a later in the day show.
  • Nemo the Musical – Closed. To be replaced with a new Nemo themed show.
  • Feathered Friends in Flight – A fun bird show (birds often flight overhead)

Adding Magical Experiences: Character Meals at Walt Disney World

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Please note: That as of writing character meals are being offered in a limited capacity and are not running in a “normal” fashion. This post is created to help future visitors make informed planning decisions.

One of the best upgraded experiences you can have at Walt Disney World resorts are Character Meals, and no, they aren’t just for kids! Adults enjoy them too. Why would you want to have a character meal?

  1. Save time. Waiting in line for character meet and greets eats up valuable park time. With character dining, the characters come to you! They rotate around the room to each table while you dine. Talk about convenient!
  2. Certain characters can only be experienced via meals.
  3. Character meals are available outside the parks and even at select off property locations, making it a great activity on a non-park day.
  4. Character dining food is consistently good. Meals offered via character experiences are truly great, with some food only accessible via character meal. And who doesn’t like Mickey waffles?

I’m only going to highlight a few of my favorites here. For a great overview and the most up to date information about all Character Meals visit this comprehensive listing at the Disney Food Blog.

Breakfast

Breakfast has the most available options by far when it comes to character dining. We have done three breakfast options – ‘Ohana at the Polynesian Resort, the Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club, and Trattoria al Forno in the Boardwalk. Note that none of these places are inside the parks! That’s by design. Why waste precious morning park time eating, when you can get on most rides?

Each experience was entirely different and unique.

‘Ohana as the name suggests offers a Hawaiian experience with delicious exotic fruits. Characters you encounter include Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto. We chose this breakfast because we wanted an excuse to go to the Polynesian, and had heard of the fantastic food. This is a pricier restaurant and thus breakfast was a more reasonable option for us. Unfortunately, recent reports are that the service and especially food quality have slipped here. I hope they improve soon. The food here is served as much as you wish to your table.

The breakfast buffet available at the Cape May Cafe was much more classic in nature including the legendary Mickey waffles. Characters that join you there (complete with adorable beach gear) are the classic characters Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Daisy Duck and Donald Duck. We probably had the most character encounter time at this location with multiple visits by each one.

The Bon Voyage Breakfast at Trattoria al Forno was just starting to be offered at our last visit, and the quality of service and food was spotty. The food offerings which were more brunch in nature, were interesting and different from the norm. It was a prix fixe meal with a few options.The reason we chose this meal is because the characters present are Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder and Ariel and Eric. Flynn was an especially fun encounter. I’m not sure we would go running back, but I would definitely give it another chance considering they have a few years of experience now under their belt.

I would be remiss without mentioning the two most popular character breakfast options Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto, and Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom featuring Ariel, Belle, Princess Aurora, Jasmine, Snow White and of course Cinderella. Both offer more classic breakfast fare. I have not been to either but I hear Chef Mickey’s can be a bit loud.

Before the shutdown, Disney was beginning to offer some early morning breakfast package options that included early access to the parks or even a no wait access to certain rides. Depending on the price this could be a good value. If memory serves venues included Crystal Palace and Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom, Garden Grill and Akershus House in EPCOT, Tusker House in Animal Kingdom and Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios. Tusker House especially has historically been a sort of “hack” to access Animal Kingdom early before opening. Same for Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom. Something to watch for when character meals fully return.

Lunch

For lunch we’ve done two character meals Akershus House and Tusker House.

Akershus House in Norway Pavilion in EPCOT offers Norwegian food for lunch (they also have a breakfast buffet with more standard fare). Because of this, it’s less popular for lunch, but my adventurous eater didn’t mind one bit. Lots of seafood offerings. This location features what I call Princess Palooza including Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Princess Aurora, Ariel, Mary Poppins, and Jasmine. Eating in this unique location was a delight for my then four year old and she participated in a restaurant mini parade in her dress with the princesses. Really good memories. We chose a late lunch slot which worked for a great mid-day break in the air conditioning, and if memory serves lead right into a long toddler nap while we pushed her in the stroller around World Showcase. Win!

We’ve eaten at Tusker House in the Animal Kingdom twice, and I would eat there again. The first time we did, we were childless, but the food, along with priority Lion King seating, enticed us. We were not disappointed. It’s a buffet featuring amazing dishes from the African continent. The second time we went with our daughter and it was just as good as we remembered. That time we got River of Light show priority seating. Both times we were visited by Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, and Minnie Mouse in their safari gear.

The only other truly noteworthy lunch character experience is the Garden Grill in EPCOT featuring Chip and Dale, Mickey and Pluto. Chip and Dale I hear are especially a hoot. I also hear good things about the food which is served family style to your table. But the coolest thing about this location is that the restaurant itself rotates! You are on the move, slowly, and can enjoy different views of the Living with the Land attraction. It’s on my to do list for sure.

Dinner

We have never done character dinner for a few reasons namely cost, but also this leads into another prime park time, and thus not a great option. Much of what is offered for dinner is similar to what is offered for lunch, just more expensive. One notable exception is the Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare which is supposed to be amazing. Excellent buffet offering featuring Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine (the Wicked Stepmother), Anastasia and Drizella (Cinderella’s Stepsisters). The villain component is what is most appealing here and makes for a great experience. It’s on my bucket list.

Another unique character offering for dinner is Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Dopey, Grumpy and the Evil Queen also make an appearance.

As you can see, no matter what character or cuisine you like, there is something for everyone in character dining. I’d recommend at least one character dining experience each visit. Enjoy!

Beyond Rides: Walt Disney World Entertainment Offerings Part 2

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Yesterday I discussed how devastating the pandemic was for Walt Disney World park entertainment. Massive layoffs, and safety requirements have resulted in an uneven and stilted park experience. I touched on each park’s signature events as well as character experiences. Today I want to talk about the rest of the park offerings – parades and other shows.

Parades

Parades have become another victim of the pandemic in the world of Disney and in this case, I believe its more of a business decision, than a safety one. As I noted above, some of the evening shows have returned, but the parades haven’t. Why? Probably because parades require a lot of entertainment staff to run.

Magic Kingdom

In Magic Kingdom there were a few regular parades. The first was Festival of Fantasy which was a spectacular, puppet based parade with dancing and was an absolute fan favorite. I continue to hear grumblings from guests wondering when it will return. I agree, it would be a shame to see this parade be a victim of the pandemic or budget cuts. It was amazing with excellent costumes and choreography. Will it return? Time will tell.

The second most famous parade at Magic Kingdom was a nighttime light show parade. Originally it was the Main Street Electrical Parade, and then later with updated equipment SpectroMagic! It was a stellar and dazzling show which last ran in 2016, and I’m glad I got to see it. There is a lot of speculation about a return to a nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom, but taking a purely business view there is no argument for it since the park is already packed for the end of day fireworks display. I think this may be a case of it being lost to Disney history.

The last genre of parades at Magic Kingdom generally fall into what I would call a generic character parade. Basically the main goal being that guests see as many characters as possible, with some not even offering meet and greets in the parks. I would bet my house this type of parade returns. How TBD, but there are a few ideas. In the past, one format was a dance party format where the characters actually stopped and guests could dance with them. We did this with my daughter and it was an absolute delight. This is a simple endeavor and likely a less expensive option. The second is along the lines of Celebrate a Dream Come True, which was a float based character parade with a uniting theme. This did incorporate more fanfare and dancers than the simple dance party parade, so it may be a delayed endeavor. The existence of these parades seems directly coupled with minor classic character based shows that pop up in front of the castle throughout the day in Magic Kingdom, as I think they use the same cast members to run. My best guess is they will both return in Spring of 2022 likely with a 50th Anniversary theme.

One more add to parades in Magic Kingdom are the seasonal offering parades which are part of their after hour special events. These parades are Halloween and Christmas themed respectively, and are returning this year for their events.

EPCOT

EPCOT has not had a parade for many years, and I don’t anticipate one returning. EPCOT is currently undergoing a several year make over however, so I suppose anything is possible.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom has not had a parade since 2014 when it retired Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade. This parade was a festive one that was based around puppets and percussion. It was enjoyable. However, the park is very narrow and basically shut down traffic for the whole park during the parade. I don’t foresee any sort of parade element returning to this park.

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios has never really been known for its parades. There have been a few show lived ones over the years to highlight the popular thing at the time like Frozen or Star Wars. The longest lived most recent parade was Stars and Motor Cars, a character focused parade that was revamped a few times for anniversary celebrations. I don’t anticipate any new parades for this park unless again it’s a marketing focused highlight.

Other shows

My last category here are other shows in the parks. Some are fan favorites, and are do not miss. Others are more focused on your specific tastes and age.

Magic Kingdom

Mickey’s Philharmagic is a 3D interactive movie. And it’s here to stay as it just underwent a recent update that included music from the movie Coco. There are a few other “shows” that consist of animatronic characters and to my knowledge all are open including the classic Tiki Room, Country Bear Jamboree and the Hall of Presidents with the recent inclusion of President Joe Biden.

I mentioned earlier about short daytime character based shows in front of the castle. These are still suspended as far as I can tell, but I would expect them to return.

Enchanted Tales with Belle is an audience interactive show that is a must for any Belle fan. It is currently shut down, and because of the nature of the show I don’t anticipate it opening until Spring 2022 at the earliest.

Lastly, The Dapper Dans, a barbershop quartet can be seen wandering Main Street USA. They are a Disney fan favorite.

EPCOT

The entertainment charm of EPCOT for me is the various cultural shows in World Showcase including bellydancers, drummers and acrobats. At writing, some are performing and others have yet to return. The Music of Mexico, Matsuriza (Japanese drumming) are currently available as well as the excellent Voices of Liberty in the American Pavilion. I have heard rumors that much of the international performers and cast members have not been able to come to or remain in the United States due to the pandemic. For me, as an epic EPCOT fan, this is a huge highlight of any trip and a true loss. I hope this is resolved and these cast members return soon.

Finally, American Experience is another one of those animatronic shows, as is The Carousel of Progress. Both are operating. Neither is a must, but both provide a good place to take a break in air conditioning.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom has several shows, some of which are open. A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King has re-opened and is a must see. Sadly, I watched the premier and many of the original elements that required specialized talents are missing including the acrobatic monkeys and the flying element of the birds. I suspect budget cuts, but I hope this is a temporary change. Still an excellent show to watch.

Finding Nemo The Musical an excellent production with puppets and original score remains closed. I was sad to learn that it will not be returning. However, my mood brightened when I learned they intend to revamp it. My best guess? Much of the cast was original from when it premiered and they will be replaced, instead opting for a whole new cast and show that incorporates elements from Finding Dory. Premier date TBD.

Feathered Friends in Flight! is an educational and entertaining bird show. Many skip this but it’s something, in its older iterations, that my family has always enjoyed. It runs a few times during the day and is open.

I already mentioned the new kite show called Disney KiteTails! that is open but experiencing multiple issues at the moment. It’s a brief 10 minutes and may make for a good mid-day break, though I don’t recall much shade there and it could be very hot.

Lastly the Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe are always great. I don’t see evidence of them on the Disney website, so at writing they don’t seem to present. I hope they return.

Hollywood Studios

Beauty and the Beast Live! on Stage is a fan favorite and recently returned to Hollywood Studios. As has the comical and entertaining For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-a-long Celebration. I would recommend seeing both unless you aren’t a princess fan.

For those with little ones, Disney Junior show is occurring multiple times a day with an emphasis on dancing with characters.

Voyage of the Little Mermaid was a puppet based and live action experience. It has its fans, but has become quite dated over the years and I don’t anticipate it opening again.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is just as described, and a lot of fun, but currently remains closed. It has been reported that the cast has been called back and there is an anticipated opening in late 2021.

TL/DR

In all, although more is opening, there is still a lot missing from the Walt Disney World Parks in the entertainment category including two end of day shows and most character experiences. For me, it’s enough to hold out visiting until things return to “normal” and hope that the parks don’t permanently close some of my favorites.

Beyond Rides: Walt Disney World Entertainment Part 1

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One of the most difficult things during the pandemic park re-opening is the lack of entertainment offerings. Some of it is practical, for safety measures. Others seem to be offline indefinitely due to business decisions. There were massive layoffs during the park shutdown and they have not brought back many of the cast members. For this reason, I would caution against a park visit at this time until at least more of these offerings have returned. Here are some of my favorite entertainment highlights and their current or predicted status in each park.

Character Experiences

Character meet and greets as well as character dining have been suspended. This to me is one of the most heartbreaking park casualties of the pandemic. Character experiences are some my most treasured memories and I honestly can’t imagine a trip without them. From my daughter comparing her wings to Tink’s, to a restaurant wide Princess parade these are some of my most magical park moments.

What Disney has offered instead is a sort of socially distanced wave scenario from balconies as well as character cavalcades, basically a small parade where characters walk down the street. They are brief with little fanfare. Good in a pinch, but not exactly an adequate replacement.

It’s not a matter of if, but when these experiences will return. At writing, the virus has mercifully begun to wain and I am optimistic for a return of character interaction in the Spring of 2022.

Signature Shows

Each park has and end of day nighttime spectacular to cap off your visit. Each is unique from display to medium, making each one a must see.

Magic Kingdom

In Magic Kingdom there is the fireworks at the castle. On October 1, 2021 Walt Disney World premiered their new 50th Anniversary Celebration fireworks show called Disney Enchantment. Using a number of projections on the castle and surrounding spires, as well as Main Street USA buildings, the show combines music, pyrotechnics and images to dazzle crowds. Die hard Disney fans have given the new show a mixed review, with many citing that a historical celebration should give a nod to Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse – neither of whom appear in the show – but I think most guests will enjoy the display. This show will presumably be in place for 18 months during the 50th Anniversary Celebration which places it all the way through 2023.

EPCOT

In EPCOT, they launched a soft opening of a new nighttime spectacular called HarmoniUS that takes place in the World Showcase Lagoon. Reception to this show has been universally warm, and having watched the live stream myself it is indeed, impressive. The show uses large floating barges with LED screens and fountains, along with pyrotechnics and music to celebrate all the cultures and continents in the World Showcase. In my humble opinion, it is a worthy replacement to the much beloved IllumiNations show.

Animal Kingdom

In Animal Kingdom, Rivers of Light is a nighttime show also on water using a series of boats, and fountains that are utilized as screens. Combining lights and music it’s truly a spectacular display that I saw myself and loved it. This show has not returned since re-opening however, and it was recently announced it is being discontinued. My best guess is there is a new show in development, unless Disney has entirely given up on their nighttime experiment at Animal Kingdom that seemed to have never really taken off. In the meantime, they are offering guests a short ten minute daytime kite based show in the same venue called Disney KiteTails for the 50th Anniversary Celebration. Unfortunately, the show is off to a rocky start with kite entanglements and wave runner accidents. Watch this space. At writing there is no evening show at Animal Kingdom.

Hollywood Studios

Which brings me to the final park, Hollywood Studios. On our last visit Hollywood Studios was offering not just one, but two separate nighttime shows. The first is Fantasmic, which was really Walt Disney World’s first attempt of combining water and storytelling. It’s a Disney classic and remained in high demand ever since its premiere in 1998. This makes it the most dated of all the nighttime shows. Since it is not expected to return until 2022 at the earliest, I think it’s safe to say it will return with some updates, if it returns at all. Seems logical after this prolonged, multi-year shutdown to re-imagine the show into something else that better reflects the direction that the park is now going, which was entirely different in 1998.

The second show was a pyrotechnic spectacular with projections on the Chinese Theater that was Star Wars themed. This was always intended to be a short lived show, but I’m glad I got to see it. The new pyrotechnic show is entitled Wonderful World of Animation which premiered in 2019 and returned in August 2021. It combines animation from both Disney and Pixar with music and pyrotechnics.

Tomorrow I will continue this discussion including parades and other shows.