Lodge on Disney property. Guests who stay at one of the Walt Disney World Resort's on-site hotels enjoy Extended Theme Park hours, also known as Extra Magic Hours. One of Disney World's four theme parks opens one hour early or stays operates up to three hours after closing time exclusively for Disney hotel guests. On days when Animal Kingdom offers Extra Magic Hours, park guests have more time to enjoy all that the Magic Kingdom has to offer. Guests lodging on Disney property can also take advantage of complimentary Disney transportation, which includes buses, monorail and boats.
Stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is nestled upon the 43-acre wildlife preserve offering guests the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the Animal Kingdom experience and enjoy the scenery before and after the park opens. Animal Kingdom Lodge is architecturally African, featuring thatched ceilings, large beams, hand-carved golden-tone furnishings, authentic African artifacts and a vast mud fireplace in the main lobby. The lodge's grounds are graced with thousands of indigenous African shrubs and grasses, including the copperpod, Africa's most recognized canopy tree. Perhaps best of all, guests can visit the lodge's Arusha Rock, an elevated rock platform, allows guests a close-up view of the landscape with its wildlife and vegetation. Guests with a taste for fine dining can dine at one of the lodge's two elegant restaurants, Jiko: The Cooking Place and Boma: Flavors of Africa.
Go to the kiosks to get ride reservations using Disney's Fastpass reservation system for DINOSAUR, Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids and Primeval Whirl. These rides, especially Dinosaur and Expedition Everest, are the most popular at Animal Kingdom and get the longest lines. The Fastpass system provides a reservation to guests to return to the selected ride and have a much shorter wait on line.
Get to the park as early as possible and ride Kilimanjaro Safaris because the animals are most active in the morning and tend to nap in the afternoon as the temperature rises.
Ride Expedition Everest, Disney's newest thrill ride at Animal Kingdom. It simulates a ride through Mount Everest and features the legendary Yeti.
Travel back in time on Dinosaur, a thrill ride which features time travel and animatronic dinosaurs.
Watch Festival of the Lion King, a musical based on the Disney film. It features comedy and is designed to appeal to the entire family.
