Nighttime spectaculars are a staple at Walt Disney World. Guests gather at the end of the day to enjoy a sparkling array of fireworks in the sky, animated projections, and a beautifully put together soundtrack. So this leads many questions to wonder, does Disney World's Animal Kingdom have fireworks?Â
While this is a common tradition at Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom and around World Showcase Lagoon in EPCOT, do fireworks shows take place at all four Walt Disney World theme parks? Currently, Hollywood Studios has the nighttime show, Fantasmic!. In the previous years, they’ve also had fireworks shows as well as projection shows.
So what about Animal Kingdom? Are you able to catch a nighttime spectacular at this park as well? That’s what we’re going to discuss today. As a frequent visitor of Walt Disney World who has visited Animal Kingdom many times, I understand why Guests would want a nighttime show to enjoy at this park. I’m going to go over what nighttime shows are currently available at Animal Kingdom as well as ones that we’ve seen in the past. Follow along to see what nighttime entertainment Animal Kingdom has to offer as well as information on fireworks shows there.
Free Walt Disney World Vacation Quote
Our favorite Disney-approved re-seller, Get Away Today, can get you a no obligation Disney World vacation quote for free! In addition to great discount prices, their customer service and easy support is absolutely fantastic. They have an entire department dedicated to making sure every order has a wonderful experience and they are on-call to help you during your vacation if you need them.
And at no additional charge, you get FREE concierge Walt Disney World services! These services include having Get Away Today's Walt Disney World expert Brooklyn take care of all your reservations and price monitoring for your trip. This really takes all the stress out of planning a Walt Disney World vacation. Rather than waking up at odd hours of the night to book all your reservations, why not let their travel agents take care of it for you- for free!
Get A Free Vacation Quote Now!
Does Animal Kingdom Have Fireworks?
In short, no, Animal Kingdom does not have a fireworks show. Actually, there has never been a fireworks show at this park. The main reasoning for this is due to the fact that Animal Kingdom is the home of many real-life animals. There are actually over 2,000 animals who live at this park.
However, there are other evening activities to take advantage of at Animal Kingdom and some are ones you shouldn't miss!
Why Fireworks Wouldn't Work
While many may argue that Animal Kingdom is the largest park at Disney World and therefore should have the space to successfully display a fireworks show, that’s just not the case. It is true that Animal Kingdom is the largest Disney World theme park, covering about 580 acres. However, this does not mean that there is a safe way to put on a fireworks show. The animals are spread out throughout the entire park. The loud and sudden noises of the fireworks would cause many animals to be scared and distressed.
Not only does Disney want to make sure they can keep the animals calm and comfortable, they also want them to be safe. Besides the fact that they could possibly get hurt during a panic from the fireworks, they could also accidentally be hurt by the fireworks. If debris from the fireworks fell into an animal’s habitat without a Cast Member’s knowledge, there’s a very real chance that it could harm the animal from the hit or by burning them. There’s also the possibility that an animal could find some debris and ingest it, resulting in illness.
Another reason that fireworks would not successfully work at Animal Kingdom is because of the plant life. Animal Kingdom is easily the most vegetated park at Disney World. Because of this, there is a very large fire risk when considering a fireworks show for Animal Kingdom. It’s simply not worth the risk to put the Guests, Cast Members, animals, or the park in general at risk of a fire.
Nighttime Shows at Animal Kingdom
There have been a couple nighttime shows that have taken place at Animal Kingdom in the past. Of course, none of these included fireworks or any other sort of pyrotechnics. Instead, these nighttime shows mostly included projections, water, live entertainment, and light.
All of the nighttime shows that have taken place at Animal Kingdom so far have been very short lived. This is partially because it’s very hard to put on a show after dark due to the fact that the park closes so early. Oftentimes, Animal Kingdom closes before the sun even goes down. Especially in the summer months when the sun goes down much later in the evening.
While many Guests speculate that the park closes due to lack of interest in the park later in the day, it’s more so due to the timing of animal care. The timing of the evening feedings as well as other care is a big reason why the park closes early. Many of the attractions at Animal Kingdom do include live animals. If the animals aren’t going to be available or visible for those attractions later in the evening, there’s no point in keeping the park open. Furthermore, since the Cast Members are getting the animals settled and ready for the night, it’s more ideal to get the park emptied out and quieted down for the animals.
Past Shows
The first planned nighttime show at Animal Kingdom was Rivers of Light. However, due to a delay in the show’s premier, Disney put together another nighttime show as a placeholder. This show was called The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic. This show took place on Discovery River. With the use of live performers, music, water visuals, and special effects, the story of The Jungle Book was presented to Guests in a beautiful way.
Once Rivers of Light was ready, The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic was no longer shown at the park. As you can guess from the name, Rivers of Light also took place on Discovery River. Rivers of Light was a beautiful show with an equally beautiful compilation of Disney music. The show included water visuals, lighting effects, lasers, light up animal floats, boats, and live entertainers. Later, this show was revamped and became Rivers of Light: We Are One. While the show had the same concept performance wise, there was a change in the visuals, music, and message of the show.
Animal Kingdom Nighttime Projection Shows
Besides the river shows, there have also been a few sets of projection shows that have taken place at Animal Kingdom. These projection displays have taken place on the 145 foot tall Tree of Life.
The most common projection show at Animal Kingdom is the Tree of Life Awakenings. Again, this show did not take place all year. It could only be seen when the park was open late enough into the evening to experience darkness. During the fall and winter months, though, the grand baobab tree was brought to life with a beautiful display of light, animations, and music.
Around the holidays, it is common for Animal Kingdom to bring a holiday version of this projection show. This show is properly called Tree of Life Awakenings Holiday Edition. During the holiday edition, Guests could enjoy animations of wildlife in a wintery habitat displayed on the beautiful Tree of Life. Something that the tree has surely never experienced in real life at its Orlando location!
Another projection show that has graced the Tree of Life was for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. During the celebration, park icons across all four theme parks were part of the Beacons of Magic show. During this light show, Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, The Hollywood Tower Hotel at Hollywood Studios, Spaceship Earth at EPCOT, and the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom all came to life through beautiful light sequences and projections.
After Dark Beauty at Animal Kingdom
Even though you can’t see fireworks at Animal Kingdom and there isn’t currently a nighttime spectacular for Guests to enjoy, there is one area of the park that becomes absolutely stunning when the sun goes down. This is at Pandora – The World of Avatar.
This land is filled with bioluminescent forests and walkways which allows the Guests to be fully immersed in glowing beauty. While the bioluminescent rainforest can be enjoyed at all times on the Na’Vi River Journey attraction, it’s not quite the same as exploring the land that shares the same beautiful characteristics.
What Nighttime Shows Are In Animal Kingdom's Future?
In regards to fireworks, I think it’s safe to say that’s something that we won’t ever be experiencing at Animal Kingdom. As far as other (animal safe) nighttime shows go, there are none that have been announced yet for Animal Kingdom’s future.
Since projection shows on the Tree of Life have been very common, that is a type of show that will most likely continue throughout the future of the park. As for actual nighttime spectaculars. it seems like Discovery River is the only area of the park that provides enough space for a full nighttime show at Animal Kingdom. Would you be interested in the park getting another river show to enjoy after dark?
Another nighttime show to consider at Animal Kingdom is a drone show. Drones have become very popular tools for nighttime shows at Disney Parks. Especially at Disneyland Paris and other international parks! Disney World is set to debut a drone show of its own at Disney Springs called Disney Dreams That Soar. This is a limited-time summer show that will take place above the West Side of Disney Springs from May 24th through September 2nd. Perhaps drones could be used to create a new, fun, and safe nighttime show for Animal Kingdom!
Plan Your Walt Disney World Vacation
To get a head start to planning your Disney vacation, subscribe to our FREE Deals newsletter. Here you will have access to useful planning information, exclusive Disney deals, and access to the lowest priced Disney tickets anywhere. Find more information on planning your vacation here:
- Best Magic Kingdom Rides
- What are the Best rides at EPCOT and Which Should You Skip?
- Best Hollywood Studios Rides
- Best Animal Kingdom Rides
- Best Months to Visit Walt Disney World
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Animal Kingdom have a nighttime show?
Currently, Animal Kingdom does not have a nighttime show. While Animal Kingdom never has a fireworks show, it has had other nighttime shows in the past. These shows include river shows and projection shows.
Does Animal Kingdom do a light show?
At the moment, a light show is not taking place at Animal Kingdom. However, this is very much do to the time of park closing. Animal Kingdom closes much earlier than the other Disney World parks and is currently closing before the sun sets. Due to this, a light show wouldn't be possible at this time. However, in the fall and winter months, it is very common for Animal Kingdom to do a projection show called the Tree of Life Awakenings. During the holidays, there is another version called the Tree of Life Awakenings Holiday Edition.
Can you see fireworks from Animal Kingdom Hotel?
No, you can not see fireworks from Animal Kingdom's hotel. Animal Kingdom, which is the closest park to Animal Kingdom Lodge, does not have a fireworks show. The other parks that do have fireworks shows aren't in close enough range to see them.
Which Disney World parks have fireworks?
The parks at Disney World that have fireworks are Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. Animal Kingdom never has a fireworks show due to the animals. Hollywood Studios sometimes has fireworks shows, but currently only has the nighttime show Fantasmic!.
Related Posts
Disclosure: We have used all the products recommended on Mickey Visit. We may receive compensation when you click on links to some products featured.
