Animal Kingdom Early Entry Strategy- Ride to Do First, Best Tips, Available Attractions

Disney World's Animal Kingdom combines thrilling attractions with incredible animal encounters and immersive landscapes inspired by nature and diverse cultures. This often underrated park is divided into distinct areas like Pandora – The World of Avatar, Africa, Asia, and the highly anticipated Tropical Americas land opening in 2027. Animal Kingdom offers a mix of adrenaline-pumping rides, such as Expedition Everest and Avatar Flight of Passage, and serene, educational experiences, like the Kilimanjaro Safaris. The park's commitment to conservation and environmental themes sets it apart, making it a must-visit for families and nature lovers alike.

To maximize your experience at Animal Kingdom, taking advantage of Early Theme Park Entry is key. This benefit, available to guests staying at Disney Resort hotels and select other accommodations, allows early entry into the park before it opens to the general public. During this time, guests can enjoy reduced wait times for popular attractions. Arriving early ensures that you can experience headliner rides like Avatar Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey in Pandora without the usual long lines. These attractions, especially Flight of Passage, are extremely popular and can have wait times exceeding an hour later in the day, so Early Entry gives you a head start.

We visit the Disney World parks monthly and have formulated the best strategies when it comes to early entry and maximizing your day at Disney World. Whether your focus is primarily on attractions, shows, or just enjoying the atmosphere, we'll share our best tips on getting the most out of your day at Animal Kingdom during Early Entry.

Who Has Access to Early Entry at Animal Kingdom?

Gaining Early Entry at Disney's Animal Kingdom is a fantastic way to start your day ahead of the crowds and maximize your time at the park. Early Entry is a special perk offered to guests staying at Disney Resort hotels and select other hotels, such as the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels and Shades of Green. This benefit allows eligible guests to enter any of the four Disney World theme parks during their stay, including Animal Kingdom, 30 minutes before the park opens to the general public. To take advantage of this, you’ll need to have a valid theme park admission ticket for Animal Kingdom on the day you plan to visit.

To gain Early Entry at Animal Kingdom, make sure you're staying at one of the participating hotels. I recommend checking the My Disney Experience app for the official park hours and early entry times, as they can vary depending on the day.

Arriving at the park entrance at least 30 minutes to an hour (depending on the crowd calendar) before the scheduled Early Entry time is essential to beat the rush and give you enough time to go through security and tap into the park as soon as it opens for early guests. By planning ahead and utilizing Early Entry, you'll be able to enjoy some of the most popular attractions, like Avatar Flight of Passage, with significantly reduced wait times, giving you more time to explore and enjoy the rest of your day at Animal Kingdom.

Which Animal Kingdom Rides are Open During Early Entry?

Animal Kingdom Early Entry Strategies and Tips

As previously mentioned, make sure you arrive to the gates of Animal Kingdom at least 30 minutes prior to the start of Early Entry. Lots of other Disney World hotel guests will be taking advantage of this perk, and therefore you'll want to arrive early in order to be one of the first inside the park. Also be sure that everyone in your party stays together at all times, because after you scan in with your park ticket, your party will need to check in with a Cast Member who will verify your Disney resort reservation along with the total number of people in your travel party. As long as everyone is listed on the hotel reservation, the Cast Member can scan one person's magic band or ticket to confirm the reservation and party size before entering the park. Although there aren't a large number of attractions at Animal Kingdom, Flight of Passage is one of the most popular rides at any Disney park. Therefore, I will guarantee that almost everyone that utilizes Early Entry will be making their way to Flight of Passage first, and I recommend that you do the same! Don't be discouraged if you see a huge crowd of people in line for Flight of Passage, as the line will move very fast and you will essentially “walk on” to the ride with no actual wait. I've often seen people get out of line too quickly when they see the wait time change to an hour or more while they are in line, but this sometimes happens when they anticipate that the wait time will jump to 60 minutes or more by the time the park officially opens. After experiencing Flight of Passage, I recommend taking a short walk over to Na'vi River Journey, which is another incredible Pandora attraction that often has a long wait time. Next, either head to Kilimanjaro Safaris or Expedition Everest depending on which level of thrill you are seeking. By hitting these attractions first, you will have a significant leg up on the rest of your day at Animal Kingdom. What If You Don't Want to Run to Flight of Passage? If navigating the rush to Flight of Passage doesn't sound appealing, I recommend instead going right to Expedition Everest. You could likely ride this attraction more than once during Early Entry and get your fill! But we really do think the best route of action is going right for Flight of Passage- it's worth it!

Lightning Lane vs. Early Entry

Depending on how busy the park is and what attractions and shows you want to prioritize, you may wish to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass in addition to taking advantage of Early Entry. Guests can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass in order to book return time windows for popular attractions where they will enter a much shorter line than the standby queue. Typically, Lightning Lane Multi Pass costs between $17 and $22 per person, or more if you choose to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass for multiple parks on the same day. Lightning Lane Multi Pass can be purchased for the following Animal Kingdom attractions and shows:

• DINOSAUR
• Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
• Feathered Friends in Flight!
• Festival of the Lion King
• Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
• Kali River Rapids
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Na'vi River Journey

If you'd prefer to make a Lightning Lane reservation for Flight of Passage, you must make a separate purchase of a Lightning Lane Single Pass, which is used for Disney World's most in-demand attractions. Guests can purchase up to two Lightning Lane Single Passes per day, but they must be used on different attractions. The Lightning Lane Single Pass for Flight of Passage usually costs between $11 and $17 per person. If you're looking to get the most out of your day, I almost always recommend purchasing Lightning Lane. Since Early Entry is only 30 minutes, by the time you finish experiencing Flight of Passage, the wait times will start to get higher. Furthermore, if you're planning on park hopping to other parks, it may be smart to purchase a Lightning Lane in order to experience everything before you move to the next park. Animal Kingdom opens and closes earlier than all of the other Disney World parks, so guests often start at Animal Kingdom when park hopping. Whether or not you choose to purchase a Lightning Lane, you can at a minimum, avoid having to pay for a Lightning Lane Single Pass for Flight of Passage by using Early Entry. For more tips on maximizing your day at Animal Kingdom, check out our top 10 time-saving tips and rope drop strategies for Animal Kingdom!

Read More Disney Planning Advice

For the best resource and helpful information for planning your Disney trip, make sure to subscribe to our FREE Deals newsletter​. We’ll provide you with helpful planning information, exclusive Disney deals, and access to the lowest-priced Disney tickets anywhere.