I’m planning for a group of adults going to Animal Kingdom for the first time, and we’re only going there for my one friend who’s obsessed with animals in general, and Lion King is her favourite Disney movie. So I’m trying to prioritize things she wants to see, with lots of time to wander and look at the animals, but still get in the highlights for everyone else.
I wasn’t able to get fastpasses for the Avatar ride, unfortunately. The touring plan optimizer seems to be suggesting a 123-minute wait time for if, even if we go right at 9am?!
This depends what you mean by “go right at 9am.”
If you get in line at 9am to enter the park, you’ll be waiting like everyone else and wondering why there’s so many people there ahead of you.
If you get to the park and in line at 8am to enter the park, like the people who really wanna do FOP without a two hour wait, you could probably cut your wait to an hour.
For a first time ride of FOP, I could say an hour would be worth it. 2 Hours? Not a chance (imo.)
If I were you, I’d think about getting to the park at 7:45am.
OR…
Modifying Fastpasses when you get there, even if it means splitting the group, and madly checking for same day fastpasses.
You could also Rope Drop Everest, and probably ride it 2 x with no wait. Or Rope Drop the safari, and then modify in hope of a FOP - it can be done. I’m living proof.
Can anyone chime in with ROL crowds? Is a FP needed? Are same day ROL FP easy, like Fantasmic? That last FP for ROL is gonna throw a wrench in the plans for hunting down an FOP while at the park.
We’re not all going to want to go on the Everest roller coaster, so I might let the fastpasses go and send them in the single rider line. The Disney website is driving me nuts - it looks like I can’t even check to see if any Avatar Fastpasses have become available when I already have three sets of fastpasses for that day.
This might just be me, but I waited in line for Flight of Passage for two hours, and still thought it was amazing. Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest are tied for my two favorite rides in all of WDW. The queue is really detailed and cool looking.
My parents didn’t listen to me, arrived at 8.30 and waited 3 hours. They said it was worth it, and did it again another day! Arrived the same time, waited just as long, and then left as it was a non-park day!!
Based on the experience of my friend and another liner who just did a trip report recently. (forgot who! Sorry!) Your best bet is taking lyft or driving to the park. Even going on the first resort bus puts you behind enough people to make for a long wait.
Doing the Safari at the hottest part of the day = animals least active
Using up a FP+ for Rivers of Light (RoL) = can’t use extra FPs, later in the day
Now unfortunately, Tusker House is already full at Breakfast. Normally, I tell people to do the Rivers of Light Dining Package with an 8am Tusker House Breakfast because:
A) it’s the cheapest package option
B) Reserved seat for RoL
C) If you are willing to forego some of the character interactions, you can be out of there by 8:30 and hoof it to Pandora and get ahead of the Rope-Drop crowd.
So, here’s two options - the first has you rope-dropping the Safari and going to Tusker House for lunch as part of the RoL Package, which yes is pricier than your Harambe Lunch, but does guarantee you a seat the late RoL show. I also subbed in Navi River Journey for UP!, which I feel is one the worst uses of time at WDW, but if your heart is set on it, use the Navi FP for that instead, which will open up additional FP options lates (Tough to be a bug, Dinosaur etc) - Disney and Universal Touring Plans
The second option also rope drops Safari, keeps your meal times and locations similar, but has you going to the early RoL, and then getting in to the Avatar line just before closing. It also keeps all the attractions from your plan, but adds Navi, Divine, and the Tree of Life Awakening- https://touringplans.com/plans/print?id=3461473
Oh, will it actually be THAT hot during the day in February? That detail about the safar hadn’t crossed my mind!
If we’re in line for Avatar before closing, will they finish the lineup before they kick us out of the park? I actually really like that second option! Thanks for taking the time do do that.
Always do the Safari before 10am, OR later in the day ( 0-1.5 hours before sunset). It’s not only the heat, it’s position of the sun that influences most of the animals activity.
Yes, as long as you are in queue by closing time
The second you tap into Navi, you are eligible for another fast pass, so you may really luck out and get a 6:50 - 7:50 one for Avatar
Unless your friend really loves birds, skip UP! and do Tough to be a Bug or Dinosaur instead.
If you don’t obtain a FP for Flight of Passage, you can try to “rope drop” it (see video: Riding Flight of Passage with No Wait - YouTube) or you can get in line for it just a few minutes before park closing time. As long as you are in line before park close, they will keep the ride going until you get to ride. My 16yo son and I rope dropped FOP in October, and we were done with the ride five minutes after the park opened.
My other bit of advice: the UP Bird show is absolutely awful. I love to ride every ride and watch every single show… but this show was horrible. If we hadn’t been sitting in the middle of the row, we would have left. Zzzzzz…
I actually was able to improve on that second option, which has you going straight to Navi after your lunch, and moved your early afternoon order around. A little bit more walking, but now you have a boatload of free time around dinner. So adding Bug, or Dinosaur, or Wilderness Explorers is easily possible (or playtime in the Boneyard if you have younger kids with you), and same-day FP+ should be available after you tap into Navi. Disney and Universal Touring Plans
