The day before Thanksgiving, our family visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, along with what felt like millions of our new ‘closest’ friends. Like so many others, our kids were out of school that week.
We wanted to maximize our time and get ahead of the crowds as much as possible.
I chatted about the trip with Sami Cone a month before at the Relevant Conference and she suggested 4 must-see attractions and how I should fit them in:
1. Go to Kilamanjaro Safaris and either ride it then or get a Fast Pass.
2. Watch the Festival of the Lion King show.
3. Go to Expedition Everest and either ride it then or get a Fast Pass.
4. Watch the Finding Nemo- The Musical.
We followed her advice, made a few minor adjustments and really had a blast.
By the end of our adventure, we experienced the Kilamanjaro Safaris with no wait, enjoyed a high energy performance of the Festival of the Lion King, shot through Expedition Everest, got totally soaked on Kali River Rapids, ate lunch at Yak & Yeti, loved Finding Nemo- The Musical, explored The Boneyard, a fantastic playground with best sand pit we’ve ever seen (no sticky sand!!), were amazed by birds in Flights of Wonder, waved to some of our favorite characters Mickey’s Jungle Jungle Parade, took the Wildlife Express Train to visit Affection Section (a petting zoo) and Conservation Station (and bumped into some neighbors from home!!) enjoyed a barbecue dinner, pretended to be bugs while watching “It’s Tough to be a Bug,” twirled through Primeval Whirl, played carnival-style games and rode TriceraTop Spin in Dino-Land, and conquered Expedition Everest one more time (this time in the dark!!) before making our way ‘home’ for the night.
We had a little extra time in the park due to Extra Magic Hours just for resort guests, but that didn’t kick in until after dinner. Even without the extra time, we still got to see even more than was on our must-see list.
How did we do it? Check back tomorrow for our tips on fitting in the best of a day at the Disney parks. My tips will help you get the most out of any Disney Park, especially during the busier times.
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