Ultimate Guide to Park Changes at Animal Kingdom
We’ve known for a while that when Disney’s theme parks reopened, they would look different.
The leadership team has had to alter some parts of the park visit to make them safer for everyone. And now we know what’s different.
Here are the park changes you can expect at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
New Entry Location and Procedures
You’ll realize how much Animal Kingdom has changed before you ever enter the park.
Since Animal Kingdom’s debut in 1998, the security section has mostly remained the same…until now.
During the park closure, Imagineers razed the check-in area’s grounds, thereby solving a longstanding inconvenience.
The prior location for bag check caused a bottleneck due to its proximity to the admission gates.
Guests wound up too close together, which caused some tension before they entered Animal Kingdom.
The close location of the security section to the entrance areas also led to haphazard lines that confused guests about where to stand.
Now, Animal Kingdom’s bag check occurs before you reach this area. So, the instant you pass through security, you’ll have open space.
The downside is that you’ll have a longer walk to reach the admission section, but you’re plenty used to walking at Animal Kingdom, right?
Also, Disney has introduced a new kind of security system here. You don’t have to put anything down.
Instead, you walk through the security scanner. It recognizes when guests are carrying dangerous items.
So, you’ll have a much easier time navigating through baggage checks now.
I sincerely hope that Disney adopts this process at all its theme parks over the next few years.
It’s much more efficient and substantially less aggravating. Disney’s done something outstanding here.
Amenity and Show Changes
Okay, we knew that some changes were coming to the park due to the number of high-touch areas.
However, we didn’t learn about specifics until Animal Kingdom reopened.
Unsurprisingly, many of the changes occur at Pandora – The World of Avatar.
Imagineers built several distinctly Pandoran elements to appeal to children.
Sadly, many of them involve physical touch and are unsafe until Coronavirus becomes less of a factor.
So, Disney has disabled the drums in this area, among other things. This statement applies to the drums in the Africa themed land, too.
In fact, Disney has removed them entirely and has positioned a carver’s station here. The cast members here will create unique memorabilia for you.
The shows that you’d expect at Pandora and Africa are similarly unavailable right now
Disney doesn’t want anything that attracts large crowds, as those would force violations of social distancing policies.
As such, you won’t see a Pandoran mech or an African band at the park anytime soon. Similarly, the recent Bollywood show is on hiatus.
My Disney Experience will display a list of the shows that are running at Animal Kingdom. So, I’d advise you to check them.
After all, by the time you read this, some of them might have returned.
On the other hand, some shows are running, albeit in different forms. Disney remains in a dispute with some of its unions.
For this reason, some actors are currently unavailable.
For the time being, the bird show won’t feature its Up tie-in. Instead, bird experts at Animal Kingdom will host the event.
You may notice small hiccups like this during your park visit. They actually add a bit of novelty to an Animal Kingdom trip.
Surprise Character Appearances
Animal Kingdom has also stopped its character meetings for now. However, this decision comes with a fringe benefit.
You may not have noticed it, but you frequently walk across bridges at the park.
Beneath some of the bridges are rivers, and Disney’s using them brilliantly during the pandemic.
The characters that you’ve come to expect at Animal Kingdom will sometimes appear in a new spot.
When you hear a sound, you’re receiving a notification that a motorboat will sail by you soon.
Stop what you’re doing and look at the water!
The displaced Disney characters are riding on this boat!
You’ll see Mickey and Minnie Mouse in their Tusker House outfits. Or maybe Chip and Dale will appear in their Dinosaur costumes!
Some rare characters like Launchpad McQuack even sail down the rivers of Animal Kingdom.
So, you should always be on the lookout for boats. They’re this park’s equivalent of Cavalcades, miniature shows that will entertain you.
Also, these riverboats are the only ones you’ll notice at Animal Kingdom. The park has officially canceled Rivers of Light, its failed nighttime presentation.
Attraction Modifications
Okay, attraction modifications are plentiful.
Some of them involve pre-show queues, while others occur during the attractions.
For example, Avatar Flight of Passage IS running…and it’s had some of its shortest lines ever.
People are riding Avatar Flight of Passage three or four times in an hour, just to say that they did.
However, the pre-show is different. Disney has combined the two introductory scenes into a single offering for now.
You basically start in the outside lobby for the ride. Once you’re inside, you will have socially distancing away from other park guests.
Still, space is tight in the actual ride room. If you feel unsafe, cast members will happily work with you to seat you during the next showing.
Since lines are so small at the moment, this sort of thoughtful hospitality is possible. Don’t be afraid to ask for it!
On Kilimanjaro Safaris, Disney has implemented a mask-free policy during the attraction.
The oversized Jeeps also have added barriers between the rows. So, Disney maintains more significant throughput on the rides while guests feel safe.
Please be aware that the covers have slight gaps at the bottom. If this aspect concerns you, wear your mask during the ride.
Also, you may want to request that nobody sit in the row in front or behind you.
If cast members can’t accommodate the request, they may seat you in the next Jeep’s front or back row instead.
Finally, you should know that Primeval Whirl has finally given up the ghost at DinoLand, USA. Park officials have removed it from the official map.
In truth, DinoLand, as a whole, is something of a ghost town right now. Many of the elements here are interactive.
So, Disney had to close them. If the company had more money, this would be the perfect time to re-theme DinoLand as rumored.
Alas, the budget’s too tight for a significant overhaul. Instead, for the time being, DinoLand is basically DINOSAUR and a few stores/restaurants.
Restaurant and Bar Closures
Speaking of which, some Animal Kingdom restaurants and bars haven’t reopened with the park.
Since capacity will remain low during the pandemic, Disney doesn’t have enough mouths to feed.
The company would act foolishly by operating its regular number of restaurants without having an equivalent number of customers.
Staples like Pizzafari aren’t open and likely will remain closed for a while.
Similarly, the Tusker House buffet is unavailable. Restaurant managers have reopened a couple of buffets as family-style services instead.
However, with occupancy so low, Tusker House isn’t a need at Animal Kingdom.
Dawa Bar, the neighbor of Tusker House, isn’t open, either. You may notice some guests sitting at the tables, though.
Enterprising customers from Tamu Tamu are walking over here to sit down and eat.
This strategy is especially smart now that Disney has tightened its face mask policy.
Previously, guests who had food or beverages could take off their masks and walk through the parks.
However, the new policy disallows this practice. Instead, guests may only remove their masks when they’re stationary or sitting at a restaurant table.
Ergo, any closed restaurant with outdoor seating becomes a place to target when you want to grab a snack or meal.
Overall, the changes at Animal Kingdom are what you’d expect from Disney. They’re smart and efficient.
I especially hope that the character floats become a staple of Animal Kingdom for years to come.
Feature Image Rights: Disney