What The Heck Is Going On With Animal Kingdom Park Hours? (April UPDATE)
Recently, we’ve been hearing from readers trying to plan summer Walt Disney World vacations, who are concerned about the published hours for Animal Kingdom. Currently, the park has closing times as early as 6 p.m. on nights Rivers of Light will run. Judging by emails we’ve received, social media, and random comments on totally unrelated posts left on the Disney Parks Blog (I suspect the moderators of those comments are themselves getting frustrated), this is the single most-asked question right now when it comes to Walt Disney World trip planning for Summer 2016.
UPDATE: On April 5, 2016, the Disney Parks Blog has confirmed the rumors and supposition, and stated that Rivers of Light would not open on April 22, 2016. In so doing, they indicated that they would “share more information about timing on the Disney Parks Blog by mid- to late May.”
Note that this does not mean Rivers of Light will debut in May–it means they will provide a debut date in May. This means the likely debut will likely be in June, or even July. We’ll share more info and rumors as we hear them, but for now, the original post should give you an idea of what to expect from Animal Kingdom’s park hours once the show does debut….
If you assumed that the current hours for Animal Kingdom are incorrect…you are right. Animal Kingdom simply cannot close almost 2 hours before sunset after the Rivers of Light nighttime spectacular debuts. That wouldn’t allow for 1 showing of Rivers of Light per night, let alone the 2-3 showings that will be necessary to handle crowds. Closing hours of 6-8 p.m. for Animal Kingdom once Rivers of Light debuts fail the smell test.
Why Disney has not yet updated the park hours despite having announced an official debut date for Rivers of Light at this point is anyone’s guess. Maybe they’re trolling guests who they’ve otherwise conditioned to plan their days 6 months in advance? Maybe Joe Rohde still has to hike the Himalayas to consult a Buddhist monk as to what showtimes will create the most karma? Maybe there are internal operational concerns that need to be addressed?
While any of these is plausible, the last seems the most likely. Much of what follows is informed speculation on our part, based upon rumors, past precedent, and some information that has been released. For starters, if you’re visiting Walt Disney World once Rivers of Light debuts, you should expect Animal Kingdom to be open until at least 10 p.m.
Because it’s being shoe-horned into an existing area in as an organic of a way as possible, Rivers of Light will have the lowest per-show capacity of any nighttime spectacular at Walt Disney World. With a capacity of 5,000-6,500 guests per show and Animal Kingdom potentially receiving an upwards of 40,000 guests some days this summer, a single showing per night is simply not feasible.
Rather, expect official park closing hours to range from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. nightly, with scheduled nightly Rivers of Light showtimes of 8:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. being likely. A third showing at 10:45 or 11 p.m. is also possible, with the bigger question being whether Disney puts this show on the actual daily schedule at first, or “adds” it at the last minute each night to satiate demand and satisfy guests already in the park. This was the playbook that Disney California Adventure followed during World of Color’s original 2010 run (the 3rd showing wasn’t “official” until a month after World of Color’s debut), and in a lot of operational ways, Rivers of Light is more like World of Color than anything at Walt Disney World.
Following the World of Color game plan would allow FastPass+ scheduling for the first 2 shows, with the 3rd show available on a walk-up basis. Why not put all 3 on the schedule from the outset? There are a few reasons. First, given that Rivers of Light FastPass+ will be an incredibly hot ticket for the next couple of years, this third “bonus” (but not really) showing could increase the guest satisfaction rating of those shut-out of FastPass+ for the early showings who feel the “bonus” showing is being added in response to guest demand. Second, even if there were more nighttime options in Animal Kingdom, scheduling FastPass+ at 11 p.m. is a recipe for disaster, as many families who would get this FastPass+ will have kids who tire before then and will be forced to leave.
Finally, Disney might be uncertain whether 3 showings of Rivers of Light are actually necessary every night (again, a lot of those 30,000-40,000 guests will leave well before night, even with expanded nighttime offerings) as Disney has no way of knowing yet what the guest response will be to Animal Kingdom’s expanded operating hours. If guests are “done” with the park by 6 p.m., many aren’t sticking around another 5 hours just for a showing of Rivers of Light, no matter how badly they want to see it.
At this point, it’s quite possible that Disney hasn’t updated Animal Kingdom’s operating hours because they aren’t sure how to handle the 3rd Rivers of Light showtime, and whether to schedule an official park closing later than 10 p.m. Beyond this, there’s also the possibility that they want to space showtimes as closely as possible, and short “recycle times” between showings is proving operationally or technically challenging.
Again, treat the above as informed speculation. I’m not going off of any secret insider intel here, just surmising things based upon past precedent and info that has come out. Two things are for sure, though: there’s no way Animal Kingdom is closing at 6 p.m. once Rivers of Light starts (I’ll bet one-million dollars to anyone who thinks it is) and it’s pretty frustrating that Disney expects guests to plan their entire vacations months in advance, but doesn’t hold itself to the same scheduling standards.
There you go. That’s all the information I have. Now please, stop emailing me about this! 🙂
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help.
For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
For Walt Disney World news, tips, discount info, and free eBook downloads sign up for our free monthly newsletter.
If you enjoyed this post, we’d really appreciate it if you’d share it via social media to spread the word! We put a lot of work into making this site a helpful planning resource, and hope it’s useful to you. 🙂
Your Thoughts
Do you agree or disagree with our take on Rivers of Lights and the operational schedule? Have any insider intel to share? Do you plan on seeing Rivers of Light this summer? Need to vent your frustration about the lack of info from Disney on Animal Kingdom for the summer? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
I just got a phone call from the Disney Cast member who I spoke to on Friday and she let me know that they’re delaying the opening of Rivers of Light, so there will be no previews while I’m there and they will not be debuting the show April 22nd as originally promised due to “Construction”. While I’m bummed, I’m also grateful to know that I can plan to do other things with my last evening in Orlando vs waiting for something that isn’t going to happen. Hopefully they get their act together in time for those going in May.
Thanks for sharing that info. I am so bummed we will miss it this trip. I am glad they finally let us know. Now I can plan something for that evening.
Lol @ the line about Joe Rohde consulting with a Buddhidt monk!!
I planned a trip for late May specifically to see Rivers of Light. My company was hired to design and build something for the show and I was the lead engineer on the project. As a huge Disney fan, this was the height of my career to date, so I’m VERY eager to see the show. I was supposed to get a behind the scenes tour months ago, but we had to cancel because of conflicts on our side (HUGE disappointment) and Disney was never able to reschedule (not surprising considering rumors). As such I decided to make my own trip to see the fruit of my labors, and it’s killing me that I can’t book FPs or make a dining reservation. This is the first time I’ve ever felt like if I didn’t get to do one specific thing at Disney my trip would be ruined, and it’s not fun. Thankfully I’ll be there for three nights and I have park hoppers, so I’m willing to hop over to AK every evening, but it would be a huge relief to have some sort of reservation, or at LEAST showtimes.
I’ll be at AK on 5/20. As much as it is killing me that they haven’t released extended hours or River of Light times yet, I’ve planned to head to HS for some Star Wars goodness as a back up. Disney is definitely messing with the folks that will be on site at the end of April. I think they will need to announce something by 4/8 because of the CM schedules but that is just info I gathered from the DIS board.
Just spent 15 minutes in a chat and the then another 20 on a phone call with two different cast members explaining that they really don’t know anything about show times or dress rehearsals at this point (April 1st). They haven’t even announced a cast viewing for their staff yet so I’ve just had them add my name and number to a list of people they’ll call if they learn anything since I’m in Arizona and only make it out to Disney World every 5-7 years and we’re going April 15th-22nd so our only official chance to see it is going to be opening day.
Let’s keep this place classy. That alleged Disney fan site can spread steer manure all over itself. There’s no need to place that garbage here.
One bit of nonsense is enough to debunk this latest BS. The Pixar Play Parade is obviosuly taking a break at DCAP not because of “Shanghai-caused budget cuts”, but due to the Food & Wine Festival. The proof is also out there for anyone to see – there is a substitute Parade scheduled while the PPP isn’t happening.
Do you think that the table restaurants at AK will most likely have later reservations once they change the hours? We have a reservation at Y&Y but I would really want it later if we are staying later. I guess I would just need to keep checking.
Thanks
Have you heard that some of the parks are cutting back on late hours to compensate for Shanghai Disney being vastly over budget? I just heard about it for the first time today on http://micechat.com/122782-disneyland-cutbacks/. I’m not sure if it’s just a bitter blogger or if there is truth in their claims. Basically, saying parks in Dland are closing earlier, less parades, even less cast members and rides to try and save a buck.
I’m curious, could staff and budget cutbacks have anything to do with this?
http://micechat.com/122782-disneyland-cutbacks/
You beat me to it, I just saw that same article.
Usually I’m like 10 people behind on a comment…
Tom, what your thoughts on a dining package being offered? It seems like a no-brainer, easy cash grab for Disney. I will be there on a mother-daughter trip (April 23) with my 8 year-old, so the late showing is not an option. (Whispers so Disney can’t here) I would be willing to pay a substantial chunk of change to have a guaranteed seat to the earlier show. I am ashamed at just how much $$$ I’d pay.
ugh–hear, not here 🙂
Dining packages have already shown up on the app on Android phones, we are just waiting to see when they actually offer them! Nothing official from Disney yet. http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2016/02/25/rumor-rivers-of-light-dining-packages-possibly-coming-to-animal-kingdoms-tusker-house/
We will be there the week of May 8th and I stalked the huge Disboards thread, blogs, FP and ADR’s for two weeks. I’ve decided to Let It Go! Hoping I get to see it, but I am going to stop driving myself crazy about it. I can always hold out hope for the third show of the evening.
Say what you will about Joe Rohde but his earrings are the stuff of legend!
“it’s pretty frustrating that Disney expects guests to plan their entire vacations months in advance, but doesn’t hold itself to the same scheduling standards.”
Lol are you sure you aren’t one of those commenting on the Disney Parks Blog page…?! But yes, pretty much this! I’ve moved around plans and cancelled an ADR hoping to get either a fastpass or dining package at Tusker House so would very much appreciate it if Disney would get with their own programme.
Funny you said about the blog moderator just letting the comments come through as that’s exactly what I thought the other day. I work in comms and letting the powers that be see public frustration would be my go to plan! I’m just hoping to luck out with my (verging on compulsive) refreshing of the blog and checking of MDE…
I’ll be at WDW for 2 weeks, and had planned to be in AK on the 22nd (as per Josh’s recommendations at EasyWDW), but really don’t know if I should change my plans or not. I seem to recall reading about something Disney Parks related that was announced & fast passes were going to be allowed to be booked as of a certain date that was well beyond the start date of the event. Up until that date, you could only book 24 hours in advance, or day of maybe? Does this ring any bells to anyone? Maybe this will be the case here? I’ve stopped worrying about the day & the show, as it just got too frustrating. I’ll either see it or I won’t, but I’m not going to lose any sleep about it. No point. I’m off in 17 days & going to have a blast no matter what!
Thanks for the nod on all the Blog comments. If they would just put the schedule out already, we could all go back to playing nice. I’d love to leave my comments on a related post, but they don’t want to share any real details.
Haha, so you’re one of the people behind that? Well played!
I chuckle to myself when I see them. Not because it’s funny that Disney hasn’t released the hours yet, but because I can only imagine how long people had been posting such comments only to have them moderated out (as not relevant) before someone just decided to let them go. I’d imagine that the Parks Blog moderator is themselves frustrated that Disney hasn’t released the hours, and this is their way of trying to pressure someone higher up or in a different department.
Keep fighting the good fight! 🙂
Keith, you deserve a prize for the persistence and creativity of your Disney Parks Blog posts regarding Rivers of Light. Especially today’s comment about the new Disney Lego mini-figures. LOL
Just went and read some of the comments – Keith, you’re my new hero. We’ll be there 4/21 to 5/1 and will have to completely rework some of our plans when (IF) they finally release hours
OMG Keith. I love the comments over at the Disney Parks blog. As a social media marketer (NOT for Disney) I would thoroughly enjoy your comments. All I can say is don’t kill the messenger. LOL
All kidding aside, I’m going down April 19-26, with a scheduled day in Animal Kingdom April 22. I was so excited with the date announcement, and subsequently disappointed with the lack of details. They have conditioned us to plan ahead. To be changing hours, shows, and other things so last minute is driving me crazy.
I’ve seen the aerial photos of the where the show will be performed. I’ve read the reviews about the pageantry and spectacle. I’ve heard the rumors about dates, times, fastpasses, dinner shows… But what I haven’t been able to figure out is what happens leading up to the show? If I want to watch the MSEP and wishes, I camp out on Main Street an hour before the parade. If I want to watch Rivers of Light, what do I do? Will I be allowed to enter the stadium an hour before the show starts and grab some seats? Or do I, along with 4,999 other people, form an orderly line to wait to get into the stadium? Is the stadium accessible throughout the day and I can set up camp eight hours ahead of time? Does it have limited entrances / exits? I know these questions aren’t going to set the internet on fire, but I would like to be prepared for a trip to Disney in five weeks.
I suspect it will operate the same way World of Color did its opening summer. A line is formed somewhere else in the park, and they walk that line over to the viewing area at the appointed time.
You’ll probably be able to hang out in the viewing area whenever you want (like World of Color), but you won’t be able to stake out a spot 8 hours in advance. Cast Members will undoubtedly clear the area before the first show.
Insider info seems to indicate that internally scheduled preview parties the week before the debut have been cancelled. So something must be up. The smart plan is to simply expect the show to be running and for AK to be open late after the 22nd. The fact is that unless you are glued to your computer 24/7 waiting for fastpass, dining packages, or preview shows to be released you are likely to find everything sold out. The pent up demand for new entertainment of this caliber at wdw is practically unprecedented.
If I were going to be at Walt Disney World after April 22 (and I am), I wouldn’t worry at all (and I’m not!). Let’s say attendance hits 45,000 for a particular day. Let’s also play it conservatively and say the nightly capacity for Rivers of Light is 15,000. Okay, that leaves 30,000 people unable to see the show, which *seems* like a lot. However, that overlooks the likelihood that at least 5,000 people have to stay until 11 p.m. in order to see that last show. I think that is very unlikely.
The earlier shows are going to be hot tickets, as you say, and all of the FastPass+ and upcharge stuff associated with them will be gone in no time. However, that 10:45 or 11 p.m. show is going to be very difficult one for most people with kids to make…
We will be at AK on April 23 and I too have been checking to see if they have updated MDE. I have a 7 yr old and my older dad coming so no way we will be staying for a 10 or 11 pm show. Any guesses on when MDE a will be updated? Thanks. I enjoy your posts
I don’t think MDE will be updated until they have definitively nailed down the showtimes–and that could still be a couple of weeks. Even if there aren’t technical issues (a big “if”), I think there are a lot of last-minute operational logistics being hammered out.
Someone indicated to me that there are Cast Member previews scheduled April 12 & 13. I’d be pretty surprised if those actually happen…
I do love the thought of being at animal kingdom at 11 pm!
I am so glad you’ve addressed this issue…I will be in Disney World April 24-May 1 and have been checking the MyDisneyExperience app ten times a day for updated park hours! I agree with your take on the irony that Disney requires extensive planning ahead (which I deeply enjoy) but they aren’t giving us the ability to do so in this case. I’m hoping your blog will break the curse and new hours and show times will be released tomorrow! Thanks for your insight 🙂 And on an unrelated note, I’ve been wondering…are you and Sarah Disney Vacation Club members?
Yep, we own at Saratoga Springs. You can read about it in the “Our Story” section at the bottom of our Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-vacation-club-reviews/
Thank you! Love your blog and appreciate your honest perspective. Hope to run into you guys sometime 🙂
They are DVC members. If you search the site, he’s got lots of articles about buying DVC and whether it’s worth it for you and also about renting points and reviews on DVC resorts.
Thanks for posting this. We are arriving on April 26th and have been very frustrated trying to guess and plan what will be happening, particularly when we already had to book our dining reservations 6 months out and fastpasses 2 months out. We have left 1 night open for Animal Kingdom (with backup fastpasses for Magic Kingdom just in case haha). We we will just have to go with the flow, but it’s hard as we like to be super organised when it comes to our DIsney trips. It would have been nice of them to provide more info sooner though, I have been checking every day to see if it has been announced for weeks now!
Yep, definitely frustrating. Although I’m not so sure of this, I wonder whether there are still unresolved technical issues. Prior to Disney releasing the Rivers of Light date of April 22, we had heard that the show was behind schedule. It seemed a “reasonable” debut would be May, perhaps with a kick-off event Memorial Day weekend alongside Frozen Ever After (also behind schedule). April 22 was chosen by “the powers that be” because it’s Earth Day, which is obviously a significant date for Animal Kingdom. This leaves us wondering whether that debut date was an over-zealous target and everyone is in “scramble” mode now to hit that target.
Considering they are doing technical rehearsals in broad daylight in front of guests (which is a huge lack of ‘show’ and a huge no-no to anyone who has ever worked on any show ever) I would bet money that they are having technical difficulties. That being said, I have a background in theatrical design and lighting and looking at some of the video of what they’ve been doing it looks INSANELY technical and I cannot imagine trying to program and tech this thing. The thought of how layered and complicated it must be with all the motorized lighting, water cannons, floats, media/projections, pyrotechnics, ect (plus live actors) makes my head spin.
I read an email today regarding the media event for the Rivers of Light and how it wasn’t going tonight. It was due to a lantern boat sinking from what I saw.
We are aslo heading down, but not until October. Hopefully the hours and dining options (seemingly dinner times are being held because Disney hasn’t decided on the RoL dining packages) will be fixed and open by then!