There are a lot of new attractions heading to Disney World in the coming years and, while that has already meant that some fan-favorite parts of the resort will have to be replaced, every once in a while us fans get sweet treats in the parks that don’t require elements we love being taken away. Such is the case with the welcome return of something that I wish was a regular part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as the park will remain open later in the weeks to come. Unfortunately, though, that's only for certain guests.
Extended Evening Hours are set to return to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios this fall. This usually happens this time of year, as with the Halloween and Christmas parties that take place at Magic Kingdom, that park will be closing early for most guests on many nights for the next several months. Unfortunately, only guests staying in Disney Deluxe Resorts will have access to the extended hours.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Will Be Staying Open Later
As someone who's used to visiting Disneyland, which stays open until midnight for large portions of the year, Walt Disney World always rolls up the sidewalks too early in my opinion. Even Magic Kingdom doesn’t stay open past 10 p.m. However, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the worst offender, as the park routinely closes at 6 pm.
To be fair, there are good reasons for this. Animal Kingdom is currently the only park without a nighttime spectacular and, while that is something that should be remedied as well, without it, there are other parks worth visiting when it gets dark.
More importantly, the Disney location is a park that is full of living animals. Part of taking care of these creatures properly means making sure they get their sleep, and for many of them, driving through their home with a Kilimanjaro Safari vehicle isn’t exactly a best practice. You try getting some rest with a roller coaster running all night near your bed.
Still, the park wouldn’t be staying open later if it wasn’t ok for the animals. Disney's Animal Kingdom puts animal welfare first at all times. Being able to experience more of DAK in the dark is a good thing, because it’s an incredible place to be at night.
Animal KIngdom's Avatar Land Looks Incredible At Night
Pandora: The World of Avatar was designed to be seen at night. The bioluminescent plant life that makes up so much of the theme park land still looks pretty cool during the day, but it feels like a truly alien world in the dark. And, with the park closing at 6 p.m., especially during the summer, people literally can’t see it like that on a normal park day.
And there's even more to see. Some animals can behave quite differently at night than during the day. So, while some may be sleeping, others will give guests an educational look at the way they change throughout the day. And every outdoor roller coaster, including the great Expedition Everest, is worth experiencing at night.
This may also be the last chance to experience Dinoland U.S.A. after dark if you're so inclined. It's known that construction on the new Tropical Americas land will be starting next year. While not everything will be closing at once, it's unclear what we'll be losing first.
Currently, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is keeping its normal 6 p.m. closure time through the end of the existing calendar. But, in the past, we have seen the park extend normal hours and such a thing is at least possible here as well. I would certainly hope to see it, as everybody should be able to enjoy Animal Kingdom at night.
