8 Rookie Mistakes People Make at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

8. Show Up Late
It’s true that Disney’s Animal Kingdom has only a few “E ticket” attractions. But that means lines for attractions like Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, and Dinosaur get quite long early in the day. You can’t walk in with a Fastpass+ for all four of these attractions, so if you want to experience all of them, your best bet is to arrive early and get in line for the attraction that you don’t have the Fastpass for. You’ll be able to enjoy lower crowds and temperatures if you arrive early!
7. Leave Early
Just like getting to the park hours after it opened, leaving hours before it closes also cuts out lots of park time (and I shudder at the thought of someone arriving late and leaving early!). Most guests will leave Animal Kingdom mid-afternoon. If you stick around until it closes, you’ll get to walk around a much emptier park! Of the four theme parks, Disney’s Animal Kingdom usually closes the earliest, so you won’t be staying till the wee hours of the morning.
6. Not See a Show
Confession time, I didn’t see Festival of the Lion King until last year. I regret not seeing it now, because I love it! Festival of the Lion King is one of the highlights of my Disney vacations. You are totally missing out if you don’t experience at least one of the shows in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Your other options are Finding Nemo: The Musical and Flights of Wonder. I was surprisingly impressed with Finding Nemo! Don’t miss it!

5. Not Prepared for Kali River Rapids
I once rode Kali with a jovial man who wore white shorts and claimed to “never get wet.” Needless to say, he went over the waterfall backwards, so he was the one who got the full brunt of the water. He was completely drenched! To top it off, he had star spangled boxers under his white shorts. And we all know what happened to white fabric when it’s wet. Do yourself a favor and don’t ride Kali River Rapids unprepared. Bring at least flip flops and dry underwear. But I always bring a full change of clothes, because I hate walking around all wet! Also important, bring Ziplock bags to store all your electronics! There are lockers available, but bring the bags just in case the lockers are full, or not working (as was the case on my last visit). Being prepared means you can enjoy the attraction without worrying about your phone/camera/tablet, or walking around the park with wet shoes afterward.
4. Eat “Regular” Food
Pizzafari serves pizza. Restaurantosaurus serves burgers. Try something a little more adventurous at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Explore new tastes with Flame Tree Barbecue, Yak & Yeti, or Harambe Market. You can find standard pizza and burgers at any park, but you’ll find these unique restaurants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
3. Not Explore the Park
This park was designed for exploring! There are little trails all over Discovery Island with animals to see, like anteaters and parrots. And don’t forget about Pangani Forest Trail and Maharaja Jungle Trek. That’s where you’ll see gorillas (Pangani) and tigers (Maharaja) and many other animals! These are both walk through attractions so you can go at your own pace. Take time to savor the details and watch the animals.
2. Not Apply Sunscreen
Yeah, there are a lot of trees at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. But for the love off that is good, wear sunscreen! You will still get burnt in this park. In fact, this is the park where I usually get sunburned, because I too fall into that “it’s shady here” trap! And while you’re at it, drink some water! Sunburns and dehydration will put a huge damper on your vacation.

1. Forget Their Camera on Kilimanjaro Safaris
This is truly a spectacular attraction. Every safari is different. You will never have the same experience: the drivers are different, the animals will not be in the same location, and they may behave differently. Make sure you capture this once in a lifetime experience. You will be so sad that you missed your opportunity to photograph baby elephants, or monkeys playing, or giraffes up close and personal with your safari truck!
If you avoid these eight things, you will have an incredible day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!