Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a beautiful park with so many hidden gems.

Pandora in Animal Kingdom

Many of our favorite snacks and restaurants are located in Animal Kingdom, there are stunning animal trails and experiences, and it’s a park truly like no other. If you’re planning a trip here soon, here are some dates you may want to avoid if you’re trying to escape those crowds!

Now, out of all four Disney World parks, Animal Kingdom will usually be the least crowded. Why is this? Well, it’s got the least amount of rides even though it’s the largest park (most of that acreage is for the animals and isn’t open to the public). Even though there’s lots to explore, a lot of people feel it’s a half-day park.

Dinoland U.S.A

Therefore, some of these dates below are likely to be busy for ALL the Disney World parks, but often Animal Kingdom will be the LEAST crowded of the four. It will still be MUCH more crowded than normal though, so keep that in mind!

Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life

If you’re hoping to skip the crowds, we recommend avoiding:

• Independence Day (July 4th; HOWEVER if you dislike fireworks, this is the park to go to!)
• Labor Day Weekend (August 31st-September 2nd)
• Indigenous People’s Day Weekend (October 12th-October 14th; this may also be prime fall break time for many schools, so keep an eye on this whole week!)
• Veterans Day Weekend (November 9th-11th)
• Thanksgiving Week (November 23rd-30th)
• Christmas Week (December 22nd-28th)
• The last day Dinoland U.S.A. is open (date unknown)

DinoRama game

Wait, why throw that last one in there if we don’t KNOW yet when it’s happening? Because at this time, Disney has confirmed Imagineers are in Mexico gathering inspiration for the new Tropical Americas area that will replace Dinoland, which means we’re expecting this announcement to come in the following months.

Dinosaur

Now, is it possible for the Dinoland re-theme timeline to be pushed out since there isn’t really a timeline yet? Absolutely, but with Epic Universe opening in time for Summer 2o25, we might expect for Disney to start working on this project sooner rather than later to compete. There have also been permits filed for what looks like a trailer compound right near Dinoland. Since these usually pop up near construction sites, this may be a hint that construction is coming soon.

Kilimanjaro Safaris

We’re always here to bring you the latest Disney news, so stay tuned to DFB!

We’re ranking the BEST snacks under $10 at Animal Kingdom!

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What’s your favorite thing to do in Animal Kingdom? Tell us below!