Visiting Animal Kingdom During Coronavirus

During the Coronavirus pandemic, Disney has decided to reopen their parks with new rules and restrictions to keep guests safe. Here is everything you need to know about visiting the Animal Kingdom during this time.

When and How to Visit the Parks

Animal Kingdom park is reopening on July 11, 2020 as a part of a staggered Disney World reopening.

If you are planning on visiting this (or any) park, you will need to make a park reservation. In order to do this you will need the following:

• You’ll need a My Disney Experience account, as this is where your Walt Disney World Resort plans are stored and managed.
• You’ll also need a valid theme park ticket or Annual Pass that’s linked to your My Disney Experience account.
• If you have a Disney Resort hotel reservation, be sure to link it to your My Disney Experience account beforehand, as well.

Reservations are made on the My Disney Experience website.

To read the full article on park reservations click here.

Safety Measures

New measures have been implemented across Walt Disney World parks to promote health and hygiene, including:

• Enhanced Cleaning
• Face Coverings required for all guests ages 2 and up
• Temperature checks
• Social distancing markers and limited capacity in stores, restaurants, and more

There will be Cast Members at the parks helping guests stay safe and follow these safety measures while at the parks.

Attractions

Not all attractions will be open when the parks reopen. This is a list of the attractions that Disney has noted as open during this time:

• Affection Section
• Avatar Flight of Passage
• DINOSAUR
• Discovery Island Trails
• Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
• Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
• It’s Tough to be a Bug!
• Kali River Rapids
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Maharajah Jungle Trek
• Na'vi River Journey
• The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
• The Oasis Exhibits
• TriceraTop Spin
• Wilderness Explorers
• Wildlife Express

FastPass+ will not be used during this time, so all rides will be standby only. And you can expect rides to not run at capacity so that guests can be spaced out. Also expect social distancing markers in the ride queues.

Entertainment

While Disney has made it clear that you will not be able to experience the typical parades, fireworks, or character meets, they do have several entertainment options available. Here is what you can expect:

Character Cruises throughout the day, with Guest-favorite Disney friends appearing in boats around Discovery River—including the following:

• Discovery River Character Cruise
• Discovery Island Drummers
• Donald’s Dino Boat Bash!
• Mickey & Friends Flotilla

Shopping

Shops at Disney World will be open during this time. Expect masks to be required, social distancing markers, and suggested touchless pay (things like magic bands, apple pay, or credit cards instead of cash).

The following shops will be open at Animal Kingdom:

• Africa Hub Cart
• African Heritage Wood Carving
• Baby Care
• Chester and Hester's Dinosaur Treasures
• Discovery Trading Company
• Garden Gate Gifts & Strollers
• Kilimanjaro Safari Cart
• Mandala Gifts
• Mombasa Marketplace
• Out Of The Wild
• Serka Zong Bazaar
• The Dino Institute Shop
• Windtraders

Photopass Photographers

If you head to Animal Kingdom photopass photographers will be available, but with a few changes:

• Handling Guest's Personal Devices: Disney PhotoPass photographers will not handle Guests’ personal devices such as cellphones and cameras.
• Photo Prop Usage: Where photo props are in use, they will be thoroughly cleaned between Guests. For select props, your photographer may request that you stand next to or behind the prop without making contact with it. In these scenarios, your photographer will endeavor to capture your photos with the best angles and perspective in mind.
• Photo Linking: Before the photographer takes your photo, please have your MagicBand or Card ready for the photographer to scan so they can quickly link your photos to your account. Photographers will keep as much distance as possible during this process.

Cancellations, Changes, and Refunds

If this experience doesn't sound like what you were planning, and you want to cancel or change your trip, you can find full cancellation information here.

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See you at the parks,
-Julie