Next month Disney’s Animal Kingdom will see extended nighttime hours with the debut of Rivers of Light. While it had previously been announced that some changes would be made to the park’s Kilimanjaro Safari attraction to accommodate evening treks, we are now learning a bit more about how that will work.
According to sources at Disney, the transition between daytime and nighttime experiences will not be formally announced on a daily basis. Instead, special lighting added to the attraction’s landscape will give the illusion of a sunset even as the night settles. As expected, the ride vehicles will also utilize more exterior lights during excursions after dusk and flash photography will be prohibited. The vehicles will also travel an altered route and make longer stops after the attraction transitions to nighttime operations, making the overall ambiance a larger part of the experience.
Despite the extended hours for one of DAK’s signature attractions, other animal attractions such as Wilderness Explorers, Maharajah Jungle Trek, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, and the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail will continue to close at sunset