The kingdoms of the Walt Disney World Resort reopened to all Guests with a Park Pass Reservation today. Up until now, most of our focus has been on the resort’s flagship park, but today we’re getting wild. Disney’s Animal Kingdom welcomed our Florida correspondent, Tony Betti, for an adventurous day of fun!
The adventure begins at the toll plaza where signs encourage cashless transactions.
The main entrance sends Guests through a temperature screening before going through the new touchless security screening.
Signage has been added reminding Guests that face masks are required (they must comply with Disney’s face mask standards), Guests should remain 6-feet away from other groups, frequent hand washing is encouraged, and coughs should be covered.
The touch points to enter the park have social distancing lines to keep groups apart as they enter. Biometric pads have been covered.
Seeing the Tree of Life again is like a warm hug, partially because Disney’s Animal Kingdom is hotter than any other park on earth.
Gift shops and restaurants have made their doors one-way only for exiting and entering so Guests don’t pass each other on their way in or out. These locations also have controlled capacity with potential queues set up in case they need to use them.
Check out areas inside gift shops also include social distancing queues.
Some high-touch or close-contact experiences like The Boneyard in Dinoland USA and caricature portraits are closed, but most of the attractions are back in business.
The queue for Dinosaur includes social distance markers from start to finish. The pre-show is running, but the doors don’t close and Guests don’t have to stop to watch it if there’s no groups waiting in front of them. A taped switchback queue has been added inside that room.
The Time Rover seats Guests in rows 1 and 3 with a plexiglass divider behind row 1 to prevent airflow from Guests in the 1st row reaching guests in the 3rd row.
The park features a Relaxation Station where Guests can take a break from wearing face masks in a social distancing environment.
FastPass+ is not in use at this time and signage has been covered on attractions that use the service.
Kilimanjaro Safaris not only has social distance queue markers, but a sign on the fence asking Guests to refrain from touching it. The load zones have plexiglass dividers and safari vehicles load every-other-row with new plexiglass dividers.
Walk-up animal encounters have new ropes and signage to keep Guests further away from the animals for their safety as many animals are susceptible to the virus.
Quick service restaurants like Flame Tree Barbecue are only available for mobile ordering with A-frames to assist Guests who don’t have the My Disney Experience app with a scannable QR code.
Characters appear on floats traveling around the park’s river, best viewed over bridges or from the Rivers of Light viewing area, which has been opened up for Guests to relax in although the nighttime show is not currently running.
Expedition: Everest has added hand sanitizer to the long queue, added plexiglass barriers to the load zone, and seats every-other-row on ride vehicles.
Here’s a formerly rare sight, a nearly empty queue for Avatar: Flight of Passage. Switchbacks have added plexiglass barriers, but the actual wait was very short.
Guests walk right through the first pre show and stand on new red grouping markers on the final pre show, ignoring the numbers on the ground.
Inside the Tree of Life, It’s Tough to Be a Bug! has been modified with Cast Members passing out 3D glasses, grouper markings in the waiting area, and designated areas to sit in the theater with every-other-row blocked off.
With new safety enhancements in place and reduced park capacity, Guests are able to still have a wild time at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and experience the shortest lines they’ve ever seen at the park with the reduced capacity. Guests heading to central Florida can reserve their Park Pass Reservation on DisneyWorld.com.