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Photo Tour: Disney's Animal Kingdom with Social Distancing


Here at Kingdom Konsultants, we've gotten so many questions about how the Walt Disney World theme parks have been since they reopened with the new social distancing guidelines.  Today let's take a photo tour through Disney's Animal Kingdom and see what's different.

Tree of Life, beautiful as ever!

First up, the crowds: there was really no point in our day where we felt crowded in.  There was always lots of space in the walkways, and we didn't notice any big spikes in crowds throughout the day.

Is it really an AK tour if there aren't animals?  The animals on the safari were enjoying a hot Florida day by napping and hanging in the shade.  No social distancing needed for them :) 

Dividers have been installed on the Safari trucks
This is our personal "every trip we get this photo" spot.  The only difference this year? I'm wearing a mask!  Normally there are lots of people hovering around the Dinosaur entrance either waiting for people to finish their ride or just enjoying all the fun details, but this was another almost-deserted area!  You must keep your masks on for photos around the park, including in front of the Tree of Life and on rides.   

Character meet and greets look different in all the parks, but Animal Kingdom might have been my favorite.  They all have boats that go around Discovery Island pretty regularly.  We saw Timon and Rafiki, Chip and Dale, Pocahontas and Meeko, and some awesome entertainment when there was a drummer boat sailing by. 

Tip: Grab lunch at Flame Tree BBQ and a table in the lower section for a great view of the character boats going by! 

If I had told you at the beginning of the year that I was able to WALK ON Avatar Flight of Passage, would you have believed me?  Pandora is beautiful as ever and we were able to get on Flight of Passage twice, with the wait really only being the extremely long queue you walk through. 

The perk of the early opening time, people just don't wake up early on vacation!  Everything was 5 minute waits almost an hour after park opening, and they stayed low throughout the day.  The only wait we really had was at Dinosaur, and that was for a quick technical repair. 
The food at Animal Kingdom is always some of my favorite, so I was glad to see so many great spots still open!  
Breakfast from Pongu Pongu (Pandora)
A few small stands open around the park
Restaurantosaurus Lounge Beverages
Tables at restaurants are marked "not available" to ensure everyone has plenty of space at the occupied tables
Flame Tree BBQ Ribs Meal with Onion Rings
Bugs & Grub Cupcake
Relaxation Stations have been set up in all of the parks and are marked with a pretty big sign out front.  Here are two in Animal Kingdom.  These are areas where you are able to sit, rest, and take your mask off without having to be eating or drinking.  This can be a huge help on a hot day to just take a little breather in general, but being able to get the mask off is a nice relief for many. 
We were really impressed with the amount of markers for social distancing throughout the park.  Guests were very compliant with the markers as well, with no one getting up in our space which was wonderful. 

Stores all have marked entrances and exits, and social distance markers along the way
Social Distancing Spots for Pre-Shows, but we were able to walk right through.
Here are some more photos that didn't quite fit into any other spot :) 

What questions do you have about Animal Kingdom since the reopening?  Have you been and have more tips to share? Let us know in the comments below! 


Maci Schau
Maci is an avid foodie and loves trying out new restaurants and seasonal food offerings in the parks. You can email Maci at maci@kingdomkonsultant.com.
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