You're Not Going to Like This! The Real Reason Animal Kingdom Closes at Six

In years past, the main complaint about Disney’s Animal Kingdom was that there simply wasn’t enough to do. It was considered a half-day park.

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In the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney attempted to remedy that situation by creating a full-day theme park. With the opening of Pandora: the World of Avatar, Disney created a bioluminescent land that had to be seen at night.

Since fireworks could not be used at the park, Disney introduced Rivers of Light to keep guests at the park through the evening.

But like quite a few good things at Walt Disney World, the COVID-19 pandemic stripped away some of the evening activities at Animal Kingdom. Rivers of Light was gone, and as far as we know, isn’t coming back.

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Despite losing a nighttime show, Animal Kingdom still has Pandora, and nighttime Kilimanjaro Safaries are outstanding. However, Disney’s Animal Kingdom closes at six throughout the summer and early fall months, which is way too early to enjoy dusk or the night at the theme park.

That leads to the question of why Animal Kingdom does not have after-hours events like the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. So, what’s the deal?

There is an excellent reason why Animal Kingdom closes so early, and the average guest will hate it. The Disney Property is rented out after the park closes for significant business events.

Is this why Animal Kingdom is never open at night anymore? It’s been turned into a playground for businesspeople? pic.twitter.com/3aURB9INYj

— CosmicRewind🚀 (@TomorrowVenture) September 1, 2024

Disney Meetings and Events tweeted a picture of Pandora after dark, hoping to attract businesses for meetings at the Park, referring to it as “Bluisure,” the combination of business and leisure.

Disney property has long been used for business meetings or rented out for special events, but rarely does Disney close one of the Disney parks daily for businesses to rent them out.

Disney fans were obviously upset with the new business arrangement at Animal Kingdom. While the other Disney parks rent out certain areas for business events, guests want Animal Kingdom open after dark so that everyone can enjoy the park.

One guest commented:

Once in a while is fine to bring in revenue / new faces. But the park hours absolutely need to be extended for that park to thrive. Nobody park hops to AK because the place closes by dinner. Parks need that midday influx of guests.

MLMs rent out Disney parks like CRAZY. especially foreign MLM businesses with big American presence. https://t.co/5IUzdBMYjz

— Disney Dan Becker (@DisneyDan) September 2, 2024

With Animal Kingdom shuttering a large portion of the park to make way for the new Encanto-theme land and the new Indiana Jones ride, this will put more pressure on the remaining attractions at the theme park. It would also mean that extended hours could become necessary.

However, if The Walt Disney Company is making significantly more money from business events, it seems unlikely this will happen. It’s just another example of the Walt Disney World Resort catering to those with more money.

What do you think of Disney’s Animal Kingdom closing early every night so that it can be rented out for business meetings?