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Credit: Steven Miller, FlickrMuch of the entrance walkway at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park has been barricaded, forcing Walt Disney World Resort guests to seek alternative paths into the fourth Central Florida Disney park. Here’s what we know about the unannounced construction project, and how it could impact your upcoming visit to The Most Magical Place on Earth.
With Thanksgiving just seven days away, we’re headed into one of the busiest times of the year at Walt Disney World Resort. As the Central Florida Disney parks progressively get busier, rope-drop time will get all the more chaotic, with thousands queueing up hours before Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park open, hoping to save on Lightning Lane passes by being one of the first in line for the most popular rides. Disney Resort hotel guests are separated into different corrals and given 30 minutes of “Early Theme Park Entry,” allowing them to fill attraction queues before offsite guests even enter the theme parks.
Unfortunately, entering Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park alongside the typical holiday crowds just got a lot more complicated and chaotic. According to a report from WDWNT, Walt Disney World Resort has barricaded a large portion of the walkway into Disney’s Animal Kingdom for maintenance work on the concrete.
Though the timing is unfortunate, the maintenance work is desperately needed. The concrete is severely damaged, with cracks spreading even beyond the currently barricaded area. It’s unclear if Walt Disney World Resort plans to extend the construction zone after work begins.
After the morning chaos, this part of the walkway into Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park is typically reserved for guests exiting the park. (From inside the Disney park, it’s on the right, near Guest Relations and the entrance to the Rainforest Cafe.) However, in the morning, Disney cast members typically use all turnstiles to expedite guests’ entry; the barricaded area will undoubtedly cause traffic jams as guests in the Guest Relations area scan into Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
Have you visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park since this maintenance project began? Share your experience with Inside the Magic in the comments!