Credit: Lee (myfrozenlife), FlickrAugust is bringing another round of changes to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and guests visiting next month may notice that several things they could enjoy this summer are suddenly gone.
The changes aren’t limited to one restaurant, attraction, or corner of the park. Disney is ending several limited-time Annual Passholder offerings, cutting back regular operating hours later in the month, and continuing major construction that is reshaping a large portion of Animal Kingdom.
That means August will feel a little different for both regular visitors and Annual Passholders.
Some of the changes are temporary, while others are part of the much larger transformation happening inside the park. At the same time, Disney is giving a select group of resort guests one opportunity to stay inside Animal Kingdom later than usual.
Here’s what guests need to know before heading to the park next month.
Animal Kingdom Will Start Closing Earlier
One of the most noticeable changes coming in August involves the park’s operating hours.
For roughly the first week of the month, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is scheduled to remain open until 7 p.m. That changes beginning August 9, when the park’s closing time moves up to 6 p.m. for the remainder of August.
That one-hour difference could have a bigger impact than it initially seems.
Animal Kingdom already tends to close earlier than Disney World’s other theme parks. A 6 p.m. closing means guests who arrive later in the day will have even less time to experience major attractions, explore animal trails, eat dinner, and take in the park after the hottest part of the afternoon has passed.
It also makes early arrival much more important.
Guests hoping to experience attractions such as Expedition Everest, Avatar Flight of Passage, Na’vi River Journey, and Kilimanjaro Safaris may want to plan accordingly, especially if they’re trying to fit Animal Kingdom into only part of a vacation day.
The change officially begins August 9 and continues through the rest of the month.
There is, however, one major exception.
Some Disney Resort Guests Get Extra Time on August 26
While most guests will deal with earlier closing times later in August, eligible Disney Resort hotel guests will get one chance to experience Animal Kingdom after its regular closing time.
Disney will offer Extended Evening Hours at Animal Kingdom on August 26.
The park will close to regular guests at 6 p.m., but the special evening period will continue from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. for qualifying guests.
Extended Evening Hours are available to guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts, Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts, and other select participating hotels.
It creates a rare opportunity at Animal Kingdom.
Extended Evening Hours are much more commonly associated with Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, so seeing the perk offered at Animal Kingdom gives eligible guests an unusual chance to experience the park after most visitors have left.
For everyone else, however, that 6 p.m. closing time will remain an important part of planning an August trip.
And operating hours aren’t the only thing changing.
Disney Is Removing Annual Passholder Perks August 1
Annual Passholders have had some additional reasons to visit Animal Kingdom this summer, but those extras are about to disappear.
Disney’s V.I.PASSHOLDER Summer Days promotion ends July 31. Beginning August 1, the limited-time Animal Kingdom benefits associated with the promotion will no longer be available.
That includes several pieces of exclusive merchandise.
Passholders have been able to purchase items including a zip-up hoodie, T-shirt, Loungefly crossbody bag, baseball hat, and Corkcicle canteen at Discovery Trading Company.
Those limited-time offerings are among the perks going away when the promotion concludes.
Another exclusive collectible is leaving as well.
Passholders could purchase a special popcorn bucket featuring artwork from illustrator Ashley Taylor at Chakranadi. That offering also ends alongside the Summer Days promotion.
For Passholders who have been considering picking up any of the exclusive items, July 31 marks the end of the promotion rather than the beginning of August.
But merchandise isn’t the only loss.
A Major Dining Discount Is Ending Too
One of the more valuable Passholder benefits disappearing next month involves dining.
During the V.I.PASSHOLDER Summer Days promotion, eligible Passholders could receive 40% off at two Animal Kingdom table-service restaurants on select days.
The discount applied at Tiffins Restaurant for dinner and Tusker House Restaurant for lunch and dinner.
It was available Mondays through Thursdays during the promotion, which ran from May 1 through July 31. Once the calendar flips to August, that 40% promotional discount ends.
For Passholders who regularly dine inside Animal Kingdom, this could be one of the more noticeable removals.
A 40% discount can make a considerable difference on a table-service meal, particularly for families or larger groups. Anyone visiting after July 31 should make sure they don’t build their dining budget around a discount that will no longer be offered as part of this promotion.
All of these removals are happening while another, much larger change continues unfolding elsewhere in Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom’s Transformation Keeps Moving Forward
Guests may be losing several limited-time offerings, but they’ll also get a better look at what Disney is building for the park’s future.
Construction continues on the Tropical Americas area replacing DinoLand U.S.A.
The new land, known as Pueblo Esperanza, represents one of Disney’s biggest current projects at Walt Disney World. The area will eventually feature major attractions inspired by Encanto (2021) and Indiana Jones.
And the construction is becoming increasingly difficult to miss.
Recent work has included steel structures appearing on top of the future Encanto (2021) attraction’s show building. These structures will support themed rockwork, allowing Disney to conceal portions of the large building while creating a more immersive environment around it.
It’s a technique guests can already see elsewhere at Disney World.
Large-scale themed environments such as Pandora – The World of Avatar and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge use extensive rockwork and landscaping to hide massive attraction buildings and separate guests from the outside world.
Disney appears to be using a similar approach as Pueblo Esperanza takes shape.
For guests visiting this August, that means cranes, steel, construction equipment, and other signs of the transformation will remain part of the Animal Kingdom experience.
August Shows Just How Much Animal Kingdom Is Changing
Animal Kingdom is currently caught between two eras.
Guests can still experience many of the attractions and areas that have defined the park in recent years, but Disney is actively preparing for a much different future.
August makes that transition especially noticeable.
Annual Passholders will lose the exclusive Summer Days merchandise, special popcorn bucket, and 40% promotional dining discounts once July ends. Regular park hours will then shrink beginning August 9, with Animal Kingdom moving to a 6 p.m. closing time for the remainder of the month.
At the same time, Disney will continue building Pueblo Esperanza as the Tropical Americas project becomes an increasingly visible part of the park.
And for eligible Deluxe Resort guests, August 26 will offer a rare exception to those shorter hours with Extended Evening Hours running until 8 p.m.
None of these individual changes completely transforms a day at Animal Kingdom on its own. Taken together, though, they show just how much is shifting at the park right now.
Anyone visiting in August will want to pay particularly close attention to operating hours and plan around the earlier closing time. Annual Passholders should also remember that the special summer perks end before August begins, meaning they shouldn’t expect those discounts or exclusive offerings to remain available during their next visit.
Meanwhile, the construction walls and cranes tell a much bigger story.
Disney is steadily moving Animal Kingdom toward its next chapter. Pueblo Esperanza and its Encanto (2021) and Indiana Jones experiences are taking shape while familiar pieces of the park continue changing around them.
For now, guests still have plenty to experience. But beginning next month, several summer offerings will officially be gone, the park day will become shorter, and the construction pointing toward Animal Kingdom’s future will become an even bigger part of the view.
