Disney Announces Animal Kingdom Theme Park Update That Will Change Your Next Vacation
Guests planning an early morning at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park will want to pay close attention, as Walt Disney World Resort has once again overhauled its rope drop procedures, continuing a months-long effort to reshape how guests experience opening hour.
Where the Changes Began
The first major shift came back in July, targeting non-Disney Resort hotel guests hoping to rope drop the fourth Central Florida Disney park. Rope dropping — the practice of arriving before a park’s official opening to be among the first guests let in — has long been a popular strategy for beating crowds and long wait times.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park typically opens its gates at 8:00 a.m., though Disney Resort hotel guests receive 30 minutes of Early Entry across all four parks, letting them in as early as 7:30 a.m. most days. Offsite and local guests, meanwhile, were historically held back in the Oasis, the nature trail area located just past the park’s main entrance.
That changed in July, when Disney relocated the holding area for these guests to Discovery Island instead. The move allowed guests to wait closer to the bridge leading into their preferred land — Asia, Africa, or otherwise — snap photos in front of the Tree of Life ahead of opening, or simply wander the island rather than remain crowded in the Oasis.
A Second Round of Changes
Now, as of September 27, Walt Disney World Resort has revised the process yet again. WDWNT visited the park on Sunday to document the newest iteration of rope drop, sharing this photo alongside the details of their experience navigating the updated system:
This latest change essentially does away with the holding area concept altogether, granting guests access to most areas of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park ahead of official opening. Disney cast members stationed at individual ride entrances now scan MagicBands or park tickets directly to confirm Early Entry eligibility for anyone attempting to join a queue. Guests without that eligibility can still wait just outside attraction entrances or explore other parts of the park freely until the doors officially open.
One land continues to operate under stricter rules: Pandora – The World of Avatar. Only guests with confirmed Early Entry eligibility can enter Pandora before the park opens, verified through MagicBand or ticket scans at the land’s entrance. Everyone else must wait at the Discovery Island bridge until the park’s official opening time before heading into the Avatar (2009)-themed land.
What do you think about the updated rope drop procedure at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Share your opinion with Disney Dining in the comments!
