Disney’s Newest Animal Kingdom Experience Already Raising Concerns Before May 26 Opening
May 26 is shaping up to be one of the busiest days Disney’s Animal Kingdom has seen in a long time, and honestly, a lot of families may leave frustrated before lunchtime.
That is because Bluey is officially arriving at Walt Disney World.
Disney recently confirmed that Bluey’s Wild World will debut at Conservation Station inside Animal Kingdom as part of Cool KIDS’ SUMMER, a resort-wide seasonal event launching across all four parks. The problem is not the experience itself. It actually sounds pretty fun. Guests will get to play games with Bluey and Bingo, explore Australia-inspired animal exhibits, and participate in interactive activities themed to the hit series.
The issue is how Disney plans to manage crowds.
There will not be a standby line when the experience first opens. Instead, guests will only be able to access Bluey’s Wild World through a virtual queue inside the My Disney Experience app.
If that sounds familiar, it should.
Disney has used virtual queues for some of its biggest attractions and events over the past several years, and they usually disappear almost instantly. Cosmic Rewind boarding groups vanished within seconds for months. TRON had similar problems. Even merchandise releases have become difficult to access when Disney puts them behind a virtual queue system.
Now imagine that same situation, but attached to one of the biggest children’s franchises on the planet.
That is what Animal Kingdom is about to deal with.
The first virtual queue drop happens at 7 a.m., and guests do not even need to be inside the park yet to join. Then Disney will offer another opportunity at 10 a.m. for guests physically inside Animal Kingdom.
The problem is capacity.
Bluey’s Wild World is not a massive roller coaster cycling thousands of people per hour. It is located at Conservation Station, which already requires guests to ride the Wildlife Express Train just to reach the area. That alone slows things down significantly.
Families are probably going to be fighting for extremely limited spots.
Honestly, many guests may need to prepare themselves mentally now because there is a strong chance they will not get in.
Still, May 26 is not just about Bluey.
That same day officially launches Cool KIDS’ SUMMER throughout Walt Disney World, and Disney clearly loaded the resort with family-focused entertainment offerings. Animal Kingdom alone will have plenty to do beyond the virtual queue chaos.
The new Zootopia: Better Zoogether! show continues drawing attention at the Tree of Life Theater, while classic attractions like Kilimanjaro Safaris and Kali River Rapids are expected to stay extremely popular during the summer season.
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond! also remains one of the best family shows Disney offers anywhere on property, especially during the hottest part of the day when families need air conditioning.
Disney is also leaning heavily into Bluey-themed snacks and merchandise around the park. Guests can grab specialty treats, drinks, and PhotoPass Magic Shots even if they completely miss the main experience.
Meanwhile, the rest of Walt Disney World is also rolling out major additions starting May 26.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios will debut Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! while officially launching Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets. EPCOT is bringing back Soarin’ Across America for the summer, and Magic Kingdom continues promoting Disney Starlight alongside the refreshed Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
Basically, Disney stacked the entire week with new entertainment.
That may actually help Animal Kingdom a little. Some families may decide to spread their priorities across multiple parks instead of focusing entirely on Bluey.
Still, there is no question Bluey’s Wild World will become one of the hardest experiences to access at Walt Disney World this summer.
Disney would not be using a virtual queue if it expected normal demand.
The company already knows this is going to be huge.
And on May 26, thousands of guests are probably going to learn very quickly just how hard it may be to secure a spot.
