Animal Kingdom is half rides, half atmosphere, and, at least for us, one of our favorite parks to just slow down and enjoy being there.
We have done Animal Kingdom without Lightning Lanes plenty of times (this is the easiest park to skip purchasing LLs), but if you want to make your day even more chill, buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass can definitely do that.
Here’s how it works!
For other park-specific strategies, check out our guides for EPCOT Lightning Lane, Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane. If you want the all-parks version, check out our Lightning Lane at Disney World guide. But if Animal Kingdom is your park, let’s get to work.
TL;DR – Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane in 2025
- No tiers. You can pre-book any 3 Multi Pass experiences at AK.
- Top Multi Pass picks for adults: Na’vi River Journey, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest.
- Great adds: DINOSAUR or Kali River Rapids when operating.
- Shows in Multi Pass: Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo, Feathered Friends in Flight! Use only if you care about guaranteed seating.
- Single Pass: Avatar Flight of Passage. Separate purchase and often worth it even if you don’t buy Multi Pass.
- Buy Multi Pass when: peak crowds, half-day visit, hot or rainy weather, or you want a smoother day with time for trails, bars, and shows.
- Maybe skip Multi Pass when: you have Early Entry and a full day, or you’re show-and-trails focused and don’t mind a few longer queues.
How Lightning Lane works at Animal Kingdom
Lightning Lane at Animal Kingdom is thankfully not that complicated.
This park has fewer rides than anywhere else at Disney World, which makes strategy simpler but also means you really don’t want to waste a pick on the wrong thing. Unlike Magic Kingdom, there are no tiers here; you can choose any 3 Multi Pass attractions in advance.
There are two main types of Lightning Lanes at Animal Kingdom:
- Multi Pass rides (your 3 advance picks plus anything you grab later in the day)
- Single Pass rides (extra cost for the park’s biggest headliner — Flight of Passage)
And yes, there’s a Premier Pass, too. It’s the pricey “ride everything once without planning” option. It covers both Multi Pass and Single Pass attractions, one time each. Most people skip it, but if you’re dead set on doing everything and don’t care what it costs, it’s there.
Quick need-to-knows:
- Lightning Lanes don’t work during Early Entry, Extended Evening Hours, After Hours, or hard-ticket events.
- One Lightning Lane per ride per day.
- On-site and select hotels can pre-book up to 7 days before check-in for the length of stay. Everyone else can pre-book up to 3 days before the visit.
- Every attraction at Animal Kingdom except Wildlife Express Train has a Lightning Lane. (Whether you actually need one is a whole other story.)
If that all sounds unnecessarily complicated, welcome to Disney planning. But once you know the rules, you can use them to your advantage. For the big-picture overview, see our Lightning Lane at Disney World guide.
For now, let’s dig into which rides at Animal Kingdom actually deserve your Lightning Lane picks.
Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane ride list + adult priorities
Multi Pass experiences you can book:
High priority
- Na’vi River Journey – Slow loader, long waits all day.
- Kilimanjaro Safaris – Best early or near dusk when animals move.
- Expedition Everest – Headliner coaster. Single Rider is inconsistent, so LL helps.
Medium
- DINOSAUR – Lines swell midday.
- Kali River Rapids – Seasonal, weather sensitive, and you will get soaked. Great on hot days.
Low
- Festival of the Lion King – Excellent show, standby is usually fine if you’re flexible.
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond! – A/C break.
- Feathered Friends in Flight! – Easy grab via standby.
What to book first
- If you do not have Early Entry: buy Flight of Passage Single Pass for late morning, then pre-book Na’vi, Safaris, Everest with the earliest times you can live with.
- If you have Early Entry: rope drop Flight of Passage, book Na’vi River Journey first, then Kilimanjaro Safaris, then Expedition Everest.
Avatar Flight of Passage – Lightning Lane Single Pass
- Separate purchase. Worth it if you don’t have Early Entry or you’re doing a half-day.
- If you do have Early Entry and will line up early, rope drop Flight of Passage and save money for Nomad Lounge.
- Avoid late-afternoon storms. If weather looks sketchy, move your window earlier.
Is Lightning Lane worth it at Animal Kingdom?
Often, but not always. AK has fewer rides than MK/HS, so with smart rope drop you can survive without it. Multi Pass shines when:
- You’re touring half a day before a Park Hop.
- It’s busy or brutally hot and you want to limit long outdoor queues.
- You care about doing rides and trails and shows without watching the clock.
Sample strategies
Early Entry ride-heavy morning
Best for on-site guests who want to do it all.
- Rope drop: Flight of Passage standby.
- Pre-book Multi Pass: Na’vi River Journey (late morning), Kilimanjaro Safaris (late morning to early afternoon), Expedition Everest (early afternoon).
- After tapping Na’vi, start hunting a DINOSAUR or Kali LL.
- Late afternoon: Trails, Lion King show standby, Nomad Lounge break.
- Evening: Repeat favorites via standby, sunset Safari if you can snag it.
No Early Entry balanced day
- Buy Single Pass: Flight of Passage for late morning.
- Pre-book Multi Pass: Na’vi River Journey (earliest), Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest.
- Rope drop: DINOSAUR or Everest standby.
- Afternoon: Kali if open, Lion King via standby, Gorilla Falls and Maharajah Jungle Trek.
Half-day AK then hop
- Buy Single Pass: Flight of Passage mid-morning.
- Pre-book Multi Pass: Na’vi River Journey, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest with the earliest return windows possible so you can churn.
- Skip show LLs. Use standby if you really want Lion King.
- Hop to EPCOT or HS by 3–4 pm.
Rainy or heat-index day
- Front-load indoor rides: Na’vi River Journey, DINOSAUR, Nemo show.
- Avoid booking Kali before storms unless you love a double soak.
- Safari near park close if lightning clears. Animal activity can be great after rain.
Pro tips for AK Lightning Lane success
- Book earliest return times in the morning so you can keep grabbing more.
- Animals > noon sun. Safari is best early or near dusk.
- Kali closes seasonally and for storms. Treat it as a bonus, not an anchor.
- Everest SRL is not guaranteed. If it’s down, your LL becomes much more valuable.
- Shows: LL mostly equals guaranteed entry or better section. Most adults can skip using LL here.
- Think geography: Pandora cluster (Na’vi, FoP), Asia cluster (Everest, Kali, Maharajah), Africa cluster (Kilimanjaro Safaris, Festival of the Lion King), etc.. Save your feet.
Conclusion
Animal Kingdom is the easiest park to “do it all” with the right plan. Use Lightning Lane where it saves real time, rope drop smartly, and leave room for the trails and Nomad Lounge. That’s the grown-up way to do AK.
For the full breakdown of how Lightning Lane works across all of Disney World, check out our Lightning Lane at Disney World guide. Heading to a different park next? We have Lightning Lane strategies for those, too: