Category — i. Itineraries for Walt Disney World

RIVERS OF LIGHT DINNER PACKAGE AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM

Rivers of Light is the new evening show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom that debuted in February 2017. While it opened to mixed reviews, I think it a must-see.

Rivers of Light (full review here) takes place most nights. Early on, it saw some weeks where it showed only four nights a week (Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesday and Thursdays), but since the summer has been scheduled for every night, for one to three times a night.

On nights when it shows once, more have wanted to see it than it can accommodate. You can book an advance FastPass+ for it, but this means that you will be unlikely to be able to add 4th or following FastPass+ to your Animal Kingdom visit that day.

Another option—though more expensive—is to book a Rivers of Light Dining Package. This package, which is available at the character buffet Tusker House and the high-end dining venue Tiffins, gives you either a fun or exceptional meal—depending on which you pick—and seats in a dedicated seating area in the Rivers of Light viewing area.

The package costs one or two table service credits, depending on the restaurant, if you are on the dining plan. For cash, current pricing of the Rivers of Light package at Tusker House is $52 for adults and $ 32 for children at lunch or dinner, and breakfast is $39/24. Lunch or dinner at Tiffins is $67/26.

Note that the dedicated Rivers of Light viewing area does not have individually reserved spots. Seating here is first come, first served, and those who get the package most commonly are those who are really dedicated to seeing this show. As a result, the seating area fills up quickly, and you want to get to it no later than 30 minutes before show start.

Because I think Rivers of Light is a must see but that there are better ways to manage your FastPass+, I’ve added the Rivers of Light Dining Package at Tusker House to all of my itineraries. In every case it replaces a previously suggested sit-down character meal (most commonly the princess meal at Akershus, as Cinderella’s Royal Table is already in the itineraries) so there’s not much extra cost.

THE RIVERS OF LIGHT DINNER PACKAGE AT TUSKER HOUSE

Tusker House is a character buffet in the Africa section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Here’s the review from The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit:

Tusker House includes an interesting village market theming…

Multiple rooms to dine in…

…with fun art…

…and visits from Mickey…

…Donald…

..and Goofy and Daisy.

The buffet is extensive and includes a carving station (salmon and pork at my visit) of which my images were either terrible or off-putting. The online menu is here.

Here’s few other representative shots from our last meal here:

For many more images and details on the offerings, my co-author Josh has an extensive review with a comprehensive set of photos, all of which are better than mine, here.

THE RIVERS OF LIGHT DINNER PACKAGE AT TIFFINS

Tiffins opened in 2016 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as a “signature” fine dining venue.

A favorite among bloggers, it also appeals to normal people looking for fine dining and an interesting, imagination filled setting.

Here’s the review from The easy Guide:

The online menu is here.

The physical menu (click it to enlarge it) and some other shots, several in focus, from my last meal here:

You need to see Rivers of Light; you need to eat, and specifically you need to either dine well or eat with Mickey Mouse. Either way, a Rivers of Light dining package can be an effective way to both do that—at Tiffins or Tusker House.

Note that as Disney experiments with how frequently and at what times it will show Rivers of Light, the package is not available to book six months ahead like regular Disney dining—it’s been three months or so lately. Check your dates here.

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Disney After Hours is a separately-ticket opportunity to be in the Magic Kingdom with next to no one, and for three hours ride the best rides (not all are open, but most are) with next to no waits.

It’s expensive, but especially for returning visitors who know their way around Magic Kingdom and want to nail a lot of rides, can be well worth it.

I’ve done it twice–extensive reviews are here for my January 2017 Disney After Hours test, and here for my April 2016 Disney After Hours test.

These are the dates of Disney After Hours in early 2018:

• Friday January 19: 8 to 11p
• Friday January 26: 8 to 11p
• Tuesday January 30: 8 to 11p
• Thursday February 8: 8 to 11p
• Thursday February 15: 9p to 12MN
• Thursday March 1: 9p to 12MN
• Thursday March 8: 9p to 12MN

Have you done it? What did you think?

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: SEPTEMBER 16 TO SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on September 2017 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/16-9/24/17

The Magic Kingdom will be open 9a-11p 9a-11p 9/16, 9a-7p 9/17, 9a-10p 9/18, 9a-7p 9/19, 9a-8p 9/20, 9a-9p 9/21, 9a-7p 9/22, 9a-11p 9/23, and 9a-7p 9/24

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 9/16,  9a-9p 9/17 through 9/21, 9a-10p 9/22 and 9/23, and 9a-9p 9/24

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9p 9/16, and 9a-8.30p 9/17 through 9/24

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-9p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/16-9/24/17

Saturday 9/16 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/17  Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

Monday 9/18 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 9/19 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 9/20 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 9/21 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 9/22 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Saturday 9/23 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/24  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/16-9/24/17

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 2p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/16-9/24/17

Happily Every After at Magic Kingdom: 9p 9/16, 9/18, 9/20, 9/21, and 9/23

IllumiNations at Epcot:  10p 9/16, 9p 9/17 through 9/21, 10p 9/22 and 9/23, and 9p 9/24

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30p 9/16; 8p 9/17 through 9/24

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p 9/16; 8.30p 9/17 through 9/24

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom 8.45p 9/16; 8.15p 9/17 through 9/24

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/16-9/24/17

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

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Update: parks to close early Saturday, remain closed Sunday and Monday

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: SEPTEMBER 9 TO SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on September 2017 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

The Magic Kingdom will be open 9a-11p 9/9, 9a-7p 9/10, 9a-10p 9/11, 9a-7p 9/12, 9a-9p 9/13 and 9/14, 9a-7p 9/15, 9a-11p 9/16, and 9a-7p 9/17

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 9/9,  9a-9p 9/10 through 9/14, 9a-10p 9/15 and 9/16, and 9a-9p 9/17

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9p 9/9 through 9/16, and 9a-8.30p 9/17

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-9p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

Saturday 9/9 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/10  Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

Monday 9/11 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 9/12 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 9/13 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 9/14 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 9/15 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Saturday 9/16 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/17  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 2p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

Happily Every After at Magic Kingdom: 9p 9/9, 9/11, 9/13, 9/14, and 9/16

IllumiNations at Epcot:  10p 9/9, 9p 9/10 through 9/14, 10p 9/15 and 9/16, and 9p 9/17

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30p 9/9 through 9/16; 8p 9/17

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p 9/9 through 9/16; 8.30p 9/17

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom 8.45 and 10p 9/9; 8.45p 9/10 through 9/16; 8.15p 9/17

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: SEPTEMBER 2 TO SEPTEMBER 10, 2017

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on September 2017 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

The Magic Kingdom will be open 9a-11p 9/2 and 9/3, 9a-9p 9/4 through 9/6, 9a-7p 9/7, 9a-9a 9/8, 9a-11p 9/9, and 9a-7p 9/10

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 9/2,  9a-9p 9/3 through 9/7, 9a-10p 9/8 and 9/9, and 9a-9p 9/10

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-9.30p 9/2 and 9a-9p 9/3 through 9/10

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

Saturday 9/2 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/3  Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

Monday 9/4 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 9/5 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 9/6 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 9/7 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 9/8 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Saturday 9/9 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/10  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 2p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

Happily Every After at Magic Kingdom: 9p 9/2 through 9/6 and 9/8 and 9/9

IllumiNations at Epcot:  10p 9/2, 9p 9/3 through 9/7, 10p 9/8 and 9/9, and 9p 9/10

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30p every night

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p every night

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom 8.45 and 10p 9/2; 8.45p 9/3 through 9/8; 8.45 and 10p 9/9; 8.45p 9/10

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

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DISNEY WORLD ITINERARIES FULLY UPDATED

I have not been posting a lot lately, as first Josh and I have been working on the 2018 version of The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit, and second, I’m on a long vacation in the mountains of North Carolina.

Here’s the view from our balcony…

But every morning I’ve started early at the Starbucks in Boone, North Carolina and have been busy working there to update all the itineraries on this site.

For the standard Low and High Crowd itineraries, the updates reflect the changes at Disney World over this summer, and include refinements of my guidance for the new Avatar: World of Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They also are adapted to the closure of Ellen’s Energy Adventure and the Great Movie Ride, and the shift of the Festival of Fantasy Parade to 2pm.

These standard itineraries and their variants:

• Low Crowd Itinerary
• Low Crowd Itinerary, Seven Night Version, Sunday Arrival
• Low Crowd Itinerary, Seven Night Version, Saturday Arrival
• High Crowd Itinerary
• High Crowd Itinerary, Seven Night Version

My “Basic Itinerary” and its variants are meant for what is in 2017 the four-week period that begins the Saturday after Thanksgiving. They include all changes to Disney World since last December.

• Basic December Itinerary
• Basic December Itinerary, Seven Night Version, Sunday Arrival
• Basic December Itinerary, Seven Night Version, Saturday Arrival
• Basic December Itinerary, Nine Night Version.

Which dates you should use which  itinerary, and any other needed changes, is all laid out here.

Those taking even shorter trips, or with very different arrival days, will be best served by looking at the closest itinerary I have for the essential matters, and then adapting the one and tw0 day touring plans you will find in my book. Ask me for help using the comment form below!

Although I might be busy at the kitchen table, battling with my older son over the fate of the world…

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