Guide to Animal Kingdom Rope Drop

Arriving at the Disney Parks before Rope Drop can help you maximize the number of rides you experience with very short wait times. At Animal Kingdom, must-do attractions include Avatar Flight of Passage, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Expedition Everest. However, riding all three without encountering long lines can be difficult. Fortunately, there’s a strategy that allows you to enjoy these attractions with minimal to no wait.

During Rope Drop, most guests rush to Pandora – The World of Avatar, leaving the rest of the park fairly empty for the first hour to hour and a half. In our experience, even during peak seasons like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Partyand Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, avoiding Pandora early on allows you to experience the top rides quickly and efficiently.

We strongly recommend purchasing the Lightning Lane Single Pass for Avatar Flight of Passage, as this ride’s wait time rarely drops below an hour. However, it’s not absolutely necessary—just be prepared to wait in one long line if you choose to skip the pass.

Here’s our go-to strategy:First, head straight to Expedition Everest. You can usually ride it up to four times before the wait exceeds 5 minutes. If you're not a fan of intense roller coasters, you might want to skip this step—but for thrill-seekers, this is one of the best Disney hacks.

Next, head over to Kilimanjaro Safaris. This is typically when the line is shortest, and the animals are most active earlier in the morning, making it the most exciting time to experience the ride.

By now, you’ve spent about an hour and a half maximizing your experience. At this point, we usually stop for a short breakfast break before deciding how to spend the rest of the day based on our interests and energy level.

If you don’t have a Lightning Lane pass for Flight of Passage, don’t worry—you still have two solid options. Stay until park closing (usually between 6:00–8:00 PM), when the stand-by line is often at its shortest, or tough it out during the day, understanding that you’ll likely face the longest wait of your visit.

Note: Due to the ongoing construction of Tropical Americas and the closure of DinoLand U.S.A., DINOSAUR has been excluded from this guide. While the ride is still open, it's expected to close in 2026 to make way for a new Indiana Jones-themed attraction.