Out of all the Walt Disney World parks, Animal Kingdom used to be my least favorite for its holiday offerings. Well that has changed for 2020! Animal Kingdom has been fully decked out this year, and Disney has said very little about it.
During their holiday previews Disney discussed the projections on Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays, the yummy snacks and decorations at Hollywood Studios, but there was little to no mention of Animal Kingdom. When I visited this week, I wasn’t expecting much, but when I arrived, I was thrilled with what I saw!
When you first arrive, you walk up to Animal Kingdom’s signature Christmas tree with its African inspired decorations.
After entering the park and walking to the main shopping area, I noticed how each shop building had been lined with animal luminaries, along with matching wreaths and garland. These are beautiful during the day but magical at night!
The character flotillas have undergone holiday makeovers as well! You can now see Mickey and friends, along with Santa!
Harambe has the most eclectic decor in all of Animal Kingdom, and it happens to be my favorite! From a Christmas tree made of tires, to garland made of tin cans, I could have spent hours looking at all the decorations, and I imagine it is authentic to what you would see if you visited Africa.
Asia decorations were not as prevalent as Africa, but did feature very colorful floating lanterns and lots of lights.
Dinoland, U.S.A. was extra bright and colorful this year and played fun Christmas music that the lights in the area danced to.
At night is when the park really comes to life! TIP: Animal Kingdom does not stay open after dark every night. Be sure to plan your visit to the park during one of the nights it is open later (at least 7:00 PM). The animal luminaries glow and the tree of life awakens! Disney brought back this nighttime spectacular and made it even better with winter and Christmas scenes, featuring various types of animals.
These scenes on the Tree of Life are continuous from after dark, until the park closes. There are so many beautiful scenes that I couldn’t choose a favorite. Here are some of the best ones!
Be sure to visit Animal Kingdom and especially stay until dark to see the park come to life!
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