I don’t know if I’m supposed to talk about Disney theme parks in a certain order. And even if I knew what was expected, I’d still do my own thing anyway. So, here we are, ankle deep in Animal Kingdom. Also, here we are a few months out from our actual Disney trip because I kept the whole thing under wraps for a while. So, to an extent, some of the content I thought you may want to know may be irrelevant. Things be changin’ and all. But, here’s what I do know. . .despite Covid updates and restrictions and whatnot, if you’re going during Spring Break or a long holiday weekend or even during peak Summer times, your experience will likely be much different than mine. We went on January weekdays. If you can swing that, good for you. If not, just be prepared to ignore any sentences you read here that use words like we only waited 30 minutes for such and such. Expectation is everything. So, just  go expecting to enjoy your family and have a good time.

This blog isn’t as much a general guide to Animal Kingdom as it is where to take the best beer breaks in Animal Kingdom.  And because I don’t want to be rude to any of you Spring Break Disney goers, I’ll refrain from posting photos like this with captions like “they rode Expedition Everest eight times in a row with no wait.” I won’t be doing that….

I just want to tell you things like this:

Ride the safari first thing in the morning.

I know right now, you probably want to get in line for the Avatar ride if there are still no fastpasses, so I guess you’ve just got to weigh it out. The animals are active and moving around, so if you think you can swing it, hopping on the safari and then bolting over to Pandora might be a good idea. Or Pandora then safari. You’re a grown up. You can make a decision. I believe in you.

The best sit and take a mask break with a beer spot is here.

I don’t know what this seating area is called, but, it’s basically right across from Expedition Everest. You can sit and chill and wait while your kids ride Expedition Everest and simultaneously watch and listen to the character parades float by. Which brings me to…

The character parades were so fun.

You can hear the music from almost anywhere in the park. It was a non-stop party. There may or may not have been a few instances of (distanced) dancing with strangers in the street.

Incase you didn’t catch this at the beginning…go to Pandora.

I don’t care how long you have to wait, ride Avatar Flight of Passage. It’s a family fave. And it is just so so so good.