Why This Disney World Park is the Most Relaxing Right Now

Not many people would describe a Disney vacation as “chill” or “laid back.” Rather, the itinerary can be packed with park hopping, dining reservations, and trying to hit all the must-do Disney things before it’s time to return home.

But, if you’re hoping to spend a more relaxing day at Disney, there’s one particular park that has offered a reprieve from the hustle and bustle.

Here are all the reasons we’ve been going to Animal Kingdom to kick back and relax.

Animal Kingdom Crowds

Animal Kingdom is actually the BIGGEST of the four Disney World parks. This means that even at 35% capacity, there’s a lot of room to spread out. Since the Florida park reopened, walkways have been spacious for the most part and it feels like there’s enough room to distance from other parties.

Even wait times for Animal Kindom’s top attractions have been lower than normal, including Avatar Flight of Passage! Back in December, Disney started seating every bike on the hit attraction which cut down on wait times. But, as crowds have been decreasing at this park, the wait times have even been down to 15 minutes some days!

And, as Disney converted their parades into shorter character cavalcades, they added the experience to Animal Kingdom! There hasn’t been a parade at Animal Kingdom since Mickey’s Jammin Jungle Parade so when we saw the new Discovery River Character Cruises, we popped right over to the side of the bridge to say hi to Goofy and friends.

Unlike Magic Kingdom, these little cruises are less of a “main attraction” so guests aren’t really lining up too close for viewing.

Low-Key Activities at Animal Kingdom

Another aspect that makes for a relaxing day at Animal Kingdom, is all the areas you can go and stay for a while. Nomad Lounge is a bar that is located just before Pandora — The World of Avatar in the same building as Tiffins. The lounge features both indoor and outdoor seating and serves hand-crafted cocktails and small bites. This is a great place to hang out, sip on boozy drinks, and watch the character cruises float by.

While you’re waiting for a table to become available, you can take a leisurely walk through Animal Kingdom’s nature trails and watch animals play. Immerse yourself in nature on a walk through Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail or explore all of the little passages that look like they go nowhere. You’ll be surprised by what you might find along those and the lack of crowds at the park makes it feel like a private viewing!

And, you can hop aboard the Wildlife Express Train and pet some furry animals at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. While you’re there, you’ll find even FEWER crowds and you might get a chance to see some behind-the-scenes action featured on Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Plus, if you need more of a reason to head over to this park on your next Disney visit, Disney recently announced that Festival of the Lion King will be returning later this year!  Anyone else feel like they took five deep breathes of fresh air just reading about all the relaxation at Animal Kingdom?

Deciding where to stay on your next visit? Here’s the best aspect of every Walt Disney World hotel!

Which Disney park do you find to be the most relaxing? Let us know in the comments!