Festival of the Lion King added to Extended Evening Hours at Disney's Animal Kingdom for one night only

By WDWMAGIC Staff · Monday December 4, 2023 3:07pm ET · "Festival of the Lion King"

Festival of the Lion King has been added to the schedule for an upcoming Extended Evening Hours night at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

The show will be performed on December 28, 2023, at 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 2pm, 3 pm, 4pm, 5 pm, 8 pm, and 9 pm.

Extended evening hours are available at Disney's Animal Kingdom on November 8, November 22, December 4, and December 28, 2023.

Attractions available during Extended Evening Hours at Disney's Animal Kingdom

  • Avatar Flight of Passage
  • DINOSAUR
  • Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
  • It's Tough to be a Bug!
  • Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
  • Na'vi River Journey
  • TriceraTop Spin

Extended Evening Hours is a benefit for guests staying at Walt Disney World deluxe hotels, and offers 2 hours of additional park time after regular close.

Walt Disney World Extended Evening Hours Participating Hotels

Disney Deluxe Resorts

  • Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
  • Disney's Beach Club Resort
  • Disney's BoardWalk Inn
  • Disney's Contemporary Resort
  • Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
  • Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
  • Disney's Wilderness Lodge
  • Disney's Yacht Club Resort

Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

  • Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
  • Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
  • Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
  • Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
  • Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
  • Disney's Beach Club Villas
  • Disney's BoardWalk Villas
  • Disney's Old Key West Resort
  • Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
  • Disney’s Riviera Resort
  • Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
  • The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Other Select Hotels

  • Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
  • Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
  • Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
  • Shades of Green on Walt Disney World

Conversation

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↩ replying to DCBaker
Update - on December 28 only, Festival of the Lion King will have additional showtimes during Extended Evening Hours at Animal Kingdom.

The 2 additional showtimes are 8pm and 9pm.
B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista has been added back to the list of participating hotels for Early Theme Park Entry.
↩ replying to DCBaker
They need to go back to only WDW on-site resorts being allowed. People who pay on-site prices should have more perks.
↩ replying to Ayla
Likely coming with the new Genie+ system. First dibs on locking down LLs.
↩ replying to mattpeto
They already limit ILL before park opening to onsite hotels, plus Swan/Dolphin and SOG.
↩ replying to SingleRider
Right.

But Genie+ LL priority likely coming with new system for resort guests.
↩ replying to Ayla
I agree. The prices for WDW resorts are getting insane. They should come with perks for those only staying at the Disney owned resorts. They should also bring back the resort package delivery.
↩ replying to SingleRider
I am very curious what the contract for Swalphin looks like with Disney.
It's the only not Disney Resort (other than SOG):

Can walk to a theme park
Has Disney Transportation (boats)
Includes 7am ILL
Includes deluxe evening hours
↩ replying to Purduevian
IIRC there was something like a 99-year lease. Same with SOG.
Was really disappointed during our trip 2 weeks ago that World Showcase at Epcot basically shuts down for Extended Evening Hours. Only the attractions stay open. No shopping, no restaurants. Was really looking forward to a couple hours of non-crowded World Showcase.
↩ replying to DCBaker
Hi how do we find out extended hour information for April 2024 ....how much extra time do you get and how many days during the week? TY fizzeoatsympaticodotca
↩ replying to Sheribell
Hours for the first week of April 2024 have been posted in the Disney app. The website currently shows hours through the end of March - not sure why it is behind.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/calendars/day/2024-03-25/#/animal-kingdom,hollywood-studios,epcot,magic-kingdom/

Disney Resort guests (and those staying at participating hotels) receive early entry admission 30 minutes prior to official opening time at each park every day of the week.

Disney Deluxe Resort guests are eligible for extended evening hours, for two hours past park closure. The typical schedule is Epcot on Mondays (9-11 pm) and MK on Wednesdays. Since MK’s hours often change, extended evening hours could be 9-11, 10-12, or 11-1 am, depending on regular closing time.
↩ replying to Purduevian
Would be curious as well....

Would also like to know details on how exactly it was able to NOT be a Disney Hotel being geographically in the middle of the crescent
↩ replying to Dad 2 M & M
Because it wasn’t built by Disney and isn’t operated by them.

It was an agreement reached wirh the owners at the time.
↩ replying to Purduevian
The Dolphin opened on June 4, 1990, as part of a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company, Tishman Hotel Corporation, MetLife and Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which was merged into Marriott International in 2019.[1] The land the resort occupies is owned by the Walt Disney Company, while the buildings themselves are leased by Disney to the Tishman Hotel Corporation and MetLife but operated by Marriott International under the Sheraton Hotels and Resorts brand. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin are a part of the Walt Disney Collection of resorts; because of this they are Disney branded and guests of the resort have access to special Disney benefits available to Disney Resort Hotel guests only.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_World_Dolphin