Welcome back, DFB friends! We’re here for another What’s New at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

And, we’ve got plenty of food, merchandise, entertainment, and crowd updates to share with you! So, what are you waiting for? Let’s jump right on in!

Animal Kingdom Food Update

We can’t pass up a new treat when we see one in the parks. And, the New Year’s Eve Cupcake has officially arrived at Flame Tree Barbecue, Restaurantosaurus, and Creature Comforts for $5.99.

The outside of the cupcake is combines a golden color to celebrate the New Year and themed Animal Kingdom features with the animal print Mickey head, crispy pearls, and “2021” on top.

But, the treat itself is made with chocolate cake, amaretto frosting, and a cherry filling for an extra sweet holiday snack that will make you feel even more excited about the New Year!

But, the holiday treats don’t stop there, folks!

Read our full review of the New Year Cupcake here!

Disney is wrapping up its Christmas festivities with leftover merchandise still sitting pretty at the popcorn carts around the park. If you didn’t get your chance to snag the White Christmas Tree Popcorn Bucket and Jingle Bell Sipper this year, you’re going to want to hurry before they’ve disappeared in Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

Animal Kingdom Merchandise Update

There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays than with a pretty AMAZING deal on merchandise in the parks. And, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is ending 2020 with a bang by giving guests 70% off select holiday items!

Along with face masks, Minnie Ears, and apparel, you can stock up on all sorts of holiday items.

Who else is ready to go on a New Year’s shopping spree now??

Find out all the details of the holiday sale here!

Along with the start of 2021 during New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, we also can’t wait to celebrate Lunar New Year in Disney World this upcoming February! And, we spotted the brand new Lunar New Year Ears for $29.99…

…and Lunar New Year Spirit Jersey for $74.99 over in the Bazaar in Asia! And, yes, we totally think you’d rock the red and gold ensemble during your next Disney trip!

As you’re walking around the park, sometimes you need something extra to cool off. And, you can chill out in STYLE with the character fans available at Chester and Hester’s! You can pick up the Mickey Mouse Fan…

…Cinderella Castle Fan…

…Mad Tea Party Fan…

…Haunted Mansion Fan…

…and Orange Bird Fan for $9.99 each!

Which one is your favorite??

Take a look at all the new colorful Disney fans here!

Animal Kingdom Entertainment Update

As the parks get ready to shake things up in 2021 with new attractions, restaurants, and entertainment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is hopping on the bandwagon with an updated park map too! The front features a father and son duo looking thrilled to be in the park (same)…

…and the inside of the map is missing quite a few things. Along with the now permanently closed Primeval Whirl and Rivers of Light, Finding Nemo the Musical and Festival of the Lion King are also all missing from the map currently.

As the parks continue to make modifications to live entertainment and attractions through the New Year, we’ll keep you updated on the other changes coming soon too.

Here’s a look at all the details in the new park map!

We recently saw Santa Goofy living his best life over in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and now he has also made his way all the way over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom too!

Christmas might be over, but we’re totally okay with some extended holiday celebrations if it means that Santa Goofy is the one delivering a few last-minute gifts to us! 😉

Plus, he’s really rocking that beard and red suit, if you ask us!

Have a peek at Santa Goofy looking as adorable as ever in Disney’s Animal Kingdom here!

Since Disney World has reopened, we’ve seen the attractions go through MANY stages of health and safety regulations. However, when we were in Animal Kingdom this week, we noticed that Flight of Passage was no longer seating guests with one or two bikes in between them.

Instead, the attraction is seating guests on EVERY bike with no plexiglass barriers in sight, similar to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster’s current operations. However, it is important to note that Flight of Passage is still using plexiglass barriers and distancing measures in its ride queue to separate parties.

Although we aren’t sure if this is a temporary change to accommodate the influx of crowds for the holidays, we’ll have to continue checking back!

Take a look at the details of the new ride procedures at Avatar Flight of Passage here!

Animal Kingdom Crowd Update

The holidays are one of the absolute busiest in Disney World. And, this week the crowds feel high (even with capacity limits).

The Flight of Passage had a 90-minute wait with a line stretching all the way back to the Harambe Theatre in Africa…

…and we also saw very busy queues at DINOSAUR, where Cast Members were having to direct traffic crosswalk-style for guests in the 80 minute line.

The line for Dinosaur is 80 minutes long and they’re having to stop traffic to let it cross and they’re using the Cretaceous trail! pic.twitter.com/UVb7z8HtjA

— AJ Wolfe (@DisneyFoodBlog) December 29, 2020

Expedition Everest also had trouble separating crowds from the line with a 70 minute wait.

Expedition Everest is currently a 70 minute wait, here’s the line crossing! pic.twitter.com/QPQUMXpkOC

— AJ Wolfe (@DisneyFoodBlog) December 29, 2020

Of course, we’ll be sure to give you a look at what the crowds are like during New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day as the holidays wrap up in Disney World!

Take a look at all the CRAZY long lines around Disney World that we saw!

Well, that’s all for this What’s New at Animal Kingdom! We’ll catch you next time for more food, merchandise, crowd, and entertainment updates. And, if you have any questions about your upcoming Disney World vacation, let us know so we can help you find the answers!

What are you looking forward to seeing the most in Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments below!