Tree of Life Awakenings is coming back to Disney’s Animal Kingdom on Sunday, November 1, but anyone planning a visit that first week should check the calendar. Disney has posted times for the nighttime projections on five of the first seven nights, and two weeknights have no shows listed at all.
The return lines up with the end of daylight saving time, which also falls on November 1. The earlier sunsets give Animal Kingdom enough darkness to run the show before closing. Disney gave the same reason when it brought the show back in November 2023.
First Week Showtimes
Here are the performance windows on Disney’s calendar for the first week, as Blog Mickey found by checking each date:
- Sunday, November 1: 6:10 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Monday, November 2: 6:10 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, November 3: no times listed
- Wednesday, November 4: no times listed
- Thursday, November 5: 6:10 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Friday, November 6: 6:10 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturday, November 7: 6:10 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The two blank nights come down to park hours. Animal Kingdom is scheduled to close at 6 p.m. on November 3 and 4, before it is dark enough for the projections. If Disney extends hours on those dates, showtimes could still be added. No times are posted yet for any date after November 7, and more should appear as the month goes on.
How The Show Works
Tree of Life Awakenings is not a single show with one start time. Short projection scenes play on the trunk of the Tree of Life about every 10 minutes after dark, so guests can walk up at any point inside the posted window and catch one.
In Disney’s description, flickering fireflies stir the animal spirits carved into the tree, and the trunk fills with color and animation. The scenes include a young doe setting out on a journey, a pair of hummingbirds falling in love and a sly fox handing out gifts in a wintry forest.
There is no height requirement, and the show is included with park admission.
Planning Around The Gaps
Weekend nights have the longest windows, nearly two hours, because the park stays open later. On weekdays, the window is 50 minutes, ending at 7 p.m., so it is worth heading to Discovery Island right as the show starts.
Animal Kingdom has more holiday additions on the way this season too, including Santa’s Holiday Grove, which brings a snowy trail and Santa himself to the park.
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