By Fairy Diva
On our most recent vacation to Walt Disney World, we knew that seeing the new Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was a must! I love to experience the new offerings at Disney, and since this show had a rocky start coming to fruition, I was excited to finally have the chance to see it. However, since this particular vacation was last-minute, there were no FastPasses left for Rivers of Light. I had read that standard viewing was limited and lines were long waiting for seating, and FastPasses or Dining Packages offered better seating options, so I decided to try for a Rivers of Light Dining Package. Fortunately, one opened up for us.
The two restaurants offered for the Rivers of Light Dining Package are Tiffins and Tusker House. I was really hoping Yak and Yeti would offer the dining and show package option, but unfortunately it does not. Each meal includes special seating for the Rivers of Light show. Both packages are dining plan eligible, but if paying out of pocket, guests can expect breakfast at Tusker House to be $39.00 for adults and $23.00 for children ages 3 to 9, lunch/dinner prices are $52.00 for adults and $32.00 for children ages 3 to 9. Tiffins is slightly pricier for adults with lunch/dinner at $67.00 for adults and $26 for children ages 3 to 9. Note that your reservation must be noted and reserved as a Rivers of Light Dining Package. Simply having a meal at these restaurants will not get you reserved seating for the show.
My children are picky eaters, so Tiffins was out for us. We had dinner at Tusker House, which is a buffet featuring a variety of foods, some with an African flair. Tusker House also has character dining, which is definitely a plus! During our meal we met Mickey, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy dressed in safari gear. While dining, our server gave us tickets for the reserved seating area for Rivers of Light. During the busier seasons, there will be multiple showtimes for Rivers of Light. If that is the case, your dining or FastPass reservation will indicate which showing you have reserved seating. In our case, we were at the 1st showing. We used these to enter the area sectioned off for those with Rivers of Light Dining packages. The entrance is directly in front of Finding Nemo-The Musical.
Rivers of Light is, overall, a beautiful show. I especially loved the water effects and music. I did not care for the super tight seating areas. The long bench-type seating was not spacious and once you had your seat, it was nearly impossible to get out for anything unless you were on the end of each row. You can see Pink Diva’s review of the show here. We enjoyed it, but not enough to ever wait in a long standby line.
I did find that entering through the dining package line was easy, but even those seats in the designated area began filling up as the show time neared, so arriving early is still recommended for both dining package guests and those with FastPasses. If you prefer to use your FastPasses for some of the amazing rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (especially when the new Pandora- The World of Avatar opens up in May) then you may consider reserving the Rivers of Light Dining Package. It provides you with the security of seating at Rivers of Light without the long standby waits and a meal at one of two popular restaurants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Have you seen Rivers of Light yet? What did you think of the show? Did you use the dining package or another method to view the show? Let us know in the comments below!
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