Disney Releases Rivers Of Light Debut Date – FASTPass, Dining Packages Open

After being delayed almost an entire year, Rivers of Light is finally coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World. It was originally scheduled to make its debut in April of last year, but then it was indefinitely delayed and rumors swirled about when it would finally begin.

Now, the debut of Rivers of Light will take place in a little over a week with FASTPass+ availability and dining packages now open.

Early on Thursday morning, a new page appeared on the official Walt Disney World website to show that Rivers of Light was back on and arriving soon. Looking around the site, it appears that there is now FASTPass+ availability and even dining packages open to book.

First things first, the start date for Rivers of Light will be February 17 for its debut show. As of now, there are show times through June of this year, with a single show every other night at 7:15 p.m.

As March arrives, show times will move to 8:45 p.m. and continue to take place every other night. It won’t be until April that Rivers of Light begins taking place two times each evening, with the majority taking place at 8:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

Always check the Times Guide and Walt Disney World operating hours to see what times the show will place on nights you are there.

FASTPass+ availability is there for everyone to book, with on-site Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests being able to book at 60 days out; off-site are still at 30 days out. You had better make them fast, though, as the shows are likely going to fill up in no time.

There will be standby options available each night for Rivers of Light as well, but the stadium is going to fill in quickly too. That will especially be true for the first few weeks of shows, but if you’d like to guarantee a spot, you can always end up booking a dining package.

As reported by WDW Magic, dining packages are also open to book and they will consist of a table service meal at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and reserved seating for Rivers of Light. Reservations can be made by contacting the Disney Dining line at 407-WDW-DINE or by going online to the official website.

Dining packages are available for both the Tusker House Restaurant and Tiffins at Animal Kingdom, but there are some stipulations. For Tusker House, guests must arrive to dine no later than two-and-a-half hours prior to showtime for Rivers of Light. For those going to Tiffins, you must arrive no later than three hours prior to that night’s showtime.

Pricing is as follow for both locations:

Tusker House Restaurant

• Breakfast: Starting at $39 for adults and $23 for children (ages 3-9)
• Lunch or Dinner: Starting at $52 for adults and $32 for children (ages 3-9)

Tiffins

• Lunch or Dinner: Starting at $67 for adults and $26 for children (ages 3-9)

As always, Tusker House dining reservations will be for character meals with some of the famous Disney friends. Adding on the fact that you can now get reserved seating for Rivers of Light, reservations may be even harder to come by there now.

Disney has been very busy making huge announcements lately with the reveal of opening dates for Pandora – The World of Avatar and its Star Wars-themed lands earlier this week. Guests heading to Disney’s Animal Kingdom will soon be honored with watching Rivers of Light after it has been delayed to the point where some thought it would never happen. Now, it is indeed happening and Walt Disney World will soon light up the night.

[Featured Image by The Walt Disney Company]