Winged Encounters at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (A Not-To-Be Missed Bird Encounter)
Every day, Disney’s Animal Kingdom invites guests to look to the sky as a flock of Macaws swoop in for a landing in front of the Tree of Life. This offering is known as Winged Encounters—The Kingdom Takes Flight.
Below, we’ll discuss the details of this ultimate bird-watching experience, including showtimes and different species of the South American Macaw you can expect to see. Anyone interested in birds or unique animal encounters will want to take a few minutes of their day to see this offering.
Need to Know Details For Winged Encounters
Here is a quick reference chart for experiencing winged encounters during your Walt Disney World vacation:
| Winged Encounters | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
|---|---|
Location: | Disney’s Tree of Life |
| Show Times: | 9:15 a.m., 10:15 a.m. 11:15 a.m. 1:15 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:15 p.m. (Check Daily Schedule) |
| Species of South American Macaw: | Hyacinth, Military, Scarlet, Green Wing, Blue and Gold, Blue Throated |
Early Theme Park Entry: | NA |
Extended Evening Hours: | NA |
Accessibility: | Guest can remain in wheelchairs or ECVS. |
| Tip: | We like to get as close as possible to see the birds land and take flight at the end of the show. |
Every so often, we’ll stop for a break on Discovery Island toward the front of the park. This is the large open area past The Oasis, where the Tree of Life comes into view. While we’re resting, we’ll often notice a few cast members arrive in front of the Tree of Life. Soon after, a loudspeaker invites guests to gather around the tree. The announcement indicates that the skies will soon be filled with brilliantly colored birds coming in for a landing. Seconds later, the birds soar over the Asia side of the Tree of Life and literally fly through the crowd before they land. If you’re close enough, you will feel the fleeting of their feathers. It’s an incredible experience.
We’ve seen anything from five to twenty birds come in for a landing. They have an incredible wingspan of up to 48″. Disney often refers to the winged stars of the show as a living kaleidoscope. I think that’s a fair statement. They are beautiful.
The cast members take a few moments to educate guests about the different birds. They always mention that these types of birds do not make great pets. Then, they ask the audience to participate and share why these majestic creatures would not make good pets. Most of the responses are on point, but the biggest reason is that this type of bird typically lives to be 50 years old, sometimes outliving their owners. Then, it becomes difficult to rehome them, and they do not know how to survive in the wild.
During the brief presentation (less than five minutes), a few birds fly through the audience here and there. You might see a cast member tempting a few birds with a treat.
Right before the birds take flight, the cast member will instruct everyone to have their cameras or recording devices ready. The birds will exit in the same manner as to which they landed.
Given the frequent offerings and minimal impact on time, we recommend seeing Winged Encounters during your visit. You might try to squeeze it in right before or after lunch. Here are a few more photos from our recent visits to the park.
We give Winged Encounters the green light! If you miss this attraction, you’re the one missing out!
Resorts Gal Traffic Signals
Green Light
We give an attraction the green light if we consider it a must-do, regardless of the posted wait. We also give the green light for attractions we deem suitable to experience anytime. For example, some attractions have high capacities. Therefore, the lines continuously move and you shouldn’t have a long wait unless the attraction experiences downtime.
Red Light
We recommend checking the posted wait times for red light attractions. Then, make a quick judgment call on whether to wait, skip it, or return later. We also red light some attractions that we feel might not be suitable based on our experience.
For more attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you might enjoy the following:
- Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Discovery Island Trails and Encounters
- The Maharajah Jungle Trek (Tigers and More!)
- See the Gorillas on Gorillas Fall Exploration Trail
We also have a list of where to find animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
What Do You Think?
Do you ever stop to see Winged Encounters? Do you enjoy this kind of experience? Let us know in the comments section below!
