Discovery Island Dance Party at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Discovery Island Dance Party, Carnivale, Viva Gaia, and a variety of other performers at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

See this page for all of the Disney’s Animal Kingdom attraction reviews.

We’re using “Discovery Island Carnivale” as a sort of catch-all phrase for the various performances and dance parties that you’ll see take place throughout the afternoon on the stage in Discovery Island across from Flame Tree Barbecue.

Depending on the time of year, and what properties Disney is promoting, you can expect to see a variety of characters and performers appear. Here, we have Panchito Pistoles and José Carioca from The Three Caballeros. Check out this video for a better idea about what to expect.

What to Expect

The Carnivale is a blend of music, live dancing, and audience participation.

Here, Kevin and Meeko are saying hello.

The Hakuna Matata Time Discovery Island Dance Party took over during the summer of 2019 to help promote the live action version of The Lion King. Kevin, from Up, also appears from behind this gate to the left of the stage.

I don’t think we’ve ever seen a lion character appear. Simba or Mufasa would be pretty spectacular.

But it’s fun to see characters like Rafiki.

And Baloo.

The Discovery Island Carnivale is as casual as it gets. The characters don’t sign autographs, but they do intermittently stop dancing to take photographs. During less popular times, you may have a character or two virtually to yourself. Only a handful of people typically participate, while most watch from the back of the area for a few minutes before moving on. In the picture above, there are at least three band members, three dancers, two cast members, and three characters amidst about eight guests.

Check the Times Guide for performance times. Shows are typically intermittent from 11am to 5pm. If the characters and performers are about to leave, ask a cast member when they should return. It will likely be about 20 minutes. You might grab a drink or snack from Flame Tree Barbecue across the way in the meantime. There’s also Isle of Java. If you’ve got 20 minutes between sets, then you might walk the Discovery Island Trails  or check out It’s Tough To Be A Bug.