Tree of Life Awakenings Returns to Animal Kingdom November 1, but Skips November 3 and 4 Because the Park Closes at 6pm
The Tree of Life wakes up again on Sunday, November 1. Just not every night.
Tree of Life Awakenings, the projection show that brings the animal carvings on Animal Kingdom's centerpiece to life after dark, returns on November 1, the same day Daylight Saving Time ends. Showtimes are up for the first week, and BlogMickey, which checked each date on Disney's calendar, found that the schedule has gaps. There are no performances on Disney's calendar for the rest of October.
Tree of Life Awakenings in a past season. Photo via WDW News Today
The first week, night by night
- Sunday, November 1: 6:10pm to 8:00pm
- Monday, November 2: 6:10pm to 7:00pm
- Tuesday, November 3: no times listed
- Wednesday, November 4: no times listed
- Thursday, November 5: 6:10pm to 7:00pm
- Friday, November 6: 6:10pm to 7:00pm
- Saturday, November 7: 6:10pm to 8:00pm
WDW News Today reports the same windows from the show's webpage. The show repeats roughly every 10 minutes inside each window, so you do not need to hit one exact start time.
Why November 3 and 4 are dark
The park closes at 6:00pm on November 3 and 4, and BlogMickey says that is too early for the show to run. November 4 does have Extended Evening Hours for eligible Disney resort hotel guests until 8pm, but Disney lists no showtimes for that night either. The 8pm windows on November 1 and 7 line up with the later closing times Disney added for those two dates. Weekday windows end at 7pm, which leaves 50 minutes of performances.
Disney has not posted showtimes past November 7 yet. BlogMickey expects more showtimes to be added on a rolling basis, and hopes Disney extends park hours on November 3 and 4 so the show can play. One more date to watch: Disney's park hours, as we checked them on the morning of October 23, also show Animal Kingdom closing at 6:00pm on Sunday, November 8.
What you will see
Fireflies open the show and wake the animals carved into the trunk, before brightly colored animated scenes fill the tree. BlogMickey's summary of Disney's description picks out a doe on a journey, a pair of hummingbirds in love, and a gift-giving fox in a snowy forest.
The Tree of Life after dark, from a Discovery Island walkway. Photo: BlogMickey.com
The holiday version
The Tree of Life Awakenings Holiday Edition, which turns the tree into holiday scenes, has no showtimes listed yet. WDW News Today expects it during the Walt Disney World holiday season, which it gives as November 13, 2026, through January 6, 2027.
How Daylight Saving Time has shaped it
The show only works after dark, and BlogMickey has tracked that before: Disney pulled it in March 2023 when the clocks sprang forward, then returned it in November 2023 after they fell back. Disney has rotated in special versions before, such as a limited-time Mufasa-themed awakening in December 2024. BlogMickey says Disney's page for the return mentions no themed version this year. The Holiday Edition covered above is a separate show, which WDW News Today expects later in the season.
A lion projection on the trunk, the photo BlogMickey ran with its December 2024 coverage of the Mufasa-themed awakening. Photo: BlogMickey.com
Are you planning an Animal Kingdom night around the Tree of Life, or is it a nice bonus on the way out?
Sources
- BlogMickey, "Tree of Life Awakenings Return to Animal Kingdom Soon, But Not Every Day of the Week" (October 22, 2026)
- WDW News Today, "Tree of Life Awakenings Returning to Disney's Animal Kingdom Ahead of Holiday Season" (October 22, 2026)
- Walt Disney World park hours for Disney's Animal Kingdom, as published by Disney and checked on October 23, 2026
Image credits: via WDW News Today (Tree of Life Awakenings with guests), BlogMickey.com (Tree of Life at night, 2024 projection close-up).
