News Structure built in Kilimanjaro Safaris?

Epcot_Imagineer

Well-Known Member
Six Flags Great Adventure in NJ has a drive through safari attached to the amusement park. Since that’s between NYC and Philadelphia and drivable from other Northeast areas, it’s definitely close to a lot of people in the USA.

I can’t speak to the quality though - I haven’t been in like 30 years.
I have been, and I'll be honest -- it's really not too shabby. After Disney removed almost any semblance of story, the Six Flags version isn't too bad compared to Kilimanjaro.
 

Smiley/OCD

Well-Known Member
Six Flags Great Adventure in NJ has a drive through safari attached to the amusement park. Since that’s between NYC and Philadelphia and drivable from other Northeast areas, it’s definitely close to a lot of people in the USA.

I can’t speak to the quality though - I haven’t been in like 30 years.
I live about a half hour from Six Flags/GA...in 2013, it switched from a personal vehicle drive thru to a truck VERY similar to KS...it's almost a direct copy of Disney's but even with the story line changes, while Great Adventure's is very good, KS is better. GA's safari does have lots of animals and takes pretty good care of the animals. They've been doing it since 1974. Earlier this year, due to the COVID pandemic, they switched back to a drive thru experience with your own car. I still remember as a little kid, the baboons sitting on top of several cars that had the old vinyl roofs, peeling the vinyl off and trying to eat it.
 

Magic Feather

Well-Known Member
I’m under the impression that the plan is for animals to return to the area, but I doubt it would be the same Simataur-Horned Oryx (I think I spelled that right) that previously occupied the space.

That said, whatever animal ends up in this space *could* tie into a new plot for the ride (that bit is pure speculation).
 

Disvillain63

Well-Known Member
I live about a half hour from Six Flags/GA...in 2013, it switched from a personal vehicle drive thru to a truck VERY similar to KS...it's almost a direct copy of Disney's but even with the story line changes, while Great Adventure's is very good, KS is better. GA's safari does have lots of animals and takes pretty good care of the animals. They've been doing it since 1974. Earlier this year, due to the COVID pandemic, they switched back to a drive thru experience with your own car. I still remember as a little kid, the baboons sitting on top of several cars that had the old vinyl roofs, peeling the vinyl off and trying to eat it.
You mentioned Six Flags over GA. It's near Atlanta and does not have a safari. Did you mean Wild Adventures in Valdosta?
 

Tom P.

Well-Known Member
It is an entry point for the underground nuclear waste dump that will go with the nuclear power plant Disney is going to build on property. All of the spent fuel rods will be shaped like Mickey bars, of course.
 

Magicart87

No Refunds!
Premium Member
I can’t visit a zoo anymore after being on the Safari at Disney. Way more informative, interactive and close up.

Is that the Bronx Zoo by chance? Surprised to hear that.
You mentioned Six Flags over GA. It's near Atlanta and does not have a safari. Did you mean Wild Adventures in Valdosta?

Wild Adventures train safari is pretty good. As are their exhibits. Not a bad little themepark. Could use more coasters and a darkride though.
 

DVCakaCarlF

Well-Known Member
I live about a half hour from Six Flags/GA...in 2013, it switched from a personal vehicle drive thru to a truck VERY similar to KS...it's almost a direct copy of Disney's but even with the story line changes, while Great Adventure's is very good, KS is better. GA's safari does have lots of animals and takes pretty good care of the animals. They've been doing it since 1974. Earlier this year, due to the COVID pandemic, they switched back to a drive thru experience with your own car. I still remember as a little kid, the baboons sitting on top of several cars that had the old vinyl roofs, peeling the vinyl off and trying to eat it.
You can get the same experience at carowinds in Charlotte, but, instead of baboons on top of your car, there’s a group of teenagers smoking, a single mom dragging four kids with leashes, and some guy rubbing his belly button in the parking asking people if they have a dollar.
 

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
Wild Adventures train safari is pretty good. As are their exhibits. Not a bad little themepark. Could use more coasters and a darkride though.

Wild Adventure is actually a great example of what I was talking about earlier.

Not that I blame people for going without knowing, but it's been cited by the USDA multiple times for poor living conditions etc. for their animals and has been listed as one of the worst places in the country for elephants.
 

Magicart87

No Refunds!
Premium Member
Wild Adventure is actually a great example of what I was talking about earlier.

Not that I blame people for going without knowing, but it's been cited by the USDA multiple times for poor living conditions etc. for their animals and has been listed as one of the worst places in the country for elephants.

Do you have a link to said information? Sad if true but unfortunately, that's beside the point. The discussion was about the experience being similar or rather how safari parks and other animal-based attractions including zoos offer experiences similar to that of Kilimanjaro Safari.
Emphasis on the guest experience, not that of the animals. Different discussions entirely.

I can, for example, feed a giraffe. Play with elephants and see a vast number of other animals at my local zoo. The local safari park near me has impala, zebra and other animals. Some of those experiences are greater than the ones spent sitting inside a vehicle. Alternatively, some of Kilamajaro's experiences are better than those at my local zoo. But they're similar. It is of my opinion that Disney's version should be better in some way. In the past that "betterment" came in the form of a plot, AAs and effects. I miss that addition. In that regard, those aspects made the safari unique.

Regardless, we're getting OT.
 
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RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
I’m under the impression that the plan is for animals to return to the area, but I doubt it would be the same Simataur-Horned Oryx (I think I spelled that right) that previously occupied the space.

That said, whatever animal ends up in this space *could* tie into a new plot for the ride (that bit is pure speculation).
Scimitar Horned Oryx.

I've been told that goats are a possibility. I wonder if they're relocating the Oryx to the Lodge, perhaps with the Addax.
 

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Scimitar Horned Oryx.

I've been told that goats are a possibility. I wonder if they're relocating the Oryx to the Lodge, perhaps with the Addax.
Goats?

I know there's been on again off again rumors for the last decade of closing the Planet Watch and just keeping the hospital stuff back stage. I imagine in a post covid world of budget cuts getting rid of the guest areas of Planet Watch would get rid of a lot of extra cast with relatively low negative effects on guest satisfaction.

The Goats are the main draw of the petting zoo. Moving them to the safari would be saving the biggest "loss" of Planet Watch closing.

Plus, that would give a decent sized expansion pad for Animal Kingdom after budgets start to rebound enough to start building new things again.

Obviously I would prefer that nothing was closed until they are ready to start construction on a replacement. But Planet Watch isn't exactly the most popular thing in the park.

(None of this is inside info. All my friend of a friend, grain of salt source has said is they heard a story being added mostly through script/narration changes with maybe small additions towards the end that may or may no include animals. This is just me speculating)
 

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