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Big Kilimanjaro Safaris Changes on the Horizons?

MiklCraw4d

MiklCraw4d

Member
SleepingMonk said:
:ROFLOL:

Sorry I missed that one!
Click to expand...

Oh wow... well, you know in the very original version of the attraction the poachers actually killed Big Red, so the very last scene is of Big Red's corpse (does anyone have pics of that, btw?). So they took that out, and for SEVERAL years they had a CM assigned in the rotation to stand there by the truck holding an AK on the poachers (which were mannequins). The driver would yell out something like "Did they get Little Red?" And the CM would yell really quickly something about how Little Red's in the truck and everything is fine as the Jeep sped by. It was hilarious.

Eventually they just put the plane there with the mannequins of Miss Jobson and Warden Wilson and Little Red in the back of the truck.
 
jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
MiklCraw4d said:
Oh, I think I know the answer!
Click to expand...

Funny.

As I said I was going off what stitch was claiming. Believe it or not they have an excellent track record on this stuff. So let's see what we know the facts to be....

A new seperate ticket adventure is on the way.
The new safari will utilize parts of the Savannah.
The participants will be visible to KS guests.
KS is going down for a lengthy rehab (installation of infrastructure, zip lines etc likely).
Many guests feel the poacher take is too heavy handed.
There was some DAK armchair imagineering (not mine) that appeared on this site, stayed awhile and then mysteriously disappeared :lookaroun.
The reliable stitch says big changes are likely pending for KS.

Please feel free to add to the list.
 
Captain Hank

Captain Hank

Well-Known Member
jt04 said:
KS is going down for a lengthy rehab (installation of infrastructure, zip lines etc likely).
Click to expand...
AFAIK, there is no refurb, lengthy or otherwise, necessary for the installation of the new elements that will be part of the new excursion. Any talk of any pending refurb of KSR currently remains an unsubstantiated rumor.

In fact, I doubt any refurbishment that would involve the closure of the attraction would ever take place. It's too important to the Guest experience at DAK.
 
wm49rs

wm49rs

A naughty bit o' crumpet
Premium Member
wdwmagic said:
I don't know if you have any specific source on what you sent me, or whether it's just your idea. I really don't think any of that is happening.

They are making some tweeks to the story to accommodate the tour (details I posted here http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions...rience-heading-to-Disney's-Animal-Kingdom.htm)

I understand the changes are relatively minor.
Click to expand...

Captain Hank said:
AFAIK, there is no refurb, lengthy or otherwise, necessary for the installation of the new elements that will be part of the new excursion. Any talk of any pending refurb of KSR currently remains an unsubstantiated rumor.

In fact, I doubt any refurbishment that would involve the closure of the attraction would ever take place. It's too important to the Guest experience at DAK.
Click to expand...

It seems that the upcoming changes are not going to be as large scale as some may hope.....
 
jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Captain Hank said:
AFAIK, there is no refurb, lengthy or otherwise, necessary for the installation of the new elements that will be part of the new excursion. Any talk of any pending refurb of KSR currently remains an unsubstantiated rumor.

In fact, I doubt any refurbishment that would involve the closure of the attraction would ever take place. It's too important to the Guest experience at DAK.
Click to expand...

I'll tell you why I believe it is possible. The original plan did not account for actual guests to be walking through the savannah. I'm thinking we are talking about some rather seious new infrastructure will be needed. I think they will do a great job and most will be invisible or very natural but obviously they can't let guests get too close to the animals.

Just my two cents for what it is worth after inflation.
 
F

fosse76

Well-Known Member
imagineer boy said:
Because its Disney.
Click to expand...

That's a nonsense answer. A large portion of Disney's attractions aren't any more than what they are and don't need any contrived and forced storyline. If people can't get enjoyment out of KS without the lame storyline it has, then it clearly is not the attraction for them. I would hazard to guess that MOST guests don't care if there is a story...they are riding it for the animals.
 
janoimagine

janoimagine

Well-Known Member
No it's really not nonsense. Any documentary you watch with Imagineering featured and they all say everything begins with a story. A story helps shape the attraction, in the case of KS, the story is no longer as relevant as it was in say the 90's so it should be reworked, but that is one way Disney can and does set itself apart from the others is the backstory.
 
Zummi Gummi

Zummi Gummi

Pioneering the Universe Within!
janoimagine said:
No it's really not nonsense. Any documentary you watch with Imagineering featured and they all say everything begins with a story. A story helps shape the attraction, in the case of KS, the story is no longer as relevant as it was in say the 90's so it should be reworked, but that is one way Disney can and does set itself apart from the others is the backstory.
Click to expand...

Yes, and why can't the story just be you're going off on a safari in Africa for "two weeks"? No one is suggesting the safari company not have a name, the vehicles be plain jeeps, or anything else like that. Embarking on a well-themed safari is story enough- there's no need for a badly contrived, shoe-horned poacher plot. Especially in a park like DAK where everything is supposed to be different to begin with.

I'm all for back stories when they're done well. The KS poachers are not done well, and it comes across poorly. When you have a poorly done back stories, just for the sake of having a back story, you end up with that Chester and Hester's Dinoramo crap they peddled on us, trying to insist the cheap look was all intentional the whole time.
 
Alektronic

Alektronic

Well-Known Member
MiklCraw4d said:
Oh wow... well, you know in the very original version of the attraction the poachers actually killed Big Red, so the very last scene is of Big Red's corpse (does anyone have pics of that, btw?). So they took that out, and for SEVERAL years they had a CM assigned in the rotation to stand there by the truck holding an AK on the poachers (which were mannequins). The driver would yell out something like "Did they get Little Red?" And the CM would yell really quickly something about how Little Red's in the truck and everything is fine as the Jeep sped by. It was hilarious.

Eventually they just put the plane there with the mannequins of Miss Jobson and Warden Wilson and Little Red in the back of the truck.
Click to expand...

Actually, in the beginning, they had a mannequin holding a rifle by the truck and that was a little too phony, so they replaced him with a real life CM.

Big Red was lying down right before the poachers camp on the left. The airplane was there with an overturned jeep and finally Little Red and his truck was located right next to unload.
 
jakeman

jakeman

Well-Known Member
jt04 said:
Many guests feel the poacher take is too heavy handed.
Click to expand...
"Many guest" is not the same as "people on a message board".

jt04 said:
I'll tell you why I believe it is possible. The original plan did not account for actual guests to be walking through the savannah. I'm thinking we are talking about some rather seious new infrastructure will be needed. I think they will do a great job and most will be invisible or very natural but obviously they can't let guests get too close to the animals.

Just my two cents for what it is worth after inflation.
Click to expand...
Nah, no real new "extensive" infrastructure is needed in the places that it is rumored to be going.

According to what Steve has mentioned (please correct me if I'm wrong) portions of this new excursion will take place between Ituri Forest and Safi River. In both cases the main animals (black rhinos and hippos, respectively) are already enclosed. There is one small bottle neck right before the cattle guard that would need to be modified, but that is pretty much it for that area.

If they are going to put something at the end of the ride (say, where the jeep use to come around) you would be looking at modification, but that is also an animal free area.
 
MiklCraw4d

MiklCraw4d

Member
Alektronic said:
Actually, in the beginning, they had a mannequin holding a rifle by the truck and that was a little too phony, so they replaced him with a real life CM.

Big Red was lying down right before the poachers camp on the left. The airplane was there with an overturned jeep and finally Little Red and his truck was located right next to unload.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info! I never knew the exact setup of the Big Red scene. That explains why there's kind of a dead zone (no pun intended) in that area now. What a crazy idea haha...

The whole thing with the CM stationed out in the show scene holding the rifle on the poachers still cracks me up. Especially when it would be some willowy young girl...
 
jakeman

jakeman

Well-Known Member
blackride said:
Just dont get rid of the drivers. If it's an automated tour I think it would be a mess.
Click to expand...
I don't think it is feasible to go automatic.

You would still need the drivers and the only way to effectively trigger a spiel is to hit pucks in the road. Even then, those could be missed by the drivers.

Lastly, about half the animals are free roaming or change savannas frequently. That is the decision of Animal Care and park ops is scared of Animal Care (at least they were when I worked there).

I just don't see how it would work.
 

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