Kilimanjaro Safari- Poaching story line: Do you miss it ?

[danyoung56]

However, when I grew up I realized how inaccurate the film was and was traumatized again by being lied to only for the bennifit of someones beliefs.

What? You mean animals don't talk, rabbits don't THUMP, skunks aren't sweet and gentle? I'm crushed!!!!

Seriously, what's inaccurate about Bambi?

 

[graphite1326]

What? You mean animals don't talk, rabbits don't THUMP, skunks aren't sweet and gentle? I'm crushed!!!!

Seriously, what's inaccurate about Bambi?

It shows Bambi in the winter still very small and with spots. In reality by then they are about 3/4's fully grown and their spots are gone. In fact the female is capable of becoming impregnated at that age. I'm sure the film makers were aware of this and kept the spots for shock purposes. Then after he runs from the hunters and realizes his mother is gone he is crushed. Deer are not capable of having that feeling or at least not for very long. I have seen them going about their business later in the same day grazing like nothing ever happened. They have all ready forgotten. Last it shows Bambi the next summer with a huge nice rack when it takes several years for that to happen.

This is not an argument I want to get into with anyone here but really I was devistated when I figured this out.

 

[UNCgolf]

You describe them as if they are two completely different rides...come on, we all know that's not the case. The original ride was also a meticulously crafted ride through the splendour of Africa, it just had an added element about conservation. Don't make it sound like the two are mutually exclusive.

It kind of wasn't, though.

I agree they aren't mutually exclusive, but the poaching storyline absolutely took away from the animals. They were just a backdrop while you zoomed around to stop the poachers.

The first time I rode it post-poaching storyline it felt like I got to spend 1000x more time just looking at the animals, which was a gigantic improvement.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

a huge nice rack

Mind your language son, this is a family forum!

 

[J_Carioca]

First of all, your evil Queen argument isn’t the best because Disney just rethemed Snow White to be less traumatizing

I completely disagree with you that you can’t predict what will be scary to children. You can’t predict 100% and there will probably be some random thing that you never though of that scares one random kid, but injured animals at what’s basically a zoo is a pretty obvious one.

Every day more and more poachers are stopped/apprehended, certainly a lot more than when this theme existed. Making a bunch of tired Disney tourists aware of something they were already aware of doesn’t solve problems.

If I rode this as a young child I wouldn’t want to come off it crying and then be wary of it later in life.

Poaching is increasing and the plight of rhinos, elephants, pangolins and quite frankly most species is getting much worse. This isn’t really a matter of opinion, they’re facts. I worked on these issues so I do know what I‘m talking about. I have sat at tables with African government officials who fear that their countries’ tourism sectors are going to crumble because of the impact of increasing illegal wildlife trade and the crime and corruption associated with poaching.

I rode KS sooo many times in its original iteration and never once did I see a child crying or upset at the end of the ride. Let’s give kids a little credit here.

 

[J_Carioca]

It shows Bambi in the winter still very small and with spots. In reality by then they are about 3/4's fully grown and their spots are gone. In fact the female is capable of becoming impregnated at that age. I'm sure the film makers were aware of this and kept the spots for shock purposes. Then after he runs from the hunters and realizes his mother is gone he is crushed. Deer are not capable of having that feeling or at least not for very long. I have seen them going about their business later in the same day grazing like nothing ever happened. They have all ready forgotten. Last it shows Bambi the next summer with a huge nice rack when it takes several years for that to happen. All propaganda and done for people who are not around deer and to show people how bad hunting is when in fact it's not hunting but loss of habitat that has been devistating to wildlife.

This is not an argument I want to get into with anyone here but really I was devistated when I figured this out.

You realize Bambi was a cartoon, right? I don’t think it was marketed as a documentary.

 

[J_Carioca]

It kind of wasn't, though.

I agree they aren't mutually exclusive, but the poaching storyline absolutely took away from the animals. They were just a backdrop while you zoomed around to stop the poachers.

The first time I rode it post-poaching storyline it felt like I got to spend 1000x more time just looking at the animals, which was a gigantic improvement.

I guess it’s a matter of opinion. I remember being able to marvel at the animals In the previous version. But ultimately my point is that you can have an enjoyable safari ride and still talk honestly about conservation and the current problems with African wildlife. In fact I would argue that it’s wrong to have these animals in captivity if we’re not going to openly recognize that they are incredibly threatened.

 

[91JLovesDisney]

I have sat at tables with African government

?!
This feels made up

Anyways you make good points @J_Carioca but again, I think 99% of guests riding KS are aware that poaching is an issue, and riding a Disney attraction that brings it up makes 0 difference - riding Kali River Rapids doesn't suddenly inspire me to work to stop forest fires (or is that Grizzly River Rapids? I can never remember)

 

[UNCgolf]

I guess it’s a matter of opinion. I remember being able to marvel at the animals In the previous version. But ultimately my point is that you can have an enjoyable safari ride and still talk honestly about conservation and the current problems with African wildlife. In fact I would argue that it’s wrong to have these animals in captivity if we’re not going to openly recognize that they are incredibly threatened.

You definitely can -- but you don't need the poaching storyline to do that. Just have the drivers talk about while discussing the animals.

 

[J_Carioca]

?!
This feels made up

Anyways you make good points @J_Carioca but again, I think 99% of guests riding KS are aware that poaching is an issue, and riding a Disney attraction that brings it up makes 0 difference - riding Kali River Rapids doesn't suddenly inspire me to work to stop forest fires (or is that Grizzly River Rapids? I can never remember)

There are international conferences on these issues (environmental crime). They draw a lot of african govt officials because of the impact of poaching on their countries' livelihoods. Many of them rely on tourism and no animals = no tourism.

I wish I could agree with you that 99% of Disney guests are well versed in this topic, but I am far more pessimistic than you are, clearly!

 

[graphite1326]

You realize Bambi was a cartoon, right? I don’t think it was marketed as a documentary.

Yes but until now did you believe that the young deer still had theur spots in winter?

 

[TotallyBiased]

Yes but until now did you believe that the young deer still had theur spots in winter?

Sounds like a Mushu moment... like when he found out the Horse wasn't a cow and the cricket wasn't lucky...

 

[SteveAZee]

On the one hand, I appreciated the intent of the poacher story line. On the other hand, it felt a little awkward and ham handed in its execution.

 

[Demarke]

I think most of us go to Disney to escape reality. You’re standard Disney customer has access to all of the media to see the problems with poaching on Nat Geo, in the news, charity commercials, zoos, museum displays, and other avenues. It’s an important message, but I don’t feel like just because Disney has animals it has to make a grand display, there can be a place where you can *just* feel good about the majesty of the animals without the sad message and imagery. I appreciate the conservation messages the guides tack on, but don’t personally yearn for the main theme to be serious again. But to each their own!

 

[World_Showcase_Lover007]

No don’t miss it… I’m fine with just looking at the different animals which I thought was the entire point of the ride…I don’t need anything else

 

[J_Carioca]

What? You mean animals don't talk, rabbits don't THUMP, skunks aren't sweet and gentle? I'm crushed!!!!

Seriously, what's inaccurate about Bambi?

Actually, skunks are sweet and gentle

 

[Sbk1234]

While the poaching/ecology message is an important one, and can be told any number of ways, I kind of liked the story aspect that the poachers plot brought to the attraction. Disney attractions are always involving some type of story, usually with a danger element to it. The poachers storyline was easy enough to look past if you weren't interested. As I recall, other than the final scene with the airplane and Little Red, there wasn't much to it other than references on the P.A.

 

[ppet]

Well it was corny, but my kids loved it. And as the line in the chick flic Holiday goes" I'm looking for a little corny in my life" At least I think that's how it goes, my wife and daughter love that movie. Anyway if Disney removed all of the corny stuff (It's a Small World for instance) the parks would be half empty.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I've got mixed feelings about it. It's always good to shed light on and bring attention to - what happens with poaching. On the other hand people don't really want to think about those types of things while on vacation.

 

[Magicart87]

I've got mixed feelings about it. It's always good to shed light on and bring attention to - what happens with poaching. On the other hand people don't really want to think about those types of things while on vacation.

I liked the story if only because it was a story element on the ride with additonal effects and characters. I never understood the all or nothing removal. Disney could have just as easily developed a storyline where Little Red gets seperated from her Mother and we are tasked with reuniting them. Simple without the polarizing poachers subplot.