Kilimanjaro Safaris to replace 'Little Red' scene with new savannah space

[Tom Morrow]

I agree with all of your points, especially the music one! It would be cool if there was similar music just constantly playing, but soft enough that the driver can still be heard clearly over it.

 

[DisneyBoi1215]

Question: The Parks Blog says that zebras have long been a part of the safari, but are overlooked because of their location on the savannah. Now, I am not sure if I am going crazy, but I haven't seen a single zebra on the attraction. Where is their location? lol.

 

[NoChesterHester]

I really hope we see some changes to the pre show video as well.

 

[jt04]

A few notes:

1. This is literally the greatest news to come out of WDW since Everest was announced. Which further shoes how terribly unnecessary Little Red's story was. I equate it with the other two worst stories atWDW, the Imagination Institute that has nothing to do with the imagination and chili dog burping Stitch.

2. Eliminate the current poaching pr-show as well. Use the video monitors to show the further beauty of Africa that you won't see on the tour.

3. Say "You have completed your two week safari!" I cannot think of any guest so willing to suspend disbelief that they were not really on a two week safari, but a metaphorical one.

4. Go Zebras! They have been very missed.

5. I would appreciate more music throughout the attraction. It really adds to the tone of the attraction.

6. Most drivers were so beat down by the poacher script. Plus, there are more real life environmental and conservation ideas that can be tapped instead of "now kids, don't grow up and shoot animals, m'kay?" Instead, make any extended stories personal for the riders.

Perfectly said!

 

[RSoxNo1]

Question: The Parks Blog says that zebras have long been a part of the safari, but are overlooked because of their location on the savannah. Now, I am not sure if I am going crazy, but I haven't seen a single zebra on the attraction. Where is their location? lol.

Behind the Safari there is an "offsite" savannah where they keep the zebras. There is a small clearing that allows guests to view into this "offsite" savannah right over the bridge that leads into the red clay pits. In recent years, Zebras could occasionally be spotted in that clearing.

Previously, they were on the Savannah with the Giraffes, Gazelles, Wildebeests, Ankole Cattle, etc.

 

[Prototype82]

Look at Jungle Cruise: there's no real "story", but the ride works fine! Same will be for KS.

Magic Kingdom isn't a park about animal conservation though. Even if the story seemed a bit forced, being thrown into the action gave me chills. Ever since they pansied out on the poacher arrest by removing the prop guns, it hasn't been the same. So I guess it's all or nothing. I'm hoping they make up for this with Avatar. I'd like to see a violent antagonist taken down in the storyline of whatever ride comes to fruition, but they're probably going to try to make Avatar too family-friendly. Next thing you know, they're going to switch the Dinosaur Animatronics out so that there aren't any raptors scarfing down small herbivores. End rant. -__-

 

[Prototype82]

Eliminate the current poaching pr-show as well. Use the video monitors to show the further beauty of Africa that you won't see on the tour.

Of course! It's Disney World so we have to pretend like poaching doesn't exist! It's too violent for the kiddies! :brick:

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Of course! It's Disney World so we have to pretend like poaching doesn't exist! It's too violent for the kiddies! :brick:

In actual game reserves, you don't notice poachers exist. Yes, the guides mention them occasionally, but in the case of a real poaching problem it's handled much more subtly, instead of sending all tourists away from the animals to trap the poacher.

This is the best thing that could've happened to the safari in terms of making it closer to an authentic safari experience, as well as rightly putting the attraction's focus where it belongs: on the animals and landscapes.

 

[patricia27]

Just love Little Red. Hope they dont get rid of the wobbly bridge. You always know if your driver is a rookie, as they don`t wobble the bridge!!

 

[DisneyBoi1215]

Behind the Safari there is an "offsite" savannah where they keep the zebras. There is a small clearing that allows guests to view into this "offsite" savannah right over the bridge that leads into the red clay pits. In recent years, Zebras could occasionally be spotted in that clearing.

Previously, they were on the Savannah with the Giraffes, Gazelles, Wildebeests, Ankole Cattle, etc.

Thank you so much! Does anyone know why they were moved off of the savannah in the first place?

 

[Bolna]

In actual game reserves, you don't notice poachers exist. Yes, the guides mention them occasionally, but in the case of a real poaching problem it's handled much more subtly, instead of sending all tourists away from the animals to trap the poacher.

This is the best thing that could've happened to the safari in terms of making it closer to an authentic safari experience, as well as rightly putting the attraction's focus where it belongs: on the animals and landscapes.

Well, actually when you look at it, the whole poacher story does have a huge flaw: first of all it does not at all look at the root of poaching - which to a large part is due to the dire economy of many African countries. As much as I love KS at the AK, I am always a bit uncomfortable when people seem to care more for animals than human beings.

So maybe, this whole trying to add a message was just trying to achieve too much which was just not possible in a theme park.

There are parts in the ride which I think are great in the way that they are very sensitive about Africa. For example, when you get to the Okapi, I think the real script says that it wasn't discovered until some year by the Western world. Some guides shorten it to it wasn't discovered until whatever year it is. Which is of course nonsense, Africans certainly knew about the Okapi forever. That might be a little thing, but I find it important.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Well, actually when you look at it, the whole poacher story does have a huge flaw: first of all it does not at all look at the root of poaching - which to a large part is due to the dire economy of many African countries. As much as I love KS at the AK, I am always a bit uncomfortable when people seem to care more for animals than human beings.

So maybe, this whole trying to add a message was just trying to achieve too much which was just not possible in a theme park.

There are parts in the ride which I think are great in the way that they are very sensitive about Africa. For example, when you get to the Okapi, I think the real script says that it wasn't discovered until some year by the Western world. Some guides shorten it to it wasn't discovered until whatever year it is. Which is of course nonsense, Africans certainly knew about the Okapi forever. That might be a little thing, but I find it important.

I don't disagree with you about why people poach - it's the same reason why so many African nations are full of crime. But poaching is still something that rangers at game reserves have to try to prevent. In that regard, I understand why Disney tried to incorporate it in a park that emphasizes conservation of the world's unique flora and fauna. I just think the plot misses the mark by putting the guest (a tourist) in the position of stopping the poacher, when that experience isn't really an authentic one. I think it's a reasonable talking point (explaining that people poach for the money, but that it still needs to be prevented) but it shouldn't be dwelled on.

 

[GenerationX]

The real reason they're switching out the scene: Little Red is now full-grown and can't plausibly pass as "Little" any more.

 

[patricia27]

Wasn`t there a problem with some zebras a while back--where they were not very sociable with some of the other animals? I stand corrected if this is wrong!!

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Wasn`t there a problem with some zebras a while back--where they were not very sociable with some of the other animals? I stand corrected if this is wrong!!

It probably wasn't officially acknowledged, but it is generally accepted to be the case. This new savanna space will either have them by themselves or with some sturdier species.

 

[Bolna]

I don't disagree with you about why people poach - it's the same reason why so many African nations are full of crime. But poaching is still something that rangers at game reserves have to try to prevent. In that regard, I understand why Disney tried to incorporate it in a park that emphasizes conservation of the world's unique flora and fauna. I just think the plot misses the mark by putting the guest (a tourist) in the position of stopping the poacher, when that experience isn't really an authentic one. I think it's a reasonable talking point (explaining that people poach for the money, but that it still needs to be prevented) but it shouldn't be dwelled on.

I guess I do agree with you there, the whole trying to add excitement and at the same time incorporate a serious message did not really work out. I am certainly not sad to lose the poacher story line.

And as you said there are still ways to keep those serious issues part of the attraction. As far as I know the biggest success with reducing poaching has been with projects that get the people living around the national parks involved in the tourism industry - so maybe we will hear about how they are making progress with reducing poaching because they started such projects?

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I guess I do agree with you there, the whole trying to add excitement and at the same time incorporate a serious message did not really work out. I am certainly not sad to lose the poacher story line.

And as you said there are still ways to keep those serious issues part of the attraction. As far as I know the biggest success with reducing poaching has been with projects that get the people living around the national parks involved in the tourism industry - so maybe we will hear about how they are making progress with reducing poaching because they started such projects?

It would be very nice if they incorporated concepts like that. I'm not expecting much, but anything will be an improvement over the previous plot.

 

[Captain Hank]

It is indeed a two-week safari. It is in both the current script and the current operating guides. It's even in the current park orientation. It has been officially two weeks since at least the 2007 rehab.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you on that point. I looked. The only semi-official use of the "two weeks" that I found was in one of the queue spiels (which, IIRC, isn't used any more). Not sure if that one was WDI-approved or not.

The "two weeks" thing has very much become a part of the culture of the ride. However, I don't believe that WDI was involved in that at all.

 

[Captain Hank]

Just love Little Red. Hope they dont get rid of the wobbly bridge. You always know if your driver is a rookie, as they don`t wobble the bridge!!

Actually, the normal reason for Tilting Bridge not working (assuming that it's functional at all at that moment) is due to the truck that went across immediately before yours. If a non-safari vehicle goes across, the bridge does not tilt. It also automatically does not tilt for the next vehicle that goes across the bridge. However, if that second vehicle was a safari truck it will tilt for the following vehicle (assuming that it, too, is a safari truck).

The same sequence of events will happen if a safari truck goes across the bridge too fast (more than 4 mph).

There's a way to tell if the bridge will tilt or not. There's an orange light at the far-left end of the bridge. It is lit when the truck comes around the corner approaching the bridge. If the light turns off as the truck is about to drive onto the bridge, the tilting effect will happen. If,while the truck is on the bridge, it starts blinking that is a signal to the driver that they are going too fast and risk the bridge not tilting. If the light comes on solidly or does not turn off as the truck approaches the bridge, it will not tilt.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Thank you so much! Does anyone know why they were moved off of the savannah in the first place?

Wasn`t there a problem with some zebras a while back--where they were not very sociable with some of the other animals? I stand corrected if this is wrong!!

It probably wasn't officially acknowledged, but it is generally accepted to be the case. This new savanna space will either have them by themselves or with some sturdier species.

My understanding was that the zebras were too aggressive with some of the younger animals.