Rant: Kilimanjaro Safari from Hell!

[Epcot82Guy]

With no ill intent put forth, no one said the job of a safari driver was easy. I would argue it's one of the most difficult attractions positions on property. Being fresh off a spiel is not easy. However, the difficulty is not grounds necessarily for excuse. Of course, every person has off days, but this is a show. From a guest's perspective, that is not a luxury performers get to enjoy. Coming from a highly fine arts-oriented family, you are on 100% of the time. Period. If and when you are off, you deal with the consequences. Excuse is the bane of the theater. No one sitting in the audience paid to see you perform less than you have at any other time. If you can't be on 100% in front of your audience, you belong in another role. Disney created the parks as giant theaters, and the CMs are part of the show, the experience. Reality leaves when you walk on stage. Ask any actor. Everything is flawless, easy, and fun, regardless of the practical difficulties you face in execution.

Again, I do not mean this as a criticism. It's a harsh life, and I will be the FIRST to admit that Disney does not train and compensate its performers as it should. The fact the spieled CMs especially are really not given much theatrical training in perspective is not good (a business decision, sure, and one that is likely for costs, but that is the art-$ dichotomy always present in the entertainment industry). I commend all of you for the work you do, but please don't make excuses on difficulty. It destroys the work product and destroys the craft. And, that is what makes people CMs and not simply employees of a theme park.

These things work by puting people where their talents lie. Not everyone can play every role in a show. I really feel if WDW management would try and latch onto that, especially with the CP, things would be a lot better in the long run and CMs would be much happier in their respective positions because (excuse the cliche) there are no small roles, and WDW is a perfect example of no "stars" so that each person really is contributing a necessary point. Now if only a second day of Traditions could be added to talk about this...

 

[LSUxStitch]

Let it be mentioned that you didn’t point out any of these complaints except for the hard breaking, talking over audio and damaging you “pride and joy” to the manager. Sorry dude, charade is over.

:lol: :lol: :lol: Own3d!

 

[bsandersjr]

Let’s get this story straight from the perspective of someone who’s not trying to impress people with over-exaggerated complaints and from someone who actually works at Kilimanjaro.

#1- Our driver, Christy, kept messing up the lines, ad-libbing incorrect information, stuttering, and talking over the prerecorded parts.
-- I’d like to see you try to do a 17-page spiel plus animal facts without stuttering sometimes. Everyone talks over the audio: we converse with Wilson to make it seem more real.

#2- She ran into the bushes on the left. Not a little scrape. A full wheel went in.
-- Bushes? Have you seen those trucks? They aren’t afraid of bushes. Besides, those bushes aren’t trimmed; you do remember that it’s supposed to be a wildlife reserve, not a city park, right?

#3- She started to turn into one of the service side road. Now, I know where these can lead, and I’m not in the mood to disturb an animal feeding area.
-- No she didn’t. For one, we don’t do that unless it’s an emergency. Like someone said before, coordinators GPS-track our movements. If she was going somewhere she wasn’t supposed to, she would be in BIG trouble. Two, how would you know where we are supposed to go? Did you know the ride path has been changed lately? Maybe you shouldn’t assume that you know this type of information.

#4- She came within inches of hitting a Bongo on the right side. Guests had to shove it away to save it.
-- First, kudos on getting the animal name right. However, guests can’t reach the animals unless they stand and lean out of the vehicle. Those are both big no-no’s. Plus, animals can get close to the vehicles and it happens regularly. That is what makes Kilimanjaro Safari different from a zoo.

#5- She kept tailgating the vehicle in front of us, and in turn having to slam on the brakes. Now, if you’ve ever ridden in the back of these vehicles, you’ll know how bad their rear suspensions are. Well, couple that with a person who is having difficulty staying on track and is continually slamming on the brakes, with a back seat filled with males jumping up and down… LANDING ON YOUR PRIDE AND JOY. (men, keel over in pain… cause it did hurt like hell!)
-- “Please remember to stay seated at all times.” Sound familiar? We have to say it every time we go on a safari. It’s your own fault your “pride and joy” is damaged.

#6- The tailgating led to a collision. Granted, it was at slow speed and was just a bump, it shouldn’t have happened. On the plus side though, she did stop for a minute or so, which allowed us to recuperate and take some photos.
-- Nope. No collision. Had that been true she would no longer be working there. I think she has the same shift as me tomorrow…

#7- After several of us verbally criticized her on the vehicle; she didn’t apologize to any of us. In face, when we brought it up to her, she ignored us. GRRR.
-- Once again untrue. I heard the story from not only her, but the gentlemen who unloaded the vehicle and the manager you spoke to. You didn’t say anything to the unload-er except for ask for her name. The driver didn’t know there was a complaint until the unload-er told her you asked for her name.

Let it be mentioned that you didn’t point out any of these complaints except for the hard breaking, talking over audio and damaging you “pride and joy” to the manager. Sorry dude, charade is over.

I think we have found Christy!:lol: :lol:

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

I think we have found Christy!:lol: :lol:

I tend to agree since the only optional field that was filled out in her profile was gender...

 

[Shaman]

Let’s get this story straight from the perspective of someone who’s not trying to impress people with over-exaggerated complaints and from someone who actually works at Kilimanjaro.

#1- Our driver, Christy, kept messing up the lines, ad-libbing incorrect information, stuttering, and talking over the prerecorded parts.
-- I’d like to see you try to do a 17-page spiel plus animal facts without stuttering sometimes. Everyone talks over the audio: we converse with Wilson to make it seem more real.

If they can't do their job right, they shouldn't be put in the position to do it...

#2- She ran into the bushes on the left. Not a little scrape. A full wheel went in.
-- Bushes? Have you seen those trucks? They aren’t afraid of bushes. Besides, those bushes aren’t trimmed; you do remember that it’s supposed to be a wildlife reserve, not a city park, right?

Sorry, but I don't like the bushes in my face when I'm trying to enjoy the ride. I'm sure most guests feel the same way.

#3- She started to turn into one of the service side road. Now, I know where these can lead, and I’m not in the mood to disturb an animal feeding area.
-- No she didn’t. For one, we don’t do that unless it’s an emergency. Like someone said before, coordinators GPS-track our movements. If she was going somewhere she wasn’t supposed to, she would be in BIG trouble. Two, how would you know where we are supposed to go? Did you know the ride path has been changed lately? Maybe you shouldn’t assume that you know this type of information.

Were you there?

#4- She came within inches of hitting a Bongo on the right side. Guests had to shove it away to save it.
-- First, kudos on getting the animal name right. However, guests can’t reach the animals unless they stand and lean out of the vehicle. Those are both big no-no’s. Plus, animals can get close to the vehicles and it happens regularly. That is what makes Kilimanjaro Safari different from a zoo.

Um...I've been super close to animals (so close I could touch them)...and wouldn't like to experience them getting hurt.

#5- She kept tailgating the vehicle in front of us, and in turn having to slam on the brakes. Now, if you’ve ever ridden in the back of these vehicles, you’ll know how bad their rear suspensions are. Well, couple that with a person who is having difficulty staying on track and is continually slamming on the brakes, with a back seat filled with males jumping up and down… LANDING ON YOUR PRIDE AND JOY. (men, keel over in pain… cause it did hurt like hell!)
-- “Please remember to stay seated at all times.” Sound familiar? We have to say it every time we go on a safari. It’s your own fault your “pride and joy” is damaged.

And this addresses the issue of the tailgating how?

#6- The tailgating led to a collision. Granted, it was at slow speed and was just a bump, it shouldn’t have happened. On the plus side though, she did stop for a minute or so, which allowed us to recuperate and take some photos.
-- Nope. No collision. Had that been true she would no longer be working there. I think she has the same shift as me tomorrow…

So?

#7- After several of us verbally criticized her on the vehicle; she didn’t apologize to any of us. In face, when we brought it up to her, she ignored us. GRRR.
-- Once again untrue. I heard the story from not only her, but the gentlemen who unloaded the vehicle and the manager you spoke to. You didn’t say anything to the unload-er except for ask for her name. The driver didn’t know there was a complaint until the unload-er told her you asked for her name.

People say a lot of things to get themselves out of trouble...especially play ignorant and/or innocent victim.

Let it be mentioned that you didn’t point out any of these complaints except for the hard breaking, talking over audio and damaging you “pride and joy” to the manager. Sorry dude, charade is over.

Again...were you there?


Don't get me wrong the safaris is my favorite ride at WDW. But I have experienced bad drivers first hand, so I know where MKT is coming from. Furthermore, what exactly does MKT stand to gain from making these claims just for the sake of making them? What exactly is YOUR charade all about?

btw...welcome aboard...

 

[Shaman]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Own3d!

uh...no. :wave:

 

[Shaman]

I've arrived, it seems, just in time to correct several mis-statements. (I am a current safari driver, long time reader, first time poster)

- Kilimanjaro Safaris has roughly 200 cast members

- The tracking map is not a real time map, it refreshes roughly once every 10-15 seconds. As such, the trucks will jump around a bit on the map, and the map may not accurately show truck spacing.

- It's not necessarily a "huge no-no" to have to stop before the tilting bridge. The good drivers will be able to play off the brief delay, or stall long enough to avoid it having it be an issue.

- Several drivers fake as if to turn onto one of the service roads, then "change their mind" and stick to the real road. Again, this is used both as a show element and a stall tactic.

- The training is 5 days of training, plus a full (6th) day for the assessment

Good post! And I have experienced the "fake turn", I'm sure many people who have been on this ride often have exprienced it too...but in this particular case, one has to wonder how "fake" it really was....

 

[mkt]

-- I’d like to see you try to do a 17-page spiel plus animal facts without stuttering sometimes. Everyone talks over the audio: we converse with Wilson to make it seem more real.

I did it for months at the Keel boats before they were shut down... so if I could do it, she can too.

-- Bushes? Have you seen those trucks? They aren’t afraid of bushes. Besides, those bushes aren’t trimmed; you do remember that it’s supposed to be a wildlife reserve, not a city park, right?

What if she were to go too close that a branch entered the vehicle and possibly injured a guest? What then? It would probably be nothing more than a minor scratch, but the possibility of a worse injury is definitely out there. What if it ended up not being a minor scratch and required stitches? What then?? I want to see you rationalize that.

-- No she didn’t. For one, we don’t do that unless it’s an emergency. Like someone said before, coordinators GPS-track our movements. If she was going somewhere she wasn’t supposed to, she would be in BIG trouble. Two, how would you know where we are supposed to go? Did you know the ride path has been changed lately? Maybe you shouldn’t assume that you know this type of information.

I'm a regular on the ride and pretty much can tell when something isn't going right on the ride. Plus, we have some major freaks on this site that post when the tiniest things change... sometimes from web capable cellphones in the park. If something like the route were to have changed, we probably would have heard about it here. And I never said she went on it. I said "she started to turn" which means she took corrective action.

-- First, kudos on getting the animal name right. However, guests can’t reach the animals unless they stand and lean out of the vehicle. Those are both big no-no’s. Plus, animals can get close to the vehicles and it happens regularly. That is what makes Kilimanjaro Safari different from a zoo.

She had enough advance warning to stop the vehicle to allow the Bongo to cross. She didn't though. She's probably the type of person that forces a merge by Wilderness Lodge. We did reach out though, without standing. And what was there? A big friggin red animal.

-- “Please remember to stay seated at all times.” Sound familiar? We have to say it every time we go on a safari. It’s your own fault your “pride and joy” is damaged.

I did stay seated at all times. Unfortunately, simple physics prevents that from happening when my body continues travelling after a vehicle slams on its brakes. The same thing happens in a car accident when you don't wear a seatbelt.

-- Nope. No collision. Had that been true she would no longer be working there. I think she has the same shift as me tomorrow…

In that case, she came within millimeters before slamming on the brakes, which would have similar effects as a collision. If that is the case, I apologize for this misunderstanding. Still too close to the other vehicle.

-- Once again untrue. I heard the story from not only her, but the gentlemen who unloaded the vehicle and the manager you spoke to. You didn’t say anything to the unload-er except for ask for her name. The driver didn’t know there was a complaint until the unload-er told her you asked for her name.

Funny, I thought when several of us yelled them to her on the ride, we were pretty vocal. Perhaps she honestly didn't hear us. Then again, I know how Disney works far too well, and I know that when being presented with a Statement to fill out, the shop steward will tell you nothing more than to write "I performed my job per my training to the best of my ability and did nothing wrong." How do I know that isn't what happened?

Let it be mentioned that you didn’t point out any of these complaints except for the hard breaking, talking over audio and damaging you “pride and joy” to the manager. Sorry dude, charade is over.

That was what I told a coordinator... yellow ID. I mentioned all of that to a blue ID. Sorry about the Victor name though, that one is wrong. I saw the manager again, and that wasn't his name. Don't know where I got Victor from.

Charades is fun! We should play this again!

now excuse me, while I email a copy of your reply to Lee Cockerell.

 

[Shaman]

Let’s get this story straight from the perspective of someone who’s not trying to impress people with over-exaggerated complaints and from someone who actually works at Kilimanjaro.

#1- Our driver, Christy, kept messing up the lines, ad-libbing incorrect information, stuttering, and talking over the prerecorded parts.
-- I’d like to see you try to do a 17-page spiel plus animal facts without stuttering sometimes. Everyone talks over the audio: we converse with Wilson to make it seem more real.

#2- She ran into the bushes on the left. Not a little scrape. A full wheel went in.
-- Bushes? Have you seen those trucks? They aren’t afraid of bushes. Besides, those bushes aren’t trimmed; you do remember that it’s supposed to be a wildlife reserve, not a city park, right?

#3- She started to turn into one of the service side road. Now, I know where these can lead, and I’m not in the mood to disturb an animal feeding area.
-- No she didn’t. For one, we don’t do that unless it’s an emergency. Like someone said before, coordinators GPS-track our movements. If she was going somewhere she wasn’t supposed to, she would be in BIG trouble. Two, how would you know where we are supposed to go? Did you know the ride path has been changed lately? Maybe you shouldn’t assume that you know this type of information.

#4- She came within inches of hitting a Bongo on the right side. Guests had to shove it away to save it.
-- First, kudos on getting the animal name right. However, guests can’t reach the animals unless they stand and lean out of the vehicle. Those are both big no-no’s. Plus, animals can get close to the vehicles and it happens regularly. That is what makes Kilimanjaro Safari different from a zoo.

#5- She kept tailgating the vehicle in front of us, and in turn having to slam on the brakes. Now, if you’ve ever ridden in the back of these vehicles, you’ll know how bad their rear suspensions are. Well, couple that with a person who is having difficulty staying on track and is continually slamming on the brakes, with a back seat filled with males jumping up and down… LANDING ON YOUR PRIDE AND JOY. (men, keel over in pain… cause it did hurt like hell!)
-- “Please remember to stay seated at all times.” Sound familiar? We have to say it every time we go on a safari. It’s your own fault your “pride and joy” is damaged.

#6- The tailgating led to a collision. Granted, it was at slow speed and was just a bump, it shouldn’t have happened. On the plus side though, she did stop for a minute or so, which allowed us to recuperate and take some photos.
-- Nope. No collision. Had that been true she would no longer be working there. I think she has the same shift as me tomorrow…

#7- After several of us verbally criticized her on the vehicle; she didn’t apologize to any of us. In face, when we brought it up to her, she ignored us. GRRR.
-- Once again untrue. I heard the story from not only her, but the gentlemen who unloaded the vehicle and the manager you spoke to. You didn’t say anything to the unload-er except for ask for her name. The driver didn’t know there was a complaint until the unload-er told her you asked for her name.

Let it be mentioned that you didn’t point out any of these complaints except for the hard breaking, talking over audio and damaging you “pride and joy” to the manager. Sorry dude, charade is over.

Fully quoted (in its exact form)...for ALL to see.

 

[Legacy]

Charades is fun! We should play this again!

now excuse me, while I email a copy of your reply to Lee Cockerell.

:lol:

Rob... PM me your number. I am SO hooking up with you when I get down there.

 

[mkt]

Jeff,

it's in the PML pad thread

 

[CrashNet]

So sorry to hear you had such an awful experience. But just curious, how and when do they train drivers for the safari? Obviously you can learn your lines sitting at home but do they take new drivers out after hours or before hours to drive to course? I would assume a new driver has to pass some kind of competency test before they would let them actually drive a load of guests.

Thats probably what happened...the final trainees for all attractions would be training at this time during the down season before the holiday's. The poor girl was probably just on one of her first ventures out on her own in the safari. I'm curious how difficult those vehicles are to drive?

As for secret quality assurance guests...simple: cast members and managers in street clothes.

 

[Yost Nut Zero]

-- Once again untrue. I heard the story from not only her, but the gentlemen who unloaded the vehicle and the manager you spoke to. You didn’t say anything to the unload-er except for ask for her name. The driver didn’t know there was a complaint until the unload-er told her you asked for her name.

Unless you were the cast member in question, a manager wouldn't repeat a guest complaint about another cast member to you.

Also curious as to how you knew who was at unload. Yes, the original post did mention a date (one that was 2 days back, as of the time you posted your response), but not a time. If you are a safari driver, you know as well as I do how many different people can work at a certain position each day, and how difficult it can be to remember who was where.

-- I’d like to see you try to do a 17-page spiel plus animal facts without stuttering sometimes. Everyone talks over the audio: we converse with Wilson to make it seem more real.

I'll freely admit that I do make mistakes, and sometimes stutter while giving safaris. That being said, there is something to be said for consistency. Most of my safaris end up being pretty close to the same, nearly word-for-word. Are they exactly the same? Of course not. But, after giving enough safaris, you should be able to be consistent, and not have to ad-lib your way through the spiel. Yes, the occasional ad-lib can make for a better show, but this isn't the jungle cruise, you shouldn't be ad-libbing your whole spiel.

Everyone talks over the audio? I'd be careful about the generalizations. I was trained to not talk over Wilson (as, I'd imagine, you were too), and with the exception of once-in-a-while mentioning an animal name on top of the audio at Warthogs, I don't talk over Wilson.

 

[mkt]

Thank you Yost Nut Zero. I hope to catch your Safari one day.

I know other people complained about the safari too. On the way out after the park closed, I walked by Guest Relations and ran into the person sitting in front of me exiting. He was probably leaving his 2 cents as well.

 

[beazer4444]

Haha. No, I *am* a male and no I’m not Christy, although it would have been pretty funny to catch her writing about herself in third person.

I am merely a friend, trying to protect my friend’s honor both as a safari driver and as a person from people that are bashing her behind her back and beyond her knowledge. Thank goodness she doesn't know this is here, I think it would really tear her up seeing all this.

Unfortunately, as you can see, there are two sides to every story, and sadly neither side can completely prove what they are saying is true. All I can do now is once again vouch for the truthfulness of what I originally said and for Christy's competence as a Safari Driver, and leave you to decide who truly speaks truth.

May all future Kilimanjaro Safaris be pleasant and happy bogging!

 

[mousermerf]

Unless you were the cast member in question, a manager wouldn't repeat a guest complaint about another cast member to you.

Yes they would!

My best stupid-guest stories come from managers getting complaints!

 

[DisneyFreak529]

I'm sorry this happend to you. Maybe she was having a hard day.

 

[mkt]

Yes they would!

My best stupid-guest stories come from managers getting complaints!

Just because they would, they aren't supposed to. They're asking for a grievance or a walk up to Suntrust for divulging that information to people who don't need to know.

 

[HauntedPirate]

MKT - that sounds like it was quite the adventure. Makes me kinda glad I didn't ride KS during my last trip. :lookaround:

I know that the animals can be within arms-length of the vehicles - we had an ostrich pecking at a padded bar a few years ago (I need to find those pictures!). Needless to say, we had a slight delay due to that.

I have no doubts as to the accuracy of MKT's story. I also loved reading the responses from CM's and others - for once, it wasn't the usual bickering, but an intelligent discussion! :sohappy:

 

[LimeSlices]

I was a Safari Driver back in 2002-2003. I was part-time and trained for two weeks. My trainer let me move at my own speed. He commented that I caught on better than others, but that the training was tailored to the student. If you needed another day, you got one. If you just were not cutting it, you were transferred. It happens to a lot of people because of the difficulty of the ride.

The trucks are relatively easy to drive once you're comfortable with them. I think the hardest thing about it is that you only have 4 feet of room around them to maneuver. Once you're used to it though, it's second nature.

It is inevitable that everyone driver isn't perfect everytime, but I do think that continually problems is another item. I can remember when they forgot to bump me off a truck and I was on my 8th safari... figure about 23 minutes a safari - I was looking at almost 4 hours and I really had to go to the bathroom. I received a magical moment on that ride because I made someone's experience. That is what disney is about. It certainly isn't about negativity as I've seen from this post.

Please report the CM's that do not give you that experience. It is what makes our job worth it.

They pay safari drivers 6.70 an hour to be responsible for 30 guests every 23 minutes while giving a 20 minute spiel supplemented by large amounts of animal facts. The drivers need to master not only driving the vehicle, but also show... and the ability to be alert and identify animals. They're responding to radio calls, while interacting with guests, animals, and a spiel.
I love that ride and I loved that job. It was all about the Experience though. Cast members that forget that ruin it for the rest of us.

-Megan