Thoughts on Kilimanjaro Safaris

[bcampione]

Happy December to you all! So much is being done for Animal Kingdom w/ the Opening of E.E. and it is quite exciting!

I used to work at the Safaris and I really enjoyed being there for 6 months. Now that it has been awhile since I've been there, I was wondering other peoples views on the ride that is bigger than Disneyland .

Have a great holiday season.:wave:

 

[Mecha Figment]

The safari is actualy one of my favorite attractions.. I love animals.. once i got to reach out and touch a giraffe that was cool...

my only complaint is that you can never see the lions.... and you can tell that some of the animals are compartmentalized..at least to the trained eye like myself anyways.



On question that has always puzzled me.. how do they get the hippos when they are one of the most aggressive animals on earth?

 

[DisneyFreak529]

Happy December to you all! So much is being done for Animal Kingdom w/ the Opening of E.E. and it is quite exciting!

I used to work at the Safaris and I really enjoyed being there for 6 months. Now that it has been awhile since I've been there, I was wondering other peoples views on the ride that is bigger than Disneyland .

Have a great holiday season.:wave:

Do you mean the peace of land is bigger then Disneyland? I don't think the Safaris is bigger then Disneyland. Disneyland maybe small but I don't think it's that small!

Any one know?? I really want to know now?

 

[bcampione]

I got that info off miceage.com - it's under one of the newer links about the great things ti see at DAK

 

[peter11435]

I got that info off miceage.com - it's under one of the newer links about the great things ti see at DAK

The Safari IS bigger than Disneyland park. Not the Disneyland Resort. The safari is also slightly larger than the MK.

 

[GoofyMom2]

Our family just loves the Safari! We always see something different every time we go..... I have some fantastic pictures from it.

I always see the lions, they are usually on the big rock. (I heard it is temperature controlled to lure them there).

Actually, AK is our second favorite Park after MK.

 

[Shaman]

The Safari IS bigger than Disneyland park. Not the Disneyland Resort. The safari is also slightly larger than the MK.

Which one has to wonder...with all that space...will they ever shrink the size of the safari..to make way for an attraction?

I love the AK (it's my favorite park) and Kilimanjaro is my favorite attraction.

 

[righttrack]

The safari, IMO, has eclipsed Jungle Cruise as the best "virtual reality" ride on the property. Its different everytime, thanks to the CM Leader/Driver and the animals. For my kids (12 and 6) its a highlight of any WDW trip, and definitely top 5.

 

[bgraham34]

I think its only as good as the driver. He or she makes all the difference. I had a great time because of the guy driving.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I do agree that the driver can make this attraction. However, of the dozens of times I've ridden it, I would say only one or two trips have been "bad." Overall, I think it is one of the best attractions at WDW. While EE looks to the be "signature" attraction, I think the Safaris will be the most important to DAK just because of the history, innovation, and execution that its mix requires.

 

[Uponastar]

I love the safari! It is a different event each time you ride it. There's only one thing I would change. I could do without the poacher storyline. I think the safari is interesting in itself and doesn't need the fake poachers to punch it up. I think it would be great to just ride through, listen to the driver as he or she points out things along the way, then it would be nice to just have that wonderful African music playing as you enjoy the show. Just my opinion.

I know that I will have some of you disagree with me. That's fine. We don't all have to like the same things. Like I said, just my opinion.

 

[MickeyTigg]

my only complaint is that you can never see the lions....

Really....we see them almost every time...when do you go?

...and you can tell that some of the animals are compartmentalized..at least to the trained eye like myself anyways.

Sooooo?

 

[bgraham34]

I love the safari! It is a different event each time you ride it. There's only one thing I would change. I could do without the poacher storyline. I think the safari is interesting in itself and doesn't need the fake poachers to punch it up. I think it would be great to just ride through, listen to the driver as he or she points out things along the way, then it would be nice to just have that wonderful African music playing as you enjoy the show. Just my opinion.

I know that I will have some of you disagree with me. That's fine. We don't all have to like the same things. Like I said, just my opinion.

I am not sure how I stand on the Pouchers storyline. I think they should have multiple storylines.

 

[fillerup]

Zebras & Other things

KS is undoubtedly our favorite in all of WDW - ride it twice on every visit.

I could definitely do without the Poacher theme - but it might be ok the first time or two for the infrequent visitor, I'm just tired of it.

Besides, once you see Little Red in the truck - it's apparent that the poachers are actually Jungle Cruise CMs who've come to get one of their animals back.

The zebras have recently been relocated from the Savana ("East" Africa) to "West" Africa, where the rhinos, cheetahs are. (If I have the east/west thing backwards - someone please correct me.

A Lead CM told us this was done because the rhinos and ostriches are so often hiding that there just wasn't enough animal visibility in that area.

I asked if the route would ever go back to the original instead of going over the little hill to give a better view of Pride Rock.

He said the change was made in response to letters about not being able to see the lions. But now there's a new problem - the rhinos have taken to hiding out where the truck used to do the 180 degree turn by the cheetahs - plus the cheetahs are less visible now.

He speculated that if enough people wrote letters requesting a return to the original route - it might happen. No idea if that's true or not.

 

[col]

i love it every time i walk into animal kingdom i walk straight to that ride. i love the way that its set out and that you can see animals the way they are i mean just roaming around and i like the way that if an animal crosses the vans path everything stops thats happened to me when ive been in the van and there was quite a few vans infront and behind us. the driver said that animals have the right of way coz this is there land.

 

[doop]

I really enjoy the safari a lot, it's one of the great things about wdw, that you can experience things that you normally wouldn't be able to in everyday life. But to me, the Kilimanjaro Safari depends a lot on if you get a good driver. I'd say 3 times out of the 5 that i've been on it, I've gotten a great CM that was really into it. But the two other times, they seemed like they were "just going through the motions" persay.

 

[sgmco]

I love the ability to get up close and personal with some of the animals. I think the attraction could stand to have a few less potholes. I know the Imagineers are trying to be authentic, but when one of those CM's hit those potholes at just the right speed and at just the right angle--well, let's just say that Dinosaur has nothing on Kilamanjaro in the turbulence department when that happens.:hammer: :hurl: :dazzle:

I do miss the days when they would have a CM poised with a rifle pointed at the poachers in the "Little Red" scene. That added just an extra hint of realism.

 

[Yost Nut Zero]

The zebras have recently been relocated from the Savana ("East" Africa) to "West" Africa, where the rhinos, cheetahs are. (If I have the east/west thing backwards - someone please correct me.

There are 3 savannahs at AK, 2 of which you pass through on the safari. West Savannah first, then East Savannah.

The Zebras have recently been relocated from West to East, and not too long ago, the Ostriches were relocated from East to West.

Animals currently on West Savannah: Thompson's Gazelle, Impala, Sable Antelope, Ankole Cattle, Reticulated Giraffes, White Bearded Wildebeest, Ostrich

East Savannah: White Rhino, Cheetah, Lion, Scimitar Horned Oryx, Zebra, Patterson's Eland, Warthog

(of course, all this is subject to change, and they are free roaming animals, no guarantee you'll see everything)

 

[Magic Maker]

I was a driving over the summer, LOVED IT!
It is such a unique experience. I am thankful that it exists,
of course I am also thankful to have my DVC job and have money

 

[Magister]

The Poacher storyline is pretty stupid and it is much worse now.

The poachers vehicle used to careen by on a railed track behind the trees with the bullets flying. Now you just hear the soundtrack.

Then there used to be a CM with a rifle pointed at the Poacher to show he had been captured and had his hands up.

Then with the rapid anti-gun atmosphere it was changed to the CM pointing a walkie-talkie at the poacher...

Starting last year I think, they don't even have a cast member down there.

I commented to my family that it seems as if the poachers are no different than Disney, they just wanted to capture a live elephant to exploit at thier own Zoo.

Poacher is just a guy that wants the animals, but chooses to pay someone else besides the 'appropriate authorities'...

We even see that Little Red was unhurt..

BTW, this week we got to see the male lion.. um.. licking himself.. It was pretty intimidating...

I joked with the CM driving the trucked that I wondered why the poacher had his hands up..