I can easily say Kilimanjaro Safaris is the largest and most unique ride in any Disney Park.
This ride opened in 1998 and quickly became my favorite. It truly is a humbling experience to see some of everyone’s favorite creatures up close. It really does seem like a voyage through a South African preserve, rather than an attraction in central Florida.
This safari and the Avatar Flight of Passage ride clearly carry Disney’s Animal Kingdom and help to make it a destination in itself.
Kilimanjaro Safaris originally had a more serious, anti-poaching message with a gruesome scene of a stranded baby elephant mourning its mother; however, there has been a shift over the years and while there is still a strong anti-poaching message, Disney seeks to inform rather than terrify. The drivers will teach you the names for groups of animals, give a brief backstory about them, and tell you what you can do to help in their conservation efforts. Keep an eye out for the massive hidden mickey that is the flamingo pond.
On Safari
Going to Animal Kingdom is an incredible experience – especially for Children. There’s no fireworks show and it’s a different environment than the rest of Walt Disney World, but it’s an incredible park. Especially for the animal lovers in your life. When people arrive at the park for rope drop, or extra magic hours – they beeline for Flight of Passage. Within minutes of the park opening, the Flight of Passage line is regularly over an hour and headed towards two.
Kilimanjaro Safaris benefits greatly from this – as the crowds flock to Flight of Passage, very few head toward the Safari. This is a great move for those wanting to ride Flight of Passage as it can be an incredible wait; however, the morning is one of the best times to go on Kilimanjaro Safaris.
The entire Safari area is 800 Square Miles. It is absolutely gigantic. There are dozens of different animal species and while the staff tries to feed them and entice them to be active at certain hours, you can’t beat instinct. The vast majority of the animals are early risers that relax more and more during the day.
The animals are allowed to roam freely around their areas and their shelters. Expect to see some sleepy critters relaxing if you head out around noon and don’t be surprised if the giraffes wandered off and are nowhere to be found.
Despite this – we’ve been on Safari at all times of day. Morning, noon, night, and everywhere in between. We’ve had duds when we had high expectations, and incredible encounters when we expected nothing.
For that reason, Kilimanjaro is the most repeatable ride at all of Walt Disney World. There’s no real bad seats, there’s no real bad times to go – but you can weigh your odds.
If you’re visiting the Animal Kingdom in the summer – Expect to see less during the heat of the day.
Even the animals used to the dense tropical forests know it gets hot in Florida. The elephants are throwing dirt on their backs and hiding, the giraffes are standing together in the shade, and the Hippos are enjoying their Jacuzzi. It’s best to go in the morning or towards sunset.
If you have a Lion lover in the family, try and go before sunset and see them up and moving, rather than laying around.
The best Kilimanjaro Safari Guide I can give is this:
Go early, go often, and try to remember what a fantastic experience this is.
Kwaherini, friends.