Kilimanjaro Safaris

Last updated
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Kilimanjaro Safari.png
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Area Africa
Coordinates 28°21′39″N81°35′37″W / 28.36083°N 81.59361°W / 28.36083; -81.59361
StatusOperating
Opening dateApril 22, 1998
Ride statistics
Attraction type Safari
Designer Walt Disney Imagineering
ModelAfrican wildlife safari
Music"Hapa Duniani"
by African Dawn
Speed8 mph (13 km/h)
Site area4,791,600 sq ft (445,150 m2)
Capacity3,000 riders per hour
Vehicle type Safari truck
Vehicles Ford F-650
Riders per vehicle32
Rows8
Riders per row4
Duration~21:00
Genie+ Logo.svg Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Available
Wheelchair symbol.svg Wheelchair accessible
Assistive listening icon.svg Assistive listening available

Kilimanjaro Safaris is a safari attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom on the Walt Disney World Resort property in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It simulates an open-sided safari ride through the savanna of East Africa.

Contents

Attraction

Story

The attraction simulates a short photo safari aboard a safari vehicle through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve in Harambe, East Africa. While traveling through the large, open exhibit, the game driver points out animals and provides entertainment. Various African animal species appear as if they could come right up to the tourists, though there are cleverly disguised fences and boundaries to ensure guest safety.

Animals

Crocodiles at Animal Kingdom Disney-Animal-Kingdom-Crocodiles-7948.jpg
Crocodiles at Animal Kingdom
Hippopotamus at Animal Kingdom Disney-Animal-Kingdom-Hippo-7940.jpg
Hippopotamus at Animal Kingdom
Rhinos at Animal Kingdom Disney-Animal-Kingdom-Rhinos-8027.jpg
Rhinos at Animal Kingdom

History

The view from the Kilimanjaro Safaris vehicle On Kilimanjaro Safaris 2.JPG
The view from the Kilimanjaro Safaris vehicle

Long before the safari or even Walt Disney World opened, Walt Disney wanted to use real African animals for the river attraction Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. [1] However, for several reasons, Audio-Animatronics replicas were placed instead.

The ride originally included a scripted portion where the safari truck - callsign "Simba-1" - would be contacted by a habitat warden and a scientist to hunt down poachers that had captured a mother elephant and her child - Big Red and Little Red, respectively. The poachers would have been captured at gunpoint by another cast member acting as a warden. This element of the attraction was eventually eliminated and replaced with scaring off the poachers after a pursuit.

During Cast Previews of Disney's Animal Kingdom, there was a "Dark Ending" in which the safari vehicle encountered the corpse of Big Red. She was on the ground, symbolizing that the poachers got to her and the tour group was too late to save the mother elephant. Despite being only a statue, this scene proved too shocking for families and children. Many complaints were filed, so Disney removed the simulated corpse to give the attraction a happier ending.

Kilimanjaro Safaris typically operates until sundown. However, during the holiday season of 1998, the safaris were continued at night and dubbed Kilimanjaro Night Safaris. Though many animals were asleep, or unable to be seen at night, the attraction had a completely different script and storyline. This "new" attraction featured additional animal sounds, reflectors hidden in the foliage to resemble animals' eyes, and an actual African dance troupe, who performed around a bonfire in the area normally occupied by the attraction's elephants. Kilimanjaro Night Safaris only ran during that initial holiday season. After this time, it was deemed that the additional costs, plus the fact that animal visibility was poor (eliciting many guest complaints), made Night Safaris unfeasible to continue regularly.

In 2004, much of the savanna's drainage system had to be replaced. The attraction remained open during the rehab, with green tarps covering the construction sites to keep the animals out.

Between 2007 and 2009, the trucks were extended with an extra row of seating, allowing for more capacity. Also, the safari script/story were significantly changed, placing less of an emphasis on the "Little Red" storyline, and more about the animals in the reserve and the need to find a lost elephant at the end. This led to a somewhat confused plot in which guests are searching for a lost "mother elephant" and eventually find her baby which, according to the story, had already been safe the whole time.

In July 2010 it was announced that guests will soon be able to go on "guided treks" around the savanna. This will include areas that are not part of the regular ride experience. [2]

On February 10, 2012 it was announced that the "Little Red" portion of the ride would be replaced with a zebra exhibit. It opened in the fall of 2012. [3] The attraction housed Hartmann's mountain zebras, but these were removed four months after their arrival due to "acclimation" issues. Some reports claim that the zebras were fighting each other, biting at vehicles or each other, standing in the road, or just causing issues due to excessive mating behavior. They were eventually replaced with addax antelope.

In 2016, Night Safaris were reintroduced as a part of the expansion of Disney's Animal Kingdom. The nighttime changes included a "sunset," animal sounds, and the introduction of hyenas and painted dogs to the reserve. The ride path was shortened for the night safaris in order to avoid areas where no animals would be visible.

Incidents

Construction

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore Zoo</span> Zoo situated in Mandai, Singapore

The Singapore Zoo, formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens or Mandai Zoo, is a 28 hectares zoo located on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area. Opened in 1973, the zoo was built at a cost of $9 million that was granted by the government of Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney's Animal Kingdom</span> Zoological theme park at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, United States

Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division, it is the largest theme park in the world, covering 580 acres (230 ha). The park opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and was the fourth theme park built at the resort. The park is dedicated and themed around natural environment and animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midland Safari Park</span> Safari park in Worcestershire, England

West Midland Safari and Leisure Park is a safari park located in Bewdley in Worcestershire, England. It was opened under the name of West Midland Safari Park in Spring 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin</span> Dark ride attraction at Disney parks

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is an interactive shooting dark ride attraction located in the Tomorrowland area of the Disney theme parks. Designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, this attraction combines a carnival game and a third-generation Omnimover system. It is inspired by Disney/Pixar's Toy Story franchise, and contains several elements loosely based on the cartoon series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge</span> Hotel at Walt Disney World

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge is an African-themed deluxe resort at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. It opened on April 16, 2001. The resort is owned and operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Toad's Wild Ride</span> Dark ride at Disneyland

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is a dark ride at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. It is loosely based on Disney's adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows (1908), one of two segments comprising the animated package film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949). The ride is one of the few remaining attractions operational since the park's opening in July 1955, although the current iteration of the ride opened in 1983. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is located in Fantasyland, a variation of the attraction also existed as an opening day attraction at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World from 1971 until 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jungle Cruise</span> Boat ride at Disney theme parks

Jungle Cruise, formally named Jungle River Cruise, is a riverboat amusement ride located in the Adventureland themed section at various Disney theme parks worldwide. The attraction is a simulated riverboat cruise that travels along a waterway using a concealed guidance system through areas with Asian, African, and South American themes. Park guests board replica steam launches from a 1930s British explorers' lodge, and Audio-Animatronic exotic animals are displayed throughout the ride. A live Disney cast member acts as a tour guide and boat skipper that loosely follows a rehearsed script, providing passengers with a comedic narrative.

Meru National Park is a Kenyan national park located east of Meru, 350 km (220 mi) from Nairobi. Covering an area of 870 km2 (340 sq mi), it is one best known national parks in Kenya. Rainfall in this area is abundant with 635–762 mm (25.0–30.0 in) in the west of the park and 305–356 mm (12.0–14.0 in) in the east. The rainfall results in tall grass and lush swamps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife Safari</span> Safari park in Winston, Oregon

Wildlife Safari is a drive-through safari and zoological park in Winston, Oregon, United States. The park’s main draw are the 615-acre (249 ha) pastures and field enclosures which visitors drive their own vehicles through, enabling many up-close animal encounters and photo opportunities. These expansive field exhibits, divided into regions such as Africa, Asia and the Americas, mainly feature the park’s ungulate herds and larger hoofed mammals, as well as larger species of birds, including cranes and ratites. Visitors also drive past naturalistic exhibits featuring black and brown bears, cheetahs, lions and tigers.

Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure, formerly known as the Six Flags Wild Safari, is a drive-through safari park adjacent to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. The park originally opened on July 4, 1974 and closed on September 30, 2012, to become its own standalone ride experience called the Safari Off Road Adventure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safari park</span> Zoo-like tourist attraction

A safari park, sometimes known as a wildlife park, is a zoo-like commercial drive-in tourist attraction where visitors can drive their own vehicles or ride in vehicles provided by the facility to observe freely roaming animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discovery River Boats</span> Defunct boat ride at Disneys Animal Kingdom

Discovery River Boats was an attraction at Walt Disney World's Disney's Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando.

There have been seven theme park live adaptations of The Lion King at Disney parks since the Disney animated feature film The Lion King was released by Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1994. These have included a parade, two theater-in-the-round shows, and four stage shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dumbo the Flying Elephant</span> Ride at six Disney parks

Dumbo the Flying Elephant is an aerial carousel-style ride located in Fantasyland at six Disney parks around the world. It is based on Disney's 1941 animated feature film, Dumbo. The original attraction opened at Disneyland on August 16, 1955. The four other versions of the attraction were opening-day attractions at their respective parks. It is the only attraction that can be found at all six Disney castle parks worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife Express Train</span> Railroad at Disneys Animal Kingdom

The Wildlife Express Train is an African themed 3 ft narrow gauge heritage railroad at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World, which opened on April 22, 1998. Its route is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long and takes guests on a trip between the Africa and Rafiki's Planet Watch sections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail</span> Walkway at Disneys Animal Kingdom

The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is a walkway next to Kilimanjaro Safaris at the Disney's Animal Kingdom in the Walt Disney World Resort, Florida, from which visitors can see African animals. It is about three-eighths of a mile in length. There are "research students" positioned at most locations to give information about the animals and answer questions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoosafari Fasanolandia</span> Zoo in Fasano, Italy

Zoosafari Fasanolandia is an animal attraction and theme park in Fasano in southern Italy. The park includes a drive-through safari park in the visitor's own vehicle as well as walk around animal areas, animal shows, and several rides. The park opened in 1973 and includes the only male African elephant in Italy.

Wild Africa Trek is an additional paid experience at Disney's Animal Kingdom on the Walt Disney World Resort property in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

<i>Rivers of Light</i> Former show at Disneys Animal Kingdom

Rivers of Light was a nighttime show at Disney's Animal Kingdom in the Walt Disney World Resort. Located in the park's Discovery River lagoon between Discovery Island and Expedition Everest, the show featured water fountains, mist screens, floating lanterns, fire effects, lasers, lights, fog, projection mapping, and until September 2018, live performers. Lakeside seating areas were able to accommodate 5,000 guests.

References

  1. TPMvids (January 7, 2018). Top 10 BEST Disney's Animal Kingdom Secrets! - Walt Disney World (YouTube). Event occurs at 1:29-1:38. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  2. Smith, Thomas. New Adventure at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park will have Guests Trekking into the Savannah. July 15, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  3. Fickley-Baker, Jennifer (2012-02-10). "Kilimanjaro Safaris To Boost Zebra Presence, Add Savannah Space at Disney's Animal Kingdom". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 2012-02-11.
  4. 1 2 Jon Nordheimer (April 26, 1998). "Disney Goes Live With Its Newest Park". New York Times.
  5. 1 2 "Disney Safari Hippo Found Dead". CBS News. Associated Press. June 4, 1998. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
  6. Minshew, Charles. "Database: Theme park injuries, illnesses and deaths, 2006-present". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  7. "Fla.: Fire Closes Ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom". Insurance Journal. 2008-02-12. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  8. TPMvids (January 7, 2018). Top 10 BEST Disney's Animal Kingdom Secrets! - Walt Disney World (YouTube). Event occurs at 6:26-6:51. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  9. TPMvids (January 7, 2018). Top 10 BEST Disney's Animal Kingdom Secrets! - Walt Disney World (YouTube). Event occurs at 6:59-7:06. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  10. Beyond the Kingdoms (April 22, 2020). 15 Animal Kingdom Secrets (YouTube). Event occurs at 8:05-8:35. Retrieved May 16, 2020.