Changes: Kilimanjaro Safaris

Revision as of 06:42, 2 February 2020

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

Story

The ride originally begins as a two-week safari aboard Simba 1 through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve in Harambe, East Africa. It is 800km² of natural terrain, including Ituri forest, wetlands of the Safi River valley and the open bush country of the Serengeti Savanna. During most of the ride people view the common African animals including elephants, giraffe, antelopes, gazelles, crocodiles, monkeys, hippos, lions, cheetahs, rhinos, zebras, crocodiles, storks, pelicans, flamingos and okapis. The tour guide points out animals and provides entertainment. During the journey, the driver is in radio contact with reserve warden Wilson Matua, who is flying over the reserve on his daily routine. It all takes a turn when poachers are spotted in the reserve, and it's up to Simba 1 and the guests, with support from the air and other rangers, to stop them.

History

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 group, 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. Cast members can still switch the voice tracks on the trucks to hear the nighttime version of Wilson and Miss Jobson, however it is not considered part of the current Safari storyline.

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.

In 2007-8, work began to extend the trucks with an extra row of seating, allowing the trucks more capacity. Though not all the trucks have the extra row, it is known they will be finished by 2009. Also, the safari script/story, along with the Wilson/Jobson story has significantly changed. There is less of a story about "Little Red", and more about the animals in the Reserve and the need to find a lost elephant at the end.

The ride originally featured a cast member in the role of a gun-toting reserve warden who captured the poachers and saved Big Red and Little Red. This element of the attraction was eventually eliminated. During Cast Previews of Disney's Animal Kingdom, there was a "Dark Ending" in which the safari vehicle encountered the slaughtered corpse of Big Red. This scene proved too shocking for families and children, and thus was eventually changed to give the attraction a happier ending.

On August 15, 2015, at the D23 Expo, an expansion known as Sunset Kilimanjaro Safaris, was announced, extending the operating hours of the attraction, as well as adding new landscapes, and two new species of animals, including African wild dogs and hyenas.^[1]

Animals Seen

Okapi
Greater Kudu
White-faced Tree Duck
Northern Pintail Duck
Nyala
Sable antelope
Greater Flamingo
White-bearded Wildebeest
Pink-backed Pelican
Bontebok
Eland
Springbok
Yellow-billed Duck
Thomson's gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii)
Yellow-billed Stork
Ankole Cattle
Mandrill
Egyptian Goose
Scimitar-horned oryx
Red-billed Duck
Helmeted Guineafowl
White-breasted Cormorant
Stanley Crane
Bongo
Impala
Mhorr gazelle
Yellow-backed duiker
Saddle-billed Stork
Black rhinoceros
White rhinoceros
Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
Nile crocodile
Reticulated giraffe
Masai giraffe
Plains Zebra
Warthog
Ostrich
Cheetah
African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana)
Lion (Panthera leo)
Addax
African wild dog
Spotted Hyena

Incidents

Tuesday, July 13, 2004 is known as "Black Tuesday". The final waterfall scene became overfilled due to a drainage block. When many of the trucks went through, it short-circuited the microphone and "puck" system. After a two-hour closing to figure out how to resolve the issue, it re-opened with trucks maintaining a driver, and another cast member standing in the first passenger seating row talking to the guests. Cast members from throughout the park were asked to help if they had knowledge of the animals/safari. Though it created some havoc, it is a story told by and to all cast members of the attraction.
February 10, 2008, a fire broke out in the engine compartment of one of the ride vehicles.

Construction

The attraction features custom-built GMC trucks riding washed-out, rutted roads and a tilting bridge. The roadbed is actually constructed of dark brown-colored concrete embedded with permanent tire ruts.
The flamingo island is a huge Hidden Mickey.
Between each ecosystem includes both chain road sensors and bars to prevent animals from venturing between sections. The vehicles drive directly on these obstacles.
The entire Magic Kingdom park could fit comfortably inside of this single attraction.

Facts

The music snippet that is heard when driving past the elephant area is called "Hapa Duniani" and is performed by the vocal group, "African Dawn."
The lions in Kilimanjaro Safaris originally were from an Oregon zoo and had a hard time adjusting to Florida's heat. The animals would often retreat from visitor's view to a shaded area. To counter this problem, Imagineers installed air-conditioning systems around the lion's promontory, thus giving visitors a better chance of seeing the kings of the savannah.
On the African savanna, acacia trees appear to be the mainstay of the landscape. Kilimanjaro Safaris, however, is pulling a switcha-roo on its residents by carefully trimming Florida's native southern live oaks to mimic flat-topped acacias. Disney claims the giraffes don't mind on the substitutes.
When you pass the lions on Kilmanjaro Safaris don't worry about being in harms way. Hidden from visitor's view, an 18-foot-deep, 21-foot-wide moat separates the lions from other animals and the rides vehicle path.

Gallery

References

↑ http://www.comingsoon.net/extras/news/472595-d23-disney-reveals-more-star-wars-land-details-plus-toy-story-land-and-avatar#/slide/1

v - e - d

The Oasis
The Oasis Exhibits

Discovery Island
Tree of Life • It's Tough to Be a Bug! • Discovery Island Trails • Winged Encounters - The Kingdom Takes Flight • Zootopia 3D Show (Opening in 2025)

Africa
Kilimanjaro Safaris • Pangani Forest Exploration Trails • Wild Africa Trek • Festival of the Lion King

Rafiki's Planet Watch
Wildlife Express Train • Conservation Station • The Animation Experience at Conservation Station • Habitat Habit! • Affection Section

Asia
Feathered Friends in Flight! • Expedition Everest • Kali River Rapids • Maharajah Jungle Trek

DinoLand U.S.A.
Dinosaur • The Boneyard Playground • Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond! • Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama (Fossil Fun Games • TriceraTop Spin)

Pandora: The World of Avatar
Avatar: Flight of Passage • Na'vi River Journey

Tropical America (Opening in TBA)
Indiana Jones Adventure

Current Entertainment
DiVine

Former Attractions and Entertainment
Discovery River Boats • Camp Minnie-Mickey (Pocahontas and her Forest Friends) • Dinosaur Jubilee • Disney KiteTails • Journey into the Jungle Book • Tarzan Rocks! • UP! A Great Bird Adventure • Primeval Whirl • The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic • Rivers of Light: We Are One • Flights of Wonder

Resorts
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge • Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas • Disney's Coronado Springs Resort • Disney's All-Star Movies Resort • Disney's All-Star Music Resort • Disney's All-Star Sports Resort

[1] ttp://www.comingsoon.net/extras/news/472595-d23-disney-reveals-more-star-wars-land-details-plus-toy-story-land-and-avatar#/slide/1

[1]

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 |park=[[Disney's Animal Kingdom]]
 |land=[[Africa (Animal Kingdom)|Africa]]
-|designer=[[Walt Disney Imagineering]]
+|opened=[[April 22]], [[1998]]
+}}'''Kilimanjaro Safaris''' is a safari attraction at [[Disney's Animal Kingdom]] at the [[Walt Disney World Resort]] in [[Lake Buena Vista, Florida]]. It is an open-sided safari ride through the savanna of East Africa.
-|opened=April 22, [[1998]]
-|vehicle_type=Safari Truck
-|vehicle_names=Simba 1
-|duration=18:30
-|site_area=4,791,600
-}}
-[[Image:WDW-Kimimanjaro-Gir.jpg|thumbnail|Giraffe seen on the ride]]
-'''Kilimanjaro Safaris''' is a safari attraction at [[Disney's Animal Kingdom]] on the [[Walt Disney World Resort]] property in [[Lake Buena Vista, Florida]]. It is an open-sided safari ride through the savanna of East Africa.
 ==Story==
-The ride originally begins as a two-week safari aboard ''[[Simba]] 1'' through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve in Harambe, East Africa. It is 800km<sup>2</sup> of natural terrain, including Ituri forest, wetlands of the Safi River valley and the open bush country of the Serengeti Savanna. During most of the ride people view the common African animals including elephants, giraffe, antelope, gazelle, crocodiles, monkeys, hippos, lions, cheetahs, rhinos, crocodiles, storks, pelicans, flamingos and okapis. The tour guide points out animals and provides entertainment. During the journey, the driver is in radio contact with reserve warden Wilson Matua, who is flying over the reserve on his daily routine. It all takes a turn when poachers are spotted in the reserve, and it's up to ''Simba 1'' and the guests, with support from the air and other rangers, to stop them.
+The ride originally begins as a two-week safari aboard ''[[Simba]] 1'' through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve in Harambe, East Africa. It is 800km<sup>2</sup> of natural terrain, including Ituri forest, wetlands of the Safi River valley and the open bush country of the Serengeti Savanna. During most of the ride people view the common African animals including elephants, giraffe, antelopes, gazelles, crocodiles, monkeys, hippos, lions, cheetahs, rhinos, zebras, crocodiles, storks, pelicans, flamingos and okapis. The tour guide points out animals and provides entertainment. During the journey, the driver is in radio contact with reserve warden Wilson Matua, who is flying over the reserve on his daily routine. It all takes a turn when poachers are spotted in the reserve, and it's up to ''Simba 1'' and the guests, with support from the air and other rangers, to stop them.
 ==History==
-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 troup, 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. Cast members can still switch the voice tracks on the trucks to hear the nighttime version of Wilson and Miss Jobson, however it is not considered part of the current Safari storyline.
+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 group, 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. Cast members can still switch the voice tracks on the trucks to hear the nighttime version of Wilson and Miss Jobson, however it is not considered part of the current Safari storyline.
 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.
@@ Line 23: / Line 18: @@
 The ride originally featured a cast member in the role of a gun-toting reserve warden who captured the poachers and saved Big Red and Little Red. This element of the attraction was eventually eliminated. During Cast Previews of Disney's Animal Kingdom, there was a "Dark Ending" in which the safari vehicle encountered the slaughtered corpse of Big Red. This scene proved too shocking for families and children, and thus was eventually changed to give the attraction a happier ending.
+On August 15, 2015, at the [[Disney D23|D23 Expo]], an expansion known as ''Sunset Kilimanjaro Safaris'', was announced, extending the operating hours of the attraction, as well as adding new landscapes, and two new species of animals, including African wild dogs and hyenas.<ref>http://www.comingsoon.net/extras/news/472595-d23-disney-reveals-more-star-wars-land-details-plus-toy-story-land-and-avatar#/slide/1</ref>
 ==Animals Seen==
 *Okapi
@@ Line 28: / Line 26: @@
 * White-faced Tree Duck
 *Northern Pintail Duck
+*Nyala
 *Sable antelope
 *Greater Flamingo
-*Wildebeest
+*White-bearded Wildebeest
 *Pink-backed Pelican
 *Bontebok
 *Eland
+*Springbok
 *Yellow-billed Duck
-*Thomson's gazelle
+*[[w:c:disney-animals:Thomson's Gazelle|Thomson's gazelle]] (''Eudorcas thomsonii'')
 *Yellow-billed Stork
 *Ankole Cattle
@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 *Stanley Crane
 *Bongo
+*Impala
+*Mhorr gazelle
 *Yellow-backed duiker
 *Saddle-billed Stork
-*Black rhinoceros
+*[[w:c:disney-animals:Black Rhinoceros|Black rhinoceros]]
-*White rhinoceros
+*[[w:c:disney-animals:White Rhinoceros|White rhinoceros]]
+*[[w:c:disney-animals:Common Hippopotamus|Hippopotamus]] (''Hippopotamus amphibius'')
-*Hippopotamus
 *Nile crocodile
-*Reticulated Giraffe
+*[[w:c:disney-animals:Reticulated Giraffe|Reticulated giraffe]]
-*Masai Giraffe
+*[[w:c:disney-animals:Masai Giraffe|Masai giraffe]]
+*Plains Zebra
 *Warthog
 *Ostrich
 *Cheetah
+*[[w:c:disney-animals:African Bush Elephant|African bush elephant]] (''Loxodonta africana'')
-*Elephant
+*[[w:c:disney-animals:Lion|Lion]] (''Panthera leo'')
-*Lion
+*[[w:c:disney-animals:Addax|Addax]]
-*Addax
+*[[w:c:disney-animals:African Wild Dog|African wild dog]]
+*Spotted Hyena
 ==Incidents==
-*Tuesday, July 13, 2004 is known as "Black Tuesday". The final waterfall scene became overfilled due to a drainage block. When many of the trucks went through, it short-circuited the microphone and "puck" system. After a 2-hour closing to figure out how to resolve the issue, it re-opened with trucks maintaining a driver, and another cast member standing in the first passenger seating row talking to the guests. Cast members from throughout the park were asked to help if they had knowledge of the animals/safari. Though it created some havoc, it is a story told by and to all cast members of the attraction.
+*Tuesday, July 13, 2004 is known as "Black Tuesday". The final waterfall scene became overfilled due to a drainage block. When many of the trucks went through, it short-circuited the microphone and "puck" system. After a two-hour closing to figure out how to resolve the issue, it re-opened with trucks maintaining a driver, and another cast member standing in the first passenger seating row talking to the guests. Cast members from throughout the park were asked to help if they had knowledge of the animals/safari. Though it created some havoc, it is a story told by and to all cast members of the attraction.
 *February 10, 2008, a fire broke out in the engine compartment of one of the ride vehicles.
 ==Construction==
 *The attraction features custom-built GMC trucks riding washed-out, rutted roads and a tilting bridge. The roadbed is actually constructed of dark brown-colored concrete embedded with permanent tire ruts.
@@ Line 68: / Line 75: @@
 *Between each ecosystem includes both chain road sensors and bars to prevent animals from venturing between sections. The vehicles drive directly on these obstacles.
 *The entire [[Magic Kingdom]] park could fit comfortably inside of this single attraction.
 ==Facts==
 * The music snippet that is heard when driving past the elephant area is called "Hapa Duniani" and is performed by the vocal group, "African Dawn."
-*The lions in Kilimanjaro Safaris originally were from an Oregon zoo and had a hard time adjusting to Florida's heat.  The animals would often retreat from visitor's view to a shaded area.  To counter this problem, Imagineers installed air-conditioning systems around the lion's promontaory, thus giving visitors a better chance of seeing thekings of the savannah.
+*The lions in Kilimanjaro Safaris originally were from an Oregon zoo and had a hard time adjusting to Florida's heat.  The animals would often retreat from visitor's view to a shaded area.  To counter this problem, Imagineers installed air-conditioning systems around the lion's promontory, thus giving visitors a better chance of seeing the kings of the savannah.
 *On the African savanna, acacia trees appear to be the mainstay of the landscape.  Kilimanjaro Safaris, however, is pulling a switcha-roo on its residents by carefully trimming Florida's native southern live oaks to mimic flat-topped acacias.  Disney claims the giraffes don't mind on the substitutes.
+*When you pass the lions on Kilmanjaro Safaris don't worry about being in harms way.  Hidden from visitor's view, an 18-foot-deep, 21-foot-wide moat separates the lions from other animals and the rides vehicle path.
 ==Gallery==
-<gallery captionalign="left">
+<gallery>
-Animal Kingdom 2010.jpg|A [[Disney's Animal Kingdom]] guide map featuring a Kilimanjaro Safaris Lion
+Animal Kingdom 2010.jpg|A [[Disney's Animal Kingdom]] guide map featuring a Kilimanjaro Safaris lion
+b9e117474d_b.jpg|A black rhinoceros seen on the ride.
+Kilimanjaro Safaris sign.jpg
+tmp659882335029690369.jpg|Okapi
+antelope.jpg|Bongo
+19948874df2787b9e0c03495711c4744--life-ponds.jpg|White-breasted cormorant
+18334415696_2fe2133d74_c.jpg|Female greater kudus
+fa05e3862ca54ad9f6dc491b75d02709--drake-yellow.jpg|Yellow-billed duck
+disney-animals-migratory-birds-00.jpg|Northern pintail duck
+ak246.jpg|Egyptian Goose
+_1388.JPG|Stanley cranes
+whistlingduck1.jpg|White-faced tree duck
+Tragelaphus_angasii_-_Disney's_Animal_Kingdom_Lodge,_Orlando,_Florida,_USA_-_20100119.jpg|Male nyala
+aklsunset25.jpg|Marabou storks
+safari-black-rhino-1.jpg|Black rhinoceros
+Kilimanjaro-Safaris_Full_9718.jpg|Yellow-billed stork
+Yellowbackduckier.jpg|Yellow-backed duckier
+Kilimanjaro-Safaris-at-Animal-Kingdom-8.jpg|Pink-backed pelicans
+IMG_8849-S.jpg|Saddle-billed stork
+r-1388029324-KilimanjaroSafarisHippopotamus9.JPG|Hippopotamus
+Disney-Animal-Kingdom-Crocodiles-7948.jpg|Nile crocodiles
+thomson-s-gazelle-in.jpg|Thomson's gazelles
+PDS589891.jpg|African wild dogs
+o-1447344782-KilimanjaroSafarisSpottedHyenas2.jpg|Spotted hyenas
+florida_11_2471.JPG|Impala
+from-the-kilimanjaro.jpg|Elands
+grf119830LARGE.jpg|Reticulated giraffes
+kilimanjaro_safari___masai_giraffe_by_lionkingrulez-d8v9f1r.jpg|Masai giraffe
+Africa142.jpg|White-bearded wildebeest
+8668293715_0a07b9b65a_b.jpg|Ankole cattle
+aklsunset27.jpg|Waterbuck
+r-1477451637-KilimanjaroSafarisScimitarHornedOryx3.JPG|Scimitar-horned oryx
+b28ce58ac92257119b7937f7ff743ea7--desert-animals-wild-animals.jpg|Mhorr's gazelle
+mandrill1.jpg|Mandrills
+eti291802SMALL.jpg|African elephants
+WDW 10-07 074.jpg|Warthog
+BZ_7152TA.jpg|White rhinoceroses
+r-1461035212-KilimanjaroSafarisBontebok3.JPG|Bontebok
+lions-thumb.jpg|Lions
+20130211_WDW_0145_1.jpg|Cheetahs
+disney-s-animal-kingdom.jpg|Greater flamingos
+normal_wdw_2011_animal_kingdom_kilimanjaro_safari_austrich.jpg|Ostrich
+r-1400724122-KilimanjaroSafarisAddax4.jpg|Addaxes
+grant-s-zebras.jpg|Grant's plains zebras
+Augustus Kilimanjaro Safaris 01.jpg
+Augustus Kilimanjaro Safaris 02.jpg
+Augustus Kilimanjaro Safaris 03.jpg
+Augustus Kilimanjaro Safaris 04.jpg
+Augustus Kilimanjaro Safaris 05.jpg
+Augustus Kilimanjaro Safaris 06.jpg
+Kilimanjaro Safari Truck.jpg
+Elephant Calf Kilimanjaro Safaris 01.jpeg
+Elephant Calf Kilimanjaro Safaris 02.jpeg
+Elephant Calf Kilimanjaro Safaris 03.jpeg
+Elephant Calf Kilimanjaro Safaris 04.jpeg
+Lions_Kilimanjaro_Safaris_Night_01.jpg
+Lions_Kilimanjaro_Safaris_Night_02.jpg
+r-1382981620-KilimanjaroSafarisSpringbok3.jpeg|Springbok
 </gallery>
-==External links==
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
-*[http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/attractionDetail?id=KilimanjaroSafarisAttractionPage Walt Disney World Resort - Kilimanjaro Safaris]
 {{Disney's Animal Kingdom}}
-[[Category:Disney parks and attractions]]
 [[Category:Disney's Animal Kingdom attractions]]
-[[Category:Kingdom Keepers Location]]
+[[Category:Kingdom Keepers locations]]
+[[Category:Disney's Fastpass equipped attractions]]
+[[Category:Africa attractions]]