Get Wild: Disney’s Kilimanjaro Safari Ride

Have any wild plans for the weekend? Yeah, me neither. Well, unless you count shuttling my kids back and forth to practice. I suppose that qualifies as somewhat of an adventure. And it is a little like watching animals in their natural habit, especially after a long winter, but I’ve got a different journey in mind. Today’s post takes a look at the incredible Kilimanjaro Safari ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Let’s start with an overview.

The Kilimanjaro Safari attraction opened with Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 1998. According to Disney, it offers guests the chance to view 34 different species of animals within a 110 acre preserve. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen all 34 (or even 25?) during my visits, but the number doesn’t really matter. The adventurous journey through the African plains captures the overall feeling of Animal Kingdom better than any other attraction in the park. It’s also entertainment that guests of all ages, heights and fear levels can enjoy together.

Guests board open-aired vehicles to begin their journey. They then travel through winding, bumpy and sometimes wet terrain while their tour guide offers insights on their surroundings. The content is informative and flexible, allowing the drivers to vary their scripts depending on which animals are visible that day.

Although Walt Disney passed away before Animal Kingdom opened, I always think of him when I ride the Kilimanjaro Safaris. Perhaps it’s because I once read that Walt Disney wanted to use real animals in the original Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland. That plan didn’t work, of course, probably due to the maintenance and um, legal implications of floating guests past live hippos and crocodiles. Still, it makes me smile to think that one of his original ideas came to life in a different way so many years later.

It also makes me grateful that Jungle Cruise only features animatronics.

After a brief introduction, guests officially enter the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. It’s lovely, with sections of wide open plains, crowded bamboo forests and muddy watering holes. The vehicles follow a set path, but it doesn’t really feel like it.

The animals are the star of the attraction. The number and variety you see will vary with each trip. Chances are pretty good you’ll encounter giraffes, elephants, hippos and a wide variety of hooved animals that I needed to use that cool chart shown above to identify.

Like this one, which I’m pretty sure is a kudu.

And these show-stoppers, which are definitely Ankole cattle.

Disney World is educational too, you know.

Everybody know these incredible creatures. African elephants appear to wander freely in the reserve, like this sweet mother and baby.

The proud lions appear to roam freely too, but they are actually separated from the other animals (and guests!) by tastefully hidden barriers.

It’s a wild ride, but not THAT wild.

Since some animals aren’t always easy to spot on a true safari though, Disney added a few features to encourage the stars to linger in more visible places.

For example, I’ve heard that some of the rocks are actually heated at times. This provides the lions with a warm place to nap and treats their guests with a perfect view too.

Each new area is a visual treat with thoughtful details. This serene flamingo island, for example, also features a hidden Mickey. Can you spot it?

The journey ends with a return to the terminal and a message to take care of the wildlife around you. Speaking of which, my kids will be home soon so I better wrap this up.

If you get a chance to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom you should definitely check out the Kilimanjaro Safari ride for yourself. It’s fun, educational and the perfect way to soak up the magical atmosphere of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Oh, and it’s pretty wild too.

Add a little (wild!) magic to your world!