Jambo! If you are planning your day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, then you have to start with the parks main attraction, Kilimanjaro Safari! Animal Kingdom is often overlooked because people consider it to be basically like a zoo you would have back home. This is Disney. There is more than animals and wildlife, there is a story and you are part of it when you visit.
Let’s take a further look into the star of the show, Kilimanjaro Safari.
Kilimanjaro Safari is the focal point of Africa at Disney's Animal Kingdom. This attraction opened with the park in 1998. The story goes that the Harambe Wildlife Reserve was for game hunting but when conservation became a focus that all changed. The reserve transformed into a safe place for the animals and only photo tours were allowed.
What is Kilimanjaro Safari?
If you have ever dreamed of traveling the world to adventure in the great savannah of Africa, look no further! Kilimanjaro Safari takes you and your family, (no height restrictions!), through the various habitats in Animal Kingdom to see animals as they are in their day-to-day lives. Your tour guide Cast Member will fill you in on all of the different animals, fun facts about them, as well as the plant life within the habitats and their purpose to the animals.
What Animals can you Spot on the Kilimanjaro Safari?
Your tour guide will take you through 110 acres of land to see up to 34 different species of animals. Some of the animals seen are:
- Okapi
- Greater Kudu
- White-faced Tree Duck
- Nyala
- Sable Antelope
- Greater Flamingo
- White-bearded Wildebeest
- Pink-backed Pelican
- Bontebok
- Eland
- Springbok
- Gazelle
- Yellow-billed Stork
- Ankole Cattle
- Mandrill
- Egyptian Goose
- Scimitar–horned oryx
- White Breasted Cormorant
- Stanley Crane
- Bongo
- Impala
- Mhorr Gazelle
- Saddle-billed Stork
- Black Rhino
- White Rhino
- Hippopotamus
- Nile Crocodile
- Reticulated Giraffe
- Masai Giraffe
- Plains Zebra
- Mountain Zebra
- Warthog
- Ostrich
- Cheetah
- African Bush Elephant
- Lion
- Addax
- African Wild Dog
- Spotted Hyena
- Nigerian Goat
These are just what we’ve seen, you could see someone different! Tell us in the comments who your favorite was!
Kilimanjaro Safari Fun Facts
- Kilimanjaro Safari is almost the same size as all of the Magic Kingdom at 110 acres.
- Disney had to plant all the vegetation 18 months before they could even bring in the animals.
- On the savannah, you will notice dozens of beautiful live oak trees. These were actually on the land prior to building the Animal Kingdom. They were so beautiful Disney dug them up and kept them safe while they built the attraction and then replanted to where we see them today.
- Ever wonder how they get the animals back home at night? All the animals are trained to audio cues to come into their pens. This allows them to do routine medical checks among other things.
- The tire tracks along the path that you drive along are actually carefully placed to keep show water from mingling with the animals drinking water.
- Be on the lookout for hidden feeders the Imagineers placed through the ride. You can normally spot them by logs, rocks, or even up in some of the trees.
- When you drive by the area of flamingos take a close look at the island they are on. It's a giant hidden Mickey!
When is the Best Time to Ride Kilimanjaro Safari
This is an often debated subject amongst Disney fans and even with those who work on the attraction. Of course, you have to keep in mind that the animals run the show. Much like you may experience with your animals at home you never know what is going to happen or when that nap time is going to hit. Though I must say with my cats, that nap is pretty strong all day long. Consistently I find the best time is to go later in the day closer to sunset. Depending on the time of year this can be between 5 pm - 7 pm. I think this has a lot to do with the animals knowing that at sunset I normally get to end the work day and have some dinner. Of course with Animal Kingdom's extended hours things have changed a lot. This, however, has been the time that we have seen the otherwise sleeping cats up and running around. I recommend trying to ride the safari more than once, if the lines are not too long.
History of Kilimanjaro Safari
While Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, the idea for the Kilimanjaro Safari started back in 1964 with Walt Disney. After traveling through South America in the 1940s and seeing all of the exotic animals, he wanted to share the knowledge and thrill with the rest of the world.
Disney initially was trying to plan a mini safari or boat ride right in Adventureland in Disneyland. Mind you, Disneyland is smaller than the Magic Kingdom. Of course, Walt Disney had to compromise his vision because they didn’t have the space for such an attraction, (or the funds). That is how we ended up with the beloved Jungle Cruise, but that’s an article for another day!
Fast forward 40 years when an eccentric Disney Imagineer put forth the idea for a theme park designed all about animals and helped teach conservation. Initially the board of directors dismissed the idea stating that it would be boring. Imagineer Joe Rhode came back to the board to pitch the idea again, but this time, he brought a live tiger to walk behind their chairs!
They all agreed that animals were not boring and Animal Kingdom opened on Earth day in 1998.
A Park for the Animals
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is truly a place built for the animals as it was intended. Long before Disney’s other parks did away with straws you may have noticed how Animal Kingdom never had any. Or maybe you noticed that Animal Kingdom does not sell balloons. Or perhaps you wondered why Animal Kingdom is the only park to not have a nighttime spectacular with fireworks.
All of these things have the animals in common. The Imagineers thought through all of the details of the park so that the animals would live with minimal stress. Straws can cause major digestive trauma should an animal find one. Balloons and their metallic backing can not only be dangerous if swallowed, they can cause a great deal of stress on the animals. Fireworks are a no-brainer. We have all met those dogs that need sedation on the 4th of July to handle the fireworks. Now imagine lions, elephants, and rhinos panicking because they think their world is exploding. Just like Edna Mode said “no capes”, Animal Kingdom says, “no fireworks!”.
How big is Kilimanjaro Safari?
Remember how we said that Walt Disney originally wanted a similar attraction in Disneyland? Well, the Magic Kingdom sits on 107 acres of land and Kilimanjaro Safari in Animal Kingdom sits on a whopping 110 acres!
The area is so large because Disney is focused on the
conservation of animals, not simply our entertainment. Their belief is that Animal Kingdom is their home and we are just visitors. If a rhino sits down in the middle of the roadway on the safari, then settle in because you aren’t going anywhere until he decides to move.
How long is Kilimanjaro Safari?
You should expect for your safari to take around 20 minutes, though it can be more. Expect to stop a few times for the animals. Sometimes the giraffes like to cross the road or those pesky rhinos just want to be the center of attention.
PARENTS OF SMALL CHILDREN:
We know what you’re thinking, “20 minutes of sitting still, yeah, no way.” Don’t write off Kilimanjaro Safari just yet. We thought the same thing but were astounded each and every time our littles sat soaking up every minute of the safari!
Queue for Kilimanjaro Safari
Get read