What's your amazing safari story?

[ashleymrush]

In an effort to create a feel-good thread about an attraction, I wanted to throw one out there to ask everyone to share their favorite Kilimanjaro Safari experience.

Last year, while chaperoning our annual senior Disney trip, we had the best safari experience ever. The kids were able to do an early-on experience and eat breakfast in AK before it opened. We then took all 30 students and 4 chaperones to the safari to ride, also before the park opened. It started off a little bleak because as soon as we started to go we got stopped by a few stubborn animals in the middle of the road that refused to move so we sat there for 20 minutes without moving (literally, not exaggerating at all) but it was all worth it because once we started again and came upon where the lion was we experienced something that I don't think will ever happen to me again. The lion, who I've only ever seen relaxing/sleeping regardless of the time of day I ride, stood up on top of his rock and let out 3 solid roars. Just like Simba at the end of the Lion King. It was AMAZING!! Everything else on the ride was just a normal safari experience but that ride created one of my all time favorite Disney memories!

Have you had any similar amazing experiences on the safari? Please share them. Maybe I can use a few stories to tell my sons before they ride for the first time.

 

[TreeSapp]

We also had a walking around, roaring Lion on our trip 2 weeks ago, then the female lion also stood up and wlaksd over to him. It was raining and the animals were surprisingly active. One of the sable antelope was chasing the baby giraffe around and the baby was deliberately provoking him to make him do it

 

[PapaGoofy]

Ours was amazing for a slightly different reason...

We were the second group of the morning after rope drop. The initial trucks pulled out of the loading area and trucks started moving up to fill the vacant spot. We were standing right at the beginning of the loading area and a truck driver revved the engine, the truck gunned forward.... straight into the loading dock. It shook the loading area and blocked the progress of all the vehicles behind her.

We stood waiting in the loading dock for about 45 minutes until some sort of manager could come look at the truck and the dock. The whole time the driver had to sit inside the truck with the engine running with all eyes on her. I felt terrible for her.

Finally, the mananger showed up, and had her gas the truck and it moved forward scraping along the concrete part of the loading area. The bumper was left partially dangling and she was instructed to drive on through the loading area.

It was a bizarre start to the day and completely unexpected.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Giraffe traffic jam - youngest daughter is completely obsessed with giraffes, so it was exactly what we'd hoped for.

PP, interesting story about the sable & giraffe. On a side note, I read a story about a sable bull attacked by 2 lions in Africa, and the sable killed both lions.

 

[JillyBean1899]

We got chased by an ostrich one day. Creepy little buggers. And of course he was on the side of the truck that I was on.

 

[reader562]

We saw the male lion roaring 2 weeks ago and also saw 2 hippos that looked like they were going to have a fight. Our driver left that area pretty quickly!

 

[SrisonS]

We once had a giraffe stop in front of our truck, so that the "baby" could safely get out of harm's way. The giraffe was looking dead at us the whole time. And when we were getting off, the driver was quite curious to if I had gotten some good shots of that moment; because I was in the front row.

Here's one....


You Shall Not Pass by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr



Another time, a few rhinos had blocked us as well. They had to be there a good 5 minutes. I was almost waiting for one to eventually lie down and take a nap. Maybe the word's going around the Safari about me. I'm starting to see a pattern.



The Showdown by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr

 

[neutie88]

Not amazing, but funny. My husband actually fell asleep on the Safari! I have no idea how that was possible other than we were on Day 4 of our trip and he had enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine with lunch. It has been a running joke in our family for several years now. Best place to nap at Animal Kingdom? Kiliminjaro Safaris!

 

[leebee]

We had a rhino stop the truck once, for about 10 minutes. He came up right alongside the vehicle and rubbed and scratched himself, and although it rocked the truck and was a little scary, it was also very cool.

Funniest safari experience… the male lion answering the call of nature (#2) in full view on top of the biggest rock! These animals are definitely NOT animatronics!

 

[TreeSapp]

Not amazing, but funny. My husband actually fell asleep on the Safari! I have no idea how that was possible other than we were on Day 4 of our trip and he had enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine with lunch. It has been a running joke in our family for several years now. Best place to nap at Animal Kingdom? Kiliminjaro Safaris!

Waaaaaaay back in the 80s my sister used to be able to fall asleep in the Captain EO movie. It was sooooooo Lou's the rest of us could never figure out how she did it

 

[bumbershoot]

Please share them. Maybe I can use a few stories to tell my sons before they ride for the first time.

Ah, this won't work for that, but it was, in a way, amazing.

Amazingly scary, but still, the word "amazing" is in there.


On the Safari, cold day but animals were up and moving. There was someone in the back of the truck that kept standing to take pictures. The CM stopped us somewhere cool, said "stay seated or we'll have to move", the person stood, we had to move. At one point when it was something really cool she really didn't want to keep going, and was saying "you're ruining it for everyone, you're ruining it for everyone, sit down, you're ruining it for everyone, you ruined it for everyone" and she kept driving.

Got to the rhinos. As we approached two appeared to be fighting, and it was really close to the truck. The CM said that it was a mother and baby and it was OK. I tried to believe her.

Then we had to stop because two OTHER rhinos decided to stop right in front of the truck. I mean right there. Then one stayed in front while the other wandered on one side (could have reached out and touched it), then they swapped. Very very slow.

Now maybe we were in no danger. But rhinos aren't cute and cuddly. (I noted the CM didn't have to tell the stander to sit down for this experience...THIS spot and they finally stay seated, ugh)

The CM was trying to use her cell to call in (we were right behind her and this is what she was telling me quietly) and couldn't get cell service. At all. Again, maybe this was all an act, but it really didn't seem like it.

It was so tense in the truck that the cheetahs, who were in eyesight, actually started moving, one was even RUNNING, and almost no one noticed, we were so entranced by the rhinos so close to us. I'd never seen the cheetahs move, let alone run, so I'm glad I was one that noticed it (she was telling us but no one was listening).

 

[schmamm]

When I was there in December, there were two baby elephants playing in the water. They were sooooo cute!

 

[GigiDisneyfreak]

When we were there about 7 or 8 years ago my daughter who was about 7 didn't want to go on the Safari ride. She has always loved animals and had been on it before so I couldn't understand why she didn't want to go on. She told me she was scared of the wobbly bridge. I convinced her it was a part of the ride and we weren't going to fall and it was perfectly safe to go on. As we were approaching the giraffes one of them came charging down the hill at our truck stopped and turned around. The driver played it off and we all laughed, but the giraffe came charging again, this time all the way up to truck and it was obvious it was agitated. The driver said maybe we should go and the giraffe turned again and charged us again. She called it in and it was obvious she was worried and she started driving. That same giraffe ran back up the hill and was trying to come get us on the other side. It was was of those things that was scary funny at the same time. We laugh about it now and have fun telling the story. I of course told my daughter, "See you didn't have to worry about the bridge. She hates giraffes to this day.

 

[1000HappyWishes]

This happened years ago, however this is one of two memories I have from the trip when I was 5. We were on the Safari ride and some stubborn animals were blocking our path. I can't remember what they were, I'm thinking they were rhinos but again, not 100% on that. We were sitting somewhat near the front and for some reason I decided to start calling one of the rhinos "Cassandra." The amazing CM driving our car decided to tell us the life story of "Cassandra" and when the rhino finally moved, we all waved by to Cassandra! That made my little 5 year old day and I still remember that.

 

[HM]

Our first trip in 1999, our vehicle had to stop because a bunch of giraffes were in the roadway. One of them came right up to our vehicle and stuck it's head in right next to my kids. We could have touched it if we'd reached out. So neat seeing it that close.

 

[lucyem]

Our last Safari ride in December was the best ever. All the animals were out and about. The driver was AMAZING. He took his time, he stopped a lot, he really knew his stuff and was interesting to listen to. Loved it! I sent an email telling WDW about it and mentioned him by name.

Best part of the safari was learning where baby giraffes come from. Very up close and personal. The driver pointed out giraffe in the opposite direction……….

 

[ashleymrush]

These are such great stories. If there are more I'd love to hear them.

 

[Talking Hands]

A few years ago we were just before the bridge over the African crocs. It was cold out and the crocs were piled on top of each other keeping warm. This woman kept swearing that they were fake not real crocs even though we all, we saying they are real.

On a safari tour before park opening I asked the guide to compare African crocs to American crocs. I was shocked that she didn't have a clue that there are American crocodiles. She could only compare them to the alligator

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

On one of our last trips a new rhino charged our jeep. I guess they have pretty poor eyesight (rhinos, not our jeep) and our driver said the new rhino sometimes charged the jeeps because he thought it was a big rhino challenging him.

Anyway, our driver got us out of there pretty quick.

 

[Punzie]

On one of our last trips a new rhino charged our jeep. I guess they have pretty poor eyesight (rhinos, not our jeep) and our driver said the new rhino sometimes charged the jeeps because he thought it was a big rhino challenging him.

Anyway, our driver got us out of there pretty quick.

We had a guide tell us the same thing. If I recall we weren't being charged they were just blocking the road fighting with each other a bit. But he mentioned they may charge bc they think the jeep is a large rhino.

We were there quite a while because more rhinos came. It was pretty cool though. It was the first time I realized that the animal were able to actually get up at the vehicle- some anyway.

I always thought the hidden barriers were further from the road for all the animals.

The last trip we were flanked by giraffes on each side. I could've touched them. Really wanted to.

Do you get thrown out of the park if yoh do?

Not that I'm planning a future trip or anything