AK: What is the worst time to ride Safari?

[Alice777]

I know most people said, morning is the best to ride Safari because animals are most active.

I will be at AK after lunch so I was wondering around what time does animals take nap that I should avoid getting FP+ during that time.

Thank you

 

[Robo]

We have ridden Safari dozens of times, and at all times of day.

Each and every trip is different and fun.

Later in the day, some animals that are harder to see in the mornings are more up and active.
(The big cats, for example.)

 

[Alice777]

Do you think it's better to have 12:30 pm FP+ vs 2:30 pm FP+?

 

[wilkeliza]

I think middle of the day is worst. The high heat means most animals are hiding trying to cool off. Best time is right after it rains as a lot of the animals like to play in the mudd especially the babies.

 

[Accident]

1230. If the sun is miserable you may not last in the park for a 230 fp.

 

[Klayfish]

Disney doesn't set nap times for the animals (at least I don't think they do ), so there's no way to really predict what you will or won't see on any given day at any given time. Go whenever fits into your schedule and keep your eyes open for animals that are hard to see. The only "bad" time I've found to go is in total dark of night, because it's really hard to see much...though it is cool to see it at night.

 

[TSM]

We rode yesterday late in the day at like 6 and saw a lot more animals than earlier in the week at noon. Could have just been random though.

 

[GaryDis]

Yesterday we did the 9:30 Wild Africa Trek, and then rode Kilimanjaro twice, one around 7PM and again around 8:20 PM. Each experience was different, and each worthwhile. However, the nighttime experiences might be disappointing without also having done the daytime.

For example, on the trek, the wildebeest were huddled, lying down as we drove past, around 11, but by the time we had finished lunch, a bit past noon, several of them were up and grazing in the field opposite our lunch site. This goes against the theory that they're more active earlier.

Sometimes it's just luck and quick eyesight. I didn't find the painted dogs when we drove past, but DH did. On the 7PM ride, the hyenas were out instead of the dogs, and we could see them moving around (something I've rarely seen at other zoos). We also had a giraffe just a few feet from the vehicle, then two of them walked slowly in front of us. We saw the lions all three times, but the male was pretty lazy the first time. The last time, they were only dimly visible but we're moving around, and the best part is that the male and one of the females were roaring - which was an awesome experience (for traditional values of "awesome").

 

[EdmondD]

Anytime the safari truck rolls over or gets stuck is a bad time.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I've been on the safari first thing in the morning, and honestly the animals are usually asleep or hiding. In the afternoon, same thing. That was my experience. People keep saying theyre most active in the morning but I have yet to see it.

 

[disnut8]

My husband and I do the Safari on every trip and we've done it first thing when we get there, which is usually around 11 AM, we've done it in the mid afternoon and we've done it being one of the last jeep out before the park closed for the day (this is before the nighttime stuff, we don't do Animal Kingdom at night). And we've done all the times in between the times I've mentioned. The only time we've been disappointed on a Safari is when the driver wasn't into the ride. On our last trip over Labor Day weekend, we were on it around noon and I finally got to see that cheetah that I always miss but everyone else sees because he was closer. We also had to wait a bit because a rhino had decided to cross the road and laid down on the road for a few minutes. So, anytime during the day would be a good time to go.

 

[CAS239]

There's really no "bad" time to do the Safari as it's different every time. However if you had to choose a time to avoid then I would say middle of the day.

From the many times we've ridden it, the most active I've seen the animals is late in the afternoon. Especially the lions. Around 5pm was when we saw the most activity

 

[yulilin3]

I agree with others, no real bad time, the experience is different through out the day
We had fp yesterday for 4:30pm saw the Okapi, Bongo, hippos, cattle, wildebeest, bonteboks, gazelles, giraffes,elephants and cheetahs
Did not see rhinos (we knew we wouldn't cause we had gone earlier to Rafiki's Planet Watch and the train conductor said that all the rhinos were inside getting treatment that day) or lions

 

[AngiTN]

I've been on the safari first thing in the morning, and honestly the animals are usually asleep or hiding. In the afternoon, same thing. That was my experience. People keep saying theyre most active in the morning but I have yet to see it.

Because it's not true. Animals are not "most active" at any point in the day over another. They are wild-ish animals and they more or less do what they want, when they want. Now, there are times when Disney handlers come out and "bait" some of their feed locations and that may well get some of them up and moving but really, Disney does this at random times. It's not like they go out at 4:00 each day to put food in all the giraffe feeding areas. They go out at random times to do it. They also do things like call in groups of animals at a time (I believe this is a new feature with the addition of the nighttime safari hours) and if it's time that they are calling them or a time when they are releasing them back out it may appear they are more active. But again I think they do this on a rotating schedule so it can't be predicted.

Anyway, this is why we usually do 2 or 3 safari rides a day, so we can see various things on each one.

 

[Klayfish]

They are wild-ish animals and they more or less do what they want, when they want.

Don't we all wish we could lead that kind of life...

 

[eyeblaura]

We just got back and rode it about 5 and saw a lot of animals, more then I expected with as hot as it was but by 5 the sun was lower I guess.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Because it's not true. Animals are not "most active" at any point in the day over another. They are wild-ish animals and they more or less do what they want, when they want. Now, there are times when Disney handlers come out and "bait" some of their feed locations and that may well get some of them up and moving but really, Disney does this at random times. It's not like they go out at 4:00 each day to put food in all the giraffe feeding areas. They go out at random times to do it. They also do things like call in groups of animals at a time (I believe this is a new feature with the addition of the nighttime safari hours) and if it's time that they are calling them or a time when they are releasing them back out it may appear they are more active. But again I think they do this on a rotating schedule so it can't be predicted.

Anyway, this is why we usually do 2 or 3 safari rides a day, so we can see various things on each one.

Good idea to do the safari 2 or 3 times a day. Im going to have to try that. Problem is, im never at AK long enough. Usually about 3 hours max. Oh well.

 

[disnut8]

Another suggestion. If it's raining, do the Safari.

 

[Disneylover99]

As long as there is some daylight, the Safari is great! I've been at all times of the day and I've always enjoyed it.
The worst time to ride Safari is at night when you can't see anything.

 

[minijeanie]

I have always gone first thing in the morning and always seen animal always