Anminal Kingdom Safari Ride

[Chef Minnie Mouse]

Does anyone know anything about the morning or evening safari excursions from Animal Kingdom Lodge?

 

[chalee94]

morning is for concierge guests at AKL only. more info can be found here.

(be sure to notice that the descriptions of the safaris have links to related FAQs. also, prices do not appear to be up to date...they are too low.)

 

[Wingedheart]

I was actually talking to a CM yesterday via the 407WDisney line and you can book the tour of Kilamanjaro Safari at AK if you are staying club level at the POLY (not just AKL)...sounds like this might be a perk for people staying club at any of the deluxe resorts??

 

[tiger4me2]

I was actually talking to a CM yesterday via the 407WDisney line and you can book the morning private tour of Kilamanjaro Safari at AK if you are staying club level at the POLY (not just AKL)...sounds like this might be a perk for people staying club at any of the deluxe resorts??

No this is wrong information. The safari you are talking about is the Wildlife Excursion. It is not the same thing that is offered for the AKL Club levels guest. The CM gave you the wrong information sorry to say. I done the sunrise safari at the AKL club level this past May.
The Wildlife Excurison is nice and offer by anyone staying club level. Not the same thing that is offered at the AKL Club level.

 

[livie1205]

No this is wrong information. The safari you are talking about is the Wildlife Excursion. It is not the same thing that is offered for the AKL Club levels guest. The CM gave you the wrong information sorry to say. I done the sunrise safari at the AKL club level this past May.
The Wildlife Excurison is nice and offer by anyone staying club level. Not the same thing that is offered at the AKL Club level.

you are RIGHT....but sometimes they will offer it to reg guests at AKL if they are not full...we stayed last sep in a savanna view and they sent a letter to our room to offer it to us because they did not have enough club leevel guests...but it IS only for AKL GUESTS.....

 

[tiger4me2]

you are RIGHT....but sometimes they will offer it to reg guests at AKL if they are not full...we stayed last sep in a savanna view and they sent a letter to our room to offer it to us because they did not have enough club leevel guests...but it IS only for AKL GUESTS.....

I realize this but one poster said you could get it from any other club level guests which you can't. Has to be club level at AKL or in your case because you were booked there.

 

[marcjmorris]

Is this the excusion where you can feed the giraffes?

 

[Wingedheart]

From the disneyworld.com website - this is under the special amenities for guests staying concierge or club level at the POLY (click resorts, then POLY and then Guest Rooms) and this is what I had confirmed by the CM I spoke with by phone:

"Ability to participate in the Wildlife Discovery Excursion - an exclusive guided tour of Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park - offered only to a limited number of Club Concierge-level guests for an additional fee."

 

[BCV23]

From the disneyworld.com website - this is under the special amenities for guests staying concierge or club level at the POLY (click resorts, then POLY and then Guest Rooms) and this is what I had confirmed by the CM I spoke with by phone:

"Ability to participate in the Wildlife Discovery Excursion - an exclusive guided tour of Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park - offered only to a limited number of Club Concierge-level guests for an additional fee."

That is yet a third option and the only one open to guests not staying at the AKL. If you do it, will you please post a review? I've seen so few.

The Wildlife Excursion is mid day and departs from within DAK. I think 10 & 1 or 11 & 2.

Sunrise departs from AKL&V and tours the safari area at DAK.

Sunset is a safari of the savannahs at AKL&V followed by dinner at Jiko.

 

[mmmears]

We've been planning a trip to AKL and this is what the IPO at AKL has told me:

1 - Sunrise Safari -- open only to Club Level guest of AKL, it leaves AKL early in the morning. You tour the Kilimanjaro Safari area of AK in the same vehicles that they use in the ride, but the tour takes an hour and is NOT the same as the ride at AK. Lots of info on the animals and frequent stops for photo opportunities make it a totally different experience. This tour takes place before AK opens in the morning and includes an all-you-can-eat breakfast (just for people who take the safari) at Pizzafari after the tour. I think the cost is around $55 or so.

2 -- Sunset Safari -- open to Club Level guest of AKL, plus other guests of AKL (for a $60 or so upcharge). Takes place in the early evening at AKL, touring their savannahs and learning lots about the animals. Followed by a dinner with wine pairings at Jiko, the price is well over $100 and I think kids need to be 8 years to go on this.

3 -- Wildlife Discovery Tour -- open only to Club Level guests at any WDW hotel. Takes place at AK several times a day. It uses a smaller vehicle than the normal ride, but takes place while the KS ride is running at AK. No food is included in this tour and the cost is around $45.

Sorry I dont have exact pricing for the 2nd two tours -- option #2 was too pricey for us and #1 sounded better for us than #3 so I didn't write down the pricing info on the WDT.

Hope this helps and doesn't create more confusion!

For more information, if you are staying club level, contact the resort IPO office and they will be happy to help you. There is also alot of discussion about these on the concierge information thread here on the boards.

 

[tiger4me2]

From the disneyworld.com website - this is under the special amenities for guests staying concierge or club level at the POLY (click resorts, then POLY and then Guest Rooms) and this is what I had confirmed by the CM I spoke with by phone:

"Ability to participate in the Wildlife Discovery Excursion - an exclusive guided tour of Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park - offered only to a limited number of Club Concierge-level guests for an additional fee."

This is correct but not the same safari that is offered to AKL club level guest. This one start at the AKL & you are taken into the AK park via Bus then on a tram. The Wild life Excurison you go into the Ak Park & meet at an spot to be taken on a small van like offered Tuesday thru Fri maybe Sat 10 am & 1 pm. Not the same as the ones offered at the AKL Club level two different ones.

 

[KellyErinWDW]

Is this the excusion where you can feed the giraffes?

There are no animal feeding excursions for any of the large wildlife at AKL or Animal Kingdom. Occassionally, Animal Programs will do magical moments that invole being able to assist in the feeding of some of these animals, but the only regularly scheduled animal feedings guests can take a part in are at Rafiki's Planet Watch (which may have been changed by now but I haven't been over there in forever!).

The reason behind this is that Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge are not zoos, they are zoological theme parks with a message about conservation. They don't treat the animals like pets but try to keep them as naturally wild as possible.

 

[tiger4me2]

I have taken the Wildlife Excursion twice now. Once in 2006 & once in 2007. You meet at Harmbe Store in AK park at your time you have made with club level. It was either 10AM or 1PM. there are only like maybe 20 people or less. They take you out in a van type truck with a driver & a guide. You follow the regular route of the regular ride but they take you off the beaten path to view the animals which they don't do on the one I took at the AKL Club level. Maybe because we had over 60 people.
The one we took in Dec 2006 was the best we had two guides as one was training the other gude. It was great saw animals up close but was not allowed to get out of truck nor could you feed the giraffees. It was about a little over an hour but we got lucky as they took their time. Afterwards they gave you fast passes if you wanted to ride. Keep in mind the fast passes are for an earlier time. The last one last less than 45 minutes or just about. It wasn't as good as the first one. Maybe the guide we had the first time was more into it than the second time around. We enjoyed it very much. I believe it is like $45 pp & you need park admittance.