Backstage Safari

[Candycane83]

Hi there, I'm looking at the backstage safari in the animal kingdom and was wondering how is this? Has anyone been? DH and I are going in early November and are both into animals. We looked at Wild Africa Trek but it's a bit too pricey. I was wondering if this is a good alternative? Thanks to anyone who can help.

 

[aubriee]

I went on it several years ago and enjoyed it. We went back stage and saw the barns where the animals go at night and got to pet a white rhino (named Harley because he was born during Harley Davidson week) and also a big spiny lizard. We saw where some of the animal food was grown and got to go in the building where they prepare the animals food. We also got to go backstage over at Rafiki Planet Watch and watch them preparing a lion for some minor surgery (he was already asleep when we arrived though). We also got our own safari truck and guide for the safari. It was well worth the price.

 

[Danauk]

We also did this tour a few years ago and really enjoyed it. If you are into wild animals you will definitely enjoy it. Like the previous poster said you get to see lots of the back stage areas. We also went into the elephant house and saw the keepers doing the vet check exercises with them and we saw the staging area for the bird show. I would do the tour again.

 

[Dan Murphy]

A great tour, as are all the various tours. If you do book, make sure to ask for appropriate to you discount....AP, DVC, AAA (15%), Disney Visa (20%).

 

[Meriweather]

We also did it several years ago. It was very educational and fun.
Loved seeing the elephants and hearing all the funny stories about them.
Also loved seeing where there food is prepared.
We also saw a vet procedure on an ocelot.
I will definitely do it again.

 

[JESSketeer]

I will have to look into this tour, sounds like something I would definitely enjoy!!

Does anyone know where I can find more information on this?

 

[Candycane83]

Thanks for the information everyone. I just got the go ahead from DH to book this tour!

Jessketeer, I found this from another thread. I hope it helps.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tours.htm

 

[JESSketeer]

Thanks for the information everyone. I just got the go ahead from DH to book this tour!

Jessketeer, I found this from another thread. I hope it helps.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tours.htm

Thank you so much, I'll be sure to check it out!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I will have to look into this tour, sounds like something I would definitely enjoy!!

Does anyone know where I can find more information on this?

http://allears.net/btp/tours.htm#bss



http://land.allears.net/reviewpost/showproduct.php?product=229&cat=66

 

[kanderson89]

I went on it several years ago and enjoyed it. We went back stage and saw the barns where the animals go at night and got to pet a white rhino (named Harley because he was born during Harley Davidson week) and also a big spiny lizard. We saw where some of the animal food was grown and got to go in the building where they prepare the animals food. We also got to go backstage over at Rafiki Planet watch and watch them preparing a lion for some minor surgery (he was already asleep when we arrived though). We also got our own safari truck and guide for the safari. It was well worth the price.

Ditto to pp. This description was similar to our experience, too. Although the tour guide emphasized that we were going to see animal areas, not animals themselves, we did end up seeing lots of animals. Chatted to zookeepers, nutritionists. It was fascinating. The safari truck for Kilimanjaro safari was great...took more time and showed us some Disney tricks...talked more about the animals, etc. We didn't see a lion in the Rafiki vet hospital (WOW!) but we did see this adorable little vole coming out of surgery. Picture 4 vets/technicians all cradling this little buck-toothed critter in a washcloth to keep it warm. It was so dear...just melted our hearts. Would definitely do it again.

 

[pooh2001]

We did the tour June of 2012.
Just OK for us.

Drove around in a white van. Some how our family got stuck in the seats in the back of the van. We are polite, not pushy people, so I guess if we were more aggressive and ran to the van, we would have had better seats.

Our tour guide was professional and informative.

We saw CM's clean elephant poop from their night time cages. No elephants to be seen.

We saw where the vets operate, but no operations, animals or vets to be seen.

No baby animals to be seen or pet.

We did get water bottles, granola bars and a plastic mug to bring home at break time.

We went on our own Safari ride - very informative.

I would say do it once - better than the Trek for the cost.

We loved the KTTK tour - would do it again the next time we go to WDW

 

[jvptravels]

I'll be doing Backstage Safari this week and Wild By Design next week. I will be posting reviews of my tours and several other experiences on TripAdvisor in the next 2 weeks. Look for my username, which is the same one I use here (jvptravels).

 

[aubriee]

I'll be doing Backstage Safari this week and Wild By Design next week. I will be posting reviews of my tours and several other experiences on TripAdvisor in the next 2 weeks. Look for my username, which is the same one I use here (jvptravels).

Hope you get a better guide than we did for Wild by Design. We had an older guy who obviously had somewhere else to be, because he seemed really distracted and kept looking at his watch.

I've been on several backstage tours (Backstage Safari, Wild by Design, Yuletime Tour, KTTK, Around the World on a Segway twice, and Backstage Magic). Backstage Safari and Backstage Magic were the best and Yuletime Tour and Wild by Design were the worst.

 

[selina4disney]

The guide can make or break a tour. We have done Wild by Design twice and both times it was great! One tour we took (Marceline to the Magic Kingdom) was not very good due to a guide who seemed he'd rather be anywhere else...the tour group knew more than he did. We've taken most of the tours offered at one time or another, some more than once, and that was our only negative experience.