kilaminjaro safari questions

[lovespoohbear]

i have my heart set on riding kilaminjaro safari when i go in december. i have a few questions about the ride. where do the wheelchairs ride? in front,back, middle? I use a harness to hold me in my chair while in the car will that be enoug to hold me in my chiar for the ride? is there seats next to where they place the wheelchairs? and if anyone has a pic of the vehicle that would be cool to see too. thanks

 

[tiggger1]

according to allearsnet.com

Kilimanjaro Safari uses large open, though covered, vehicles that cannot accomodate wheelchairs or ECVs. A transfer to the truck must be done. NOTE: This ride was very bumpy and jostle-y. Those with bad backs or neck injuries or really pregnant women might reconsider when looking into this ride. I have nerve damage in my right ankle/leg and kept my leg lifted off the ground for most of the trip because the jarring is what is so painful for me. Our butts came off the seats numerous times and we went plop back down onto them an equal number of times. We had to hold on as turns slid us into each other and threatened to throw us out into the aisle. The Safari is scheduled to take 18 minutes, but we were on it for 22 since a white rhino and a couple zebras decided they wanted to gawk at us as much as we wanted to gawk at them... and they did so from in front of the vehicle.

 

[SueM in MN]

according to allearsnet.com

Kilimanjaro Safari uses large open, though covered, vehicles that cannot accomodate wheelchairs or ECVs. A transfer to the truck must be done.

That part is not true. There are some special Sunup and Sundown Safaris (for extra money; I can't think of their names offhand); those are not wheelchair accessible that I know of, but the regular Kilimanjari Safari is.

The first time we went on Kilimanjari Safari was when the park had a sneak peek for DVC members. Even before they were open, they had a tram that could hold wheelchairs. It actually is a regular tram for the ride, but the front row is only half length and the rest of that row is a wheelchair space EDITED TO ADD: INCORRECT INFORMATION WAS DELETED.

There is a dedicated loading area for people with special needs. Those who can get out of their wheelchairs or ECVs are asked to do so and board the truck. At the front of the loading area, there is a permanent ramp for driving wheelchairs onto the truck (it doesn't accomidate ECVs). Once on the tram, the CM fastens the wheelchair down securely with tiedown straps. the wheelchair occupant also gets a seat belt. If you have riden on the Backstage Tour tram at MGM, the ramp and set up are the same; the only difference is the theming of the tram.

NOTE: This ride was very bumpy and jostle-y. Those with bad backs or neck injuries or really pregnant women might reconsider when looking into this ride.

I would agree with this. The front row is a bit less bumpy than the rear rows, but you will get bumped around. My DD has a headrest and a seatbelt on her wheelchair; both come in handy on this ride. There is an additional seatbelt, like a car seatbelt, that is fastened around you. Even though DD has gotten jostled around, her wheelchair is securely fastened and she is securely fastened in it.

 

[lovespoohbear]

There are seats next to the wheelchair seat and across from the wheelchair (facing backward) where the rest of your party can ride.
QUOTE]
when you say facing backward, who is facing backward?

 

[Talking Hands]

No one faces backwards on the Safari. Only one wheelchair can be accommodated per vehicle. It will be bouncy but if you use a harness you should be fine.

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

I rode Kilimanjaro Safari's in my electric wheelchair. I had to back in but you might be able to pull in. My sister rode it with a dislocated hip and she was fine. Between the four tiedowns and seatbelt, it's pretty secure. Have fun!

Christamae

 

[Andrew Bichard]

There are some special Sunup and Sundown Safaris (for extra money; I can't think of their names offhand); those are not wheelchair accessible that I know of, but the regular Kilimanjari Safari is.

There is something called the 'Sunrise Safari' which is only available to AKL concierge guests. This tour takes you into Animal Kingdom before regular opening and you get to take an extended version of the regular Kilimanjaro Safari. I have done this twice in my wheelchair. They use one of the accessible trucks when they have a wheelchair in the tour group.

There is also a 'Wanyama Safari' previously known as 'Sunset Safari' which also is only available to AKL concierge guests. This tour takes you into Animal enclosures that surround Animal Kingdom Lodge. I had to ride in an adapted van (last October) which didn't have the best view from a wheelchair. The game warden who was driving my wife & I told us they had a new wheelchair accessible truck on order, which would be delivered this year (2006).

There are also special extended tours in the middle of the day open to concierge guests at any resort. I have never taken one of these and don't know how acessible they are.

I too find the regular Kilimanjaro Safari a rough ride, especially so as the seat in my power wheelchair is about six inches higher than the regular seats. I therefore find that the bouncing and swaying is exaggerated in my higher up position and I have to hang on tight, especially in the last bit of the ride where they chase the elephant poachers.

Andrew

 

[dclfun]

I will never ride Kilimanjaro Safaris again. I have a harness, seat belt, headrest and headstrap and nearly came out of my seat by the end of the ride. As Andrew mentions, you chair will be a higher height than the attraction seats and this contributes to the jostling. My friend sitting next to me helped hold me into the chair- if he hadn't been there I might still be sitting with the "poachers". ---Kathy

 

[madonna31]

I agree with Tiggger1. I have nerve damage in my arm and I rode the Safari once and will never ride it again. It was far too painful, as it is extremelly bumpy.

Not like 'Dinosaur' bumpy, because that is a 'controlled' level on a track. KS (at least for me) was far worse.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

To clear up some of the things that have been posted on this thread. (I feel that I'm probably fairly well qualified to answer questions about Kilimanjaro Safaris)

- Guests travelling in wheelchairs or ECV's (and their party) will be directed to a separate load dock (# 3). Vehicles departing from this dock also return to unload at the same dock, whereas vehicles departing from the other dock will not unload at the same location.

- Vehicles loading at the #3 dock will be able to accomodate wheelchairs. Each vehicle can accomodate one guest that is riding in their wheelchair without transferring. If you choose to transfer to the vehicle, your wheelchair/ecv will be parked to await your return.

- The ride vehicles can NOT accomodate an ECV. Guests using ECVs may transfer to the ride vehicle, or can be accomodated on a wheelchair on the vehicle.

- The ride vehicles accomodate both push chairs and power chairs.

- Wheelchairs are tightly strapped into the vehicle, using hooks very similar to those found on public transit busses.

- In order to create space for the wheelchairs, they put in 2 half rows of seats next to them. So, up to 4 people can sit "next" to the guest traveling in a wheelchair. 2 will be slightly forward, 2 will be slightly behind.

 

[rd0127]

Our severely disabled daughter (age 20) rode the safari in her wheelchair last year and giggled the whole time. She had a blast!!!

 

[dclfun]

I would have laughed and enjoyed the ride too, as I have in the past before become disabled. It's hard to enjoy it though when you are being thrown from your seat due to poor head and trunk control ( not the fault of the attraction but of one's own disability). It is something that each person should consider as to whether their own disability will allow them not only to be safe and secure in their chair ( in my case I am definitely not) and whether the side to side and bouncing motion will cause pain. ---Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

I would have laughed and enjoyed the ride too, as I have in the past before become disabled. It's hard to enjoy it though when you are being thrown from your seat due to poor head and trunk control ( not the fault of the attraction but of one's own disability). It is something that each person should consider as to whether their own disability will allow them not only to be safe and secure in their chair ( in my case I am definitely not) and whether the side to side and bouncing motion will cause pain. ---Kathy

That is very true. For my DD, being jostled around is not a problem, but for some, the amount of jostling will make the ride un-doable. The roads that you are driven on are simulated mud roads - very bumpy. The accessible tram uses the same route as the other trams, so it is no less bumpy (frequently, people will post that pregnant women should ride the accessible tram because it is less bumpy - that is not true).

(2 wheelchairs can ride). There are seats next to the wheelchair seat and across from the wheelchair (facing backward) where the rest of your party can ride.

I posted some incorrect information (I plead temporary insanity due to stress). The part I quoted here is incorrect. The rest of what I had posted is correct for the Safari.
When I posted that the Safari tram was the same setup as the MGM tram, I mentally pictured the tour guide from the MGM Backstage tour facing us and mentally added my oldest DD sitting next to the tour guide (which is not correct either). Our computer with pictures on it has a problem right now, so I can't get any of our pictures, but here are some that should help:

The half a bench "space" in the front seat is where one wheelchair can fit. (I don't know why I posted 2 wheelchairs; we have had to wait many times because there was already one wheelchair boarding the tram). You can't really see the second half row that was mentioned, but those 2 half rows are used by the party traveling with the person using a wheelchair. Your driver is also your tour guide.
Mouseplanet.com has some pictures of the wheelchair boarding. They show the tiedowns and the end of the concrete ramp with the moveable short metal ramp in place for boarding.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

Our daughter has done it both ways, in the wheelchair and out. The last time it was in as there were no other wheelchair/ecv riders. They just strapped her in, and away we went! She did not say anything about it being bumpy for her though, and usually if it had been too rough, she would have let someone know. But, then again she rides for endurance issues, not pain or mobility issues.
Kim