Kilimanjaro Safari in the past

[DisneyStarWisher]

Actually, I've been on many, many Safari rides when the driver states in words similar to these: "I need to remind you to please stay seated and make sure your kids stay seated, too. Those crocs are smiling... and hungry!"

So, this was said over the bridge that makes noise but doesn't have the effect of falling, correct? Interesting.

 

[ConnecticutFlea]

The bridge over the crocs has no effect of falling. The bridge that does is further along. Safari is my husbands favorite ride and we ride often. When safari first opened, we experienced the falling bridge effect on every ride. Now it's rare, on average I'd say one ride out of 8 or 10.

Parts of the ride vary depending on the driver. Some mention the red clay pits, others don't. Some turn on the "radio" when passing through the elephants, others don't. I don't know if the falling bridge effect is up to the CM or something else. I heard years ago that the vehicle had to be lined up perfectly for it to work. I don't know if that's true.

One time someone on the ride wanted to take a picture of the Baobab tree. The CM said, "No you don't" and hit the accelerator. Then the CM stated that they would have a chance to take a better picture of the tree later. Yeah, not so much. I'm not sure why the CM said that but at the time I suspected it was because the tree isn't real and the CM couldn't say that but didn't want them going home and showing off the fake tree picture.

 

[Robo]

One time someone on the ride wanted to take a picture of the Baobab tree. The CM said, "No you don't" and hit the accelerator. Then the CM stated that they would have a chance to take a better picture of the tree later. Yeah, not so much. I'm not sure why the CM said that but at the time I suspected it was because the tree isn't real and the CM couldn't say that but didn't want them going home and showing off the fake tree picture.

Since there are quite literally millions upon millions of guest photos of the fake B-tree (and the one or two later in the trip,) and, since there are many Disney-posted photos of that/those trees from the attraction, and since there are likely trillions of other photos out there (guest, and Disney) of the multitude of "fake" Disney tchotchkes from nearly every attraction on property, I don't think your CM was being reticent due to your reasoning.
More to the point, it would not be a stretch to say that the fake B-tree is THE most-photographed single item on the Safari.

More than likely the CM was just being "cute" (at least in her/his own mind.)
(S)he "put one over" on the guest.

And, as long as we're discussing fake Disney trees and photographs, I can think of another larger one at DAK that gets a LOT of photo-interest.

 

[ConnecticutFlea]

As I said, I didn't know why the CM said not to take the picture. Might have been because the tree was fake or because they were "being cute and putting one over on the guest" I guess neither of us will ever know.

Everyone knows the tree of life is fake. Not everyone realizes the Baobab tree is fake, or the termite mounds or the ostrich eggs.