Safari Fast Pass and Tusker House reservation - is this do-able?

[DKSABS]

We got the earliest Fast Pass that was available for the Kilimanjaro Safari, with a window of 10:20 to 11:20am. Today, I was able to get breakfast reservations for Tusker House at 10:50, which I've heard is an awesome strategy, because breakfast items will be on the buffet when we arrive, and they switch over to lunch items at 11am. So we'll be able to enjoy both breakfast and lunch entrée items, while paying the lower cost for breakfast and saving money. If we get to the Safari Fast Pass line at 10:15, would we be able to count on getting through the line and off the Safari in time to be at Tusker House in time to still get breakfast at 10:50? I was hoping to get an earlier time for the Safari, because I've heard the animals are more lively first thing in the morning, but there's nothing available any earlier. If I give up this 10:20 to 11:20 Fast Pass window, the next available windows aren't until 1:45pm or later, in the hottest part of the day. We'll be in Animal Kingdom on Monday, May 15th. Thanks for any advice you can share.

 

[barbliny]

I think you'll be fine - as long as the ostriches don't decide to cross slowly in front of your vehicle!! I'd definitely get there right at that 5 minute early fp entrance window.

 

[AngiTN]

You'll make it since they are so close to each other. No time to spare.
And no worries about the time. The animals are more active when the animals want to be more active. Time of day has no impact on it at all. The staff even baits them all throughout the day with food just to encourage them to move around.

 

[DKSABS]

Thank you both! I'm so excited to be able to get this dining reservation at the perfect time! This will be our only character meal. This and the Hoop De Doo Review will be our only Table Service Meals the entire week. We'll be eating at our camper or quick service in the parks for all the rest of our meals for the week.

 

[AngiTN]

You have a good choice. TH is a great meal.

 

[DKSABS]

That's what I've heard! I was literally just listening to an old Mighty Men of Magic podcast today that talked about making a Tusker House reservation for 10:45 Breakfast to be able to pay the lower breakfast price while being able to enjoy both breakfast and lunch meals. I was shocked when I did a search for the one day we'll be in Animal Kingdom and found reservations for 10:50am. All the other character experience restaurants I've been searching haven't had any availability at all on the days we would be in the parks. My husband hasn't wanted me to sign up for any $170 to $200 meals for the 2 of us and our 4 year old granddaughter, even if I could manage to find an available reservation. He says he could buy a lot of tools with $200. lol. So I was thrilled to get a character meal for a lower price with his blessing, and excited to see that we were already planning to be right there in Africa at that time of day.

One question... If something goes wrong, and an ostrich does decide to take a nap in front of our vehicle.... At what time would we be so late to arrive at Tusker House that they turn us away and tell us we're out of luck and also charged a no-show fee? I really do hope it works out for us to get there by 10:45 to 10:50 at the latest so we can take full advantage of breakfast and lunch like the Mighty Men recommended.

 

[AngiTN]

That's what I've heard! I was literally just listening to an old Mighty Men of Magic podcast today that talked about making a Tusker House reservation for 10:45 Breakfast to be able to pay the lower breakfast price while being able to enjoy both breakfast and lunch meals. I was shocked when I did a search for the one day we'll be in Animal Kingdom and found reservations for 10:50am. All the other character experience restaurants I've been searching haven't had any availability at all on the days we would be in the parks. My husband hasn't wanted me to sign up for any $170 to $200 meals for the 2 of us and our 4 year old granddaughter, even if I could manage to find an available reservation. He says he could buy a lot of tools with $200. lol. So I was thrilled to get a character meal for a lower price with his blessing, and excited to see that we were already planning to be right there in Africa at that time of day.

One question... If something goes wrong, and an ostrich does decide to take a nap in front of our vehicle.... At what time would we be so late to arrive at Tusker House that they turn us away and tell us we're out of luck and also charged a no-show fee? I really do hope it works out for us to get there by 10:45 to 10:50 at the latest so we can take full advantage of breakfast and lunch like the Mighty Men recommended.

They'll take you pretty much whenever you show up, provided it's not hours later. I think you'll be fine, even if a critter decides to stand in the road for a bit. They've got tricks to get them moving along before the let it slow up the ride for hours

 

[DKSABS]

That's a relief. Thank you!

 

[MamaCoop]

Great question and answers! I was trying to figure this out in my planning as well. Enjoy your trip!!!!!

 

[DKSABS]

Thank you! We're getting so excited!

 

[ktlm]

The FP readers will give you a green Mickey head 5 minutes before your FP time, so show up at 10:15. You might even want to be there a couple of minutes earlier in case there is a line to scan- that does sometimes happen at KS. Just scan right when the clock shows 10:15 and then walk quickly through the queue area to get down to where the FP line of people stops. The ride is about 20 minutes, so unless you have an animal block the road and you get stuck you should be fine as TH is close to KS. We've ridden KS many times and only a couple of times have had an animal slow us down and only once for more than a minute or two. If you were to be a couple of minutes late because an animal blocked the road, I think if you explained that at TH, they would understand. We have done the breakfast into lunch TH ADR a couple of times- it is a good choice!

 

[jaysmom4285]

You could also try to modify your Safari FP+ to see if you can get it any earlier, just to take some of the pressure off. Even if the app says that there's nothing available earlier, keep refreshing the screen, and the odds are good that you'll eventually get a time that you want. It almost always works for me. We were on a bus to AK one morning with no FP+ reservations at all, and I really wanted to do the Safari as soon as we got there, but I knew there would be a long standby line. Of course the MDE app said there was nothing available first thing, but I kept refreshing the screen for the whole bus ride (what else did I have to do?), and eventually a 9:15 AM time slot magically appeared.

 

[danikoski]

If you get stopped by animals and end up late, just tell them at the desk. We had this happen for a dinner ADR at TH in 2015. They actually knew of the backup at KS, so it was fine.

 

[DKSABS]

Wow, excellent suggestions!! This is our first visit back to disney in over a decade so this whole system of Magic Bands, MDE, Online Fast Passes, ADRs, etc is all brand new to us. It's good to know that it's sometimes possible to still get desired fast pass times by refreshing. I would have given up and not even tried, assuming it would be impossible to move to an earlier time.

I have one more question that you might be able to answer. How does TH decide which rate to charge people (breakfast or lunch) in this type of situation? We have the reservation for breakfast at 10:50. If we are delayed and don't arrive until 11:01 or later, do they automatically charge the higher lunch price, or do we still get the lower breakfast price since the ADR was for breakfast?

Thank you all so much for the info.

 

[AngiTN]

Wow, excellent suggestions!! This is our first visit back to disney in over a decade so this whole system of Magic Bands, MDE, Online Fast Passes, ADRs, etc is all brand new to us. It's good to know that it's sometimes possible to still get desired fast pass times by refreshing. I would have given up and not even tried, assuming it would be impossible to move to an earlier time.

I have one more question that you might be able to answer. How does TH decide which rate to charge people (breakfast or lunch) in this type of situation? We have the reservation for breakfast at 10:50. If we are delayed and don't arrive until 11:01 or later, do they automatically charge the higher lunch price, or do we still get the lower breakfast price since the ADR was for breakfast?

Thank you all so much for the info.

That's a great question. If no one on this thread can answer pop down to the Restaurants board and ask them there. I bet someone knows how it works for that switch over.

We actually did the 10:50 meal on a trip last year but I am not sure what we were charged, or even exactly what time we checked in. I didn't pay attention.

 

[DKSABS]

Thanks. Will do.