Sunrise Safari?

[captinhookedondisney]

Quick question, is access to the Sunrise safari only available to the Concierge Level?
if so, how much does it cost.

Are there another safaris offered?

 

[fflmaster]

I am very interested in this question as well.

Is there anytime the sunset safari is available to animal kingdom guest that are not staying club level?

 

[bjakmom]

I couldn't find any tour info here on the DIS - maybe someone else can - but allears has good current info and pricing on all the tours on this page: http://allears.net/btp/tours.htm
I just did my 4th Sunrise Safari last month and over the 5 or 6 years I've done the tour it still does not disappoint - I and anyone who's gone with me have LOVED the experience. Yes, you do still have to be staying club level to book this one.
There is also a tour on the AKL savannah open for anyone that includes dinner at Jiko. At AK there is Wild by Design and the new AK Trek experience - that's one I have promised to do with DNeph- looks amazing - but only in the cooler weather for me. There is lots of info on the above link. Enjoy!

 

[OhThePain]

The Sunrise Safari is only available to AKL-CL guests. It costs $65 for adults (not sure about kids). We did this last month. For a while I wasn't sure if it was worth the $130 for the 2 of us, I have decided that it was warth doing at least once (and we would probably do it again, given the chance).

AKL also offers the Wanyama Safari which is open to all AKL/AKV guests. This was an excellent experience. It's about $190 (after tax, tip is included). You are taken around all the savannahs at the lodge (in what is basically a flat-bed truck with a canopy and perimiter benches with a max of 12 people), guided by a CM who works on the savannahs. You hear all about the different species of animals in the savannahs as well as the habbits of some individual animals and how all the animals are taken care of. You get a real up-close experience with the animals (a giraffe stuck its head into our vehicle). After you explore the savannahs, you have an unbelievable meal at Jiko. A chef will come out and explain all the appitizers and entrees (served family style) and desserts (individual) and includes wine pairings along the way. This was without a doubt worth every penny and we would do it again in a heartbeat.

If you are not staying at AKL or are not staying AKL-CL or cannot budget the $190 for the Wanyama, but would still like to do some kind of animal-sentric tour, I would suggest the Backstage Safari at AK. We did this a couple of years ago and were pleasantly surprised with the experience. You get to tour the animal hospital, the "kitchen", and some of the areas where the animals are housed/treated. It was about 3 and a half hours and cost about $70 or so per person.

You must be 8 to experience the Wanyama Safari, 16 to experience the Backstage Safari and there is no age restriction for the Sunrise Safari.

 

[captinhookedondisney]

OhThePain I love the name! but "Oh! What's in a name?" =)

Great information, and if you know how difficult ids scheduling Wanyama?

 

[Missyrose]

OhThePain I love the name! but "Oh! What's in a name?" =)

Great information, and if you know how difficult ids scheduling Wanyama?

Wanyama Safari is limited to 12 people each day. It can be booked 180 days out by calling the AKL IPO -- (407) 938-4755.

 

[OhThePain]

OhThePain I love the name! but "Oh! What's in a name?" =)

Great information, and if you know how difficult ids scheduling Wanyama?

In order to book the Wanyama, you have to contact AKLs IPO (even if you are not staying CL). They are the only ones who can book the experience. It was the only ADR I had them book for me at my 180 day mark, so I don't know if it books up fast. They only book 12 people for it per day, so if you have a specific day you want to go, book it as soon as you can. I've also heard conflicting reports as to what nights it is available and what nights it isn't. Some places say it is available on all nights, other places say it is only on select nights. We went on a Friday if that helps.

I would also suggest booking it for a night early in your trip. It was nice having some information on the animals we spent the following days watching from, well, all over the resort. I had booked it for my fiance and I (I proposed to her moments before we met at Jiko to begin the tour) on the day we arrived and while we encountered no issues with flights or anything like that, to be honest I was STRESSED about not making it in time for whatever reason for those 180 days (more stressed than I was with the proposal). The thought of being charged almost $400 for the 2 of us for something we didn't get to experience ate at me. Unless you are driving and basically know for a fact the exact time you plan on arriving, I would book it for your second night.