Wanyama Safari questions

[pmaurer74]

I am thinking if seeing if they have availability for July 19 (who knows right now) for my birthday. Is there a DVC or Disney Visa discount? Do you pay when you book or is it just a credit card hold? Was it a good experience? Do you have to be staying at Animal Kingdom lodge to go on the safari?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Hi @pmaurer74, FYI I moved your post to the Resorts Board since the Wanyama Safari is a resort activity, moved your post to the Resorts Board.

DW and I did it a few years ago - it ranks among one of the best side tours/upcharge things we’ve done at WDW. The guide who was in the back of the truck was amazing and totally made the experience worthwhile. It gave us a whole new understanding and appreciation for the AKL savannas, the animals, etc.

Pretty sure we paid in full at the time of booking. Don’t quote me on that, I just remember not paying that night because we wanted to tip at the restaurant and there really wasn’t the chance to (we ultimately asked for a dining bill folder thing and left cash). Gratuity is included in the upfront price, just felt an extra tip was the right thing to do for the dinner service - obviously very personal choice!

You don’t have to be staying at AKL, anyone can book.

I don’t think there are discounts available but not 100% sure on that.

The only possibly weird thing for some may be that it’s a group safari and dining event. For our event, it was us and a large multi-generational family, so we did sort of feel like outsiders in a personal family gathering. BUT, we ended up with great conversation, swapped stories, drank good wine. It was a fun evening.

Hope that helps. We absolutely loved our experience and hope to do it again some day

 

[pmaurer74]

Hi @pmaurer74, FYI I moved your post to the Resorts Board since the Wanyama Safari is a resort activity, moved your post to the Resorts Board.

DW and I did it a few years ago - it ranks among one of the best side tours/upcharge things we’ve done at WDW. The guide who was in the back of the truck was amazing and totally made the experience worthwhile. It gave us a whole new understanding and appreciation for the AKL savannas, the animals, etc.

Pretty sure we paid in full at the time of booking. Don’t quote me on that, I just remember not paying that night because we wanted to tip at the restaurant and there really wasn’t the chance to (we ultimately asked for a dining bill folder thing and left cash). Gratuity is included in the upfront price, just felt an extra tip was the right thing to do for the dinner service - obviously very personal choice!

You don’t have to be staying at AKL, anyone can book.

I don’t think there are discounts available but not 100% sure on that.

The only possibly weird thing for some may be that it’s a group safari and dining event. For our event, it was us and a large multi-generational family, so we did sort of feel like outsiders in a personal family gathering. BUT, we ended up with great conversation, swapped stories, drank good wine. It was a fun evening.

Hope that helps. We absolutely loved our experience and hope to do it again some day

Was the safari rough? My husband has back/neck issues and the Kilmanjaro safaris at AK he has a rough time with. This seems rather tame from the few videos I saw.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I am thinking if seeing if they have availability for July 19 (who knows right now) for my birthday. Is there a DVC or Disney Visa discount? Do you pay when you book or is it just a credit card hold? Was it a good experience? Do you have to be staying at Animal Kingdom lodge to go on the safari?

I am pretty sure there is a DVC discount.... We paid when we booked (refundable within their cancellation policies). And you did not have to be staying at the Lodge to do the safari. It is an AMAZING experience - would highly recommend it.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Was the safari rough? My husband has back/neck issues and the Kilmanjaro safaris at AK he has a rough time with. This seems rather tame from the few videos I saw.

This one is as tame as it gets, I think - much slower and more comfortable than Kilamanjaro at AK. Slow and steady through the savannas of the AK Lodge - very fun experience.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I am pretty sure there is a DVC discount.... We paid when we booked (refundable within their cancellation policies). And you did not have to be staying at the Lodge to do the safari. It is an AMAZING experience - would highly recommend it.

I just did a quick check - the DVC discount appears to have gone away a couple years ago - sorry for the misinformation. There was a discount at one time.

 

[pmaurer74]

I just did a quick check - the DVC discount appears to have gone away a couple years ago - sorry for the misinformation. There was a discount at one time.

thank you for checking

 

[Best Aunt]

Was the safari rough? My husband has back/neck issues and the Kilmanjaro safaris at AK he has a rough time with. This seems rather tame from the few videos I saw.

it was bumpier than we anticipated for my friend who was recovering from surgery. Does he need a seat with a back? A seat which is padded? I can’t remember how the seats were.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

it was bumpier than we anticipated for my friend who was recovering from surgery. Does he need a seat with a back? A seat which is padded? I can’t remember how the seats were.

You're in the back of a truck with padded seats on three sides, and a canopy roof. I don't recall if there are seats on the very back, next to the entrance/exit for passengers. But there were enough padded seats for a group of 12 to sit comfortably - at least prior to social distancing.....

 

[loves to dive]

We loved it, paid up front and no discount. My son has nerve damage in his spine and it did hurt him. Buuuuuuut, we did it the afternoon we arrived and we drove 7 1/2 hours down from Georgia so part of his pain was just from sitting in a car for that long. He has problems sitting for any length of time. In comparison, we have also done the wild tour you can do at AK and it is the same kind of trucks and he had no problems with that so I'm thinking it was the perfect storm of driving then doing it the same day with no rest in between. They were very attentive to him though, the person sitting in the back noticed he wasn't sitting well and called ahead, as soon as we got back to AKL they met us at the truck, helped him out and took him inside to sit/stand immediately while everyone else was still milling around. They asked how he was doing a number of times through out the night. It is actually one of the few experiences we are thinking of repeating just to see if he has a little better time of it. There are no backs to the seats, just rails and I think that might have been part of the problem, he has no problems on the regular safari trucks at AK.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

You had me curious when you said no pads. I went back through our photos from a couple years ago. Our seat was padded, but the backs were more like a railed, wooden bench seat - just as 'loves to dive' said. Funny how memories can play tricks on you.

This event has been one of our favorite things to do at DIsney. And now I'm starting to think I don't know anything about it all!!!

But one thing my memory does tell me for sure - the appetizers before the safari and the meal after in Jiko are outstanding. I don't need our photos to remember that!

 

[catfan98]

Is the title of the thread what the experience is actually called? I’m trying to find it on the Disney site. How do you book it? Thanks!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Is the title of the thread what the experience is actually called? I’m trying to find it on the Disney site. How do you book it? Thanks!

Yep, that's the name. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/animal-kingdom-lodge/wanyama-resort-safari-and-dinner/

 

[pmaurer74]

I booked and there is a 10% DVC discount. But it might be based upon availability.

 

[catfan98]

Yep, that's the name. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/animal-kingdom-lodge/wanyama-resort-safari-and-dinner/

Thank you, I appreciate it!

 

[Renaissancerocks]

For the wanyama safari, the truck is a little rough but not like the safari ride at animal kingdom park. The bench bottom is padded but the back it straight with no padding wood basically 2x4’s. You are in the truck for a good bit of time but can get up when the vehicle is stopped. But, you are on there for a while so if he needs to be comfortable with a wood back sitting in what amounts to an off road Jeep ride for about 2 hours. The food is amazing. And it is so worth it. I am just wondering even if disney is open by then if they would offer this tour because you can’t socially distance. Plus, the snack are sort of buffet style and dinner is served family style.

 

[Mrsjvb]

They could easily limit the number of people per truck. The time we took it we had like 7 people. Three different groups