We don't go to AK often need help with a morning plan.

[Lesley Wake]

One thing people keep missing about doing the Safari at Rope Drop-it doesn’t always open when the park does. Check the attraction hours before going. If it’s an 8am opening, then the safari will possibly not open until 9am. In that instance I would go to Dino and EE, which you could knock out super quickly without much wait. Then make your way over to the Safari.

You could probably even do it the same way, just substituting one of your FPs for the Safari and doing it after about an hour after RD.

 

[nkereina]

If it’s an 8am opening, then the safari will possibly not open until 9am.

Typically, it should be. There's always a chance that an extenuating circumstance may prevent any attraction from operating as normal. But otherwise, the safari should be open and operating at park opening and during the morning extra magic hour.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Typically, it should be. There's always a chance that an extenuating circumstance may prevent any attraction from operating as normal. But otherwise, the safari should be open and operating at park opening and during the morning extra magic hour.

Last March it was not. It was a 7am EMH followed by 8am regular park opening. The Safari did not open until 9am. This was the start of the Disney staff cutbacks, so it could be repeated again this year. Especially now that they are closing it early. (Not saying it definitely will be, I'd just recommend OP checking the attraction hours first).

 

[nkereina]

Last March it was not. It was a 7am EMH followed by 8am regular park opening. The Safari did not open until 9am. This was the start of the Disney staff cutbacks, so it could be repeated again this year. Especially now that they are closing it early. (Not saying it definitely will be, I'd just recommend OP checking the attraction hours first).

Again, that's not typical. The safari is still one of the advertised AM EMH attractions, and its been running at park opening every time we have rope dropped it in our most recent trips. Its one of the main reasons people enjoy pre-park opening Tusker House breakfasts, because of the proximity to the safari at park opening. What you experienced could have been some kind of maintenance issue or short-staff, which can happen any time anywhere, but that's not typical for the safari.