While the crowds run to the land of Pandora at Animal Kingdom, our feet always take us right to an
original Animal Kingdom Attraction when we visit – Kilimanjaro Safaris. On this ride, guests hop aboard a
an open-air vehicle for a journey through an African savanna to watch animals roaming free in a natural
environment.
Because they are live animals and not animatronics, that will mean they aren’t exactly predictable.
Disney does a lot to make sure guests will see as many animals as they can by putting the animals
favorite foods near the road the vehicles track on or even putting air conditioning vents on tops of rocks
so the lions will want to sit and cool off in sight of everyone. But even with these helps, there are times
when you go on this safari and the sitings are lackluster. Let us help you with that. If you want to see the
most animals, being the most active, here are the three best times to ride Kilimanjaro Safaris.
In the Morning
Our advice? Don’t head to Pandora to ride Flight of Passage if you arrive at Animal Kingdom at Rope
Drop. Instead, go to Africa, and have practically no wait to ride out into the savanna. Mornings are
usually the coolest time of the day at Animal Kingdom, and the animals will be refreshed from a nice
quiet night’s rest. You’ll see a lot more activity and interactions among the animals when you ride an
early morning safari.
In the Evening
On the flip side, a great way to end your day in the park is to hop onboard of one of these ride vehicles.
This is not always an option right now as Animal Kingdom is often closing well before sunset, but when
it’s open later, dusk is a great time to ride the ride. For one thing, some animals only come out at night.
Want to see the hyenas? You’re going to have to go in late afternoon. This is often a great time to also
hear those animal lion roars. As the sun sets, it seems as though the male lion often likes to say good
night to the setting sun by practicing his roars as loudly as possible. It’s a sound like none other and if
you get a chance to hear it, you’ll be among a small number of visitors who have heard him roar.
In the Rain
Yep, rain is never fun for humans, but the animals love a good rainstorm, especially after a hot day. And
while the vehicles are open air (so you might get some rain blowing in), they are covered so you won’t
get soaked. Just don that rain parka, find a seat, and go out on safari to watch the animals play in the
rain. We’ve seen the elephants playing the lake, rhinos out for a run and giraffes coming out into the
open spaces for better views.
Want to plan your next visit to Walt Disney World? Let us get you a complimentary quote today!