Kilimanjaro Safari is my number one must-do for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Every. Single. Time. It is hands down the best part of the park, in my opinion. I absolutely love animals, and I can’t name a person who doesn’t. This safari is full of fun facts and allows you to really get up close with the animals. More than you might think. There is such a wide variety of animals to see, and each ride is different than the last.
It is because of this that I am both thankful yet confused as to how each time I approach the entrance, I seldom see the wait time exceed thirty minutes. Typically, I describe this ride as a walk-on. A theme park phrase, basically meaning that the wait time is just the time it takes to walk through the queue. You don’t really have to wait at all!
Thirty minutes passed more quickly than you would think, given how far you have to walk through the queue. Though while you are waiting, there are a few animals to look at, so it promises you will not be bored. The queue also has a lot of fans, so if you do ever have to wait an extended amount of time in line, at least you won’t overheat!
I can’t help but wonder why the wait is always so short. I figured it must be because they have such a large number of trucks running the trek at a time. After some digging, I found they have roughly forty running at a time. Each can hold around thirty-five people, meaning that at one time there are about one thousand four hundred people on the safari. This number feels impressive, and it is, but it is still less than one percent of Animal Kingdom’s maximum population.
Even so, the ride proves itself to be extremely capable at pushing a large number of people through the savannah. Because of this, it is unlikely that you will ever have to wait more than forty-five minutes at most; even then, it is definitely worth it. I, personally, would wait hours to ride Kilimanjaro Safari.
If you are looking for a lively experience, I recommend riding in the early morning. If that isn’t an option, try to hop into the queue whenever it gets cloudy or starts to drizzle. You might be surprised by how many creatures show their face when the weather isn’t so hot. I always find that to be when animals are most active.
On my recent trip into the savannah, I had the pleasure of seeing so many animals. It is so much more up close and personal than the experience you could usually get at a zoo. Even more so if you purchase the special treks they offer at the counter just outside. (Which I have always wanted to do.)
Fun fact: this ride used to have a poacher-chasing storyline. Originally, you would be chasing poachers throughout the savannah and happening upon a few set pieces. Nowadays, though, the ride takes a more educational and conservation-focused approach. While I do miss the action-packed thrill of the ride sometimes, I do prefer the more relaxing tour the safari now offers.
I simply cannot fathom how the wait time is always so short. I cannot tell if the ride is un-popular, or if it is the most efficient feat in Imagineering ever.
Is it perhaps because of this change that the ride doesn’t peak at hour-long wait times? Or is it because of the crowd management surrounding the multiple ‘Simba-1’ vehicles that the wait time never exceeds forty-five minutes?
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