After paying our bill (which we also had a Tables In Wonderland discount for), we headed back out into the cold and toward Kilimanjaro Safaris to see how long the wait time was. We couldn’t get a FastPass+ for it, so had to, for the first time in forever, line up like regular people!
Luckily, the line wasn’t too long a wait, and we were soon sat aboard one of the safari trucks for our trek around Harambe Wildlife Reserve!
Plus-Size Rider Guide: Bench seats, no restraints. There is a very small step up into the truck. Cast Members usually a family/party by each row, so if there are two of you, then usually it’ll be just the two of you in that row. The ride is very bumpy and you can get tossed about a bit, so if you have back issues, it might be one to avoid.
Kilimanjaro Safaris is one of my personal favourites. I absolutely love wildlife and nature photography (theme park photography is a very close second!) and enjoy trying to spot all the animals. I find that this ride can be even more awesome if you have a great truck driver. Some have really good knowledge of the animals and their habitats, and will try and point out as much as they can to you. Others seem to go by a script and can be quite dull – it’s the luck of the draw.
Don’t forget, these are live animals on the safari, and as such may be hiding in the foliage, or out of the sun – so you aren’t guaranteed to see a particular animal – and no two safaris are the same! Disney’s website says that there are over 34 species of animal on the reserve including:
- Antelope
- Baboon
- Black rhino
- Cheetah
- Crocodile
- Elephant
- Flamingo
- Gazelle
- Giraffe
- Hippopotamus
- Hyenas
- Lion
- Okapis
- Ostrich
- Warthog
- White rhino
- Wildebeest
- Wild dogs
- Zebra
I think we’ve managed to see most, if not all of the animals listed above (even if I’ve not managed to get a photo!) Above the benches of the safari truck is a chart with all the animals that reside on the Harambe Wildlife Reserve.
I briefly mentioned that this is a bumpy ride, so hold onto your hats! And anything else that might fall off. Children must be placed in the middle of the seats for safety, and you should not stand up during the tour. Certainly do not allow kids to stand up on the benches as it isn’t safe for them to do so.
If you want to take photos, you will have to be quick as the truck doesn’t stop for very long, so a sports mode or a fast shutter speed (and a steady hand) are required. I don’t think I have too much more to say about Kilimanjaro Safaris, so I will share some of the animal photos I took on this ride around the reserve.