Disney Fanatic

10 Amazing Facts Behind the Scenes at Kilimanjaro Safaris

1) A one-of-a-kind experience every time Whether it’s your first time riding or your hundredth time, no two experiences are the same. But that’s to be expected with an attraction comprised of live creatures moving about freely and of their own accord. It doesn’t matter what time of the day it is, each timeframe offers its own unique advan

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10 Amazing Facts Behind the Scenes at Kilimanjaro Safaris

2) At day’s end Calling the animals in for bedtime is just one of many tasks to take care of before closing up for the night. Every evening landscapers and gardeners return to the savanna and get to work in replanting, repairing, and replenishing the various flora and vegetation consumed throughout the day. During this time, all other mai

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10 Amazing Facts Behind the Scenes at Kilimanjaro Safaris

3) Auditory animal cues The fake eggs, disguised barriers, and climate-controlled rocks each play vital roles in the overall process of getting resident animals to cooperate. But did you know the various creatures here have been trained to respond to different auditory signals as well? Whistles, drums, triangles, cowbells, horns, and even

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10 Amazing Facts Behind the Scenes at Kilimanjaro Safaris

4) A little “eggcitement” More than 30 different resident bird species make their home here, and that can mean a lot of eggs. But not all of the eggs are real. That’s because Disney caretakers cleverly provide some of the older birds with fake eggs to sit on. Why do they do this? Because it helps older birds understand that they don’t nee

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10 Amazing Facts Behind the Scenes at Kilimanjaro Safaris

5) Unseen barriers Disney does an incredible job at disguising the many barriers separating park visitors from some of the seemingly free-roaming animal residents. In fact, most don’t even realize there are barriers at all, as the natural setting and surrounding structures are very discretely placed. From camouflaged fences, hidden moats,

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10 Amazing Facts Behind the Scenes at Kilimanjaro Safaris

6) An abundance of animals The use of actual animals for this attraction is a direct nod to Walt Disney’s original intention of incorporating real animals into his famed Jungle Cruise ride. Though impossible to do so at the time, Imagineers saw the establishment of Kilimanjaro Safaris as an opportunity for finally bringing the dream to li

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10 Amazing Facts Behind the Scenes at Kilimanjaro Safaris

7) A change in backstory Changes are inevitable, and Kilimanjaro Safaris has seen its fair share of changes along the way. But perhaps one of the most prominent changes (and what many animal lovers consider the most welcome change) was the decision to alter the original storyline. In the first scripted plot, the safari truck would be noti

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10 Amazing Facts Behind the Scenes at Kilimanjaro Safaris

8) Establishing a wild trek Not only is Animal Kingdom by far the largest of all four Disney World Parks, but Kilimanjaro Safaris is the largest of all its attractions. In fact, the entire Magic Kingdom could fit inside the 110 acres making up the premises. Mirroring all the authenticities of a natural African savanna required groundbreak

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10 Amazing Facts Behind the Scenes at Kilimanjaro Safaris

9) The vehicle You won’t find one of these vehicles being sold at a dealership. Powered by propane, the specific safari trucks used for this attraction are custom built by GMC and priced at around $100,000 each. The driver’s section and the passengers’ seats are mounted together separately, delivering a more bouncy and rugged safari-style

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10 Amazing Facts Behind the Scenes at Kilimanjaro Safaris

10) Landing the job Have you ever wondered what it’s like working at Kilimanjaro Safaris? Employed cast members must complete training through DAKlamation—the official mandatory class for all new hires at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In case you were wondering, the “DAK” stands for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and the suffix denotes that this is

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