"New" Safari

[Main Street Jim]

OK, so being a former Safari driver, Donna and I headed to AK a coupla weeks ago. But, before we headed there, she had to show me something sad. Out in back of the MK, behind Cast parking, in the trash heap, was BOTH of Wilson's airplanes - minus wings. One was just sitting on top of a dumpster, and the other was just kind of sitting off to the side, rusting away, as some forgotten prop. Yes, there were two of Wilson's planes (one had been in the show the entire time; the other was a spare to replace the first one when it was going down for rehab, but never used).
We then headed out to AK. We got in the truck - and it started. Our driver was *OK* - not the greatest, but not the worst, either - and believe me, we've been on some BAAAAAD Safaris. So now, there's no reference to Ms. Jobson in the spiel, and, quite shockingly, no references to Big Red or Little Red, either. Just a "lost baby elephant". And, because the poacher trauck hasn't worked in quite some time, they took the "poacher" storyline away, and you don't "chase" them any longer. Instead, you just find the "lost baby elephant" in the back of a truck at the end.

It's really quite sad to see what that attraction has become.

[mermaidmarian]

Wow, Jim. That is so disappointing. I am sure the full spiel was still running when we were at AK in May, but in our recent August trip, the standby was over 90 minutes and we would rather have FPs for EE, so we skipped it. I would have been really upset to see that. Is there virtually no storyline now?

[GrumpyFan]

Interesting, but I can't say I'm completely surprised. I never really liked that story line in the first place, it was a bit on the tacky/preachy side, and ruined what I thought was a nice tour of an "African Preserve". It seems to me the Safari and the "Preserve" could tell their own story withouth some hoaky made up story of poachers. Don't get me wrong, I agree that the dangers of poaching should be shown, but not necessarily on the actual safari.

[bibbidiboo3]

We went to AK last week and did the Safari for the first time. Our driver was fine (no other to compare to) and the poacher story line was in her spiel. We did see the baby elephant at the end and the kids thought it was cute. Maybe it depends on the driver or the day of the week.:confused:

[TwoTinyWings]

Well, as much as I dislike it, this is what happens to many of the props that are no longer in use in the attractions. I think many people would be surprised and dismayed to hear of the fates of the props from older attractions like Horizons and the original JII. I must confess that I do agree to a certain extent with GrumpyFan - I never really cared much for the poacher subplot, thinking it a bit unnecessary (and sort of "tacked-on" feeling), and will not really miss it. Of course, I might feel differently after riding KS when we return in Nov. - I'll have to wait and see.

[WDWdriver]

Main Street Jim is correct. The storyline has been changed. That annoying Ms Jobson is gone. And the whole thing about Big Red being Shot and Little Red being in the hands of the poachers is also gone. The "radio conversation" between your driver and Wilson in his airplane has been changed. Also, the interlude of African music on the radio comes at a different point on the ride than it used to. We are now asked by Wilson to help look for a baby elephant that has apparently wandered away from the herd. And later we are still alerted by Wilson to the presence of poachers in the area. We still leave the reserve through the crashed gates, race through the poachers camp, and finally come across a truck containing the lost baby elephant (no airplane). I don't mind the change in the storyline. It's still a great ride.

[EeyoresBestFriend]

When we were there in April, The driver was terrible. I understand it is a ride -but it felt like he would stomp on the gas pedal and then off it, so alternately we were picking our teeth off the back of the seat in front of us. . .then getting whiplash! Any one trying to get pictures was being flung every where and several were actually getting ill. :(
We've taken this tour quite a bit and it was never this bad! I, also, hope this is not the new trend, it used to be very neat to do.

[SBETigg]

We had the new storyline when we were there and I thought it was the most enjoyable safari yet. It seemed to flow better than it had in the past. Also, the safari is more about the animals for me, so the storyline should take a more minor role. We also had a great driver who was very interactive and attentive. I love the safari, and I still think it's a great time.

[LibertyTreeGal]

I have to say that I always hated the poacher storyline too. I am so tired of getting preached to -- especially since there is zilch I can do about African poachers. Looking forward to seeing how much I like the new one in 57 days!!!!

[JPL]

I have to say that I always hated the poacher storyline too. I am so tired of getting preached to -- especially since there is zilch I can do about African poachers.

Please don't take this as an attack but I think you really shed some light on the story change for me. There are lots of things we can do to help stop poachers in Africa including donating money to Wildlife Conservation Funds and supporting their efferots by visiting places like AK and Zoos around the country. We can stop buying products that support or encourage the need for poaching. So I guess this shows that some of the message was being missed by guests and may have lead to the change in part. I do have to say with the elements removed the storyline makes no sense what so ever. The main reason for the change for the change according a few CMs who work the safari were cost cutting meassures. The plane prop was costly to run and maintain and it also eliminated the ranger standing in front of it with a gun. I have to say even though the old storyline was getting a little stale and tired it was still more cohesive than the new one.

[Christine]

I haven't been on the safari since the new storyline was added. But I can say:

*I'm glad for my DD that they took out the "Big Red is shot, Little Red is taken" element b/c it terrified her! She was absolutely distraught by the "Bambi-esque" story.

*I'll be glad for ME if I can actually HEAR and UNDERSTAND the new story. I don't know if it was the speakers or what, but the whole thing sounded like a bunch of distorted gobbledy-goop to me. I couldn't make out a word of it. :listen: :confused:

[prprincess]

Interesting. I'm super curious to see what a ride on KS is like now. To be honest with you, the change of story has been a long time coming. I visit often, and in my opinion, it was really distracting really got in the way of just enjoying the safari. I also got tired of hearing the same things over and over again.

[LibertyTreeGal]

Please don't take this as an attack but I think you really shed some light on the story change for me. There are lots of things we can do to help stop poachers in Africa including donating money to Wildlife Conservation Funds and supporting their efferots by visiting places like AK and Zoos around the country. We can stop buying products that support or encourage the need for poaching. So I guess this shows that some of the message was being missed by guests and may have lead to the change in part. I do have to say with the elements removed the storyline makes no sense what so ever. The main reason for the change for the change according a few CMs who work the safari were cost cutting meassures. The plane prop was costly to run and maintain and it also eliminated the ranger standing in front of it with a gun. I have to say even though the old storyline was getting a little stale and tired it was still more cohesive than the new one.

Okay, fair enough, however, where in the speil do we find out about which products are supporting poaching? Is there anyone who goes to WDW, really, who does not know poaching exists in Africa and Asia? Believe me, my first graders get it in school. To just present the poaching storyline without anything supporting how we combat it, it might as well not be there at all. IMHO, it is a better topic for Conservation Station. :mickey:

So, if the purpose of the poaching storyline was to make me aware of the things I can do to stop poaching, obviously it failed miserably....

[JPL]

So, if the purpose of the poaching storyline was to make me aware of the things I can do to stop poaching, obviously it failed miserably....

Actually if I remember correctly from a Joe Rhode in a interview, I think the imagineers went even further out on a limb and were hoping guest would ask how they can help. Which was even a bigger failure.

[LibertyTreeGal]

Actually if I remember correctly from a Joe Rhode in a interview, I think the imagineers went even further out on a limb and were hoping guest would ask how they can help. Which was even a bigger failure.

ROFL... figures -- we pleasure minded vacationers aren't in the mood for serious issues, eh? ;)

[DisneyFanaticDargon]

They seem to have moved more and more away from the poaching aspect of the story. Need we be reminded that when Kilimanjaro Safaris was in previews they tried a Bambi angle where Big Red wasn't just 'shot' she was literally dead, and not only that, you saw her corpse lying in the grass. So, as far as evolving into a less traumatic experience for children, I'd say it's heading in the right direction.

[ryca1dreams]

I noticed these audio changes, but thought it was all because we had a giraffe that blocked our trucked for a few minutes. It was funny watching our driver ad-lib, but she did a good job and I got some good pictures. I noticed the planes were gone too. I also noticed almost all the animals were out in droves and this was in the hottest part of the day. My friend on a different day noticed this too.

[Momof2boys]

I didn't know they changed it -- will have to watch next month and see if the boys notice it. They really enjoy the end scene with the plane, so we'll have to see if they notice it gone.

[JPL]

I believe the animals are becoming more accustomed to their Florida living conditions and the Climate and therefore have become much more active. I still remember my first ride on the safari in December 98 and getting off the ride and asking where all the animals were that I saw in the promotional videos.

[Stickey]

The animals continue to be the core of KS. The storyline was never a significant part of the safari.

Periodic changes to the storyline can help prevent this portion of the ride from becoming stale. The changes were o.k., as your role was still to chase the poachers toward Wilson.

KS remains an awesome attraction. :number1:
:simba::elephant:

[cal5755]

We actually enjoyed the changes. My 3 children sat right behind the driver and with less plot he was able to answer more of the questions they asked. Our driver was excellent on our ride... he was able to hear questions from the back about what fuel the trucks used etc. He slowed a bit when someone asked him to... and a lot of the animals were out... we got some great shots of the elephants who seemed to be playing with each other and some great ones of the giraffes as well.

[Goes4FastPass]

The whole point of the Safari was real animals. The Imagineers apparently felt some need to add a story.

I think they should move litle red to the Jungle Cruise at MK. He (she?) would be more at home there.

[Septbride2002]

I was never a big fan of the storyline either. In fact it was sort of jarring to go in and out of the storyline.

~Amanda

[JPL]

I think they should move litle red to the Jungle Cruise at MK. He (she?) would be more at home there.

Actually I have said the same thing to CMs with mixed results ;) I said now if we can only get the plastic elephant back to it's mother in the Jungle Cruise. Some CMs were rather annoyed at the comment and others laughed :confused:

I always found it amusing that after seeing real elephants the end of the ride featured a fake elephant and not a very convincing one at that.

[devoted93]

I noticed these audio changes, but thought it was all because we had a giraffe that blocked our trucked for a few minutes. It was funny watching our driver ad-lib, but she did a good job and I got some good pictures. Last Friday we were stuck waiting for a pelican to get out of the road for just over 20 minutes. If you ever want to hear a driver officially run out of things to say, here's your chance. I think she asked us what animal ate 150 lbs of grass a day about 50 times!

I did notice that the Little Red name was gone and I'm glad for it. I'm with the others that never really liked the subplot of the ride. They did leave in the line "thanks for helping us out!" though, which always has me replying "I didn't really do anything, I just kinda sat here ..."

[Jared]

I liked the new storyline the last time this topic came up, and I haven't changed my opinion.

The stuff with the poachers and two elephants was just getting boring and taking away from seeing the animals. The new storyline is subtle and simple. The ride is still exciting, and now the animals are even more the focus.

[kbean]

I can't believe I live 2 hrs away and never been to AK. I'm addicted to the MK.

[SurferStitch]

I love the safari, but I've never really cared for the poacher plot. It seemed rather contrived, and just too juvenile for adults to enjoy. And yes, there are attractions that adults want to enjoy, too. :secret: Oh, and if you had a driver that was dull or lifeless, it just made the attraction that much worse.

I'm glad to hear about the changes. I always thought the safari should be just that...a safari in which to view beautiful African animals. I won't miss the storyline at all.

[SpecJoe Magic]

I never did like the original storyline, and the changes neither make it better nor worse in my opinion. All that I really expect of a safari attraction is to view animals and have the guide comment on them. I don't see the need for a storyline on this attraction.

[Mufasa]

There's still a story that is central to Kilimanjaro Safaris.

At times it sounds like a broken record, but at Imagineering everything we do involves a story- it's really what separates what we do at Disney from everyone else.

I'm going to echo the words of Joe Rohde (Executive Designer and Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering who is in charge of design and development for Disney's Animal Kingdom) from a presentation he gave at the SIGGRAPH 2006 conference when talking about Virtual Placemaking.

Unlike reality, in which an endless number of unconnected, internally contradictory events and objects collide randomly, a story has shape. Narrative structure proceeds from a large overall shape to tiny micro detail in a series of modified repetitions so while the plot element of Big Red/Little Red is no longer part of the attraction, there are still ways to deliver a story.

There are several core themes to Disney's Animal Kingdom that the design team settled upon: the universal human love of animals real and imaginary, the power of physical adventure, and the intrinsic value of nature itself.

In Animal Kingdom's Africa, one of the goals was to create an impression of scale, of a huge open nature, our savanna that is being threatened by intruders- poachers, in order to highlight the intrinsic value of nature itself.

In order for the dramatic premise to have any effect, the audience has to accept the naturalness of the areas through which the ride travels.

We created compressed spaces in the Swahili town of Harambe, leading up to Kilimanjaro Safari. We did this in order to promote the perception of a wild open African landscape.

The guest is free to go wherever they please prior to queuing up for the ride, but the quality of the space they inhabit changes as they approach the queue. We deliberately chose the most urban and geometric elements from Swahili architecture for our town of Harambe, to create an antithesis to the open and natural feeling we wanted when the guests were finally released into our savanna.

The space changes incrementally as guests move through the queue and then ride the safari vehicle, and all the way through to the concluding sequence of the attraction. It proceeds from very compressed and small space in the town, to very open and large in the savanna; widest where we see the elephants, as if the bigness of the space was part of their bigness.

Then, the space proceeds to compression again, as we confront the elephant poachers, who make the world small by destroying the wildness of nature. None of this is overtly stated to the guests. It’s simply part of the underlying storytelling of the place itself. Our savanna is completely artificial, after all, and not really very big, but within the context of the spaces that surround it, it feels enormous. Thus the point of the story, the value of preserving wilderness, was embedded in the space, not just the plot.

[Dixie Springs]

I hope I don't offend anyone with the following emoticon response:

:yay:

[I take the Ferry]

PLEASE tell me they found a place to keep the "tommies" line in the ride.

"nobody calls them Thompson's Gazelles! They're tommies. TOMMIES!!"

We love that line, it's a classic. It's almost as good as "SEVEN???" or "'cause this here's the WILDEST RIDE in the WEEEEELDERNESS!" or "nice work, pal."

But not near as classic as "we wants the redhead! WE WANTS THE REDHEAD!"

Regardless, it seemed that the poacher storyline gave the trucks a good enough reason to floor it all the way back to the unloading dock. Are we driving slow through that part now? And why do I always forget to go to the bathroom before I get on KS? That last part is bumpier than the end of It's a Small World!

And if we are taking the poachers out of the story, can they give me back that canteen? I'm pretty sure that was mine 20 years ago.

Anyway, slater.
I take the Ferry.

Ooooo, how about "are you seeing an increase in lateral G's?" "SURE AM!!"

[SpecJoe Magic]

PLEASE tell me they found a place to keep the "tommies" line in the ride.

"nobody calls them Thompson's Gazelles! They're tommies. TOMMIES!!"
"

Unfortunately, the "tommies" line has been removed due to the fact that Ms. Jobson is no longer featured in the ride and she was part of that line. I agree with you that it was a classic line, and the other lines that you mentioned in your post are among my favorites as well.

[WDWdriver]

Many thanks to Mufasa for contributing the views of the Disney Imagineers on this subject. The village of Harambe is a perfect introduction to the safari experience and the wide open expanse of the African savanna. Yes, the storyline has changed. But the essential theme of wildlife endangered by the actions of poachers and others is still very much part of the story. Joe Rhode and his team of talented Imagineers continue to amaze me. They are not finished with Disneys Animal Kingdom. Watch for more exciting Imagineering in the future.

[TheRustyScupper]

I agree that several story lines at AK are lame
. . . looking for a poacher and saving Little Red
. . . looking for a dinosaur
. . . etc

[jray21]

Here's my two cents. Maybe they could offer "hunting" trips on the safari with paint ball guns? OF COURSE I'M KIDDING! In all honesty I understand why they originaly included the poachers, but am glad it is gone. I think most people go to Disney World to be entertained, not educated or reminded of the bad things in the world. Education on vacation just doesn't go to well with most people, think Disney Institute. I do agree that people can do something but after paying for a huge vacation, for me, it's not something I'm going to go out and do for a while. However, visiting a local zoo is a good time to discuss conservation and maybe soliciting money.

[jclightchasr]

Honestly I could care less if the story changed. I've never been a fan of the Safari ride and really try to understand the thought process of using enough land to encompass all of MK for one attraction that is not that great. Don't get me wrong its good but not great IMHO.

[jclightchasr]

Here's my two cents. Maybe they could offer "hunting" trips on the safari with paint ball guns?

Man you are killing me :funny:

[Natazu]

Now I have to learn a new script. Bummer. Just when I got used to the old one. I'll sorely miss the nostalgia of the old ride but as long as our safari guide isn't a dope, it'll be ok.

Coming to you via satellite from the Tumbili Tented Camp,

Nâhtazû

[devoted93]

Here's my two cents. Maybe they could offer "hunting" trips on the safari with paint ball guns? Come on, you guys just KNOW that a little paintball poacher hunting would be a blast. "Kidnap Little Red, eh? I'll give ya a LITTLE RED!" *thwap thwap thwap!*

[garymacd]

We just got back from our trip and did the safari. They mentioned little red and her mother and asked us to chase the poachers; but you are right, the truck didn't work and the plane was gone, as were the game wardens guarding the poachers and the elephants. I thought it was just a casting shortage.

[Kairi_7378]

I must confess that I do agree to a certain extent with GrumpyFan - I never really cared much for the poacher subplot, thinking it a bit unnecessary (and sort of "tacked-on" feeling), and will not really miss it.
Went on my first safari on 10-3. I kinda felt like the baby elephant part was tacked on, too! It didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the animals, though.
Any park could have a drive through safari. It took the Imagineers to add the story and theming to make it more of a "Disney" thing. After all, these are the guys that turned a log flume into a float-through cartoon!

[jedigrrrl]

PLEASE tell me they found a place to keep the "tommies" line in the ride.

"nobody calls them Thompson's Gazelles! They're tommies. TOMMIES!!"

We love that line, it's a classic. It's almost as good as "SEVEN???" or "'cause this here's the WILDEST RIDE in the WEEEEELDERNESS!" or "nice work, pal."

But not near as classic as "we wants the redhead! WE WANTS THE REDHEAD!"

Regardless, it seemed that the poacher storyline gave the trucks a good enough reason to floor it all the way back to the unloading dock. Are we driving slow through that part now? And why do I always forget to go to the bathroom before I get on KS? That last part is bumpier than the end of It's a Small World!

And if we are taking the poachers out of the story, can they give me back that canteen? I'm pretty sure that was mine 20 years ago.

Anyway, slater.
I take the Ferry.

Ooooo, how about "are you seeing an increase in lateral G's?" "SURE AM!!"

LOL LOL!! I was wondering the exact same thing!!! I love the TOMMIES line! We laugh like idiots every time.

[jedigrrrl]

Unfortunately, the "tommies" line has been removed due to the fact that Ms. Jobson is no longer featured in the ride and she was part of that line. I agree with you that it was a classic line, and the other lines that you mentioned in your post are among my favorites as well.



BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Then my husband and I will make it a point of reciting it every time we ride.

OR if the driver calls them Thompson's Gazelles then we'll just have to CORRECT him using an African accent.

[thejens]

Paint balls? Oh, no, don't encourage them to add yet another buzz lightyear type ride...I can see it now blast the poachers to save little red...who can save the most elephants....

I wish the CM would slow down and tell us more about the animals. If the CM was asking the same trivia question again and again it makes you wonder how knowledgeable he was. I do like to learn on vacation, but only if it is enjoyable. The poacher plot could be okay if done well, but honestly while the old one was hokey, the new one doesn't really make sense. It does not seem improved as much as lessened and truncated. If Imagineering wants to have a story they need to go back to the drawing board. Some of the older rides are hokey and sentimental favorites because of their age. The Safari is not old enough to be nostalgic and quaint and should not be falling into disrepair. They want to SAVE MONEY!!?? Um, has anyone checked out the 2008 prices? If any ride suffers because Disney wants to save money it is time for us to head over to Universal or the beach.