"New" Safari

[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

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. 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:

[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

[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!*