Best Time For Safari Ride

[JPooh]

We are currently planning our family trip and trying to schedule our days. I suggested that we do AK on an EMH day any go in afternoon to evening and DD said that animals won't be out for the safari ride in the evening. Does anyone know if that's true?

[DizneyRox]

Depends... If it's hot out, chances are they go looking for shade in the afternoon. If it's rainy out, they will probably be frolicking in the water. If it's stormy, then they may not even be out, they may be back at the barn.

If you just are going once, I'd do it first thing in the AM.

It's different everytime...

The safari isn't open late on an evening EMH (at least not much later). Over the summer it was closed at park closing for normal guests, een though the rest of the park was open till about 10.

[GoinGoofyPlanninThisTrip]

I'd advise riding 2 or 3 times during different times of the day. DizneyRox is correct, it's always different.

[JPL]

It really depends on the time of year and the weather. Overall the best time is first thing in the morning. However during cooler months some animals aren't very active when it's cold in the morning.

Another good time is after it rains since it usually cools down after it rains and the animals are more active.

I like to experience it at different times during the day since the behavior of the animals is always different. A few times late in the day the Lions and Cheetahs were very active. It truly is a different experience every time you ride.

The safari and the walking trails close at sunset so they are not open during evening EMHs

[JoDisney]

I was told by AK CMs that animals are NOT put in barns during storms because they will get upset with the storms sounds and try to break out. They do not want them to hurt themselves trying to breakout, so the animals are left out. We always had good luck in the late afternoon before closing. It is cooler and the animals are not in hiding.

[brownie]

I'd recommend going first thing in the morning. Chances are the animals will be more active then than later in the day.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) The animals are "out" all day long.
2) They are effectively penned in their locations.
3) The barriers are not visible to the trucks.
4) However, they are more active in the AM.

[PeterPan]

I just asked my family - we think early in the morning or during a rain. We try to ride at different times - mix it up. Ride it earlier and get a FASTPASS for later.

[CaptSmee]

I just asked my family - we think early in the morning or during a rain. We try to ride at different times - mix it up. Ride it earlier and get a FASTPASS for later.

great idea! AK is not one of the heavier trafficked parks on it's emh day.

[BigRedDad]

Like others have said, it is always different. I went in the afternoon once and it was very active. We got stopped in the middle due to an animal not moving out of the way. There were two very frisky gazelles out. The driver did what he could to keep from laughing and other parents trying to explain it to their kids.

[BigThunderFan]

We had great luck seeing many animals on the early morning ones. Not so good on the afternoon trips.

But it was still fun and different no matter when we went.

[Joannelet]

In the morning the animals are brought out by food. Hence why you will see them more in the morning hours of park opening.
At 4:00pm everyday animals are fed again towards their "off stage' areas so they are waiting for their food around that time so some may not be as visible.
I was a cast member there

the best times to go are early morning and afternoon but not late afternoon for reasons like I said.

[prttynpnk]

We like morning too- most of the animals are visible at different times of the day, but I find those lions to be mighty nappy after about 1200!

[#1donaldfan]

....during our safari's we tend to get better action early in the AM, however this past year in June, we had an incredible time just after a thunder storm in the afternoon....I think around 2ish....all the animals were very active and we had to stop for almost 10 minutes while the rhino's were literally fighting (ok, standing each other off) in the road. The CM had to call in the reason for us stopping on a "real" phone....it was very, very cool...

[MaxPower]

Also, it is generally better to got AK later in the day. Many guests leave by mid-afternoon because they have already done everything they wanted to do. That leaves the park nearly empty a couple of hours before closing.