Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
It’s many Walt Disney World Guests’ dream experience – to get evacuated from a Disney attraction and see a backstage area.
From the amazing Imagineering of Haunted Mansion and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance to the beautiful designs of Jungle Cruise and Pandora: World of Avatar, there are numerous attractions we’d love to get stuck on at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
But one group of Guests got an unlikely evacuation this week when their Kilimanjaro Safari turned into a “nightmare”.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened back on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and the Zoological Park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is the largest theme park in the world, covering a whopping 580 acres!
Credit: Disney
The popular theme park is distinguished from the rest of Walt Disney World’s Parks in that it features rides and attractions while also exhibiting live animals. Of course, many of these protected animals can be found at Harambe Wildlife Preserve, the fictional home of Africa’s main attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris. Guests climb aboard an open-sided safari vehicle for an expedition to see African species in savanna, rivers, and rocky hills.
The popular safari ride features okapis, bongos, black rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, Nile crocodiles, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, springboks, antelopes, and African bush elephants.
But what happens when the ride breaks down and you have to evacuate…through the animal enclosures? Well, one unlucky (or lucky, depending on your perspective!) group of Disney Guests had to do exactly that this week during their day at the Disney theme park:
We were enjoying it THEN…stuck for 40+ mins… #disneyworld #animalkingdom #nightmareonthesafari
https://www.tiktok.com/@purely_katelin/video/7063556572961738030?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
In the first installment of her videos, @purely_katelin documents their experience on the famous safari attraction in Walt Disney World.
Located next to the lion enclosure, the video reveals that the vehicle has not moved for over 40 minutes, and neither the Guests nor the Cast Member driving the safari truck knows why.
The TikTok user goes on to post another video showcasing a dramatic shift in the story. @purely_katelin explains they are being “evacuated with a ladder” and being made to walk the rest of the way:
https://www.tiktok.com/@purely_katelin/video/7063557558661008687?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
It is extremely interesting to see footage of the Kilimanjaro Safari vehicles getting evacuated in the middle of the ride, as this is not something that happens often.
Cast Members tell the Guests to put their cameras away, but this Disney Guest continues to record as the evacuation unfolds.
The Animal Kingdom visitors are even made to walk on the metal chains and cattle grid across the bridge that prohibits wild animals from crossing into other enclosures. The TikTok user describes the unique situations as “ridiculous”.
A third video then reveals what the cause of the evacuation was:
This is the reason why we were stopped… #disneyworld #animalkingdom #nightmareonthesafari
https://www.tiktok.com/@purely_katelin/video/7063558541814172975?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
Was it a “Giraffic jam”, or a rhino in the road? Well, as seen in the video above, the Kilimanjaro Safari trek vehicle in front of all this chaos had its wheel axle completely buckle and break, leaving Guests stranded – including
Disney Cast Members are shown to safely evacuate Guests off the truck, taking them through a gate in the backstage area and keeping them safe from wildlife living out on the reserve.
We at Disney Tips would personally love this unique perspective on the Kilimanjaro Safari, to see areas that Guests do not usually get to see!
@purely_katelin goes on to reveal that each Guest did get compensated for their trouble: “Every person was given ONE lightning lane pass for animal kingdom…however since we were planning to leave AK after this we had to go to guest services”.
More on Kilimanjaro Safaris
Credit: Disney
Walt Disney World’s official description of Kilimanjaro Safaris reads:
A Truly Wild Adventure
Explore the Harambe Wildlife Reserve, home to 34 species living in 110 acres of picturesque open plains, shady forest landscapes and rocky wetlands. Your rugged safari vehicle is driven by an expert guide, who helps point out animals and shares fascinating wildlife facts during this extraordinary 18-minute expedition.
Unique Animal Encounters
Spot a shy hippopotamus nestled in a still pond. Behold a regal lion sunbathing on a rocky perch. Drive past a gentle giraffe grazing on the tall trees or wave hello to a swinging baboon. Other amazing animals you may encounter include rhinos, cheetahs, crocodiles, elephants, hyenas and zebras—and so many more!Since animals have minds of their own, every expedition is a unique and unforgettable experience. Be sure to keep your eyes open and have a camera ready—you never know what you’ll see on a Kilimanjaro Safaris outing.
