Most of you will know by now that Kilimanjaro Safaris is going to be offering a new nighttime safari in the very near future. Now that this is getting closer (still no confirmed date yet) Disney have revealed a whole host of new details about the attraction.
Firstly, they wanted to stress that this isn’t a brand new attraction, while Kilimanjaro nighttime safaris will be a brand new experience for guests in that they can ride at night, it won’t be as if the attraction will completely change at night.
However…
Disney has installed a whole host of new lights into the savannah to mirror the effects of an “everlasting sunset” however there will be no set times as to when the nighttime safari will actually start due to the changing patterns of the actual sunset in Orlando.
Disney has confirmed however that the everlasting sunset could last between 4-5 hours which means that in the summer months we could see Animal Kingdom close as late as 11/11:30pm. This would be surprising but still, we shall see how the hours are impacted soon!
So how will the experience differ at night at Kilimanjaro Safaris?
For starters, Disney has confirmed that the ride path will be altered a night, presumably because not all of the animals will be sticking around during the evening. While this may sound like this will result in a shorter ride experience, Disney have stated they will be able to stop for longer by the animals so guests can enjoy the animals in the sunset-lit savannah.
This is great to hear as it means you should really be able to get those great photos of the animals, some of which will be more active in the evening hours (in particular the new hyenas that are on the way).
There is a catch to this, guests will be asked not to use flash when taking photos during the nighttime safari. This is for the safety of cast members and the animals as well as to not annoy other guests in the truck!
Speaking of the trucks, the lights on the trucks themselves will be enhanced so those worrying about not being able to get a photo without flash can worry no more
I am really looking forward to the nighttime safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and experiencing the park at night in general!
Let us know what you think of these new details in the comments below!
Ryan has been attending theme parks since as long as he can remember and his first proper memory comes from when he was just three years old sitting in Main Street USA drinking a Nesquik milkshake from a carton while the piano was being played outside Casey’s Corner.
