That Disney Girl.: Kilimanjaro Safari: Ride Review

Name: Kilimanjaro Safaris Expedition
Type: Ride; but I can't really classify this, because their isn't much else like it. The vehicle is basically a big safari jeep.
Location: Animal Kingdom, Africa area
The Gist: Board a jeep, steered by an actual driver and live narrator, and take a wild safari through the African animal (read: REAL animals- this ain't the Jungle Cruise, folks) exhibits. No two rides
are ever alike, and you never know what you might see.

For Instance, you might see this. D'aww.

A Must-Do For: Anyone at Animal Kingdom. This is their signiture attraction, the coolest way to see animals, and just a really spectacular piece of engineering.
Avoid If: There is no one who should avoid this, really. You must go. Unless you are just like deathly afraid of animals, in which case, why the hell are you at this park?
Fear Factor: 2/10. There are some thrills attached to this ride, as it is so easy to think, hey, couldn't that lion just jump of that rock and attack us? Or, hey, our driver is going pretty fast over these bumps, couldn't this thing tip over since we are clearly not on a track? Neither one of these things could possibly happen, but the fact that it seems so possible is a testiment to the skill of the imagineers who designed this ride. It just seems so damn natural. Other than that, the trucks never go that fast, and there aren't any drops or dark spaces.
Lines & Other Tips: This ride is a mixed bag as far as wait times go, sometimes, it is super long, and other times, there is no one in line, even in the middle of the day. It just depends on... hell, I don't even know. Getting their early in the morning is a safe bet, and the animals are usually more active then. But if you can't do that, and the wait is too long, then get a Fastpass. Or just stick it out. It is worth it, trust me. Keep in mind, this ride does not usually run after sunset, so make sure you get to it before then.

When Disney was first coming up with ideas for this park, I imagine it went like this:
One brave imagineer went into the meeting and was like, "I have an idea! The Jungle Cruise- but real!" and everyone else was like "Uh, no, gtfo." But then they thought about it, and were like "Wait... that's awesome!". The result is this ride. This the closest thing you can possibly get to a real safari without having to get twenty shots first. Some animals, like the rhinos, giraffes, and gazelles and such, roam freely in their areas, which means that the truck occassionally has to stop to wait for one to get off the road (once, we had a giraffe stick its head in the window right next to me), while other things, like the hippos, lions, and cheetahs are safely contained within barriers, even though it is hard to tell. That is the marvel of design on this ride. Also a nice touch are the narrators/drivers (yep, this ride is, in fact, not on a track), especially if you get a good one. One time, we got this guy who sounded like he should be narrating something on Shark Week. You have a career ahead of you in voice-overs, my man.

If you are curious, here is a list of some of the animals that can be seen on this ride: lions, cheetahs, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, rhinos, ostritches, warthogs, flamingoes, elephants, zebras, gazelle, other types of deer-like things, okapi, just to name a few...whew. Natch, you may not necessarily see everything on one safari, but you are guaranteed to see most.

Overall, this is my favorite thing at Animal Kingdom, and an absolute must-do.

For your enjoyment, here are some additional pictures I've taken on the safari: