Log In
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Log In
Theme Parks
Magic Kingdom
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Theme Parks
EPCOT
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Theme Parks
Hollywood Studios
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Theme Parks
Animal Kingdom
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Theme Parks
Tickets & Park Reservations
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Walt Disney World (Florida)
Water Parks
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Walt Disney World (Florida)
Touring Plans
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Touring Plans
Pre-Made Touring Plans
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Hotels
Campground Resorts
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Theme Parks
Universal Studios FL
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Theme Parks
Islands of Adventure
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Theme Parks
Epic Universe
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Theme Parks
Special Events
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Theme Parks
Special Needs
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Universal Orlando (Florida)
Water Parks
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Universal Orlando (Florida)
Touring Plans
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Touring Plans
Pre-Made Touring Plans
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Hotels
Signature Collection Resorts
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Hotels
Prime Value Hotels Resorts
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Main Menu
Disneyland (California)
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Theme Parks
Disneyland
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Theme Parks
California Adventure
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Theme Parks
Special Events
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Disneyland (California)
Touring Plans
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Touring Plans
Pre-Made Touring Plans
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Main Menu
Disney Cruise Line
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Disney Cruise Line
Ships
Maximize Your Magic

Subscribe now to create a customized Touring Plan for everything you want to do.

Subscribe Now
Kilimanjaro Safaris

Kilimanjaro Safaris

An Attraction in Animal Kingdom

Last updated: May 22, 2025

At a Glance

Animal Kingdom’s premier zoological attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris offers an exceptionally realistic, albeit brief, imitation of an actual African photo safari. Thirty-two guests at a time board tall, open vehicles and are dispatched into a simulated African veldt habitat. Animals such as zebras, wildebeests, impalas, Thomson’s gazelles, giraffes, and even rhinos roam apparently free, while predators such as lions, as well as potentially dangerous large animals like hippos, are separated from both prey and guests by all-but-invisible, natural-appearing barriers. Although the animals have more than 100 acres of savanna, woodland, streams, and rocky hills to call home, careful placement of water holes, forage, and salt licks ensures that the critters are hanging out by the road when safari vehicles roll by.

Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World author, Bob Sehlinger, says: "Having traveled in Kenya and Tanzania, I (Bob) can tell you that Disney has done an amazing job of replicating the sub-Saharan east-African landscape. As on a real African safari, what animals you see, and how many, is pretty much a matter of luck. We’ve experienced Kilimanjaro Safaris more than 100 times and had a different experience on each trip."

Animal Kingdom may offer a nighttime version of Kilimanjaro Safaris. Before the first safari truck rolled into the setting sun, Disney spent more than a year acclimating the existing animals, as well as nocturnal species such as hyenas, to life in a theme park. For the nighttime version, Disney also installed a baseball stadium–size wall of graphics displays at the far end of the attraction’s savanna grasslands.

Turned on late in the day, the displays are programmed to simulate a gradually setting sun for hours on end—providing enough light for guests to see the animals that are still roaming around. It’s hard to predict which ones you’re likely to see, however: On one nighttime tour, we found that the rhinos were noticeably more active at night, while other animals, such as hippos, crocodiles, and elephants, became virtual recluses. A Wilmington, Delaware, man had a different experience, though:

Animal Kingdom at night was the hit of our trip, and Kilimanjaro Safaris was great. We saw more animals in action than we had ever seen in the daytime, and the nighttime added just a hint of danger to the entire proceeding that made it fun.
Current Standby Wait Time
Park Closed
Lightning Lane
Not Yet Available on 5/23/25
Guest Overall Rating
Our Overall Rating
Preschool
Grade School
Teens
Young Adults
Over 30
Seniors
Location
Africa in Animal Kingdom
Duration
20 min
Rider Switch?
No
Minimum Height
None
Queues
Accessibility
  • Physical Considerations
  • Handheld Captioning
  • Video Captioning
  • Assistive Listening
  • Audio Description
  • Must Transfer to Standard Wheelchair

Touring Tips

When To Go
As soon as the park opens or in the 2 hours before closing.
Loading Speed
Fast
Early Theme Park Entry?
No
Wait per 100 People Ahead
4 min
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours?
No

Kilimanjaro Safaris is one of Animal Kingdom’s busiest attractions, along with Expedition Everest and the two Pandora attractions. From a touring standpoint, this is a good thing: By distributing guests evenly throughout the park, those other attractions make it unnecessary to run to Kilimanjaro Safaris first thing in the morning.

Waits for Kilimanjaro Safaris diminish around midafternoon, sometimes as early as 3 p.m. but more commonly somewhat later. We recommend taking the nighttime safari after you’ve experienced the daytime version.

If you want to take photos, note that the vehicle isn’t guaranteed to stop at a given location. Drivers try their best to accommodate guests and stop when big animals come into view, but be prepared to snap at any time. As for the ride, it’s not that rough.

Other attractions you might like

Users who like Kilimanjaro Safaris, generally also like:

EPCOT

Mission: SPACE Green

Animal Kingdom

Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain

EPCOT

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

EPCOT

Test Track
Wait Times

Here's roughly how many minutes you'll wait for Kilimanjaro Safaris at each Animal Kingdom Crowd Level.

1
9 to 34
2
10 to 44
3
13 to 46
4
16 to 52
5
19 to 62
6
27 to 72
7
31 to 77
8
44 to 87
9
53 to 106
10
65 to 128
Hourly View
Friday,
May 23, 2025
View another date
Wait Times for
Kilimanjaro Safaris
 
As of 9:57 pm EDT
Friday,
May 23, 2025

Loading...

TouringPlans.com
Share This Info

Download chart to share to social media.

Our Recommendation

Not to be missed!

Disney Dish with Jim Hill Podcast

Learn more about the latest doings at Disney with TouringPlan's Len Testa & Jim Hill of JimHillMedia.com

Listen Now

Copyright ©2025 TouringPlans.com. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy & Terms of Use | Cookie Preference