Okay, you're up early, and you are going to Disney's Animal Kingdom. What is the first thing you ride?
Many will head over to Asia and Expedition Everest. Many will head to Africa and get a Fastpass for Kilimanjaro Safaris, then race over to Everest. However here's a tip for you...those folks may be missing the best time of day to catch the animals at their most active. From what I've experienced early morning at Animal Kingdom is probably the best time to ride the Safari. There is an exception to this rule, however, and that is when it is very cold out, as it was last week. One morning we rode at rope drop, which was Extra Magic Hour, and at 8am. There were barely any animals out. We rode again about an hour and a half later, and it was much more active.
So what will you see on the safari?
You may see a giraffe eating breakfast.
An elephant drinking.
A cheetah stalking.
A warthogs wishing you good morning. (At least that's what I assumed it was doing.)
A Rhino, coming right at your vehicle! (It stopped, but it was a thrill!)
And you may even get to see the male lion actually standing, which is a rarity, since they sleep almost all day!
It's best to catch them at play just before the heat of the day makes most of the animals seek shade.
Another good time is just after a rain, when everything is cooled off for a little while. So if you're at Animal Kingdom when a pop-up Orlando shower hits, don't head back to the resort! Grab a snack and head towards Africa.
Portions of this article were originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Divas and Devos Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer.
One of the most active safari's I ever went on was in the mid-afternoon. It was a pretty warm day in October but they were all out and about. A couple of giraffes blocked our truck for a few minutes, the male lion was actually moving around. It was awesome.
ReplyDelete