When I started planning our itinerary for our last Disney World trip I set out to find something new for my husband and I to experience. It just so happened it was going to be our first trip where we were going to call Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge our home away from home. When I started researching the resort I discovered that they offer exclusive tours to guests who stay at the resort! Jackpot!
The night safari caught my eye as soon as I read “night vision goggles!” I mean who wouldn’t LOVE to play with night vision goggles? I was SOLD. I called and made a reservation for the two of us.
Things to remember when you call and make a reservation for this awesome experience;
- Call (or contact your Travel With the Magic Agent) as soon as you know you want to partake in the night safari. They only take 10 people on each nightly safari so space is limited. The number to call is 407-938-4755.
- You HAVE to be a guest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. What an awesome excuse (you don’t really need an excuse to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge BUT in case you needed an EXTRA push this tour could be it!) to try this beautiful resort!
- Guest must be at least 8 years old to partake in the safari AND guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult participant.
- Payment is due at the time of booking.
The rendezvous point for the night safari is at the check-in station for Sanaa. Sanaa is a beautiful table service restaurant located in the Kidani Village section of the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It serves African cooking with Indian flavors. If you stay in the main house of The Animal Kingdom Lodge or Jambo House, it is a quick and very pleasant walk over. Tip: Take advantage of being in the vicinity of Sanaa. Knowing that we would be partaking in this tour I made reservations for dinner before our 9:45pm safari check in time. It was a great precursor to our safari!
After our delicious dinner (I highly recommend the bread service.) we went back to the station where we checked in for dinner and checked in for the safari. They gave us glow in the dark bracelets and told us to charge them on one of the light fixtures. I wondered to myself what these bracelets where for and before I could even finish my thought the cast member said to me “you will need them so the guide doesn’t lose you.” I chuckled and sat down to wait for the rest of our adventure group and guides. Surely he was joking right? Everyone soon arrived and our safari guides joined us . The first thing our guide said was, “Great you all have your bracelets on so I don’t lose you out there.” The original cast member must have witnessed my look of surprise, chuckled and said, “See? I wasn’t kidding!” Well played guys, well played.
At 10pm sharp we boarded our safari truck, were given instruction on how to use our night vision goggles and off we went to explore. It was amazing. The animals were out in full force and we even had a mischievous young giraffe try to join us in our safari jeep! (I’m still sad I wasn’t fast enough to catch a photo on the night vision goggles of said giraffe. He caught me off guard and taking a photo thru night vision goggles isn’t the easiest thing in the world! Next time!)
Take a look at him! Isn’t he the cutest? Side note: Learning to take a photo thru night vision goggles is no joke!
I was also excited to find out that a portion of the tour price is donated to the Disney Conservation Fund! At the end of the tour we were given a special pin showing that we were conservation heroes.
Overall, I highly recommend the night safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. We loved our hour long ride on the wild side! Are you ready to try out a night safari? I would love to help! Contact me at Lizeth@TravelWithTheMagic.com, on Facebook or by phone at 1-800-670-4312, ext. 143.
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