Kilimanjaro Safaris 22 Years Ago Original Version, Animal Kingdom 1998

Kilimanjaro Safaris Extinct Original Version (HD) Animal Kingdom May 9 1998
Kilimanjaro Safaris is a safari attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom on the Walt Disney World Resort property in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It simulates an open-sided safari ride through the savanna of East Africa.
Story
The current story is a short photo safari aboard a safari vehicle through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve in Harambe, East Africa. It is 800 square miles (2,100 km2) of natural terrain, including Ituri forest, wetlands of the Safi River valley, and the open bush country of the Serengeti Savanna. African animals on view include real live elephants, giraffes, antelopes, gazelles, crocodiles, monkeys, hippopotamuses, lions, cheetahs, hyenas, african wild dogs, warthogs, ostriches, rhinoceroses, ducks, storks, pelicans, flamingos, wildebeests, okapis and zebras. The game driver points out animals and provides entertainment. The zebras were removed four months after their arrival due to "acclimation" issues. Some reports claim that the zebras were fighting each other, biting at vehicles or each other, standing in the road, or just causing trouble. They were quickly replaced with addax.
History
The view from the Kilimanjaro Safaris vehicle
Long before the safari or even Walt Disney World opened, Walt Disney wanted to use real African animals for the river attraction Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. However, for several reasons, Audio-Animatronics replicas were placed instead.
The ride originally included a scripted portion where the safari truck - callsign "Simba-1" - would be contacted by a habitat warden and a scientist to hunt down poachers that had captured a mother elephant and her child - Big Red and Little Red, respectively. The poachers would have been captured at gunpoint by another cast member, a warden. This element of the attraction was eventually eliminated and replaced with scaring off the poachers after a pursuit.
During Cast Previews of Disney's Animal Kingdom, there was a "Dark Ending" in which the safari vehicle encountered the slaughtered corpse of Big Red. She was seen bloody and on the ground with her tusks sawed off, symbolizing the poachers got to her and the tour group was too late to save the mother elephant. Even though it was only an animatronic, this scene proved too shocking for families and children. Many complaints were filed, so before the official grand opening of the ride, Disney removed the dead corpse, thus changing the attraction that of a happier ending.
Kilimanjaro Safaris typically operates until sundown. However, during the holiday season of 1998, the safaris were continued at night and dubbed Kilimanjaro Night Safaris. Though many animals were asleep, or unable to be seen at night, the attraction had a completely different script and storyline. This "new" attraction featured additional animal sounds, reflectors hidden in the foliage to resemble animals' eyes, and an actual African dance troup, who performed around a bonfire in the area normally occupied by the attraction's elephants. Kilimanjaro Night Safaris only ran during that initial holiday season. After this time, it was deemed that the additional costs, plus the fact that animal visibility was poor (eliciting many guest complaints), made Night Safaris unfeasible to continue regularly.
In 2007-9, the trucks were extended with an extra row of seating, allowing for more capacity. Also, the safari script/story, along with the Wilson/Jobson story has significantly changed. There is less of a story about "Little Red", and more about the animals in the reserve and the need to find a lost elephant at the end. This led to a somewhat confused plot in which guests are searching for a lost "mother elephant" and eventually find her baby which, according to the story, had already been safe the whole time.
On February 10, 2012 it was announced that the "Little Red" portion of the ride would be replaced with a zebra exhibit. It opened in the fall of 2012.
From Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.o...
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[@anthonywolfe7865]

Thanks for sharing. I wish they would play that African music throughout the safari. I'm a music teacher and I think it would enhance the attraction

[@RobFuz]

Hi Anthony! That WAS the original music! You brought up a great point because I love it as well! Thanks for your comment and welcome to my channel! I hope you subscribed! :)

[@tannerstubbe]

Wow. The savannah is completely different here than it is today. It all looks so wild and overgrown in this video. Now the grass is perfectly mowed and the landscape is so manicured. I wonder why this change was made. Maybe the overgrown wild look was too expensive to maintain?

[@RobFuz]

Hey Tanner. Great points. I didn’t even realize that until you brought it up. I thought it looked way cooler. Thanks and welcome to my channel! I hope you subscribed!

[@BrianSmith-jx7td]

Disney has changed everything nowadays and not for the better why do you think they can't get people to go to their parks anymore lol

[@Dylan-Hooton]

Is there footage of the cast preview showing an animatronic dead Big Red? I can't find one anywhere.

[@RobFuz]

Hi Dylan. It’s def rare. I got it later when you barely say him :(

[@ItsJoeysworld]

Sorry we missed this , but caught the replay. So cool that you had this footage and we never got to ride the original version and like it better.

[@RobFuz]

Thanks Guys! BTW I made you guys MODS! Thanks for your constant support! :)

[@ItsJoeysworld]

@@RobFuz It has always been our pleasure . Thank you so much for the honor.

[@JustOutnAbout]

I miss the original version!!!! Partly cause of the bridge and just the fact there was some action!! I have this version somewhere on some tapes lol!! Great share Rob!! ~Dawn

[@RobFuz]

Bridge and Little Red ROCK!!!

[@RobFuz]

Please Leave A Comment Below And Let Me Know What Version Of Kilimanjaro Safaris You Like Best!

[@ChrisB2007]

They are Tommies, Tommies!

[@HappinessandSweetTea]

I always enjoy your throwback footage!

[@RobFuz]

Thanks Wendi

[@TheMickeyBunch]

Hey Rob! So awesome that you filmed this. So cool to see the original version. It's hard to pick a favorite. I do like when you get a very punny driver. ♡♡♡ Kelly

[@RobFuz]

Thanks Kelly! You Rock! :)

[@DreamersEmpire]

Was just on it today, yeah hard to believe it was around 22 years ago. Love all your vintage videos!

[@RobFuz]

W was as thinking of you guys today! That ending is so different!!!

[@RobFuz]

Thanks for the comment Dean :)

[@DreamersEmpire]

RobFuz yeah I told Steve and Bob I miss Wilson!

[@LaurensTravels]

This version was more thrilling than what we have today. I think it’s interesting to see it evolve over time!

[@RobFuz]

Yeah crazy right! Welcome to my channel Lauren. I hope you hit that subscribe button :)

[@LaurensTravels]

RobFuz I did! Also sent you a message on Twitter :)

[@juliec4982]

That was very cool to watch! We were just at Animal Kingdom for the first time last Monday and I was happy we got a Fast Pass for this!

[@RobFuz]

Thank you so much Julie! Welcome to my channel! I hope you subscribed :)

[@SebastianTheCrab]

I like that there’s so many more animals today but the ride is really missing a story line now. The interaction with the Worden just made it so much more real. I wish they’d bring some story back into this ride

[@SebastianTheCrab]

And thank you rob. That footage was amazing.

[@RobFuz]

I miss it too. Loved the elephant in the truck with the live actor. So cool

[@RoadtripDave]

Rob, I’m so sorry I missed the premiere! Just watched the video, and that was superb! You really did a great job of keeping the camera steady and immersing us in the old Safari story! Loved it!!

[@RobFuz]

Thanks Dave! That truck was super all over the place by design! Its def toned down a lot!

[@kayatwood5183]

I like the both version. They tell so much more about the animals on the new one. I do like the old version it was a little bit more exciting.

[@RobFuz]

Me too Kay! Thanks for the comment and your support :)

[@AlphaTraveler1]

That is so cool that you got the original. I remember doing the attraction when it opened up. It is definitely cool but many times, the animals were no where to be seen. LOL. Very cool share. LIKE 28.

[@CheriAwesomeSunsetsTravel]

Cool 😎 Vintage Video!!

[@RobFuz]

Thanks Cheri! I made you a mod as well! Thank you for your support! :)

[@CheriAwesomeSunsetsTravel]

RobFuz SO AWESOME!!! Thank You!! 👍☺️👏

[@bigjustins3221]

Pretty cool

[@RobFuz]

Justin Stevenson Thanks Justin. Welcome to my channel. I hope you subscribed!

[@360MultimediaLLC]

Love This Ride!

[@DropThatRope]

Awesome!

[@dfollin1]

I didn’t know poachers were hitting AK! Wow!

[@jmbetan]

The driver was so unenthusiastic during the poacher part. Like poachers shooting at them was an everyday thing.

[@RobFuz]

After the 5,000th time I get it haha. I did love that storyline and it was cool to look back and see it! Thanks for the comment and welcome to my channel :)

[@jamesd.6611]

Do you have the Festival of the Lion King and Journey into Jungle Book shows from 1998 or 1999?

[@RobFuz]

James D. Hey James. I do. Look for it very soon!

[@jamesd.6611]

Do you have the full shows for them?

[@jamesd.6611]

When are you going to upload them?

[@RobFuz]

James D. This week. The problem is copy write issues with the songs. I hope I can post it

[@royalstudios8387]

Where’s the dead elephant

[@RobFuz]

It was already taken out before they took that entire part out! Good Observation!

[@royalstudios8387]

RobFuz that’s too bad I understand it made kids upset but that’s life