Caring for Giants
By: Audrey WillisMarch 8, 2018My favorite part of visiting the Kilimanjaro Safari ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is seeing the giraffes and the elephants. When I heard about the new Caring for Giants tour, I was excited to be able to spend more time viewing the elephants. My husband and I were able to get a reservation the day before the tour; however, it is highly recommended to reserve a tour in advance.We checked into our tour at Curiosity Animal Tours to the left of the Kilimanjaro Safari entrance. The tour lasts an hour, and there are no bathrooms once you begin your tour. When it is time for your tour to start, the group is lead backstage. We walked a short distance in the parking lot where the safari vehicles are stored and boarded a tour bus. You are driven by the night houses for some of the safari animals and down a gravel road. We had to climb a tall metal ramp to get to the elephant viewing area. No pictures are allowed until you arrive in the viewing areas.
In the first viewing area our guide talked to us about the elephant program, the hierarchy, and taught us the names of the 10 elephants that live at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and how to tell them apart. Rafiki, the matriarch is easy to spot as one of her tusks is higher than the other. We also got to hear stories about how Stella, the youngest elephant, interacts with the other elephants. It was nice to be able to watch the elephants for longer than it takes the safari vehicle to drive by them.In the second viewing area we met two African cultural representatives. They talked to us about the dangers that exist to the elephants in the natural habitat and what is being done to help the conservation efforts. They also showed us how farmers are using bee boxes on fences to keep elephants out of the crops; apparently elephants don’t like the low buzzing sound and stay away!
The tour cost $30 per person, a portion of which is donated to the Disney Conservation Fund. Children 4 years old and up are welcome on the tour with an accompanying adult. We felt it was well worth the value just to spend a little extra time watching the beautiful animals. It and the Behind the Seeds Tour are my current favorite tours at Walt Disney World.If you would like more information or to start planning your next vacation, please contact audrey@wishesfamilytravel.com.