Starlight Safari: A Unforgettable Adventure Under the Stars
Every night, Animal Kingdom Lodge gives guests the incredible opportunity to ride along on a Starlight Safari adventure across the Sunset and Arusha savannas. This is currently available twice nightly, at 8:30 PM and 10:00 PM. Reservations are necessary and are available 60 days in advance on My Disney Experience (or 60+10 days in advance for guests staying at any Walt Disney World resort). Anyone is welcome to participate, and guests do not need to be staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Reservations are pre-paid and payment is due at the time of booking, but you are still able to cancel and get a refund up until 2 days prior to your reservation. This experience does sell out very quickly, so it’s a good idea to make your reservations as soon as you can. It currently costs $89 per person, and all participants must be age 8 or older. Luckily, I was able to grab a 10:00 PM reservation for May 2 and had an amazing time!
They ask that you arrive 15 minutes in advance because everyone will need to sign a waiver, get settled on board, and get your night vision device ready and focused before getting started. We began the tour at the Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village porte-cochere, where there were several Cast Members standing by the safari truck and greeting participants. They first directed us to a table to read and sign our waivers, and then we were able to board the truck.
We started with a quick introduction and met our driver, Emily, and our guide, Michaela, who were both Night Animal Keepers. Then we were off! The truck is a little bumpy while driving on the savanna, but it’s not a terribly rough ride. It’s a much different vehicle than what guests ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris in Animal Kingdom, with padded benches all along the edges and no middle seats, so everyone had a comfortable place to sit and an equally great view.
The night vision device is a monocular that’s pretty heavy and comes with a really thick strap to make sure it isn’t dropped in the savanna. They required everyone to wear the device’s strap around their neck at all times, so anyone with sensory sensitivities may want to consider that before booking. You’re able to focus them like you would focus binoculars, and it’s possible to take photos through the night vision device (although it’s tricky!)
During the tour, we were allowed to stand up and take photos anytime the truck stopped on the savanna, and they were great about giving us plenty of photo opportunities throughout the evening. We drove through backstage areas several times, and photos were prohibited in those areas. Flash photos are also not allowed since the flash would startle the animals. We explored the Arusha and Sunset savannas and got to see beautiful, unique views of both Jambo House and Kidani Village from the savanna. We were all able to ask questions during the tour, and our guide shared so many interesting facts about the animals and their care.
The animals were mostly all resting, but not asleep. The Cast Members explained that most of the animals don’t sleep for 8 hours each night as humans do. Instead, they take little naps throughout the day. Some animals, like the zebras, were very active and playing. Touching the animals isn’t allowed, but we did get very close to them on the truck. We saw an adorable baby zebra playing in a pile of dirt next to his mother, and a giraffe even tried to stick her head into our truck! Some animals go into the barns overnight, like ostriches (because they don’t like to get wet and hate the morning dew) and red river hogs (because they love to dig, and if they were left on the savanna all night it would be full of holes in the morning). Other than those, most animals are out on the savanna for about 22 hours per day, spending only 1-2 hours in the barn each day for check-ups, nutrition, and training. All the animals on each savanna are trained to come inside the barn when they hear a specific audio cue, like a whistle, tambourine, or maracas.
We drove around for about an hour, exploring the savannas and seeing so many different animals. I learned a lot of interesting details about animal care, and it was so fun to hear from our guides, who knew each animal by name and had everyone laughing when they talked about their individual personalities. Did you know that there aren’t first-floor guest rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge because that first-floor space actually houses some animals overnight? We also got to learn about the hot blossoms that use static electricity to keep the animals from getting too close to the building, how Disney provides a lot of their own food for the animals with over 98 acres of browse grown on Disney property, and how zebras are the bossiest animals on the savanna and push everyone else out of the way at mealtime.
The safari ended at the Kidani Village porte-cochere, where we said goodbye to our guides, turned in our night vision devices, and disembarked the safari vehicle. If you’re an animal lover, you should definitely make time for Starlight Safari! It was so much fun and educational in a fascinating, interactive way that would make Walt proud. Being out on the quiet, open savanna with giraffes walking by and a sky full of stars overhead is one of the most magical things in Disney, and it’s worth every penny!
Starlight Safari | Nightly at 8:30 & 10:00 PM | Animal Kingdom Lodge | Kidani Village
*Activity dates and times listed here were accurate at the time this review was published. Resort activities and activity schedules may change month to month, so be sure to check the current My Disney Experience for updated times/dates when making plans to participate.
