See how Kilimanjaro Safari was affected by Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian caused damage to Walt Disney World Resort. Check out the current photos taken while aboard Kilimanjaro Safari.

Hurricane Ian

Last week, Walt Disney World closed for two days as Hurricane Ian made its course toward the Walt Disney World Resort. You can read about flooding at the Swan and Dolphin and damaged buildings at the Contemporary in this post. There was a phased reopening for the Disney Parks and some attractions had delayed reopenings due to possible complications from the storm.

Yesterday we shared that a temporary change has been made for the Flotillas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom due to the effects of this storm. You can check out this new temporary change HERE.

Kilimanjaro Safari

Kilimanjaro Safaris is a staple at Animal Kingdom. The experience takes guests on an 18 minute tour of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. 

Here, guests can encounter a variety of animals. During the ride, they might spot lions, giraffes, zebras, hippos, warthogs, rhinos, giraffes, okapi, and dozens of other species of threatened and endangered animals. Last Friday, September 30th, Disney’s Animal Kingdom was the last park to reopen.

Many assumed that this may be due to storm damage and additional care needed for the many animals that reside at this park. When the park did open three major attractions were unavailable including Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest, and Kali River Rapids.

Yesterday, we were able to enjoy Kilimanjaro Safaris and see some effects of Hurricane Ian. The area where the Okapis could once be seen is currently covered with downed trees (as seen in the photo above and the photo below.)

In late 2020, a newer section of the safari was added at the Warden’s Post. Here guests can see many Nigerian Dwarf Goats roaming throughout. During yesterday’s safari, a downed tree was seen in this goat enclosure.

The photo below shows the downed tree. The goats may welcome this new addition to their enclosure as a new climbing structure.

We are thankful that storm damage is minimal throughout Walt Disney World Resort and that guests and Cast Members were safe throughout the storm.

Downed trees could be seen at both the Okapi enclosure and the Warden’s Post with the Nigerian Dwarf Goats enclosure.

Do you love the Kilimanjaro Safari? What do you think of the damage from Hurricane Ian? Do you think it will take some time to remove all damaged trees throughout Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Share your thoughts with us on our Facebook Page.