beesly
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2011
While in Orlando last week for a conference, I took a half day to visit WDW. The main event of my WDW visit this time was Savor the Savanna, a new tour offered within Disney's Animal Kingdom. Basic details can be found on the WDW website here, and the Disney Parks Blog here. The tour regularly costs $169 per person, but I was able to get a 15% discount as an annual passholder. Bottom line up front: I'd do it again and pay full price if the discount wasn't available! For a more detailed review, keep reading!
The two-hour tour is offered at 4:30pm, 5:30pm, and 6:30pm each day. I received an e-mail reminder to check in 15-20 minutes early, so I arrived at Animal Kingdom around 3:45. I reached the check-in desk - the same one used for the Wild Africa Trek, right next to the standby line for Kilimanjaro Safaris - around 4:00. I was able to check in and was asked to return at 4:30. I found out at this time that I'd be the only person on my tour (I was traveling solo, too, so it was literally just me and my guide!). There was no one booked for the 5:30 tour that day, and only two people booked for 6:30. I browsed some shops in the Harambe area and then returned to meet my guide for the 4:30 tour.
We started with the exciting act of filling out a waiver.
Other than that, the rest of the tour was very casual/informal. My guide walked me over to the gorilla enclosure and talked with me about the two groups of gorillas they have at DAK. We were interrupted by a few random people asking questions to my guide, but it wasn't too disruptive. My guide provided brief answers to their questions and then referred them to the regular staff on hand if they had any other questions. Then we took a back entrance to get on a private truck for the tour. We mostly followed the path of Kilimanjaro Safaris, but got to stop to talk with some of the keepers who were out placing food in various areas and calling the animals out to eat. They talked about the training they conduct with the animals and the changes they've made to accommodate the new nighttime activities in the park. I had to stay seated while the truck was moving, but the driver pulled over several times to allow me to take pictures when there were good photo ops.
We then drove over to the "boma," which is what they called a small, covered platform area where we stopped to eat. The boma was staffed with two CMs who served food and drinks, and also took any pictures I wanted with their camera (I got a code later to download these photos, as well as a gallery of photos they make available for all tour participants). There were binoculars available on the backs of some of the chairs. The boma had seating for 8-12 people (I didn't count, but I remember there being at least one empty table, and my table could have seated four). It was a little awkward being the only person eating, but I didn't mind much after the first few bites of food and the first glass of wine.
The CMs were very friendly and talked with me about the animals on the savanna, as well as about Disboards and other things Disney.
The offerings were served in camping-style dishes and included:
Water infused with basil, lemon, and lime
A selection of African beers and wines - my favorite was the Pinotage, a red wine
Breads with oil
Spiced assorted nuts
Two plates of tapas: one included a fruit salad, curried chicken salad, dried meats (beef and prosciutto), and an edible orchid; the other included hummus with small pitas, a salmon pinwheel with jicama and cucumber slaw, and tandoori shrimp (note: I am generally not a fan of shrimp, but this was excellent!!).
Dessert was the most amazing take on s'mores that I've ever had: a small tin with graham cracker crust on the bottom, chocolate ganache and chocolate pearls in the middle, and a toasted marshmallow topping. The staff chuckled when I said, "Oh. My. God" out loud after the first bite. I had a dessert wine to go with it and it was literally one of the coolest moments of my life - sitting on the savanna with dessert and wine, watching elephants play with each other while giraffes crossed the other half of my view. It could have only been better if my family had been there with me.
After eating, we got back into the truck and went across the rest of the savanna. I think the best part of being the only person on the tour - although the experience probably wouldn't change much with a few more people in the group - was that I had the opportunity to ask anything I wanted. We spent most of the ride back talking about the species survival program that DAK participates in with other American zoos, and how they implement birth control with their animals. It was really interesting! At the end of the tour, the guide told me that part of the tour fee goes toward the Disney Conservation Fund, and I was asked to select one of four major animal groups for my dollars to benefit. Out of big cats, primates, elephants, or giraffes, I chose giraffes. When we got all the way back to the check-in desk, I was given a set of bamboo Animal Kingdom coasters, a Disney Conservation Fund button, and a code to download all of the photos taken while I was at the boma.
My only real complaint is that I didn't feel like I had quite enough time to eat. Admittedly, I'm usually a slow eater, but there were so many offerings and I really would have liked another 20 minutes or so to really enjoy and finish them all. I think I actually did get an extra five minutes or so since there wasn't a 5:30 group following us. Also, a word of caution on the dishes - because of the way the sun shines into the boma at this time of day, there is little shade and the metal camping dishes get quite hot. Overall, though, it was a great experience! If it's still being offered on my next family trip, I will definitely book this for a date night with my DH.
The two-hour tour is offered at 4:30pm, 5:30pm, and 6:30pm each day. I received an e-mail reminder to check in 15-20 minutes early, so I arrived at Animal Kingdom around 3:45. I reached the check-in desk - the same one used for the Wild Africa Trek, right next to the standby line for Kilimanjaro Safaris - around 4:00. I was able to check in and was asked to return at 4:30. I found out at this time that I'd be the only person on my tour (I was traveling solo, too, so it was literally just me and my guide!). There was no one booked for the 5:30 tour that day, and only two people booked for 6:30. I browsed some shops in the Harambe area and then returned to meet my guide for the 4:30 tour.
We started with the exciting act of filling out a waiver.
Other than that, the rest of the tour was very casual/informal. My guide walked me over to the gorilla enclosure and talked with me about the two groups of gorillas they have at DAK. We were interrupted by a few random people asking questions to my guide, but it wasn't too disruptive. My guide provided brief answers to their questions and then referred them to the regular staff on hand if they had any other questions. Then we took a back entrance to get on a private truck for the tour. We mostly followed the path of Kilimanjaro Safaris, but got to stop to talk with some of the keepers who were out placing food in various areas and calling the animals out to eat. They talked about the training they conduct with the animals and the changes they've made to accommodate the new nighttime activities in the park. I had to stay seated while the truck was moving, but the driver pulled over several times to allow me to take pictures when there were good photo ops.We then drove over to the "boma," which is what they called a small, covered platform area where we stopped to eat. The boma was staffed with two CMs who served food and drinks, and also took any pictures I wanted with their camera (I got a code later to download these photos, as well as a gallery of photos they make available for all tour participants). There were binoculars available on the backs of some of the chairs. The boma had seating for 8-12 people (I didn't count, but I remember there being at least one empty table, and my table could have seated four). It was a little awkward being the only person eating, but I didn't mind much after the first few bites of food and the first glass of wine.
The CMs were very friendly and talked with me about the animals on the savanna, as well as about Disboards and other things Disney.The offerings were served in camping-style dishes and included:
Water infused with basil, lemon, and lime
A selection of African beers and wines - my favorite was the Pinotage, a red wine
Breads with oil
Spiced assorted nuts
Two plates of tapas: one included a fruit salad, curried chicken salad, dried meats (beef and prosciutto), and an edible orchid; the other included hummus with small pitas, a salmon pinwheel with jicama and cucumber slaw, and tandoori shrimp (note: I am generally not a fan of shrimp, but this was excellent!!).
Dessert was the most amazing take on s'mores that I've ever had: a small tin with graham cracker crust on the bottom, chocolate ganache and chocolate pearls in the middle, and a toasted marshmallow topping. The staff chuckled when I said, "Oh. My. God" out loud after the first bite. I had a dessert wine to go with it and it was literally one of the coolest moments of my life - sitting on the savanna with dessert and wine, watching elephants play with each other while giraffes crossed the other half of my view. It could have only been better if my family had been there with me.
After eating, we got back into the truck and went across the rest of the savanna. I think the best part of being the only person on the tour - although the experience probably wouldn't change much with a few more people in the group - was that I had the opportunity to ask anything I wanted. We spent most of the ride back talking about the species survival program that DAK participates in with other American zoos, and how they implement birth control with their animals. It was really interesting! At the end of the tour, the guide told me that part of the tour fee goes toward the Disney Conservation Fund, and I was asked to select one of four major animal groups for my dollars to benefit. Out of big cats, primates, elephants, or giraffes, I chose giraffes. When we got all the way back to the check-in desk, I was given a set of bamboo Animal Kingdom coasters, a Disney Conservation Fund button, and a code to download all of the photos taken while I was at the boma.
My only real complaint is that I didn't feel like I had quite enough time to eat. Admittedly, I'm usually a slow eater, but there were so many offerings and I really would have liked another 20 minutes or so to really enjoy and finish them all. I think I actually did get an extra five minutes or so since there wasn't a 5:30 group following us. Also, a word of caution on the dishes - because of the way the sun shines into the boma at this time of day, there is little shade and the metal camping dishes get quite hot. Overall, though, it was a great experience! If it's still being offered on my next family trip, I will definitely book this for a date night with my DH.
