Welcome to those of you joining me from Home is Where the Mouse is and those of you just hopping on board. I am the 4th stop on our Magical Blogorail.
The overall theme of the Blue Loop, this month, is Disney Photography 101. I will be focusing on one of the most highly photographed attractions at Walt Disney World – Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom. This attraction winding through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve provides guests with many opportunities to get pictures of various animals. This article will give you some tips and how to get most out of your photos and the best out of your camera.
All pictures in this article were taken with the camera in the above picture which my wife and I have nicknamed “Little Red.” This is a powerhouse of a camera for its size. It’s very compact making it easy to transport through the parks and it’s easy to use.
Tip #1: Learn everything about your camera
Most cameras have a lot of different settings, speeds, lighting, zooms, etc. Don’t be intimated and overwhelmed by all of things your camera can do. Instead learn what they can do. The two things about my family’s camera which we take advantage of on this attraction is the zoom but, more importantly, the “burst setting.” This setting allows the user to take multiple pictures each time the picture button is pressed. The downside is a lot of wasted pictures but in an era of digital photography the wasted pictures are easily deleted.
An example of the burst setting:
These pictures were taken in the same take picture button press.
An example of the zoom setting:
Can’t get that close in real life or the crocodile jaws will take a good chunk of your leg. 😉
Tip #2: Have a spotter with you
This can be sometimes difficult if you have kids and you are spending more time finding the animals for them to see. It’s difficult for one person to see out of both sides of the car. A spotter can look out that other side of the car and/or find those hard to spot animals that a hiding in the trees.
A solo rider could easily miss this picture without the benefit of a spotter. This picture is also another great example of the zoom on the camera.
Tip #3: Have the photographer sit in the end seat.
Don’t put the photographer in the middle seat of your group. Have him or her sit on the end seat. In an end seat, the photographer does not have to get the heads of their fellow riders out of the picture before taking the picture. An end seat provides a good view out onto the savanna to spot the animals.
Tip #4: Don’t be afraid to ride the attraction multiple times
One of the benefits of the Kilimanjaro Safaris is one of the most dynamic attractions at Walt Disney World. No two rides on the attraction are the same. The animals will move. Some will go away as the day goes on while others will make an appearance. One trip, my family rode it at the end of the day. Then, the next day, we arrived at the park at rope drop and rode it again so we could see more animals that were not out the day before.
Those are some of my tips for getting the most out of your photos on the Kilimanjaro Safari attraction. It’s a combination of knowing how to use your camera and learning its features, having a spotter to watch the other side of the savanna, and a willingness to ride the attraction multiple times, if possible, in one visit. I’m going to close with one of the best photos that my wife was able to get which used all four of the tips in this article.
Thank you for joining me today. The next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is For the Love of Disney.
1st Stop ~ Rolling with the Magic – Cell Phone Photography Tips & Apps
2nd Stop ~ Disney Babies Blog – Memory Maker 101
3rd Stop ~ Home is Where the Mouse Is – Do’s and Don’ts of Theme Park Photography
4th Stop ~ Dad for Disney – Getting the Most Out of Your Kilimanjaro Safari Photos
Final Stop ~ For the Love of Disney – Recommended Gear to Take Good Photos and Still Enjoy Your Vacation
dadfordisney 
Excellent tips, Dad! We have been long-time PowerShot users (I believe I’m on my 3rd version – this time mine is also red!) My daughter and I both take pictures, so we usually each take an end seat, while the rest of our family sits between us. This way, we can get pics out of both sides of the vehicle and (hopefully) not miss anything. What’s your favorite animal to photograph on the safari?
I like getting photos of the lions. They usually aren’t moving so they are an easy target for great photos.
What a phenomenal photo of the lion! Amazing! I agree a spotter is extremely important. One thing I’ll add- if your sitting at the end of the row, hold onto your camera tight!
Agreed. Pull the wrist band (if your camera has one) down tight. The safari driver does not stop!
What time of day is the best to take pictures on the safari?
In my opinion, the animals are more active in the morning so that’s the best time to get pictures.
Excellent tips – definitely one of my favorite rides to photograph. You’re right, it’s totally different every time!
Heidi… what’s your favorite?! 🙂 I like the lions as well, but they’re not always out for me. I LOVE getting the ankole cattle. Those horns kill me! 🙂
There are so many opportunities for great photos on this ride! Do you have any suggestions for dealing with the bumpiness?
I would suggest seats in the middle rows away from the tires. Those rows should have less up and down motion than the rows closer to the tires.
Love the safari! Before I went digital I would go through multiple rolls of film on this attraction. It was quite a task to change out rolls in the middle of the ride!
After riding over and over, have you any opinion on one side (left or right) being better than the other for photo opportunities?
Our preference is left. But both sides provide excellent photo opportunities.
I love taking pictures on the Safari! So true about having the photo near the end – we always end up switching the camera around mid ride!
Beautiful shot of the lioness! We love Kilimanjaro Safaris – it’s a great way to learn more about African animals. And the photos as souvenirs will be great with your tips. 🙂
Excellent tips! Using a spotter is a great idea. Usually I’m so busy looking through the lens I could miss other good shots! Very practical suggestions.
I love this attraction. I have no idea how many times I’ve been on it and how very different all of my photos are after each ride! Sometimes I feel like I miss things though because I’m trying so hard to get a perfect shot of an animal!
We use the “burst setting” on our camera a lot of this ride. We end up with a lot of duds but a fair amount of gems.
Awesome tips! Having a spotter is a great one, especially if you can’t ride more than once. Great shot of the lion!
My camera has an action shot that works like your burst. It makes getting those perfect shots so much easier!