Changes

Imagineer Joe Rhode oversaw the creation of the attraction, and in July of 1990 he and other Imagineers went to Kenya and Tanzania to study the wildlife there <ref name= "spence"/>. After their trip, Imagineers decided that besides just showcasing the animals on the safari, the attraction would also need a story. Disney CEO Michael Eisner demanded that Disney's Animal Kingdom should promote the idea of conservation <ref name= "spence"/>. As to stay clear of any political problems, Imagineers set the Safari in the fictional village of Harambe (which is Swahili for "working together") <ref name= "spence"/>. Like real villages in Eastern Africa, Harambe is themed to serve as a gateway for guests into the African Savannah.

In order to get the environment right for the animals, Disney planters asked for two growing seasons prior to the animals' arrival <ref name="spence"/>. With the foliage being planted in the spring of 1996, Disney began collecting trees from all around the country <ref name= "spence"/>. Furthermore, Imagineers had to determine what animals were going to be showcased in the exhibit. To do this, Imagineers evaluated how active the animals would be, how easily they could be moved backstage, whether they could interact with other animals, and what they would eat.

After the animals were selected, Disney needed to figure out how much space the animals needed and how they could be contained in their area. Moats, water features, electric fences, "ha-has", and wires and chains were placed on the ground in order to keep animals within their area. In order to make the animals more visible to guests on the safari, Disney implemented "tricks" to encourage the animals to stay in certain spots <ref name= "spence"/>. Hidden food, air condition rocks, cooling and warming waters, and cool breezes are all used to keep animals within view <ref name= "facts"> http://www.disneyfanatic.com/16-amazing-facts-about-kilimanjaro-safaris-in-disneys-animal-kingdom/ </ref>. During Kilimanjaro Safaris' development, Disney also decided that they did not want to acquire the animals for the park from their natural habitat. Instead, they were brought in from other zoos or reputable breeders <ref name= "facts"/>. Finally, backstage, state of the art animal homes were constructed to shelter the animals when they were not "on stage" <ref> http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/11/sign-up-for-a-chance-to-tour-backstage-at-disneys-animal-kingdom-theme-park/ </ref>.

The original story that Imagineers created for Kilimanjaro Safaris, involved guests racing after poachers while trying to rescue a mother and child elephant named Big Red and Little Red <ref name= "hill"> http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2001/01/01/282.aspx#.UK7NfIeCmSo </ref>. In the original plans for the attraction, guests would be involved in a high speed chase for the last third of the ride. Along the way, they would pass the bloodied corpse of Big Red who was killed by poachers for her tusks. This was done in order to stress the conservation message that Michael Eisner had championed for the park. Unfortunately, Cast Member previews proved that the sight of the dead elephant was too much for kids (and some adults) <ref name= "hill"/>. After receiving a lot of complaints, Imagineers removed the elephant and instead implied Big Red's death in the script. The elephant corpse was no longer a part of the attraction when it opened on April 22, 1998 <ref name= "hill"/>.

===Changes Since Opening===

During the holiday season of 1998, Disney decided to allow the safaris to remain open at night <ref name= "jambo"> http://www.jamboeveryone.com/2015/04/coming-soon-nighttime-kilimanjaro.html </ref>. The "new" attraction, known as Kilimanjaro Night Safaris featured animal sounds, reflectors meant to represent animal eyes, and an African dance troupe who performed around a bonfire <ref name= "jambo"/>. Following the holiday season however, it was decided that the attraction would be discontinued due to guest complaints about not being able to see the animals, as well as the additional costs of keeping the attraction open. <ref name= "jambo"/>

In February of 2012, Disney announced that beginning in the fall, the Little Red story would no longer be featured in the attraction <ref> http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-02-14/the-daily-disney/os-disney-aniimal-kingdom-safari-changes-20120214_1_disney-s-animal-kingdom-theme-park-zebras </ref>. On April 29th, the Little Red Audio Animatronic was removed, and construction began on the attractions final scene <ref> http://exploringwdw.com/disney-info/kilimanjaro-safaris-update/ </ref>?. On October 23, Plains Zebras were added to the attraction <ref> http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/10/guests-are-seeing-stripes-at-disneys-animal-kingdom-zebras-out-on-new-kilimanjaro-safaris-savanna/ </ref>, with all mentions of Little Red or the poachers now completely removed. Four months after their addition, the Plains Zebras were removed from the attraction due to “acclimation issues” and replaced with the addax <ref> http://wdwnt.com/blog/2013/03/zebras-removed-permanently-after-4-months-from-kilimanjaro-safaris/ </ref>. The zebras were subsequently returned in June 2013 <ref> http://www.jamboeveryone.com/2013/07/the-return-of-zebras.html </ref>.