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/* Attraction History */
The concept for the Kilimanjaro Safari actually began when Walt Disney began planning Disneyland. Walt originally designed the [[Jungle Cruise]] with premise that real animals would be featured in the ride. Eventually, experts convinced Walt that real animals would be too unpredictable to use in the attraction, and Audio Animatronic animals were eventually used instead. When Disney Imagineers began planning their newest park, Disney's Animal Kingdom in 1989, they decided that an attraction using real animals was now a real possibility. They then designed the Kilimanjaro Safaris with the idea that it would be the "E ticket" attraction that the park needed.
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. 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 ideas of conservation. So as to stay clear of any political problems, Imagineer set the Safari in the fictional village of Harambe (which is Swahili for "working together"). 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. With the foliage being planted in the spring of 1996, Disney began collecting trees from all around the country. NextFurthermore, 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, it was determined how much space the animals needed and how they could be contained in their area. Moats, water features, electric fences and "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 staying in certain spots. Hidden food, air condition rocks, cooling and warming waters, and cool breezes are all used to keep animals within view. 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. Backstage, state of the art animal homes were constructed to shelter the animals when they were not "on stage".
