Has anyone evere done "Wanyama" (or Sunset) Safari at Animal Kingdom Lodge - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Has anyone evere done "Wanyama" (or Sunset) Safari at Animal Kingdom Lodge
My DW and I are planning an adult only trip in September. We were considering participating in this safari. I was wondering if anyone on here has ever done this, and if so what your thoughts are on this event.
I noticed that dinner at Jiko is included, but I could not find whether it was anything from the menu, or if there was a specific menu just for the safari. Also, since this is an adult trip, is alcohol included in dinner package, or is that separate?
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
I'd like to do it but since you have to be staying at AKL to be eligible for the tour, it won't be happening anytime soon. AKL is out of our price range for hotels.
I did this a few years ago and it was wonderful. The Jiko dinner was fabulous. It was a special fixed menu, but if you had any special requirements they adapted the menu to your needs. I don't drink, but, yes, wines were included. I can't remember exactly what was on the menu, but I'm sure they change it depending on what's available. There was a bread service with dips, salad, and several different meats, I think. I had a vegetarian version and it was absolutely delicious. The safari portion was wonderful, too-- the guides were fantastic and told us many things about the individual animals and their care. We drove around and got quite close to them.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
We have done this twice so far. We thought it was so fantastic, we brought my mom the last time.
The meal is great, it's basically a tasting menu. And yes, wine is included.
If you are already thinking about doing it and have no problems with the price, I say, do not miss it! It's a great adult experience.
You will not believe how close the giraffes get to you!
__________________
Lori
“I’m in a Disney state of mind……”
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner w/Fairy Godmother Travel For a Pixie Dust Sprinkled Trip!
i did this two years (?) ago and LOVED it. it is most certainly worth the cost (if you are already staying at AKL anyway) for the meal ALONE. i wrote about the experience fairly extensively over on my blog. it was a two-part post.
apologies for the smallish photos; this was before i upgraded my site. if you click on them, they get bigger.
hope this helps!
EDIT: also, i ONLY do adults-only trips to WDW (i don't have children) so let me know if you have any other questions!
EDIT again (to answer your questions): when i attended in 2011, it was a sort of family-style chef's tasting menu. with wine pairings which are included in the tour price. as much wine as you can drink. i think there's a valid reason why they only let you do it if you are staying at AKL; no one should drive after that meal!
My sister & I took her son (who is 8) on the sunset safari. We were a little hesitant to do this because that's a lot of money for a child who quite honestly wouldn't be THAT interested in the food at dinner. I can't even express how glad we were that we did this!!! The safari was fabulous -the guides were great & it was pretty neat getting so close to the animals. The dinner was AMAZING!!!!!!!! I'll see if I can upload a picture of the menu we had. My sister & I both have severe mushroom allergies so the chef had made the 2 of us a nice salad we could enjoy in place of one of the appetizers that had mushrooms in it. Everyone was given a signature drink with the appetizers and then with each course we were given some wine that had been paired with the food. Even though we were all about to pop we were so full, we enjoyed the trio of desserts presented (with a wine pairing to accompany it of course lol). There was also a small gift bag presented at the end of the meal with a copy of the menu, a pin, a couple of small cookies & something else I can't think of at the moment. You also get a digital copy of a picture as well as a lanyard in the price. I'm not one to spend this much on a dinner typically, but I have actually told my friends that I would like to do this with them one day. I HIGHLY recommend it!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
sounds wonderful! as an aside, it's a thorn in my side when the price of meals or tours is extra high to account for unlimited alcohol because we don't drink!