Starlight Safari at Animal Kingdom Lodge Review

Starlight Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: A Nighttime Adventure

In April 2024, we enjoyed the most magical family vacation at Disney World, starting with a Starlight Safari tour.

What Is the Starlight Safari at Disney World?

On our arrival day, we participated in the Starlight Safari Tour at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, following dinner at the Mara Quick Service restaurant.

Startlight Safari, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney World, enjoyed on our budget vacation using points
Giraffe up close at Startlight Safari tour

The Starlight Safari is a behind-the-scenes experience available at the Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, allowing us to participate in a fun Disney adventure without needing a theme park ticket.

This made it a perfect way to kick off our trip without wasting a park ticket for a partial day at the parks. It was an amazing start to our Disney adventure! 

Dinner Near Starlight Safari

The Mara is located at the Jambo House at Animal Kingdom Lodge. It offered a decent choice of food, you can order from the counter or select from their prepacked offering (sandwiches, salads, etc.)

Considering the price and speed, the food was okay for a quick meal. After a long day of traveling, it hit the spot. After the Mara, we made our way from Jambo House to Kidani Village.

What to Expect on the Starlight Safari Tour

My son and I love animals, so we were both eagerly anticipating the Starlight Safari—and we were not disappointed! The safari meets outside Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani Village, where guests checked in and filled out some paperwork about 15 minutes before the experience began. A valid photo ID was required for adult guests at check-in as well.

Starlight Safari Check-In Process and Night Vision Goggles

Promptly at 8:30, we boarded the safari truck, an open-sided safari vehicle similar to those used inKilimanjaro Safaris. Each seat was equipped with night vision goggles (more like a monocle), and we were shown how to adjust them. The kids thought the night-vision devices were the coolest thing ever!

I was amazed at how the night vision device allowed us to get a good look at the animals in the dark. While the naked eye reveals almost nothing at night, looking through the monocle opens up an entire world of wildlife. The difference is truly fascinating.

Zebra at Starlight safari in Disney World, enjoyed on our budget trip to Disney World using points.
Zebra at Starlight Safari tour

The ride takes you through the Animal Kingdom Lodge Savannas, giving you a unique perspective of the savannas that you can’t get from the Lodge itself. The safari vehicle actually drives on the open Savanna of the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

You almost forget you are in Florida and feel as though you are riding an open-air safari vehicle in the African Savannas, it is such a unique experience. 

The cast members were incredibly knowledgeable and shared interesting facts about the animals, the savanna, and Disneyas a whole. The cast member was an animal specialist who has worked at Disney for 15 years and is one of the animal caregivers, explained how they care for all the animals, including their barns and veterinary needs. They were open to questions along the way from guests, and there were many.

My son was in awe and has decided he wants to pursue a job like this when he gets older. The tour guide truly inspired both of us to explore potential careers at Disney World that he might want to pursue in the future.

Wildlife You Might See on the Starlight Safari

During our tour, we saw giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, and several types of birds up close—so close, in fact, that we could almost touch them! We paused to watch a group of giraffes eating and lounging, giving us the perfect opportunity to take pictures. At each stop, the driver made each person got their pictures before moving on with the tour. We were able to take great night pictures of Zebras and Giraffes.

Getting Reservations for the Starlight Safari Tour

For more information on costs, tour times, minimum age requirements and more, be sure to check the Disney World website. Behind the scenes tours are usually made up of a small group of guests, making them difficult to get reservations for. If you want to participate in this tour, you need advanced reservations.

Pro Tips from Our Experience on Booking the Starlight Safari Tour

On a side note, booking this experience was quite challenging; I had to use a third-party reservation alert tracker to notify me when openings became available. Even with a third party tracking, I was unable to get tickets for each person in our group. On this trip, we were 5 guests in total, however I was only able to score 3 tickets for Starlight Safari.

I used Mouse Dining to track this activity as well as several dining reservations that I was unable to book during my 60-day booking window. A general reservation note for Disney World, I highly recommend Mouse Dining if you’re having trouble securing and Disney reservations.

Final Thoughts: Is the Starlight Safari Worth It?

Starlight Safari was absolutely worth it for any animal fan visiting Disney World. We plan on doing the Starlight Safari again on a later trip because it was so much fun and inspiring. It’s a rare chance to see exotic animals up close at night, in a peaceful setting that feels worlds away from the Disney World. Whether you’re a wildlife enthusiast or just looking for a fun and unique Disney experience, this tour ads unforgettable memories to your Disney vacation.

Looking to plan more magical extras like this? Check out our complete guide to enchanting Disney experiences beyond the parks for character meals, backstage tours, and one-of-a-kind Disney activities.

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Hi, I’m Danielle 👋
I’m a CPA, mom of two, and the creator of Points to Magic. I help people use points to save thousands of dollars on Disney vacations.
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