'A Horrible Experience' - Is This 10 Star Disney World Hotel Activity Going Downhill?

Did you know you can actually take a tour through the savannas of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge?

It’s true, and not only that, but there’s a tour that takes you out onto the savanna when the animals are most active after the sun goes down. It’s been a big hit with visitors over the years (including us!) but lately, it seems to be riding the struggle bus. So, what gives?

The Starlight Safari tour at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge takes guests on a nighttime journey through lush scenery while riding in an open-sided safari vehicle. While on this wild ride, guests are given night-vision goggles so that they can get an entirely new view of “over 30 incredible species,” according to Disney.

Starlight Safari Tour at Animal Kingdom Lodge

It’s been a popular tour over the years, and we had a great time when we took the tour after it first returned post-COVID. But, this latest review of the Starlight Safari tour on our site does not sound like a good time.

According to the anonymous two-star review from June 2024, out of the reviewer’s party of seven, two sets of night vision goggles were not functioning, while several others had scratches. The review continues, “When [the night vision goggles] were passed out, 50% of participants didn’t have working batteries in theirs.”

The reviewer also mentioned how the tour promises 30 different animals, they only saw “about 6 types” during their tour, and that you could see the same animals from “the lookout area of the lodge.” And, apparently, the animals weren’t any more active than what you might see during the day. This doesn’t sound like an ideal experience at all!

What’s shocking is that every single other Starlight Safari review on our site is a whopping 10 stars. The most recent 10-star review was in 2023, and before that, multiple 10-star reviews were left in 2018, including one that said, “This tour was the highlight of the trip for my husband and myself. The night viewers are easy to use and it is really cool to see the animals interacting at night.”

It could be possible that the equipment and tour have gotten a little worse for wear between 2018 and now, but keep in mind that a good chunk of that time was during the pandemic when it wasn’t running. If you’ve been on the Starlight Safari tour at Animal Kingdom Lodge recently, make sure you leave a review on AllEars so others know what you think!