When you think about going to Orlando’s Walt Disney World in the middle of summer, one imagines a warm, sunny (and a little sticky) day. But be warned, the Florida vacation town has been dealing with some major thunderstorms as of late, and it's affecting how guests experience its attractions. For example, take a recent viral TikTok on Animal Kingdom’s Kilimanjaro Safaris outdoor ride.
A Disney TikTok account called dvc_park_hoppers posted a wild piece of footage of guests aboard Animal Kingdom’s Kilimanjaro Safaris and the thunderstorm that made the experience completely different than usual. Check it out:
@dvc_park_hoppers ♬ original sound - DVC_Park_Hoppers
As the video pokes fun at, the ride looks a lot more like Animal Kingdom’s Kali River Rapids than Kilimanjaro Safaris, which usually gives guests a chance to spot live animals from African savanna as if they were really on the home of giraffes and so forth. The wind and rain is intense, but the rest of Walt Disney World was likely not much better.
The TikTok doesn’t make it clear when the footage was actually shot, but it goes viral just as big thunderstorms have caused flooding all over Walt Disney World this week. Per Disney site Inside The Magic, these storms caused flooding all across the Florida parks, including Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. Multiple guests took to social media to show they were taking shelter under covering or in buildings due to the severity of Orlando’s weather.
When storms and flooding such as this take place in Walt Disney World, parts of the park are forced to close down, but in this case, either Kilimanjaro Safaris remained open or the storm erupted as guests were enjoying the ride. The particular Animal Kingdom ride is an 18-minute expedition, so it’s very possible that the weather was less intense when guests got on the ride and the TikTok illustrates how things picked up.
Just a couple weeks ago, a viral TikTok showed a Magic Kingdom restaurant flooding as guests continued to enjoy meals there. Back in March, Hollywood Studios basically turned into a waterpark from flooding due to Florida’s heavy rain as well. It hasn’t always been like this in Orlando, Florida. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, rainfall in the state has jumped nearly 30% since the late ‘50s.
Despite some extreme weather conditions for Walt Disney World visitors recently, business is booming for the theme park, and recently Walt Disney World finally reopened all of its hotels since the pandemic resulted in the park initially shutting them down. Although there’s a recent rumor floating around that the name of the Florida park might change its title, that's not going to stop Walt Disney World from continuing to bring in more attractions, such as the new Guardians of the Galaxy coaster opening. Check out what upcoming Disney World attractions are on the way here on CinemaBlend.
