African Veldt

The African Veldt is a scene wherein the boat passes a mass of grassland full of animals.

Disneyland
Main article:  Disneyland's Jungle Cruise

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Magic Kingdom
Main article:  Magic Kingdom's Jungle Cruise

As the river bends to the left, the boat passes a tall formation of orange-brown rocks that forestall the sightline to the African Veldt.

After that, the boat passes a massive scene on the starboard side. The shore slopes, giving a sense of vastness. Small round stones cover the ground, dotted by the occasional small plant.

Many small groups of animals graze throughout the scene. There are four gnu in the foreground, three giraffe behind them, four gazelle and three zebra all the way in the back, and six vultures perched on a dead tree.

The vultures are ogling a promontory, where a lion and three lionesses stoop over a zebra carcass. Two lion cubs sit in the foreground, swatting at a lioness' tail as it wags. The promontory blocks the sightline to the Trapped Safari.

Disneyland
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Magic Kingdom
The scene takes place on the Nile, after the African Elephants, but before the Trapped Safari.

Disneyland
These waterfalls mark the entrance to the expansive grassland region of the African Veldt.

This immense grassland region is inhabited by an almost endless variety of wildlife.

Because of the migratory habits of the beasts in the jungle, this area is often inhabited with gazelles, gnus, zebras, giraffes--and look, to the right of those lions, int hat tree:  vultures, waiting for their share of the zebra!

If you look closely, you'll see dens of laughing hyenas, jackals, and packs of hungry lions feasting on one of their unsuspecting prey.

This region tells the story and points up the law of the African Veldt:  the survival of the fittest.

Sandstone Formation
This is a sandstone formation--and trust me, it is sandstone! Most people take it for granite. I find fault in that logic. Still, it's one of our bolder attractions. I think it rocks.

The Veldt's Introduction
Here it is: the Great African Veldt! Home to a huge array of wildlife!

We're now entering the Great African Veldt, where the hand of man has never set foot!

When elephants trample through the jungle, they make paths other animals can follow, like the ones up ahead, on the African Veldt. This is where zebras, wildebeests, impalas, and giraffes come to the Nile for water. But not all of them will return to their herds. That pride of lions up on the rocks will see to that. This illustrates a basic law of the jungle: never be a zebra.

Up ahead of us: the expansive grassland region of the jungle known as "the Great African Veldt." As you can see, many animals come here to find water...and some, to find their dinner!

The Nile flows past the African Savannah, or Veldt, where great herds of animals roam free.

We've been having a dry spell lately, and when that happens, all the animals come down to the river for their water.

Listing the Species
This immense grassland is home to an endless variety of wildlife, like gazelle, gnu, and guh-raffe.

See the striped animals, there? Those are zebras. Those ones with the long necks? Those are giraffes. And the black ones over there with the horns? To be honest, I don't know; I've never seen 'em before. They must be gnu!

Do you know the difference between male and female zebra? Males are white with black stripes, and females are black with white stripes. Please keep that in mind; there'll be a quiz later.

Those zebras must be really old; they're still in black and white!

Lions
It looks like that pride of lions has made a kill, and the clean-up crews--those hungry vultures--are waiting for their share. This points out the basic law of the jungle: never be a zebra.

That pride of lions has made a kill. This illustrates the basic law of the jungle: survival of the fittest.

That pride of lions has made a kill. This illustrates the basic law of the jungle: survival of the fastest! Er...I mean, fittest.

They're sharing their diner with pride!

I nicknamed that little cub "Tear Along," as in, "Tear Along the Dotted Lion."

Pride of six, your rock is ready!

Dead Zebra
See that sleeping zebra? He must be dead-tired. We'll let him rest in peace!

Would look at that! Isn't that sweet? Those lions are protecting that sleeping zebra!

That's exactly how zebras sleep: on their sides...surrounded by lions...feet in the air...necks slightly bent.

Those lions are settling down to their favorite treat: zebra on the rocks!

It's tough for the lions to split up a zebra: light meat, dark meat, light meat, dark meat, light meat, dark meat...

Jingle Cruise
Main article: Jingle Cruise

This is one of the bolder attractions of the Jingle Cruise; it's Jingle Bell Rock!

The gray animals up front don't seem too excited now, but just wait till Gnu-Year!

Here we are now, on the African Veldt, where all of the animals have put on their winter coats. They don't wanna catch gnu-monia!

Isn't this nice? All the animals, celebrating the holiday together! [The skipper notices the lions eating the zebra.] Well, at least they invited him to dinner.

Hey, the lions won the big game!

Those lions are settling down to their favorite holiday treat: zebra on the rocks, blood rare!

That reminds me, did everyone remember to drop Santa a lion this year?

That zebra's just pretending to sleep to avoid talking to his extended family.