Virtual Safari
Virtual Safari is a DVD feature on all 3 Lion King DVDs.
The Lion King Virtual Safari[]
Virtual Safari[]
In Virtual Safari, Timon and Pumbaa take the viewer on a virtual adventure through the Pride Lands. There are two different choices that viewers can choose from: A boat cruise (inspired by the Jungle Cruise) and a jeep excursion (loosely inspired by Kilimanjaro Safaris)
On the boat cruise, Timon and Pumbaa take the viewer on a cruise down a river, where they encounter hippos, a giant snake, monkeys, and even a group of hungry crocodiles who attack the boat.
On the jeep ride, Timon and Pumbaa guide the viewer on an expedition across the African savanna that leads to encounters with an angry rhino that rams the jeep, a stop at a drive-thru section called Restaurant Road, a run-in with a herd of stampeding wildebeests, a close encounter with some bats, and a thrilling conclusion where the jeep drives through a cavern full of lava geysers while narrowly avoiding a pack of hungry hyenas.
During each experience, there are points on the ride where the viewer can choose which path the vehicle takes by clicking on one of two directional arrows, and each choice will result in a different experience. For example, at Restaurant Road, the viewer can choose between either a drive-thru serving some of Timon and Pumbaa's favorite bug-themed foods or a drive-thru run by hyenas who are looking to eat Timon and Pumbaa.
And at the end of each experience, Timon and Pumbaa will show the viewer a brief montage of pictures showing them reacting to everything that occurred on the ride. This montage will vary depending on the choices made by the viewer.
On the selection menu, there is also a choice that points to a poster promoting Timon and Pumbaa's "all-new virtual safaris" pinned to a refurbishment wall. When this is selected, Timon, Pumbaa, and an offscreen narrator will tell the viewers about the upcoming virtual safaris that will be featured on the DVDs for The Lion King 1 1/2 and The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.
Virtual Safari 2.0[]
Virtual Safari 2.0 is similar to the original Virtual Safari, except that instead of being able to choose either a boat or a jeep, Timon and Pumbaa take the viewer on an excursion riding atop Gertie the Elephant. Over the course of this journey, Timon, Pumbaa and the viewerl encounter many surprises, including a rickety wooden bridge, a wildfire, and even end up getting launched into space, where they encounter Stitch before they reenter the atmosphere and meet Gertie at the water hole.
Virtual Safari 1.5[]
In Virtual Safari 1.5, Timon and Pumbaa have built a ride called the Lion King Pride Lands Adventure and are taking Ma and Uncle Max for a ride. On the ride, the group rides on wildebeest-based ride vehicles Despite initial difficulties caused by Timon sitting on the On Button, the group actually goes through parodies of various Disneyland attractions including "It's a Small World", "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride", "Matterhorn Bobsleds", "Pirates of the Caribbean", "Jungle Cruise", "The Haunted Mansion", and "Splash Mountain". Things go really wrong, however, when the ride gets stuck in the "It's a Small World" parody and as a result of Pumbaa being unable to determine which of the buttons on the ride vehicle is the emergency stop button, the vehicle is then launched out of the show building at an incredibly fast speed, and is then sent on a whirlwind thrill ride through the Pride Lands that includes a madcap dash through the savanna, the elephant graveyard, the meerkat colony's tunnel network, and even to the peak of Pride Rock and down the tunnel used to defeat the Hyenas in the movie.
No matter which good choice is selected, however, Uncle Max will still refer to this ride as the worst he has ever rode on, and Timon will admit that his ride has a few bugs in it and needs a little extra tinkering.