The freedom is not absolute, as there are barriers keeping certain animals within certain spaces, but the creative Disney Imagineers have made sure these barriers aren’t visible to the guests, so everything looks wide open.
It’s the closest most of us will get to an actual African safari, and it fits the bill quite nicely.
Every ride of the safari is truly unique as the animals roam about the space with some degree of freedom, so you never quite know what you’ll see.