If you are interested in an in depth look at the wildlife at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you will not be disappointed by this experience! The Wild Africa Trek begins by the main entrance of the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride where you check in, meet your guides and the other guests on this VIP tour. Safety is always a priority with Disney and this tour is no exception. Bags, backpacks and hats are stored away in a locker and Trekkers are given a vest and harness to wear, along with a complimentary clip on water bottle which is yours to keep after tour. Sunglasses are put on a strap that is worn around your neck.
The first part of the tour starts with a gentle hike into the safari grounds. Along the way the guides will stop at various look out points and provide some interesting information about different plants and the safari in general. The hike ends at a rope bridge. Trekkers walk across the bridge one at a time and have the opportunity to get a very close view of the hippos and crocodiles.
This is the view from the bridge
Once each family has had the opportunity for a photograph, the entire group loads into a jeep. The jeep follows the normal Kilimanjaro Safaris road, but you get a much more personal view of the animals and stay for a lot longer at different spots than you would during the normal ride. This gives you plenty of time to take as many pictures of the various animals as you would like. Throughout the ride the guides provide interesting commentary on the animals and their personalities.
The trek ends at a lookout station over the savannah. Here each guest is given a beautifully presented snack and a chance to take a few more pictures. After about 30-45 minutes here, you are all taken back via jeep and it’s time take off the safety gear and say goodbye to the guides.
Our Snack
Our tour guides were Paola and Karen. They were both personable, perky and were especially good with children. They were very knowledgeable about the various animals and kept everyone interested and engaged throughout the trek. They happily answered questions and were a lot of fun. Throughout the trek, several trainers joined the group at different times and provided in-depth information about the hippos and crocodiles as well as some of the other animals.
Up close with the Hippos
The guides also took pictures, a lot of pictures – almost 150 of them to be exact. It was good mix of candid and staged shots. You are welcome to take your own pictures on the tour (be sure to have a neck strap for your camera) but it’s nice to be able to experience some parts of the tour without worrying about getting a great shot. As the family photographer, I was thrilled to be in the pictures too! These pictures are included in the cost of the trek and are accessible via an access code that is communicated to you at the end of the experience.
If you are interested in learning more about the safari animals, you will not be disappointed by the Wild Africa Trek. We paid full price for the tour, no discounts – these are all my opinions and I highly recommend it! If you have tried this tour – I’d love to hear what you thought! ~ Monica
This review was written by Monica Loberto
