Disney’s Wild Africa Trek

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom park, guests can climb aboard a safari truck and explore the African savanna through the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction.  You’ll pass through habitats for giraffe, elephants, lions, and more; but as you’re snapping photos of the wildlife, you may notice something else.  Why are there rope bridges stretched high over the crocodiles?  And who are those people hanging out with the hippos?

There’s an even more immersive way to experience the Harambe Wildlife Preserve that the Kilimanjaro Safari trucks wind through, and it’s called the Wild Africa Trek.  This is a three-hour tour offered for an extra cost – private guides take you on an animal adventure you won’t forget!  Here are some of the highlights…

• Up-Close Encounters: Guests on the trek will literally trek through the jungle, listening to lore and facts from the guides through an earpiece.  You’ll step out on a ledge over the hippos to watch them being fed and get up close and personal with the crocodiles as well.  Crossing the rope bridges over the Nile crocodiles is one of the most exciting parts of the tour.  You can watch the crocs sunning themselves just beneath your feet (don’t worry, you’ll be wearing a harness!).  Hippo and crocodile experts will also be on hand and can answer any questions.
• Private Safari: For the second portion of the Wild Africa Trek, you’ll board an open-air jeep that follows the same road that Kilimanjaro Safari trucks take.  The difference?  Your vehicle will pull off to the side at certain points to give you extra time to ask questions, take photos, and watch the animals.
• Snacks on the Boma: With all that adventuring, you’ll have worked up an appetite!  The safari jeep pulls up to a beautiful “boma” overlook where you’ll have a chance to sit and sample some exotic African delicacies.  There’s plenty of time to explore the observation deck, use the binoculars provided to take in the savanna, and make friends with that giraffe sitting just under the palm tree across the way.
• Photos: Guests are welcome to bring a camera with a wrist or neck strap, and the guides will also be snapping photos of the animals, you, and your group throughout the adventure.  You can access the files online, and they’re included in the cost of the tour.

Tours are offered throughout the day and take place rain or shine – there can be a discount on afternoon tours that run during the hottest part of the day.  You’ll also want to make sure you dress for the adventure.  As they say on the trek, “Twende!  Let’s go!”