Disney4me Posted 21 hours ago Report Share Posted 21 hours ago There are plenty of WILD things to do at Disney World that you can’t do anywhere else, but the wildest ones happen at (where else?!) Animal Kingdom! Disney’s Animal Kingdom This park isn’t just home to excellent rides, stellar restaurants, and incredible character experiences; it’s also home to some seriously amazing animals. There are plenty of trails and, of course, Kilimanjaro Safaris, but the BEST way to really get up close and personal with the animals is on the Wild Africa Trek — some come along with us! The Wild Africa Trek is a three-hour tour of the Safi River Valley — an area of Animal Kingdom park that is typically unseen by guests. Wild Africa Trek This privately guided tour offers amazing (and close!) views of many of the animals that call Animal Kingdom home. Giraffes, rhinos, hippos, and crocodiles may all make appearances on the tour, which combines walking and riding in a safari vehicle, including the crossing of an open bridge. Safari Truck Check-in takes place at the Curiosity Animal Tours kiosk just outside the entrance to Kilimanjaro Safaris. Here is where you’ll meet your guides, put your belongings in lockers, and have all the requirements and rules explained to you. Getting set up You’ll also step on a scale so they can determine what size vest you’ll need, plus you’ll be given wristlets to attach your phone or camera for photos. Everything you bring must be connected to you, so it doesn’t fall into the animal enclosures — leave your MagicBand in your locker. This is where you’ll check in. You’ll also get a headset so you can listen to the guides, a water bottle (to keep!), and a name tag. Souvenir water bottle! The tour began as we walked through most of the Gorilla Falls train to get back to the hippos. Right by the meerkats is where we started walking on a trail that normal guests can’t go down. We were harnessed above the hippos on a ledge, and as long as you’re brave, you can go right up to the edge. They had a bucket of lettuce and tried to get the hippos to come over for a feeding, but the hippos didn’t want to (they only do positive reinforcement, so if the hippos don’t want to come over, they don’t have to). The behind-the-scenes trail We learned that there are 11 hippos at Animal Kingdom, which is the most in human care in North America. They have the “World Showcase of Hippos” from France, Germany, Mexico, and more, and most have been here since opening day! No hippos here! Next, we kept walking through a trail and ended over with the crocodiles! You do have to climb a treehouse-looking stand that’s a couple of stories tall, where the Cast Members will hook your harness up to a rope bridge! The first rope bridge goes over the road that safari trucks drive on past the crocodiles. It wasn’t super shaky, but it did wobble a little. This part takes a while because the tour guides ask that you keep half the bridge’s length of distance from the person in front of you. Crocodile bridge There’s a second bridge that goes over the enclosure. Crocs under your feet, people!!! Once we were done with the second bridge and on the ground, there was a water refill station, hand sanitizer, and free cooling towels you also get to keep. Refreshment station Then, we were hooked to another harness while standing around the crocodile enclosure — and we could stand on the ledge if we wanted to. Also, Kermit is the crocodile hanging out by the bridge! Close to the crocs! We then walked a little bit further on the trail to get to our safari vehicle. It’s a special truck in which everyone sits on the walls of the truck, so it’s easier to see the animals. On the Wild Africa Trek, you go through some of the regular Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction, but you’re also able to go off path and stop the truck to look at specific animals. Safari truck We drove RIGHT UP to the giraffes and sat there for at least five minutes. It was very cool. You can ask any questions, and the Cast Members tell stories and facts you won’t hear on the attraction. Look at these giraffes! Then, it was time for a bite to eat at the boma! Boma means “safe place” in Swahili. This is where you get snacks and POG juice. The boma We only had a short time here, about 15 minutes once we all sat down with the food. It was SO cool to see the animals while we snacked, but none of them were super close to the boma. The boma does have restrooms, though, as there is no time for a bathroom break in the first two hours of the tour. Boma bathrooms The container your food comes in is called a Tiffin (aka, why the restaurant is named that), it has various snacky items like: Garlic and leek hummus and pita Prosciutto and mozzarella Olive mix with pickles Fresh fruit Chicken wrap Marinated tandoori shrimp Our snacks All of it was very yummy, but don’t expect it to be a full meal and fill you up (you also don’t have very long here, at least our group didn’t, but it likely was because we took a bit longer on the bridge). More eats! Then, it was back on the truck to finish out the safari, where we were stopped for just a minute by the cheetahs, but not for long! We later made it back to the lockers, returned all our gear, and said goodbye to the friends we made along the way! Goodbye for now! Keep in mind that the tour guides bring along a professional camera and take photos while you’re doing the trek, along with the animals you meet along the way. You’ll get all of these photos included in the price of the tour — they give you a PhotoPass card at the end that you can scan to download your photos, which should show up within 24-48 hours. PhotoPass card These three-hour guided tours are offered multiple times daily, with starting times typically beginning as early as 8 AM and running through 12:30 PM. The cost isn’t cheap, but it’s an incredible experience that is totally worth it. You’ll be spending between $219.00 and $229.00, tax not included. Do this if you get the opportunity! We LOVED our time on the Wild Africa Trek, and if you’re interested in learning more about it for yourself, click here or go to the Disney World website to book your tour online! We’ll be on the lookout for more updates from Animal Kingdom and beyond. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and more! EVERYTHING You Need To Know About Eating at Animal Kingdom Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Have you done the Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Tell us in the comments.The post It's Official. This Is the BEST Behind-the-Scenes Tour You Can Do at Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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