Walt Disney World Honeymoon: Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
[dc]W[/dc]hen deciding what to do on our Disney World honeymoon, besides drinking by the pool, Stephanie and I looked at the different tours the parks offered. The Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom caught our eyes.
“Hey buddy, toss me a sammich!” Photo by Disney.
Animal Kingdom, Where Animals Rule
Stephanie and I love Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I know it isn’t the most popular of the Walt Disney World parks—which is a shame. Disney’s Animal Kingdom features, I think, some of the best theming in all the Disney World parks (more on this in future posts, with photos).
The Wild Africa Trek is a 3-hour trip through the Africa section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
From the Disney World website:
See yawning hippos and hissing crocodiles just 10 feet below as you make your way across a shaky rope bridge, secured to an overhead track with a safety harness. Ride in a rugged safari vehicle over an open savanna teeming with native African creatures, from towering giraffes to powerful rhinos.
On your journey, your knowledgeable guide will share little-known insights on the majestic animals on view as well as the general operation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom park.
Yep, we wore harnesses and everything. Adventure!
You Can’t Get There From Here
We had to be at Disney’s Animal Kingdom around 7:30 AM (our tour started at 8 AM).
One snag: the shuttle buses from our resort to the parks didn’t start until later—something Disney didn’t mention when we bought the tickets over the phone (this was after I spent an hour on hold, no less). We booked a taxi the day before though, thanks to our resort’s concierge, but it was a cost we weren’t expecting.
The upside was, we arrived so early at the park, no one was around the front entrance—so we walked right in (after passing security). Walking through an empty Disney park is pretty eerie. And fun. (We learned later, we were suppose to wait at the front for an escort. Oops.)
Into Africa
Unlike the Keys to the Kingdom behind-the-scenes tour at The Magic Kingdom (which will be in a later post), the Wild Africa Trek kept with the theme of the park: you are on safari on an African preserve. Our guides played their parts very well, and there were theme touches added throughout (observation posts, binoculars, animal data sheets, etc). The trek required us to wear safety harnesses, as we traveled on suspension bridges over hippos and crocodiles.
CHOMP. Photo by me, taken with my Canon 55-250mm lens.
When I booked our tickets, I was happy to hear we could bring our cameras–I’m always eager for a chance to give my Canon 55-250mm lens a workout (it is a good ‘starter’ telephoto lens and has served me well). The view from the suspension bridges made for some great sights—especially of all local vultures.
“Do something!” Photo by Disney.
After the suspension bridges, we ate a fancy lunch on the savannah. The lunch recreated local African dishes, and tasted great.
Crocodile rock, baby. Photo by me, and taken with my 55-250mm lens.
Put It In Four-Wheel Drive and Hang on To Your Hats
Part of the Wild Africa Trek featured a private drive around the preserve. Unlike the safari trucks on the regular safari ride, our ride was smaller and took a few detours—granting us some great animal viewing.
“Hey, honk if you’re…uh…” Photo by me. Taken with a Canon 55-250mm lens.
We even got to see the cheetahs moving around, a rare sight according to our guides (because, you know, cats be sleepin’.)
Wild Africa Trek: Final Thoughts
Giraffes! Photo by Disney.
If you go the first thing in the morning, which is the best time, the Wild Africa Trek is pricey: around $200/person (our tickets were a wedding gift). Tours later in the day are cheaper (I think around $50 off), but the later in the day, the animals might not be as active–something to keep in mind.
What you get on the Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- A 3-hour tour in a small group, with very close views of hippos and crocodiles (no, they don’t take you closer to the lions—safety first).
- Loads of animal information.
- A private safari tour on the savannah, with frequent stops to shoot photos (better than the public safari ride).
- A souvenir stainless steel water bottle, which says ‘Wild Africa Trek.’
- A Wild Africa Trek name tag.
- A pin for the Disney conservation group.
- The guides shoot photos of the group throughout the tour, and all the photos are yours to download and keep.
- Gourmet lunch, made fresh that day (by the chefs at Tusker House according to our guides).
Is the Wild Africa Trek worth the money? It really depends on one’s outlook, but for Stephanie and I, yes.
Someone who loves animals and doesn’t get to see any up close too often will love everything about the Wild Africa Trek. It really is a fun way to see Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Eating lunch on the savannah while watching giraffes walk by was pretty great. As I said in the list above, the private safari tour is better than the normal tour (which is still great, don’t get me wrong). Plus, it gets you away from the crowds for a few hours–it is a much more intimate experience.
However, those who are only casual in their fondness for animals might not enjoy the Wild Africa Trek nearly as much, especially given the price–and you are on your feet for a long time.
Stephanie and I loved the Wild Africa Trek (talk about a great wedding gift)–it was a great unique experience. If you have the time and the money, and love animals, I recommend you give the Wild Africa Trek a try.
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