Disney’s Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom had been a special experience we had our eye on for some time. So after going to Walt Disney World annually for the last few years, we decided it was time to try something outside of the box. Going Behind the Scenes at Animal Kingdom, up close with wildlife and lunch on the savanna? Yes, Please. We absolutely loved the idea of upgrading our vacation with something extra special. With so many tours, VIP experiences and parties, how do you know which one to choose? The Disney Animal Kingdom Wild Africa Trek Tour offers something more. Here’s what made us pick this Disney Special Experience over all the others.
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Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom Tour Details
The Wild Africa Trek at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Park is a unique experience to go behind the scenes at Animal Kingdom. With opportunities to chat with animal caretakers, and see a part of AK that you didn’t know existed, this 3-hour tour is perfect for families, with children 8 and up. Here are the details to know before you go.
- Tour Length: 3 Hours
- Cost: $220-$230 per person
- Times: 10:15 AM, 11:45 AM, and 12:30 PM
- Age Minimum: 8 years old
- Height Minimum: 48″
- Weight Minimum: 45lbs
- Maximum Weight: 300lbs
- Lunch: Included. Allergy free, and Plant Based options available.
How Long Does the Wild Africa Trek Take?
The Wild Africa Trek Tour at Animal Kingdom Park is a 3-hour tour. Featuring Animal Kingdom Behind the Scenes activities that incorporates a chat with the Animal Care team, a look at secret spaces, like a rackety bridge, and lunch on the savanna.
How Much Does the Wild Africa Trek Cost?
The cost for Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom is between $220-$230 per person (tax not included). Price varies by date. There are 15% discounts for select guests that will save you a little bit of money:
- Annual Passholders: from $186.15 (plus tax; prices vary by date). Check out all the Disney Annual Passholder Perks
- Disney Vacation Club Members: from $186.15 (plus tax; prices vary by date)
Do you Need an Animal Kingdom Park Ticket for Wild Africa Trek?
Yes. In addition to the cost of the tour, all guests need a valid park ticket for Animal Kingdom in order to enter the park.
How Strenuous is Wild Africa Trek?
Disney’s Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom is moderately strenuous. While you will not be hiking for 3 hours, this event does include navigating small spaces, a rickety bridge, walking for long periods, and being okay with heights. This is the notice on Disney’s website.
You must have physical stamina, comfort with heights, and the surefootedness to negotiate small hills, foliage and unsteady rope bridges on this tour
What Times is the Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom Offered?
Offered a few times a day, you can book your Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom Park at 10:15 AM, 11:45 AM, and 12:30 PM.
- 10:15 AM
- 11:45 AM
- 12:30 PM
What is the Weight Limit for the Wild Africa Trek?
Participants must be between 45 pounds and 300 pounds. This is due to the safety harness capability. As a result the safety harnesses used for this experience may prohibit Guests of certain body shapes or sizes from participating. That said, just be aware of it before you arrive.
What is the Height Requirement for Wild Africa Trek?
Wild Africa Trek Participants must be 8 years of age or older and at least 48 inches tall.
What Should You Wear for Disney’s Wild Africa Trek?
As a vigorous hike and activity at Animal Kingdom, you should plan on shorts or pants and a comfortable shirt. Closed-toe shoes with a back strap or hiking boots are required. No flip-flops will be allowed. Skirts or dresses are not recommended. Be sure to pack everything you need.
Where do you go in Animal Kingdom to Check In for the Wild Africa Tour?
Finding the location to meet your tour group is not as difficult as you may think. We were instructed to check in by the Kilimanjaro Safari line. Chances are if you are like us you know the Kilimanjaro Safari ride well. Because let’s face it when we’re tired of walking and just want someone to drive us around, this is the ride we find. And wouldn’t you know it? Lo and behold, you can see the Wild Africa Trek sign right on the sign above. We have seriously never, ever noticed this before. The Wild Africa Trek Check-in is on the right of the Safari line at the Curiosity Animal Tours kiosk. You can’t miss it. Note, you MUST check in 15 minutes prior to the start of the experience. Late arrivals may not be able to join the tour.
Is Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom Good in Hot Weather?
Let’s face it, Florida is hot most of the time. Luckily, most of the “behind the scenes” activities on the Wild Africa Trek tour at Animal Kingdom are located in very nicely shaded areas! Add that and the fact that they give you a cooling towel as part of your experience and we couldn’t be happier. So for the most part we were able to stay cool throughout the 3 hours.
Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom Review
Animal Kingdom is one of our favorite places so convincing ourselves it was time to try out the Wild Africa Trek was fairly easy. Of course the fact that a special lunch was included helped. But really, it was all about the animals, and seeing all this amazing wildlife up close. How could we choose any other experience? As such it comes as no surprise that this Disney wild africa trek review is glowing. Luckily, Disney was offering $50 off the Trek during the dates we were planning.
Thankfully, this sweetened the deal given this vacation upgrade runs about 200 dollars per person normally. However, as this is for a 3 hour immersion experience in Animal Kingdom, we think that may actually be worth it. Let’s dive in. Here’s everything you need to know about Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World.
What Happens First? You Get your Wild Africa Trek Gear
After we checked in, we were given all of our gear. You get a stainless steel water bottle with the Wild Africa Trek logo on it. So fun! And we LOVE a good free souvenir. A name badge and an ear piece so we could hear what was being said by the guides. And you also get fitted for a harness vest. You will get weighed ( always fun) so you can get the best vest for you, and they will help you attach it to yourself.
Do you really need the harness?
On the Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom Tour you have to go over some “scary bridges,” but it’s by no means a zipline experience. And, frankly, we’re not big on being dangled from things, from any height. The harness is merely a safety feature and the reason that kids have be at least 9 years old to go on this tour. And ll kids 18 and under must be accompanied by an adult. So if sending your teen on this tour alone sounds a good way to get some “me” time; rethink that plan.
Something to know ahead of time. The harnesses are supposed to be fairly snug. And your guide and helper cast members will continue to tighten them throughout the entire tour. Don’t loosen them. Seriously, don’t do it.
Where Do You Put Your Disney Day Bag? And everything else?
Since the Wild Africa Trek tour is very active, there really isn’t room for a purse or anything. In fact, Backpacks are Not Allowed. As a result, you are given a Locker to put your things in. You also aren’t allowed to take anything with you that can’t be attached to the vest. This is a safety measure for the animals mostly, and so your items don’t easily fall into the animal habitats. You can bring a camera if it has a strap or if it can be attached to the vest. But we wouldn’t recommend it. You can take sunglasses and phones with you as long as they have a strap, which the Cast Members are happy to provide
Can I take Photos of Wild Africa Trek at Disney?
As a perk for being on this tour, you get access to some amazing high quality photos taken during your tour. And they can all be downloaded once the tour is over. You can also ask the tour guides to take any photo of you and your party. We loved this perk, as navigating rope bridges and trying to take photos of the crocodiles below, should never be a thing you’re doing.
Do you Get a Disney Wild Africa Trek Souvenir?
YES! As a souvenir, you’ll get to keep both your water bottle and name tag from the tour, and then of course have access to all those amazing photos too!
Wild Africa Trek Tour Stops
Ok, lets get into the nitty gritty of what you’re paying for here! Once the group was together and harnessed up, we were introduced to our guides. They gave us a little intro, took a group photo and we learned a few Swahili words. Wild Africa Trek actually starts with walking through the main area of Animal Kingdom.
What do you do on Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom?
The Wild Africa Trek includes a visit with an Animal Caregiver to learn more about the animals, a harnessed trip on a rope bridge, a guided tour through the savanna, with detailed animal info and times for questions. And it finishes with a unique African Lunch on the Savanna. A truly special experience you can only get on this tour at Disney World.
- Hike the Grasslands
- Visit with an Animal Caretaker, Hippos
- Rope Bridge Crossing over Crocodiles
- Private Savanna Safari Tour
- See the Animals and Ask questions
- Lunch
Hike the Grasslands
The beginning of the tour is simply a light walk to Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail where you enter a backstage area. Leading you to spaces of the savanna that the animal care team usually frequent. As Behind the Scenes at Animal Kingdom Guests you too get to see what goes on behind those walls, and trees. During this time the tour guide will point out certain things of interest as you make your way to the first stop.
Visit with an Animal Caretaker at Hippos
Along your journey, your knowledgeable guide will share insights about the majestic animals you’re viewing, as well as details about the park’s dedication to animal conservation. At one point in this journey you will exit the public park area and enter a woods like area. Your first animal stop will probably be the hippos. At the hippo habitat you will stop, learn some things, and be very close to these amazing animals. You’ll get a chance to talk to the hippo caretaker and ask as many questions as you like. Seriously, this was the coolest thing.
Rope Bridge Crossing over Crocodiles
This is the Wild Africa Trek Tour Part Where you Have to Cross a Bridge, Made of Ropes, and Boards that are Breaking. After the soothing, lovely, experience of the Hippo Habitat, you get to feel what it’s like to be Indiana Jones over at the rope bridge. Your guide takes you through more woodsy areas and eventually to a pair of rope bridges that cross over the crocodile habitat. Okay. So the bridge looks pretty shady. And if you have any fear of heights or worry, just remember…this is the Walt Disney Company…they make movie props for a living. The boards are broken and some of them are even missing. Questionable, right?!
Did we mention there are 2 Rope Bridges to Cross
Thankfully, Everything is perfectly safe. The guide even mentioned to us at one point that if your legs aren’t long enough to stretch across the broken boards, you can put your full weight on the rope net that is directly under the boards and it would support you. So that was neat. And further, if by some weird chance that didn’t work, the harness would keep you from falling. Again, its Disney. They’ve got this. Plus, you get some pretty awesome photo ops on that bridge.
Private Savanna Safari Tour Animal Kingdom
After that terrifying experience, you will have the chance to talk to some more cast members about the crocodiles. Again, very cool. Then its time for a break! And food! We all took off our gear and headed to a “special” jeep, which would take us through the savanna that would normally be seen on the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. But, since this is a special experience you get to go at a slower pace and with more up close opportunities of the animals. A true Private Savanna Safari Tour at Animal Kingdom with your own guide. As such this safari tour at animal kingdom allows you to meander in the safari truck at a slower pace.
See the Animals
One of the best parts of the Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom is seeing the animals. For our Animal Kingdom Safari Trek we were also given binoculars and a magic towel ( which we were allowed to keep) to cool off. Which let us just say, was amazing by 12:30 pm in the hot Florida sun. The Savanna guides were great as they gave us info about the animals and the park in general. And they were always on the lookout for great photo ops. Also tons of opportunities to ask questions here!
Wild Africa Trek Lunch on the Savanna
Did you know the Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom serves lunch on the savanna as part of the experience! Such a treat! After that we headed to a beautiful hut type structure for lunch. Set right on the Savanna! Here you could find a water bottle refill station as well as restrooms. We were given our food and Jungle Juice, which is the same juice as POG juice at Ohana. And one of our absolute favorite beverages at Disney World. Yummy enough that we’ve even made a Popsicle recipe out of POG just so we could have this at home.
The food was really great too, and supplied by the Tusker House Restaurant. It came in a tin and consisted of chicken curry salad, sun-dried tomato hummus and pita, tandoori shrimp, smoked salmon roulade with dill, air-dried beef and prosciutto and ginger and mint marinated fruit. You could also ask for vegetarian or vegan options here, which we loved! Truthfully, we’d do the tour again, just to get this lunch. It was light, amazing flavors, unique Disney foodie options you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Conservation
Part of the profits from the Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom go to conservation. So, on the way back to civilization, the guides educated us about the conservation efforts happening at Animal Kingdom and informed us that part of our admission cost would go to the conservation effort of our choice. Which was also a neat perk, because at the end of the tour you get to place your token in a box towards your favorite cause.
Wild Africa Trek Tour at Animal Kingdom Tips
Wait for a deal if you can. Ok, so we paid $130 per person with the coupon; and prices vary depending on the season. But we wanted to give you a little bit of an idea price-wise because sometimes the pricing is hard to find!
If you go in the summer, choose the earliest time possible. They do their best to keep you cool, but it gets very hot. We were there in late September and by the time got our magic towel, we were really needing it to cool off. Its Florida, it gets hot. Be prepared.
Don’t let special dietary needs sway your opinion. When you book your tour, they actually ask if you have special dietary needs. If you do, they will accommodate most every need. And since all the food is packaged separately in tins, there’s no chance for cross contamination.
One of the Best Wildlife Experiences in Orlando?
We think so! Looking for other Wildlife adventures in Florida? Check out this article for a roundup all the Best Animal Encounters in Orlando!
Is the Wild Africa Trek Tour Worth it?
Yes. Absolutely yes. If you’re someone who loves Animal Kingdom, wildlife, conservation, and learning more about all of those things, then you will LOVE this Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom Tour. While we haven’t been on too many Disney tours to compare it to, this one was in depth, and showed us Behind the Scenes at Animal Kingdom spaces we never would have seen otherwise.
We loved the immersive experience and the opportunity to learn more about the park, animals and conservation efforts. Lunch was fantastic and it was so luxurious to sit and watch the animals while we ate. While the Wild Africa Trek Cost is pricey, if you look at it like a once-in-a-lifetime tour, then you can justify it. We think this tour is fun, inspiring and a great way to spend a morning at Animal Kingdom! Highly Recommended.
Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom Review
Thanks so much for reading all about this Disney Africa Trek, hopefully it’s inspired you to check it out. Even with this cost on this special experience we really do think it was worth it, and such a great way to spend an afternoon at Animal Kingdom. Definitely consider adding it to your plans on your next Disney Vacation. If you want to book your Wild Africa Trek, just call 407-WDW-TOUR. More information regarding the Wild Africa Trek can be found on Disney’s Website.
Melanie Renee is a photographer, writer, designer and mom. Visiting Disney destinations since 2010, she is also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. When she's not creating her next coffee recipe, or designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's seeking beautiful sunsets and planning her next trip .
