The Wild Africa Disney Tour is a Must-Do!

Have you ever wanted to do a Disney tour, but wondered which one is the right one or if it is even worth it? I recently went on one of the many tours that Disney offers and this one needs to be on your must-do list!

Animal Kingdom Park

Animal Kingdom is one of my favorite Disney parks. I love seeing and learning about the animals, so taking a behind-the-scenes tour there was a no-brainer.

Behind-the-scene tours at Animal Kingdom include: Wild Africa Trek, Caring for Giants, Up Close With Rhinos, and Savor the Savanna.

I loved the Caring for Giants tour and highly recommend it to someone looking to get a closer and up-close view of the elephants. You can read my review HERE.

Wild Africa Trek

Do you love the Kilimanjaro Safari attraction? Did you ever wonder if those rope bridges were actually used when passing by the hippo and crocodile enclosures? They sure are!

The Wild Africa Trek brings you up close to the animals on the Kilimanjaro Safari’s attraction. Participants get behind-the-scene look at how the animals are cared for and go where no regular day Guests are allowed to go.

This tour is both educational and exciting, as you have to cross a rope bridge to partake in this WILD adventure! This three-hour tour is one you won’t soon forget.

Check-In

This tour sells out fast, so it is highly recommended to book when your 60-day window opens. On the day of your tour, you are to check in about 15 minutes early. It is important to note that there are no bathrooms until at least halfway through the tour, so be sure to use any facilities before the tour starts.

Upon check-in, a photo ID needs to be presented and all participants must sign a waiver.

Each participant receives a name tag that they can keep.

Getting Ready

Once you are checked in, your guides will lead you to lockers right near the Kilimanjaro Safari standby entrance. Here you will store any loose items (MagicBands, backpacks, phones without cases, etc.) in a locker where they are safely kept throughout the tour.

Next, each Guest is weighed (don’t worry—no one, including yourself, sees the weight) to help find the proper safety harness fit. Everyone is then fit, and gear is double-checked before the start of the tour.

Any items you have kept with you have been given a strap (glasses, phones, etc.) so they can be tethered to your vest.

Once properly fit, you are given a water bottle, which is yours to keep! There is cold water where you can fill your bottle to stay hydrated throughout your trek.

You are also fitted with a single headphone so that you can hear your guide throughout the beginning of the tour.

The guides also share how to properly hand over your safety gear to them for each adventure. Your gear is also rechecked before each use.

Heading Out

The tour begins by going through the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. Your guide provides fun and exciting information about the animals as you pass through. Once you get beyond the Hippo enclosure, you are guided backstage.

Here the terrain is a little rougher, and you will want to watch your footing. You are brought to the backside of the Kilimanjaro Safari Hippo enclosure. In the picture above, you can see the road behind the hippo that the safari vehicles take.

A member of the hippo animal team came out and shared fun information about the hippos. We even got to see the hippos have a snack!

Rope Bridge

Probably the most anticipated part of the tour is the rope bridge! This rope bridge is suspended high above the ground. There are two rope bridges you will have to traverse. You will go across to one tower and then can continue right on to the next tower.

The first rope bridge brings you over the hippo enclosure. You are tethered from above, there are cables to hold on to, and there is netting underneath you. However, the wood planks are spaced far enough that you can SEE EVERYTHING below you, and you must pay attention.

The second bridge goes over the crocodile enclosure. Those crocodiles look big from the safety of the safari vehicles, but they look HUGE when you are standing directly above them!

The guides also have a camera they bring along, so you will have amazing photos of this unforgettable experience!

Up Close With The Crocodiles

Once across the rope bridges, you can get a cooling towel to keep along with more water for your water bottle. You are then guided out for a closer look at the crocodiles.

Another member of the animal care team joined us and shared lots of information about the crocodiles and answered any questions we had about them. After this, we proceeded down another trail to our private safari vehicle. Here, we removed our safety vests and returned the earpieces.

Private Safari

We all boarded a private safari vehicle and headed out onto the savanna. Here, the guides shared lots of exciting information about the animals that were out. They shared the names of the giraffes along with how a new baby giraffe would soon be making his way to the savanna.

Because we had our own private safari, the vehicle could pull off the road and make special stops. Once the truck was stopped, we could get up to take pictures or get a better view. This was a safari ride like no other, as you could also ask the guide questions about the animals.

Snacks on the Savanna

Our trek brought us to a hut on the savanna. Here we disembarked and would soon enjoy a snack. There were real bathrooms for you to use along with a place to wash your hands.

The guides set up the tables, with tablecloths, juice, and food. We were told this was a snack offering, however it was a very hearty meal. Our snack canteen contained:

• Garlic and leek hummus and pita
• Prosciutto and mozzarella
• Olive mix
• Fresh fruit
• Chicken wrap
• Marinated tandoori shrimp

This food was delicious and filling! I would love to be able to purchase this snack option somewhere else in the park because it was that good. This was easily a meal even though they called it snacks. Another amazing addition to this meal was the fan-favorite Pineapple, Orange, Guava (POG) juice!

During our snack, we were able to move around and take pictures of the animals on the savanna. After snack time, we re-boarded the safari vehicle and finished the remainder of the safari.

Things to Know

There are some things you will need to know before embarking on this amazing trek. Guests must be at least 8 years of age and at least 48 inches tall. You also need to be between 45 and 310 pounds.

You must be in good health and have physical stamina as you will be required to navigate rough terrain and two rope bridges.

Disney Vacation Club Members, Annual Passholders, and Disney Visa Card Holders are eligible for a discount.

Each party will receive a complimentary PhotoPass card for all the pictures that were taken during the tour. The photos will appear on your Disney Experience app (once the PhotoPass card is linked to your account) within 24-48 hours of completion of the tour. The photos will expire in 30 days.

Final Thoughts

Even though this tour seems pricey, as you also have to have a theme park ticket as well, it was an amazing experience. Being able to go behind the scenes at one of my favorite parks has become a core memory.

I highly recommend this tour, especially to others who love Animal Kingdom. This tour has been on my bucket list for a while, and I am so grateful that I was able to finally go.

I feel the value of this tour is fantastic, as you get three hours along with a unique and tasty snack (meal!). This tour was not only educational but also lots of fun. I hope anyone taking this tour has a WILD time just like I did.

Have you done the Wild Africa Trek? Is it on your bucket list? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to share this post with your friends!