Wild Africa Trek

Join the ultimate animal adventure! Journey deep into Pangani Forest on a thrilling, privately guided expedition featuring close encounters with exotic wildlife species. Get closer than you ever dreamed possible to Nile crocodiles and massive hippos. Venture on to a VIP safari across an open savanna teeming with native African creatures!

Dozens of massive Nile crocodiles patrol the jungle riverbed. Mammoth hippos move deftly underwater. You are there to see it all!

Adventurers are fitted with an expedition harness that attaches to an overhead track. Once your group reaches the riverbank, get a stunning look at the hippos, just 10 feet below. After a seemingly precarious trek across a rope bridge dangling over a throng of enormous crocodiles, experience another unbelievable view as you hang over the crocs’ riverbed lair!

Enjoy a brief hike onto a sweeping African savanna for a VIP safari, including a visit to an exclusive safari camp with incredible views of everything from towering giraffe to powerful rhinos.

Wild Africa Trek is a jaw-dropping journey only a few Guests get to experience. The expedition is a true encounter with African creatures in their native habitat. Come with us on this Disney True-Life Adventure!

Time: Multiple Treks are offered everyday. As of January 2012, tours are offered at 8am, 8:45am, 9:30am, 10:15am, 11am, 11:45am, 12:30pm & 2pm.

Location: Depending on whether the park is already open or not, meet either outside Animal Kingdom on the far right of the turnstiles or at the Dawa Bar near Tusker House.

Duration: 3 hours (Reviewers have mentioned this taking closer to 3.5-4 hours.)

Cost: $189* + tax (No Discounts Available; Children cost the same as adults).

*Disney reserves the right to institute seasonal pricing increases. For two weeks during Spring Break 2011, the Trek was $249. The $249 price also applies to December 25-31, 2011.

Theme Park Admission: Required

Park Visited: AK

Includes: Heavy snack/light meal, reusable water bottle & CD with photos from your trek (as well as some pre-shot publicity photos.)

Sample Tour Content*:

• Trek through Pangani Forest
• Rope bridge crossings over hippo and crocodile enclosures
• VIP ride on Kilimanjaro Safari
• Visit and snack at exclusive safari camp

*Disney’s tour schedules and content can change at any time due to a variety of factors. Rest assured, if for some reason the tour can’t or doesn’t go to one of the stops you’ve read about here or on other websites, your Tour Guide still has plenty of magic up their sleeves to make sure you have a wonderful tour experience.

Maximum Group Size: 12

Listening Devices Available: Yes

Hearing Disabilities: No

Wheelchair Accessible: The standard Trek is not accessible, guests cross rope bridges with missing planks. However, guest wishing to experience a less physically intense trek and/or whom need an accessible option, can call the Wild Africa Trek office at (407) 938-1373. Guests looking to book the standard trek should call (407) 939-8687.

Requirements:

• Guests must be 8+
• Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult
• Must be 48″ tall
• Within 45-310 pounds (they weigh guests at check in for safety reasons)
• Any equipment taken on the Trek must be tethered to your body (e.g., camera’s must have straps, no cell phones.)

Photography Restrictions: Tour is onstage, and photography is permitted.   Photopass photographers take guest photos throughout, and a CD of these photos is included with the Trek.  Guests may bring their own cameras if they have a strap and can be attached to their body.

Bag Storage: Lockers are provied

Additional Notes: This is an outdoor walking tour – dress appropriately, wear suncreen & good shoes.  Disney will not cancel or provide refunds for this tour (or most others) in the event of inclement weather (Disney will cancel for hurricanes, but not average rain).

Book: Call (407) WDW-TOUR (407-939-8687)

Due to the overwhelming amount of reviews already out there, DTR has deprioritized going on the Wild Africa Trek.  We’ll get there eventually, just not soon.  Until then, check out the reviews in the Other Tour Reviews & Links section below.

Plus, I point blank refuse to go until Disney starts offering discounts. Despite the glowing reviews, I can’t stomach the idea of paying $189-$249 to walk on rope bridges, get a Photopass CD I don’t want, and have a snack (since the VIP safari experince is similar to a portion of the Backstage Safari).

You can also find other DTR posts about the Wild Africa Trek here.

There are 1.523445 million reviews on the Wild Africa Trek.  Disney heavily promoted this tour, which started in January 2011. Media preview tour reviews are a dime a dozen, and the instant popularity of the tour has resulted in many quality guest reviews as well. Rather than reproduce a Google search, I’ve selected a sample of reviews presented below:

• Extra Walt Disney World Magic Review by Nora and Nick from November 2011. This two part, detailed review discusses the reviewers’ experiences trekking on Thanksgiving, including an unwelcomed schedule change made by Disney.

• AllEars.net Reader Reviews 17 reviews, latest from November 2011.  These folks go into more detail than most reader reviews I come across for other tours.

• Wild Africa Trek 360 Views Disney shares 360 degree views of several stops on the Wild Africa Trek.

• Disney Parks Blog Post This blog focuses on the super cute food offerings on the Wild Africa Trek.  Snacks vary based on whether you take the tour in the morning or afternoon.  Children receive different food, so ask about it when booking if your kid would prefer the adult meal.  Also, let the phone agent know if anyone in your party has any diet restrictions/allergies.

• Disney Food Blog Snack Review by Erin Foster.  Erin also talks about the food at the safari camp at the end of the tour. Even if this wasn’t a good review (which it is), I’d include it just because I have a serious blog crush on The Disney Food Blog.

• Touringplans.com Blog Review by Kristen Helmsetter from April 2011.  In this review, Kristen describes her experience and questions the value of the tour at the $249 seasonal pricing.

• DIS Unplugged Blog Review by Kathy Werling.  This review from February 2011 complements Kathy’s podcast review mentioned below.

• TsuKata.org Review TsuKata is not a professional Disney blogger, so her review from February 2011 does a nice job of going into details and not being overly complementary.  She also talks about how the tour is completely “onstage” and how the guides always stay “in character.”  This is not like many of the other tours, which are backstage focused.

• Los Angeles Times Review by Brady McDonald from February 2011.  This is just one of many, many national newspaper articles on the Wild Africa Trek.  Disney definitely pulled out the stops in getting the word out on this experience.

• Inside the Magic Preview Review by Ricky Brigante from January 2011.  Includes video and photos.

• WDW Radio Show Video & Photos.  These accompany Lou Mongello’s audio review mentioned in the Related Podcasts section below.

• Orlando Attractions Magazine Trek Overview from January 2011.  This promotional article (definitely not a review) walks you through the Trek with photos and video.

• DisneyShawn Guest Blog by Laurel (Shawn’s wife) from January 2011. Laurel, a former member of Disney’s Animal Kingdom leadership team, describes her experience being one of the first people to try out what became the Wild Africa Trek during its development.

• DISDads Review by Chris Carroll from October 2011.  Chris goes into detail discussing his experience on the Wild Africa Trek with his 3 kids. Note: Chris did the tour before the price increases. Discussion of the Wild Africa Trek starts at 42:00.

• WDW Fan Boys Review by Tim Grassey from March 2011.  One of the things Tim discusses in this quick review is how they only received one Photopass CD voucher for their 2 person reservation.  This might be an issue if you happen to book with non-family members and want separate CDs.  Discussion of the Wild Africa Trek starts at 7:24.

• DIS Unplugged Podcast Review Kathy Werling shares her experience checking out the Wild Africa Trek in February 2011 (back when it was a steal at $129).  Kathy provides good coverage of the tour minutiae – such as Cast Members weighing in guests at check-in.

• WDW Today Podcast Review Len Testa and Scarlett Litton also got in on the ground floor in January 2011.  I particularly enjoy their description of the breakfast offerings and how they answer the age old “is it worth it” question.  Scarlett’s Trek was comp’ed by Disney, but Len Testa paid the $129 initial offering price.

• WDW Radio Show Preview Review by Lou Mongello.  This link also includes Lou’s video and plenty of photos from his Wild Africa Trek.  Lou was invited to sneak preview of the Trek in January 2011.  This glowing review discusses the worth at $129 and $180.  Wonder what they would think if it goes up seasonally to $249?

• Know of any more podcasts that discuss the Wild Africa Trek?  Let us know at DisneyTourReviews@gmail.com