Wild Africa Trek is an additional paid experience at

Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division, it is the ...

on the

Walt Disney World Resort The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

property in

Lake Buena Vista, Florida Lake Buena Vista () is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being the mailing address for Walt Disney World—although almost all of the resort facilities, including all four theme parks, are physically located ...

. It is a three-hour guided trek simulating a bushwalk through the wilderness for the first half and traveling through the

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground ...

on a VIP

safari A safari (; ) is an overland journey to observe wild animals, especially in eastern or southern Africa. The so-called "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo – particularly form an impor ...

vehicle for the latter half.

Background

In 2008, rumors of Disney's Night Kingdom, a fifth theme park at Walt Disney World were abounding. The proposed addition was to be a “niche park”, limiting the number of guests and operating in the afternoon and evening. Disney's Night Kingdom never became a reality but ideas for the park were implemented into the Wild Africa Trek. The news of “guided treks” being done on the savannah of

Kilimanjaro Safaris Kilimanjaro Safaris is a safari attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom on the Walt Disney World Resort property in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It simulates an open-sided safari ride through the savanna of East Africa. Attraction Story The ...

was first announced July 2010.Smith, Thomas
''New Adventure at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park will have Guests Trekking into the Savannah.''
July 15, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2010. Construction of the

rope bridge A simple suspension bridge (also rope bridge, swing bridge (in New Zealand), suspended bridge, hanging bridge and catenary bridge) is a primitive type of bridge in which the deck of the bridge lies on two parallel load-bearing cables that a ...

s over the

Nile crocodile The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the central, eastern, ...

s and safari camp in the

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

began October of the same year. However the first treks did not begin until January 2011.

The Tour

Excursion guides take guests through the fictional

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historica ...

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

of Harambe and explore various parts of the Harambe

Wildlife Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

. The trek walks through a portion of the

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (formerly known as Pangani Forest Exploration Trail from August 1998 to May 2016) is a walkway next to Kilimanjaro Safaris at the Disney's Animal Kingdom in the Walt Disney World Resort, Florida, from which vi ...

and embarks unto unexplored

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s areas. Guests experience up-close views of

hippo The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant ...

s and

s, as well as cross rope bridges right above the animals. After exiting the forests, guests board a safari vehicle unlike the open-sided trucks of Kilimanjaro Safaris. The vehicle travels through the

Serengeti The Serengeti ( ) ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning northern Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves. The Serenget ...

Savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground ...

making frequent pull offs to allow guests to stand up and view the animals. The vehicle makes a stop at the safari camp in the middle of the savannah known as the Boma where guests are given an African inspired snack.

References

External links

Walt Disney World Resort – Wild Africa TrekNational Geographic: News Watch-Dangling Above the Crocodiles, Disney’s New Theme Park Adventure
{{DAK Amusement rides introduced in 2011 Walt Disney Parks and Resorts attractions Disney's Animal Kingdom Africa (Disney's Animal Kingdom) 2011 establishments in Florida

Background

The Tour

See also

References

External links