MickMinnMom
Registered: July 2008
Posts: 21
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Review Date: Tue November 1, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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'behind the scenes' info, animall viewing
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Cons:
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if any-- the larger groups
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My husband & I took the 9:30 tour on 10/7/11. (If the weather was warmer, I wouldn't want to take a later tour. Temps were just right when we were there). Although it's a bit pricey(& as the operator who took my reservation told me, Disney doesn't allow any discounts on the price because its a 'new tour experience' --come on Disney--aren't you making enough money w/o being greedy?), we enjoyed every minute of it & are glad we splurged & treated ourselves. Our tour guides, Megan & Chapin, were very informative & a lot of fun! From start to finish of this tour, we had so much fun (& the time went by way too fast!).
The walk through the "jungle" was not bad at all & the rope bridges weren't as scary as I thought they might be. Seeing the hippos & crocs up close was a great experience. And good photo opportunities. The private safari ride was especially great. Being able to stop, stand up to take pictures & hear lots of informative info about the animals was a highlight. (I didn't miss the "Wilson" story at all!) The day we were there a t-storm was approaching & the animals were active & moving around quite a bit. Bonus for us! When we stopped for lunch at our private bungalow hut overlooking the savannah, I thought we had "won a reward challenge on Survivor!" LOL It was such a neat experience enjoying our picnic lunch while watching the animals. One of the best parts of the trip for us.
The t-storm finally let loose at the end of the tour & as we were getting ready to walk back to the start point our guides handed out WDW ponchos for us to use & keep. (Besides the souvenir water bottle we received, we now own the 'most expensive ponchos' we'll ever use at the parks! Ha!)
All in all, it was a great tour that we would definitely do again. I agree with a lot of the other reviews that the size of the groups could be smaller for an even better experience. But even with 12 of us on the tour, we saw & heard everything that we needed to. The photo CD came in the mail a few days after we got home & the pictures were good.
Great time "Trekking through Africa!!!"
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CanadianGrumpy
Registered: October 2011
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Sat October 29, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Guides, Animal experts, Lunch
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Cons:
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Group size, no crocodile expert
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Took this tour on 26 Oct 2011 and even with the new, higher cost it was DEFINITELY worth the cost. Our guides Frankie, Mark and Eleanor were helpful, friendly and knowledgeable and despite the elaborate harness the rope bridges weren't really that scary.
We got a particularly long and good view of the hippos and thanks to Mick, one of AK's hippo experts, we got a very informative and interesting talk on the animals ... all while looking at them from about 6 feet away!
But by the time we got to the crocodiles we didn't have much time to look at them (again, from very close range) and unfortunately there was no croc expert available to talk to us about the animals.
The fact that the guides were taking pictures also helped take the pressure off, so instead of worrying about taking photos I could concentrate on enjoying the tour. There isn't really that much walking involved and I found the trails pretty easy going, but anyone who has any kind of mobility issues (or is not in very good shape) might not like trekking through the jungle.
The lunch was spectacular and it was great to have the time to eat and look at the savannah animals in your own time (binoculars were provided).
The only thing that could be improved is cutting down the size of the parties taking the tour. There were 11 on my tour and it seemed a bit crowded. I would set the maximum at 10 people, especially considering the higher price.
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aurora3000
Registered: March 2009
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Posts: 9
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Review Date: Tue October 25, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Value, Close View of Animals, Great Food
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Cons:
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Large Group Size
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We weren't sure about the price at first, but with everything we experienced it turned out to be a great value. Our tour guides were terrific. They made sure the entire group was involved in every experience. I was pleased that the tour included the CD of pictures, as well. It was a nice surprise to get our CD in the mail a few days after our vacation.
After being harnessed up in the not-so-comfortable-but-necessary gear, the tour started with a refreshing glass of Jungle Juice. We were also given a special souvenir water bottle to use during the tour and take home with us. Along the way, we had a great viewing opportunity with the hippos. Then, we took turns crossing a scary looking bridge. They spaced us apart very well so there was plenty of time to take in the views along the way. At one point, we were supposed to cross over the Alligators. However, the habitat was being refurbished during our tour so no alligators. The second half of the tour involved a personal ride on Kilaminjaro Safaris. We had a special vehicle which would pull over to the side and let us stand up and take pictures.
The tour ended with a lunch in a special viewing area on the Savannah. We enjoyed a delightful, exotic meal while watching the giraffes and baby elephant play. The viewing area was also beautifully themed with wonderful carvings.
What would I change?
Tour size- we had the max number of 12 in our tour. Really, I think it should be limited to 8. We wore headsets to hear the tour guides along the way, but since we were single file most of the time I often fell out of range. Also, there wasn't enough room in the hippo viewing area for everyone to see as well. Just too many people.
Aside from the tour size, this was a wonderful trip and I highly recommend it!
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bmw918
Registered: September 2011
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Mon September 26, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Everything!!!
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Cons:
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None!
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This was worth every penny! My 9 year old son was with us and had such a great time! He was amazed at the hippo, how close we could get. He was not at all scared of the bridge, which I was a little worried about, he loved it. Would do this again without a doubt!
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kizzy85
Registered: August 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 10
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Review Date: Mon September 26, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Everything
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Cons:
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Nothing
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My friend and I took the 8:45 Trek on Wednesday September 21st. I really can't say enough good things about it. Our guides, Danna and Jason, were fantastic, and extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the animals. After 13 years of riding Kilimanjaro Safari, it was so exciting to be backstage and up close with the hippos, giraffes, elephants, and everyone else. As others have said, if you are really into Animal Kingdom and/or animals in general, it is worth every penny to sign up for a Trek. The price is really not even that extravagant by Disney standards, considering all that you get -- an expertly guided three-hour tour, a nice metal water bottle, a tasty and pretty filling snack, lots of up-close quality time with the animals, a CD filled with photos from the day (which was already waiting for me when I got home), and at the risk of sounding super cheesy, memories to last a lifetime. This was hands-down one of the best and most special experiences I've ever had in 23 years of visiting WDW. I would do it again in a minute.
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idoeyes1
Registered: September 2011
Posts: 13
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Review Date: Wed September 21, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Animal Viewing, tour guides
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Cons:
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My husband and I went on the 10:15 trek on Sept 15th. We had the most amazing time. If you are an animal lover or admirer than this is worth every penny! The highlight for me was pulling off of the regular safari path and watching the giraffes for almost 10 minutes. It was so humbling to watch these beautiful animals. Our tour guides were fabulous and I didn't feel the need to take too many pictures as they were taking tons! Lunch was really tasty. i don't eat seafood so they made me a special lunch leaving that out. This is a must do for us next time we visit Disney!
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hiner
Registered: July 2011
Location: Worcester, PA
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Tue July 26, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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The Animals, Guides & Photo Ops
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Cons:
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None!
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My husband and I went on the Trek on 7/19/11. We were the only two on the trek which made it even more fun. Our guides Aaron & Jeff were absolutely wonderful and very knowledgeable! From the moment you check in to the minute you take that final photo, the experience was amazing, fun and enjoyable. The trek is worth every penny!
We received our photo CD in a week and the photos were fantastic.
One word of advice...use the bug spray provided. You will need it during the hike portion of the trek.
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elarquero81
Registered: June 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Sun June 19, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Amazing views of the animals
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Cons:
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None
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Wife and I went on this at 8:00 a.m. on 3/7. I won't really add too much to what has already been posted, since it pretty much sums it up nicely, other than to say it was a great experience and well worth the cost. We will definitely be doing it again.
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minniespal
Registered: September 2010
Location: vermont
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Sat June 4, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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PRIVATE SAFARI TRUCK
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Cons:
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none!
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I did the Wild Africa Trek on May 4, 2011 and it was so much fun!!! There were 11 of us in our “Tribe” and I think I was the oldest (man, I hate saying that!)
Now then, I am close to the big 6-0, and not in any kind of shape at all (way too many Mickey Ice Cream bars and a tricky knee) but I had a great time. The first part of the adventure is a hike for about and hour and a half. It is up hill and down hill, and there is not much of a trail, so there are roots, and low branches and rocks so you have to watch your step(which is great, because it seems so authentic), but I kept up with the rest of the group just fine. The rope bridge is so cool!
Our guides were Aaron and Jason and they were fantastic. They took turns giving us a wealth of information and took some fantastic photos and they were very kind, funny and knowledgeable. They were very aware of the abilities and apprehensions of our “Tribe” and they were helpful and encouraged each one of us along the way.
I think if you love the Animal Kingdom Park, then this is a MUST DO. I won’t go into much more detail as others have because that would spoil the fun. I know it is expensive, but spend the money. You get a great 3 hour tour, have a yummy lunch on the Savannah (I could have stayed there all day), get a CD of all the photos, a water bottle to keep and a private safari ride to view the animals (The Kilimanjaro ride will never be the same after this!) and some of the money goes to the Conservation Fund, so it is so worth it. I would go again for sure.
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aabuono
Registered: August 2008
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Thu April 21, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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The guides & the animals !!
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Cons:
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Can't think of one
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Just returned from WDW last week - the highlight of the trip HAD to be the Wild Africa Trek ! I was fortunate enough to go twice. The first was on 3/25 at 9:00am. I was alone at WDW and the group numbered about 10. Danna & Bethanny were our guides - GREAT JOB LADIES !! The trek was a great way to see more of the animals at a leisurely pace (even with the rope bridge). I was so pleased with the tour, that I immediately re-booked another tour for later in my stay when my husband was joining me. We took the tour on 4/4 at 2:00pm. Lucky us - we were the only ones booked so we had a private tour - and again Danna & Bethanny were our guides ! We were able to stay a little longer at each stop and it was extra special. This tour is a great addition to the others - most of which we have taken. I'd go again in a minute!
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JacquiRuxton
Registered: June 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 19
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Review Date: Fri March 25, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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The guide and everything else
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Cons:
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Absolutely none
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We took the modified tour on Saturday March 19th. My mom uses a wheelchair, but we wanted to do the tour as a family and this was a wonderful experience.
We arrived in Africa at 10:45 for our 11 am tour and were met at the podium by Kyle who had us complete our paperwork and told us Meghan would be our guide. He then brought us some jungle juice and binoculars and water bottles for the journey.
We were really lucky and had a private tour as there were only three of us, so it made it very special. We first trekked to the Pangani Forest and despite my reservations that I could have done this on a regular day, our guide explained things I had never noticed before and took lots of photos. Then a cast member met us in the bird sanctuary with some food to attract the animals, so we got a really good look at them all. As we travelled further and saw too many things to mention, then we reached the gorillas, where we were again treated like royalty by another cast member Rachel, who walked us through this section and explained everything, giving us plenty time to view them and get some great pictures.
Then is was on to our actual safari truck, Beth was our driver and between her and Meghan, we got really close to giraffes, rhinos and many others, it was wonderful, my mom got to see them and we had time to stop and take pictures.
We then got to the Boma outlook for our snack, this was an awesome vantage point to sit and enjoy the food and the animals, they had adapted mom's lunch to avoid any foods she did not like. the toilets there are also very disabled accessible.
Our whole experience was just magical and our guide certainly added to that, we were out for about 3.5 hours and I could have stayed longer.
When we returned, we were given a photopass with all our pictures and then some.
If you have someone who could not manage the rope bridge part of the normal tour, truly consider this alternative, it is awesome and we have still not stopped talking about it.
Meghan was definitely the star of the show for us.
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mustridehorses
Registered: February 2011
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Sat February 19, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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great experiance for photographers, animal, and adventure loving people
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Cons:
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NONE
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The other reviews pretty much cover whats in the tour.
I went on the Wild Africa Trek 2/9 and our tour guides were Frankie and Meagan. I went with a friend of mine and we had a wonderful time.
There are a few things I would like to mention...
1. At the beginning of the tour you go over a practice bridge to see if you are comfortable with the bridges. The practice one is 5 or 6 feet off the ground. The actual bridges are much taller than that, and it wasn't what I was expecting. There were a lot of places where you had to take big steps, and the bridge bounced but it was still fun, but I was still a little nervous being so high up. It is awesome when the safari trucks drive under you though.
2. It is nice when your getting your harness no weight numbers are shown or said out loud, and there is someone there that will assist you with your harness.
3. The animals are amazing! We were maybe 10 ft away from the hippos and less than 5 ft away from the sunbathing crocs. When we stopped to view the hippos there was a research student there and he was feeding the hippo. It was quite a sight to see. You could also see the safari trucks drive by as your looking at the hippos.
4. The private safari was great. They stop the truck so everyone can stand and look. We were offered binoculars, and if you can use them. They really make viewing the wildlife more interesting.
5. There are bathrooms where you break for lunch. I didn't think there would be any until the tour is done, but there are some at the lunch stop.
The lunch we were given was very nice, there were only a few things I could find that I liked, but it was still very good. I pulled a chair right up to the edge of the patio and grabbed a pair of binoculars and watched the animals. It is absolutely amazing to eat lunch in the sunshine watching the animals graze and run around. This was, in my opinion, my favorite part of the tour.
6. At the end of the tour, you get a photopass card with photos that were taken on the tour. It would still be a good idea just to bring a little pocket camera just to take a few extra photos. They do give you a voucher for a free photo CD.
7. part of the money for the tour goes to wildlife conservation, and at the end of the tour you get to choose what animal you want to donate your part to, which is nice for those who donate to the conservation fund. They also give you a conservation pin, they don't have a Wild Africa Trek pin or water bottles yet.
This tour was truly a once in a lifetime experience. I recommend this tour to anyone who loves animals or has a great sense of adventure.
And being a small group, our tour guides got to know our names real quickly and by lunch time we were all acting like we were best friends.
Anytime I go back to Animal Kingdom I will be doing this tour.
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bigdumptruck
Registered: February 2011
Location: Leominster MA
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Sun February 6, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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A must for photographers
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Cons:
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I went on this tour on 1/27 with guides Meghan and Aaron. We had an outstanding time. I'll touch on a couple of points in response to the other reviews (because they covered the details well).
I took my Canon dslr on the tour. The neck strap was all I needed, it didn't have to be attached to the harness. I got some AMAZING photos! I specifically wanted to take this tour for the photos, and I was not disappointed.
I don't know if this is a permanent perk, but I just ordered my DVD of the photos the guides took on the tour today. Had to laugh that some of the photos were obviously NOT from out trek. Also, the guides, while great, will eventually get better at photography, but I wouldn't count on them to get all the unforgettable shots. I also threw a couple of extra photopass photos from Epcot onto the free cd, so don't forget to take advantage!
My 13 year old son was on the tour with us, and because of his age, they gave him a different "snack" than the rest of us received. They don't have extras available, so if your child, like mine, didn't need a kid-friendly meal, you might want to talk to the person taking your reservation about getting them the adult meal. (Example: My son wanted the smoked salmon that came with mine, and not the trail mix or granola bar.)
For the ladies: the bathroom break is 2 hours in, and when we were there, there weren't any hygiene supplies left in the dispenser. If you think you're going to need something, talk to the [female] guides about taking what you need with you. They may do a better job keeping it stocked, but remember this is a bathroom in the middle of "the Serengeti" so it's probably not checked as often as the ones in the park.
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dgaston
Registered: January 2007
Location: South Woodstock CT
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Wed February 2, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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unique experience, free photopass CD
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Cons:
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fake Africa narrative
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We ate with Donald and friends at Tusker House after giving our bags to RAC and Bell Services. Weather was in the low 70's and we both wore shorts. I also had a denim shirt over a tshirt (more later). We checked in for our 12 noon Safari right behind Tusker House. There were 11 of us, two celebrating birthdays. We signed a waiver of liability (even exempting WDW from insect bites!) and after being discretely weighed were outfitted with brand new vests with diaper slings and safety cable. Lots of pockets and carabiners to attach cameras, and our new souvenir aluminum water bottle. We were able to put other belongings in a locker secured with our own pin number. Our guides Meghan, and Laura spent a lot of time making sure all of the straps on the safety vest were properly adjusted for each "herd" member. Then we had to navigate across a sample suspension bridge with our safety cable attached to an overhead line. The planks simulated an Indiana Jones type bridge, missing planks, uneven intervals, some "broken planks," etc. The bridge felt very safe, steel netting along the sides and underneath, and in my gear I didn't have any worries about heights. I sometimes can be afraid when I'm not in safety gear at places where I could fall over an open edge. No worries for me on this tour
We entered the jungle behind Tusker House, with the guides keeping up the pretense we were in Africa, near a river junction. They used Swahili words for animals, and stay together. We looked at the gorillas and meercats and then went into the jungle. The trail we climbed came out near the hippos on the regular Safari ride, and we clipped our cables onto a guide bar so we could get a closer look. Lots of the Safari vehicle riders added us to their Disney photos. I waved back to them. After a little more hiking we climbed onto a short tower to cross our first bridge over the hippos. It was higher and longer than the test bridge, and really kind of thrilling. We crossed to another platform, transferring to another guide cable and a second bridge that would take us over the crocs. At this point I was getting warm, and would have been very comfortable in just a tshirt and the safety vest (predicted temp was 72). After the second bridge, we clipped onto a small rail to allow us to get closer to the crocs. Then it was good bye to the safety vests and we boarded a truck with seats. If any of you have done the Wanyama Safari it is similar to those vehicles. We were given our water bottles to keep.
The truck drove along the Safari route, but was able to pull off to the side so we could get closer looks at giraffes, antelope, eland. We pulled off the track after the elephants and flamingos on the other side, and were able to get out of the truck at the new pavillion. This was about 2 hours into the trek, and we were able to use some new rest facilities at the pavillion. No privys on this trek!
Then we were offered an amazing Sundowner snack. We had Jungle Juice and water, and cold food offerings including melon balls, chicken curry, 2 shrimp, air-dried roast beef and ham, salmon and cream cheese, and a spread with pita bread. Much more gourmet than I expected. Presentation included an orchid and cool snaplocked tins. All of the food was African inspired and included some different seasonings than usual. We thoroughly enjoyed this.
This pretty much was the end of the Safari. Throughout our trek Meghan and Laura had taken photos and we are to receive a photopass CD of all of the pictures they took of the animals and us crossing the bridges.
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svanvleet
Registered: April 2008
Location: St. Augustine, FL
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Sat January 29, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Hippo viewing, safari camp
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Cons:
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No pin (yet)
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Be prepared - this is long!
I went on a Wild Africa Trek on the 11th day that the treks were offered. The introductory cost is $129 (tax included) through February 26. Then the price goes up to $189, or possibly more, depending on the season. Reservations are required. The minimum age for the tour is eight years old and each tour is limited to twelve people. Tour times are 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 12:00, 1:00, and 2:00. Each tour lasts three hours. Participants are asked to arrive 15 to 20 minutes early. The check-in podium is right beside the Dawa Bar (near Tusker House) in Africa.
The Trek is definitely a backstage tour. You are literally walking through the forest on dirt trails. I wouldn’t recommend this tour for anyone who has trouble walking on uneven surfaces as there are a lot of roots in the sandy trail. This is definitely not level sidewalks and handicap accessible like most of Disney’s other tours. Closed toe and closed heel shoes are required, absolutely no flip flops or sandals. I wore plain old tennis shoes and they were fine for the tour.
At 2:00pm our group of 10 was lead through a gate behind the Dawa Bar to an area where we met our tour guides – Frankie and Lonnie. We were asked to put most everything we brought in a locker provided by Disney (have a four digit code in mind to lock it!). We were told that anything we took on the trek had to fit in a pocket on the safari vest we were provided. Cameras are OK to take along, but they must either be put in the small pocket and attached to the vest, or be on a neck strap. I took both my small digital camera (which I hardly used) and also my bigger 12x zoom camera on a neck strap. That is the camera I ended up using during the entire trek. The pocket had plenty of room for my small camera and an inhaler.
After locking up our valuables we were weighed (no one can see your weight except the cast member) so they could give us the correct vest. Putting on the vest was quite an experience, and we had help from Lonnie and Frankie as well as a couple of other cast members there. We had to zip, making sure the wire for our listening devices was under the vest, tighten a strap across the chest, and then the fun began. We had to attach straps around our upper thighs. It reminded me of putting on a dog collar, but around your legs. For safety the straps had to be tight enough that only four of your fingers could get between your leg and the strap. It was uncomfortable at first, but you did forget about it fairly quickly. The vests were surprisingly heavy because they had a bungee cord type attachment that was used for hippo and croc viewing, as well as crossing the suspension bridges. If you are wearing glasses you will be given a strap to keep those on your head. We also had a water bottle (which we got to keep, but at this point it is only a silver metal bottle, no logo). I am really glad I did this tour on a day with the temps in the 60s. I can’t imagine how hot this is going to be in the summer with high humidity and 90-some degrees!
We then were given a quick lesson on how to work the heavy duty carabineer on our vests. After that we each did a quick walk across a test suspension bridge. We then gathered and were offered a taste of jungle juice (a mix of orange juice, mango juice, and I think passion fruit) before we hit the trail. We were also told that Frankie would lead the first part of the tour, through the forest, while Lonnie took pictures. Once we entered the savanna Lonnie took over the tour and Frankie took the pictures. I was watching them throughout the tour and they took pictures not only of the tour participants but also of the animals and scenery we encountered. And they had a GOOD camera!
We walked through Harambe Village, all decked out in our safari vests and listening devices (which are great and just hook over your ear, they are not ear buds like an iPod). As with most all things Disney, there was a story to this tour. That did make it a bit different than the other tours (Keys to the Kingdom, Epcot Segway, and Ft. Wilderness Segway) I have taken. I wish I could remember a bit more of the story, but a researcher had given us permission to visit the preserve and we met one of his researchers there. We also couldn’t take the new bridge, but had to take the old, falling down (fun), bridge.
We went into the Pangani Forest Preserve through the exit. We were shown a hidden gorilla in the stones, and then saw the real thing. We were in the same viewing area as everyone else, and today was good gorilla viewing. We saw two silverbacks, as well as a baby gorilla on the other side of the path. At the meerkat viewing area we got to see a gerenuk (an antelope) displaying its unusual talent – standing on its back legs to eat.
Then we went backstage, into the forest. We were walking among the trees and had to watch both our footing and for any stray branches that might hit us in the face. Our first stop was at a trail marker – a hippo skull. We learned a few things about hippos, and then went to be hooked up for our hippo viewing. Metal railings have been installed and our carabineers were each attached to a sliding metal thing on the rail. One at a time we entered the hippo ledge, until the entire group was hooked up and able to see. There was a researcher there, feeding the hippo heads of lettuce and answering any questions we had. Our hippo was a young, small (2,000 pound), adult male. He had been born in the preserve. We had a great view as we were maybe 10 feet away from him. We spent several minutes there, with lots of photo ops, and then were unhooked and continued on our way.
Next we were told we couldn’t take the new bridge, but had to use the old bridge instead. I was looking forward to this! We walked up onto a platform and used our carabineers to be attached to an overhead wire. Then we began walking over the bridge, one by one. Lonnie went across first, and she took pictures as each of us came across the bridge. Once someone was about halfway across the next person could start, but we never had more than three people on the bridge at one time. There were probably more boards missing from the bridge than were actually there. I had to take a lot of big steps to get from one board to another, and of course the bridge bounces! There was netting on the sides and below, so you really couldn’t fall. But it is quite high up in the air. I loved it!
We first went across the hippo pool. Looking at the couple pictures I took from the bridge, I can see there were hippos submerged in the pool, but I really couldn’t see them when I was on the bridge. After walking above the hippo pool there was a platform before you crossed the second bridge. Lonnie was waiting here to make sure we were all OK and send us on our way. Then we walked over the crocs. A cast member was waiting at the exit platform to detach our vests from the safety wire.
Once everyone was safely across, we were hooked up to another metal contraption for crocodile viewing. Once everyone was hooked up and able to see the crocs, we were encouraged to go as far forward as our harness would allow. We were given some information on crocodiles and more photo op time. We were right across from the Kilimanjaro Safari vehicles, full of guests were jealously looking at us. When it was time to move on we were detached and on our way again through the woods.
Fairly quickly we reached an area that overlooked the savanna. We really couldn’t see any animals at this point, and we walked on to where the Trek truck would pick us up. At this point we took off our vests and listening devices, but got to keep our water bottles (which will come in handy on hot days, but weren’t really needed during our trek). We had our own special truck for the tour, complete with binoculars.
While on the savanna we were able to pull off the road and stop for extended animal viewing. At one point we had a giraffe who looked like he (she?) was going to come check us out. We were also able to stop near the elephants (and later the cheetahs and lions) so we had some great photo ops.
Our next stop was Boma (a safari camp, not the restaurant at AKL) for extended animal viewing and a sampling of African foods. The foods were served in two tiered metal containers. Each container was the same, but special diets could be accommodated (you were asked about food allergies, etc. when you made your reservation). Someone in our group got a gluten-free meal, and there were also vegetarian meals available. The regular meal was: rolled prosciutto and some other similar meat, melon balls, and curried potato salad in the top tin; and two curried shrimp, sundried tomato hummus and small pita rounds, and a salmon roll on top of a jicama/cucumber slaw in the lower tin. The main tins and each small tin were lined with banana leaves. The top tin was garnished with an edible orchid. We also had a choice of more jungle juice (yum) or water. There are restrooms at Boma, the only restrooms on the trek (about 2 hours into the tour).
At Boma we had binoculars for animal viewing. Off to our right was the flamingo pond and elephant area. Straight ahead was the main savanna, and behind us were the lions. Unfortunately for us there really weren’t that many animals close to the safari camp. While we were there the lions did get up and start moving around quite a bit. However, at the current safari camp, you could only see the lions through a lot of leafless trees, with the binoculars. They are in the process of building a lion viewing area for Boma, but I’m guessing this will be ready once they start charging more. When it was time to leave, we were all pretty ready as the temperature was in the mid-60s and a strong wind was blowing across the savanna.
After we left Boma we were able to pull off the main road to get a really good view of the cheetahs – who were actually in view (I find them to be the most elusive animal on the Kilimanjaro Safaris), and then the lions. After we had a few minutes to watch the big cats it was time to head back to civilization.
We went back to get our belongings out of the lockers and have a couple of group photos taken that included our wonderful guides. Also, we were told that a portion of our fee would go to the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund. We put a rock in a box for either big cats, hippos, gorillas, or the general fund, voting in the traditional African way. As we left we were each given a Photopass card and a certificate with a code on it to get a free photo CD of all of the pictures our guides took. This is a nice bonus. I only wish there was a pin for this tour (but there probably will be in the future).
I really enjoyed this tour and would recommend it for just about everyone. It will take up a big part of your day, so plan accordingly. The food is a hefty snack, but I wouldn’t start out the tour with an empty stomach. The guides are very knowledgeable and friendly, as well as enthusiastic. Lonnie had been a tour guide for the Backstage Animal Kingdom tour, as well as working in their education programs with school groups. Frankie had been over at Magic Kingdom and had to learn all of the animal information. He did a pretty good job, considering this was only the 11th day of the tours! I think this tour will only get better, but will be very hot in the summer. However, it was just at the outer limits of my price range for a tour, so I know I will not be doing it again once it is $189 (unless I win the lottery).
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