Reviews of Wild Africa Trek – Animal Kingdom
Reviewed by melmac82 Review Date: 01/28/2013
Rating: (6) Recommended
I went on this tour with my mom, sister, and friend back in October. We are Disney regulars and probably average 2-3 trips every 2 years. I'll say that my expectations were a little too high for this, and I'll also admit that a large part of that was based on the cost. I put "yes" that I'd recommend the tour, but it's really a recommend with reservations. There are a lot of other reviews that detail every part of the tour, so I won't go into all of that, but rather just highlight and give my honest opinion of the things that most stood out to me.
I have to start off first with the cost. For a tour that offers no discounts I was expecting a lot for $201.29 (cost including tax). We did this tour as an incentive for my sister (she's 27 by the way) to not make us go to Universal to see the Harry Potter section. So let's say that the lunch (VERY GOOD!, but not for picky eaters and waaaayy too short) would cost about $20-25 if eaten at a restaurant; the CD (a lot of great pictures!, but remember the tour guides are not official PhotoPass photographers) would cost about $10-15; and the water bottle about $10. This all adds up to $40-50, meaning that the rest of the trek better be worth the $150. After doing the Keys to the Kingdom tour for $65 (less with discounts) and the Behind the Seeds tour for $18 (less with discounts) I can officially say that this one was not even close to being worth $150!!! Now, if the price for the entire tour was about half of what it is, then I would be a lot more likely recommend it to anyone who asked.
Another bad thing about the cost is that only one person in a group gets the Picture CD (I got the CD, but my mom, sister, and friend didn't get one). The CD is supposed to be included with the tour and nowhere does it say that only one person in a group gets a CD. So essentially, everyone paid for a CD up front, but I had to end up making and sending out a copy to everyone else. Since we are all adults and live in different locations I had to spend the money and time to buy blank CDs, make the copies, and mail them out. If everyone in your party lives in the same household then it's probably not a big deal, but if not then see if you can request that everyone in your party receive a CD when you check in.
Next, I'll point out some of the things in the description, what I expected, and what we actually got:
"Journey deep into Pangani Forest on a thrilling, privately guided expedition featuring close encounters with exotic wildlife species." --> Yep, the Pagani Forest is the trail that is located right outside the exit of the safari. So, I expected to see things that I couldn't from just walking on the trail like I've done dozens of times when visiting the park. Nope. You get to walk and fight the rest of the regular park crowd to see the animals while trying to listen, through the ear piece that keeps falling out of your ear, to the little extras that the tour guides are saying. And we went through the trail faster than I do on my own.
"Get closer than you ever dreamed possible to Nile crocodiles and massive hippos." --> Pretty accurate, but I would have liked to toss some of the fruit/veggies to the hippos.
Crossing the rope bridge was fun and something to experience! My complaint though is that they send you across one at a time. So if you're near the beginning of the group (we had an almost full group of 11) you have to stand around at the end waiting for everyone else to come across. Or if you are at the end, you have to stand around until it's your turn. I was probably 4th in our group and had to wait about 15 minutes until everyone was across. And yeah, crocodiles are cool to see, but they just lay there, so there's only so much looking until it gets boring.
"Venture on to a VIP safari across an open savanna teeming with native African creatures!" --> Again I expected that we would get to see other parts of the safari area other than what you get to see on the safari ride. And again, nope. You do get to ride in a private safari truck, but it just follows the regular safari ride's road. We did get to stop about 5 times (wildebeasts, ankole cattle, elephants, lions, rhinos) to take good pictures and hear more about the animals and their care from the tour guides. It was nice to get good pictures, but I didn't get to see anything that I couldn't otherwise see on the safari ride.
"...including a visit to an exclusive safari camp with incredible views of everything from towering giraffe to powerful rhinos." --> This is where we ate lunch. Again I was thinking that this was in an exclusive area, but it's right in the middle of the safari ride savanna - you can see the building while on the safari, it's on the right when you go by the flamingos. Lunch was very good and we had a good view of the giraffes - until they decided to wander off somewhere else. So you may or may not get a good look at animals during lunch. It just depends on which ones want to wander by. If you want a guaranteed look at the animals where you can spend as much time as you like and can see them closer just go to the Animal Kingdom Lodge and see the animals there. Also, lunch was kind of short. I'm a fast eater but I had to really eat quick and ended up stuffing the dessert in my mouth as we were leaving because I didn't want to leave any of the really good food!
So basically I have two summaries of the Wild Africa Trek depending on who I'm talking to:
For those who don't care about the cost and have tons of extra money laying around: The Wild Africa Trek is awesome and a great experience you don't want to miss!
For those who are wondering if they want to spend $200 on a tour: You get to experience some new things and get closer to the animals than you can in any other offered experience, but it's not worth the money. Go over to Animal Kingdom Lodge, eat at Sanaa for lunch (where they have savanna views from the restaurant), and then go sit outside in a rocking chair to watch the animals while enjoying a Mickey ice cream bar from the gift shop. You'll spend a lot less money, see about the same amount of animals, and hey, you get a Mickey icream out of the deal too. 🙂
Pros:
tour guides, lunchCons:
cost, safariReviewed by Lou28 Review Date: 01/14/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
I took this tour several months ago with my family. The tour guides were top notch. They also did a great job getting good photos of my family. Another highlight was the meal served at the boma, very good! Seeing the hippos up close was great, too. Unfortunately, our tour day turned out to be a hot one. The harnesses felt heavier and more uncomfortable in the heat. You don't realize just how heavy the harness is until you take it off about halfway through the tour. The cold wash cloths were a welcome addition as well as water bottles. I have taken the regular safari ride 2-3 dozen times and had the misfortune of seeing the fewest animals ever on this tour. Our truck stopped for a while in a few places but not many animals were out and about. During our lunch there weren't many animals to see either. Our tour guides tried to compensate with lots of interesting information. Given the nature of the animals, it is hard for Disney to provide a consistent tour experience. I'm sure on a different day I could have seen lots more animals. This is a wildcard factor to consider before booking tour. The "thrill" aspects of the tour (namely, rope bridges) were less thrilling than expected. There is just one L-shaped bridge. Everyone passed over it rather quickly to make way for the next guest without much time to appreciate the surroundings. I was pleased with the photo CD, which arrived quickly after our return home. I do think Disney should send a CD to every person, not just one per group, considering we all paid a rather hefty price for the tour. I would recommend this tour to people looking for something different to try at AK and with extra money to spare. Do be prepared that animal viewing can vary.
Pros:
tour guides, photo cd, lunchCons:
expensive, animal viewing can varyReviewed by sand935 Review Date: 09/30/2018
Rating: (10) Recommended
We chose to do the earliest tour time and was glad. It would have been too hot for me later in the day. Liked walking the trails and loved the bouncy bridges. Our guides were very knowledgeable. they took pictures which turned out better than the ones we took so liked this service. eating area and food was great. we are saving up to do it again.
Pros:
lots of animals up close good food bouncy bridgesCons:
noneReviewed by vanMickey Review Date: 09/28/2018
Rating: (10) Recommended
This is a great tour for anyone interested in a longer, more in depth look at the Savannah at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It takes a slow pace, it very interactive. We had 6 people on the tour and two guides. They know where the animals congregate at the time of your tour and let you hang out in the jeep as long and close as you want. They food was good and really more of a snack, not a meal replacement. We did it 3 years ago and it is still a 'core' memory to our kids.
Pros:
Great animal interaction, slow paced. Well worth the money.Cons:
Would've like to see more animals. You can only see hippos, crocs, and what is out on the Savannah. You may only see the lions, elephants if they are out.Reviewed by CarolB Review Date: 09/27/2018
Rating: (10) Recommended
My first and so far only WDW tour. Well worth the cost. The guides did an excellent job of allowing us just the right amount of time in each location to take pictures, ask questions, etc. before moving on. The lunch selection was great and they had no problem providing a special meal for my daughter who has an allergy.
Pros:
great animal interaction, leisurely paced, very knowledgeable guides, great photosCons:
noneReviewed by Dawne Review Date: 09/27/2018
Rating: (10) Recommended
What an azi g experience this was. Up lose and perdon with the animals. Walking over the rope/wooden bridge was a thrill in itself. A myst see for everyone!
Pros:
Personal guides and upclose with animals The thrill of it all. Amazing photo ops not just for yourself, but there is a photographer taking tons of pictures of your group and the animals, then you get a card with a number to look at them online and download.Cons:
NoneReviewed by ars0525 Review Date: 11/14/2017
Rating: (10) Recommended
We had 11 people in our group & Macie & Katie did a GREAT job of keeping everyone involved. Loved getting to hike on the trails in the woods & see animals. I have ridden the safari ride many times, but getting to stop by the animals & discuss in further depth was amazing! We did the 12:30 tour so had the lunch food options--all was delish & a good amount of food was served. I would take this tour every time if it wasn't so pricey! My 75 yo dad who's in average shape had no trouble keeping up or participating. We all loved it! And when the rain sprinkles started--we all got ponchos so bonus gift!
Pros:
behind the scenes, extra info, food, animalsCons:
—Reviewed by Pallantides1 Review Date: 10/19/2017
Rating: (10) Recommended
Just got back from our Honeymoon in October and we really enjoyed this excursion. Its so nice to spend time in a small group away from the crowds and get some quality time discussing the animals with knowledgeable guides. The tour focuses primarily on crocodiles and hippos but you also go out to the savannah at the end.
The food is also nice and the physical demands of the trek are minimal. The bridge crossing could be a problem if you have a fear of heights but other than that I can't think of anything that could cause someone any problems.
Pros:
up close with animals, away from crowdsCons:
it ends eventuallyReviewed by alcmom Review Date: 08/27/2016
Rating: (10) Recommended
Excellent , well organized tour with extremely knowledgable guides. Up close view of hippos, alligators, giraffes. Safari bus goes off road for even closer views of the safari. Great snack and stop with view over looking safari. The time flys!! Ours was a small. Group, four of us and another group of three plus two guides
Pros:
Backstage and up close views of animalsCons:
NoneReviewed by weheartdisney Review Date: 12/28/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
My husband and I took the Wild Africa Trek tour on November 17, 2015. We loved everything about this tour--the length, the animal viewing opportunities, and the learning experience. We took the last tour of the day. The price was the discounted amount offered by Disney, and we added a DVC discount to bring the cost down even more.
My husband is very afraid of heights when there is too much open space around him. (Frame of reference: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Expedition Everest are okay but Space Mountain, Soarin', and ferris wheels are not.) I showed him pictures in advance of the bridge crossings and assured him that if he was uncomfortable with them that there was an alternate route. He crossed those bridges like a pro! He even stopped to look around. He said he felt safe the entire time.
The snack, as they called it, was delicious. I felt there was quite a bit of food and would have actually called it lunch. We were disappointed to hear that we could not purchase that exact chicken dish anywhere else on property.
The time spent viewing the animals was excellent. It was nice to pull off to the side of the road and be able to take in the surrounding areas. We had a group of 13 and had plenty of room to move around the truck. The pictures the guides took came out great and were available online to download the next day.
The only negative, and I'm not even taking off on the rating for this, is when you start the tour you are walking through the regular park crowds to get to the trek entrance.
We would do this tour again in the future since we know that no two trips on the safari are the same.
