Mama to 5 Blessings wrote this post on the behalf of Disney for the Disney Tween Fam Blogger Event. Mama to 5 Blessings received Disney accommodations, attractions, entertainment and meals for an honest review. This is not a sponsored review and all views and opinions are of my own and were not influenced in any way.
I have never been to Africa before but being at Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Wild Africa Trek made my son and I feel like we were really in Africa. This 3-hour safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park offers the perfect opportunity to explore the Safi River Valley and discover animals of nearly every variety in an uninhibited, natural environment.
First Disney dresses you for the experience. With safety gear and supplies for the journey.
The tweens and moms we were given a private VIP guided expedition where we were able to view animals in their native habitats as well as having the opportunity to ask questions. The guides were very informed about the animals and how Disney works with zoo’s and foundations to help protect and care for the animals.
We started off tethered along the hippo habitat. Where our guide fed the hippo’s, their mouth’s opened over 5 feet so we got to see their teeth up close! It was quite interesting to hear about the hippo’s way of life and how they are cared for.
Being this close to the hippos was just the tip of the ice berg. We then got to walk 10 feet above a rope bridge which we were secured to an overhead track with a safety harness. This rope bridge is 30 feet high and is over hissing crocodiles! This is definitely a thrill and an adrenalin rush to be that high and have wild animals just below!
Then we had a private ride in a rugged safari vehicle over an open savanna teeming with native African animals. Creatures—from towering giraffes to powerful rhinos. It was an amazing experience to see these animals roaming free in their natural environment. Some even walking across our vehicle and just a hands reach away!
Disney thinks of everything because they even had binoculars on the safari vehicle so we could see any animals that were in the distance.
Out in the middle of the Savanna we stopped and got to experience authentic African cuisine. Our meal included:
~ Fig cake with Boursin cheese
~ Brie cheese and apricot
~Air-dried beef and prosciutto
~ Berry yogurt and dried cranberries
~ Smoked salmon roulade with dill
~ Fresh fruit marinated in mint and ginger
It was the first time ever that my son and I ate African food and/or a flower! As we ate we enjoyed the amazing views of the wild animals. It was cold out and once again Disney thought of everything, they had blankets for us to cozy up in!
My son and I will treasure this trek experience. Our informative tour guides took their time and never rushed our group throughout the trek. We felt like we were really in the heart of Africa! What a fantastic time!
Headed to Disney with your tween? If so I highly suggest adding Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Wild Africa Trek to your list of must see’s!
Our tour guides Nicole and Davis (their sign says thank you very much in Swahili)
For more Disney magical fun check out:
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort
Disney’s Fantasia Miniature Golf
ESPN Club on Disney’s Boardwalk
Mama to 5 Blessings wrote this post on the behalf of Disney for the Disney Tween Fam Blogger Event. Mama to 5 Blessings received Disney accommodations, attractions, entertainment and meals for an honest review. This is not a sponsored review and all views and opinions are of my own and were not influenced in any way.
I have seen these tours walk by while on the safari ride. It sounds fun!
I took that trek a couple of years ago and it was amazing!!!! You caught a great photo of the hippo with the lettuce. I think everyone should take this adventure if they can!
I am not sure if my kids would like this or not, but the little one isn’t old enough anyways, so maybe when they are older.
Robin,
Any child would love this I am sure! How old is your youngest? Children 8 years and up are able to go and at least 48 inches (122 cm) tall.
My kids are older now but they would have loved it when they were younger too. There is plenty to see in this park!
I know my Grandkids would think I am the best Grandma ever if I took them to the Disney African Experience.
I have thought about sending my Hubs to Africa for a real African experience,… but it is so expensive that the Disney one is probably the only one he will get to see. It is amazing!
I could only dream of that! Visiting Disney would be the closest we could get though!
I’m so glad we have some ideas for our upcoming trip! Thanks!
This looks amazing. I’ve always loved watching nature shows on Africa, and I’ve always wanted to visit.
This looks amazing. OMG, I love seeing animals up close and personal.
I agree i would love to see the animals so close. It would be a little scary at first.
Very neat – I didn’t even know they did an extra activity like this! I was in Africa for a summer when I was a teenager and I was amazed when we went to Animal Kingdom for the first time how walking through those areas of the continent buildings how real it was, right down to the smells!
Orlando seems to be able to transport you anywhere in the world in just one trip. I’ve never been to Animal Kingdom and it looks like loads of fun.
I really want to visit Orlando for this reason. There is so much to see in one place, similar to Southern California.
It’s amazing that something so wonderful is to close to home. I can’t to visit with my family.
I know right April! Orlando seems to have it all. I think my Hubs would really like this since I can’t afford to send him to Africa.
So many animals! I loved the hippo with the lettuce on his head! Sounds like you had lots of fun!
Wow! I would love to take my kids on something like this as they get older! The lunch is really great too, how colorful and arranged so well.
That looks like an amazing day and tour! I’m not sure I could walk over that rope bridge (tethered or not!) with those crocodiles down there just waiting to be fed.
I think that would definitely freak me out a little — well, a lot — too!
I never knew about this piece of Disney! I love the Animal Kingdom and this experience seems like WOW! Of course everything at Disney is!
That looks like so much fun! I’d love to get an up close and personal look at the animals like that. Yay!
That’s awesome. I think my kids would really dig this a lot.
What a super fantastic event to attend. I love how up close and personal you got to get with everything!
This looks like such a memorable experience. I love that you got to try African food along with seeing all the animals.
This looks like unbelievable fun! Do you think it could be okay for a date or is it more of a family/kids activity? I would love to go with my boyfriend.
Ronnie, No adults would love it too! Perfect date to go on with a new boyfriend! 🙂 Enjoy!
This would be a dream for me. Looks like it would be absolutely amazing and I would love to see all of this! Those hippos are incredible!
Looks like you had a great trip. I love how you all had fun while bonding a bit with nature.
I am so glad you got to have this experience with your son. All of the activities were so age appropriate for tweens. WDW did an amazing job!
Oh my goodness, look at all those amazing animals. I would have a blast doing this.
How cool?! This looks 10 times more exciting than a trip to the zoo.
Danielle – a billion times better! LOL
Now that is an awesome time. I have never been and totally want to go now. Thanks for sharing… will have to put this on our must-go list
awww…such a fun and a great experience!
What a cool experience! I love these one of a kind days!
What an amazing looking tour, I love the fact you can see and learn so much at Disney.
This would be an amazing experience. I have always wanted to go to Africa.
This is such an amazing experience. I love all of the nature photos.
That looks like such a great experience! Animal Kingdom is high on my list to visit when we take our trip to Disney. Hopefully sometime soon!
It’s funny because we usually skip this park when we go, but I might take the boys when we go back this year 🙂
Can anyone do things better than Disney? I don’t think so. We so want to go there. No matter which Disney park you visit, it is never a disappointment.
This is such an amazing experience, I would love to see all those beautiful animals!
This looks awesome! I would so love to do this!
What a wonderful idea, to experience Africa up close and for it to feel like a real Safari.
What a fun experience! I definitely would do this at WDW!
What a fun adventure! I have always wanted to do an African Safari
Oh my goodness that looks like so much fun! What a good time.
Looks like a great experience and everyone had fun. Beats going all the way to Africa for a safari!
Your family is so brave! Looks like an unbelievable trip!
What a fun trip! I haven’t been there since I was a kid but would love to take my kids someday.
Wow what an amazing experience! Such a very special time with your son. I can’t wait until my kids are older so that I can have a fun adventure like this with them!
This looks so fun!! My son turns 8 the day we leave for Disney so I may have to check this out!!
Wow! What can’t Disney do?! THis looks amazing!
This looks like so much fun! We are headed to Disney next week and my 12 year old is going to go nuts about this. I’m looking at booking now and I would have never known about it so that you for sharing!
What a great experience. I love the picture and most of all: the Rhino one.
Oh my goodness that looks like such a great time! disney does everything the best don’t they?
I did not get the chance to do that last time. I will for sure do it next time.
They offered this at Disney Social Media Moms. I still regret not doing it and that was in 2011.
So cool! I’ve always seen these tours go by when on the safari ride. I’ll definitely have to try this one day.
Wow how fun. I had no clue you could do this at Animal Kingdom and I’ve been going for years since they opened. I love when I learn something new about my favorite place. thank you.
Very cool to see animals like that in a more natural habitat. I always feel sorry for the animals at the zoo, because they usually don’t have a lot of space to move around in
This is so helpful. My husband and I are taking the kids this summer and need all the tips we can find.
I remember going to the Animal Kingdom when I was younger. What an experience it was seeing all those species of Animals
My 14 year old has been begging to check out the Africa Experience.
This sounds like so much fun! Except walking on that bridge with hissing crocodiles below…I don’t know about all of that! LOL
I’ve haven’t visited Disney (yet) but Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Wild Africa Trek looks like an amazing experience that is fun for the whole family!
It looks like they had such a fun time here! I’ll have to take my kids one day as well.
This looks like an AMAZING experience! How awesome!
Wow, this looks like such an exciting adventure. This is something that my daughter would love to do!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom has been always in my list of places to visit. The pictures are beautiful & the Hippo scares me a lot, lol. Walking over the rope bridge is really a thrill which I can sense just seeing those pictures.
WOW what an awesome experience. Looks like you all had a fantastic time!!! we need to do this–my sonny boy is fearless explorer and would love love love this
How fun!!!! That hippo rocks. I love watching hippos. They’re so much fun. And Hissing Crocodiles? YIKES!!! What a fun experience!
This looks like such a fun experience to do with the kids. I would love to go to Disney and spend some time doing to African Experience.
I LOVE animal kingdom! I want to do the trek one year when my littles are bigger
OH WOW! I wish I had know about this when I was in the area last year! That looks like so much fun!
OK, this is weird because I was just talking to someone about going to Africa and going on a safari. Who knew I could go to Orlando and experience a similar thing!
What a fun experience! It will be one that he never forgets!
I have been on this adventure and it was a blast! I would like to go back again and take my family. Loved all the animals!
Wow, it looks like such a fun adventure. I love looking at all of the animals.