From the desk of Aaryn…
Our family has been to Walt Disney World quite a number of times since 2007. Â Our most recent trip took place in August 2015. Â As usual, the entire family had a fantastic time, yet my experience was even better. Â As a late birthday present, my mother took me on a certain tour in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park called the Wild Africa Trek. Â It was a behind-the-scenes look at Kilimanjaro Safari, the popular Walt Disney World attraction that takes you on a bumpy ride through some of Africa’s most beautiful savannas. Â The tour was three hours long and became the best three hours of my life.
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At the Onset of the Trek
Ear pieces were given to each of us as we began our adventure so that, no matter where we were, we could hear the guides talk about the animals and environment. The tour provided wonderful up-close views of some of the safari’s best animals. We saw crocodiles, zebras, giraffes, and even got to see a hippo eat!
Dare To Cross This Bridge When You Come To It
Another great part was the rope bridge. There were two and one spanned a small pond filled with crocodiles, making you feel as if you could fall at any moment. Â The bridge was so realistic that there were actually missing boards! Â Of course, for safety reasons, all trekkers wear clips that are attached to lines above them that keep them from falling. Â My mom seemed a little nervous as she crossed. Â Me? Â Not so much.
Food, Glorious Food
After an hour and a half of watching animals, it was time to eat! Depending upon what tour you take, morning or afternoon, you either get breakfast or lunch. Â We had lunch and I have to say it was amazing! Â The food was delicious and, not to mention, they had my favorite drink, Jungle juice, a blend of several fruit juices.
(The top picture photo is chicken curry salad, fresh fruit marinated in mint and ginger, and air-dried beef and prosciutto. Â The bottom picture shows salmon roulade with dill, sun-dried tomato hummus with pita, and marinated tandoori shrimp ~ all photos taken by my mom, T.M. Brown)
Nearing the End of our Journey
After we ate, we saw several more animals before the trek ended. We handed in our equipment, personally selected a charity for a portion of our tour costs to fund, and received a special PhotoPass that had hundreds of pictures taken by the Cast Members during the trip.  All in all, the tour was probably my favorite experience at Walt Disney World.
Thanks for reading and be sure to read my next blog, Hoop-Dee-Do, a pre-teen’s review!
See you next step,
Aaryn
PS – check out these great Cast Members! Â Paola, Bryn and Karen made the tour even better!
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Congrats on your new blog! I just started one too 🙂 I love this post. I want to do this tour when my kids are a little older. I believe I’ve read that you can’t bring anything with you on the trip…I of course would call and ask before booking, but did you happen to notice if people who medicines, like EpiPens were able to bring something like? and also, did they ask about any dietary restrictions when you booked? Thanks!
Hi! This was a fantastic tour and thank you so much for reading Aaryn’s post on our experience. The general rule is to not bring anything with you unless it can be fastened to the vest they provide you during the tour. For instance, cell phones are usually a popular item people like to carry, but most people will secure them in the locker assigned to them prior to leaving on the adventure. Of course, they did provide me with a wrist strap for my cell phone so that it could be fastened (I wanted my own pics). Of note, a photographer travels with you and takes hundreds of pictures that are available to you after the tour as a part of your tour fee. With regard to medications, I am sure they can arrange for your medication to travel with you or one of the cast members. I actually have a son with severe food allergies (not the one who wrote this post), so Epi is a part of our life! We also had one family on our particular trek that had some kind of dietary change for their meal. When booking the tour, I would talk to the Cast Member on the phone about any necessary medications and allergies, as well as reiterate it to the Cast Members leading your trek. I believe they do note on the website to mention any dietary restrictions. They can make accommodations and I am confident they will do their best to make the tour as magical as possible for you. I hope that helps, Reena!