REVIEW: Is The Wild Africa Trek Really Worth $200+ in Disney World? Our Answer Is A Resounding YES!

There are tons of unique experiences to be had all over Disney World that many people don’t know about.

One of them is located in Animal Kingdom and is called the Wild Africa Trek. This is a relatively long tour that puts you much closer to the animals on the savanna and on some of the trails throughout the park, and is fantastic for anyone who loves animals, or is looking for a truly wonderful memory that not everyone gets to have in Disney World. It is pricey, though, so is it worth the cost? We found out!

What Is It?

The Wild Africa Trek is a three-hour-long tour that takes you through (and above!) some animal enclosures found throughout Animal Kingdom’s savanna and trails.

You’ll get much closer to animals like giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, and more than you will on Kilimanjaro Safaris, making it a truly unforgettable tour for animal lovers everywhere.

What Happens?

When you arrive for your tour, all the requirements will be explained to you at check-in, you’ll place your bag in a locker, and will step on a scale to determine what vest you’ll need. Wristlets are attached to your phone/camera, as well as anything else connected to you, as they can’t risk anything falling into the enclosures with the animals.

You’ll get a headphone to listen to your guide throughout the trip, a water bottle (that you get to keep!), as well as a name tag. Then, we walked through most of the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail to get to an unmarked path by the meerkats that guests aren’t allowed on to begin our tour!

We got to see the hippos first and were harnessed right above them — if you’re brave, you can go right up to the ledge to be closest to them! Our guides had a bucket of lettuce and tried to ask the hippos to come over for feeding, but they weren’t feeling it, and that was okay! Then we walked through the pathway more and made it to a treehouse to get a look at the crocodiles, where we walked over rope bridges RIGHT above them!

Next up was our vehicle portion of the tour, but this is a special truck where the seats are ALL sitting around the windows, so you get a better look at the animals. We went through some of the regular Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction, but were able to go off the path and get REALLY close to some of the animals — we drove up and got to say hello to the giraffes and got to sit there admiring them from SO close for around 5 minutes. It was incredible!

We then arrived at the Boma, which means “Safe place” in Swahili, and were able to have a bathroom break and enjoy the POG juice and snacks provided. The snacks were served in what’s called a Tiffin and included things like Garlic and leek hummus and pita, Prosciutto and mozzarella, Olive mix with pickles, Fresh fruit, a Chicken wrap, and Marinated tandoori shrimp. It was all very good, but it’s not a full meal, so don’t expect it to fill you up!

It was time to return to the truck after that, to experience more of the attraction (we stopped close by the cheetahs for a moment to say hello). Then we returned our vest and gear, picked up our items from the locker, and said goodbye to our guides, who were both fantastic.

Was It Worth It?

In our opinion, if you’re a big animal lover, you’re looking to do something special on your upcoming trip, and/or you’ve always had the Wild Africa Trek on your bucket list, we feel this is absolutely worth the cost, which is around $233 (give or take, depending on the time of year).

This is a great fit for all different types of guests (although if you have mobility issues or are afraid of heights, it’s not recommended) — we were with a family of five as well as a young couple on our trip, and everyone seemed to have a fantastic experience. Now, while you can bring your phone and camera with you, there’s also a photographer with you on the trip, and you’ll get a PhotoPass card that allows you to download all your photos from the experience for no additional cost 24-48 hours after your trek.

After Fry Bucket left the tour, she said that she had such a great time and loved it so much, she would gladly go back and pay to do it again the next day! It’s not going to be the best fit for every Disney guest, as if you’re not a fan of more physical activities or you’re not the biggest fan of animals, you likely won’t be impressed by it, but we can’t recommend it enough for those who enjoy these types of activities.