Calling all Disney animal lovers! Once an animal lover, always an animal lover. My love affair with four-legged furry friends began when I got my first hamster in 2nd grade, and the rest is history. Years and many animals later, I still can’t pass by a dog in the street without breaking into a giddy smile, and if you’ve ever had one, you’ll agree that it’s safe to say that you don’t ever stop loving a pet.
Not only do I love domesticated animals, but my fascination for wild, out of the ordinary animal species is just as strong, so you can imagine my excitement whenever I get to visit Animal Kingdom park! With that said, kicking off this brand-new article series just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t start with the animals!
Stay tuned right here on MickeyBlog for a tour spotlight article series, but in the meantime, let’s explore the wildly exciting tours with an animal focus at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
There are so many experiences and attractions dedicated to discovering different animal species in Animal Kingdom- my favorites are Kilimanjaro Safaris, Maharajah Jungle Trek, and the Monkeys in Asia.
While you can learn an incredible amount about exotic animals on your visit to the park, the available information only scratches the surface. Are you as eager to get as close to the animals as I am? Then check out these incredible tours designed specifically for us; the Disney animal lovers.
Caring for Giants
Each time I hear the staggering number of elephants hunted and killed each year for their ivory husks, my stomach turns. It’s hard to believe that in 2018 such barbaric and inhumane practices are still taking place in Africa, but being so far from the poaching makes it easy to feel helpless.
As the saying goes, knowledge is power, and the Caring For Giants tour at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is just the ticket if you want to educate yourself on these beautiful creatures (and a chance to see the new baby elephant up close!).
An animal specialist takes you on a 60-minute tour where you’ll get an up close look at the elephants, learn what goes into caring for them, and find out how Disney is dedicated to helping conserve wild elephant populations in danger of extinction.
Savor the Savanna
Picture this: the sun is setting while your body sways by a gentle rocking chair’s motion, sipping wine, beer, and snacking on appetizers. Now picture that same scene, but every once in a while a giraffe makes a slow pass by, giving this drink and tapas experience a twist like no other!
Savor the Savanna: Evening Safari Experience is the longest, most extensive of the animal tours offered at Animal Kingdom park. You’ll be taken behind the scenes of the same savanna that Kilimanjaro Safaris explores and will be met with sweeping, sunset views of the animal-packed reserve. While enjoying specialty drink and food pairings, a tour guide will give you exclusive information you can only hear on the tour!
Wild Africa Trek
This one is for the adventure-junkies! Does crossing a precarious bridge fashioned from splintered wood and rope constructed over a pit of hungry Nile Crocodiles sound like fun? A) You may have an adrenaline addiction B) This tour is for you!
The Wild Africa Trek is a 3-hour tour that takes place in the River Valley of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. You’ll have the chance to cross a bridge like the one mentioned above, ride in a semi-private safari vehicle, walk along special trails, and gain in-depth knowledge about Animal Kingdom and its inhabitants from your tour guide.
Animal Kingdom is turned 20 this year, and as a way to celebrate the anniversary, a brand-new tour experience will be available in the park! Although it’s billed as a completely new experience, The Path Less Traveled is a mash-up of a few experiences previously offered in the park.
Disney took their popular nighttime dining package platform (dinner and reserved seating for a nighttime spectacular) and threw in a few other exciting ingredients to create this experience. With this experience, you will take the Caring for Giants Tour, see the nests of the Purple Martin birds, take a guided visit to Rafiki’s Planet Watch (it’s ending soon!) and tour the animal hospital, and cap it all off with reserved seating for that evening’s showing of Rivers of Light!
This limited-time offering is the only chance we have to tour the state of the art veterinary hospital that caters to the needs of dozens of species ranging from lizard to cheetah!
Just the descriptions of these tours make me want to spend a few days in the Animal Kingdom with VIP access to the parks’ four-legged cast members, which probably explains why they fill up so quickly! If you’re hoping to take one of these tours on your vacation, you absolutely must make a reservation 180 days in advance of your visit.
Life is Good for Disney Animal Lovers
If you need a hand with booking your vacation, send us a message below and we can help! But in the meantime, we want to know which of these are on your animal-loving bucket list…let us know with a comment!
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Special thanks to Maria Salerno for writing this article: Hiya pal! I am a NYC-based writer thrilled to be a part of your Disney vacation planning! I’m a WDW Annual Passholder, so you can find me in the parks regularly throughout the year. In addition to being a Disney Parks loving girl, I’m also a Disney toy and merchandise collector, a runDisney enthusiast, and Disney music and movie aficionado. You can follow me on Instagram: NYCtoAP and find me on YouTube: NYCtoAP. Thanks for reading, hope to see ya real soon!
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