October 2012 - Spooky, Wild, Exotic and a lot of food!

[cindianne320]

That driving experience looks AMAZING!

We stayed at POR a few years ago- loved the atmosphere!

Can't wait to hear about your AK morning!

 

[weswife]

great review! We went the same time as you! We did not go to MNSHP as we went to MVMCP the year before and we went on a Disney cruise Oct 2012!

This year we plan to go to MNSHP and stay at BWV! So, I really enjoyed all your pics and info!

 

[RachelNinja]

Just read all of your updates from the start! Took me long enough~ haha, sorry about that! I bookmarked your thread, but then I just started accumulating all these TRs that I never started.

I love your idea of being Barbie! It's creative without being overly difficult to put together. Plus, you looked comfortable enough to enjoy the entire party!

Yum, that crawfish etouffee looks delicious! Was it very spicy?

 

[disneybarbie]

That driving experience looks AMAZING!

We stayed at POR a few years ago- loved the atmosphere!

Can't wait to hear about your AK morning!

Hi! The driving experience was a real highlight of the trip - such a unique thing to do! I think I would like to stay at Port Orleans one time, it had a great theme.

Next update coming soon

great review! We went the same time as you! We did not go to MNSHP as we went to MVMCP the year before and we went on a Disney cruise Oct 2012!

This year we plan to go to MNSHP and stay at BWV! So, I really enjoyed all your pics and info!

Hi! Thanks for reading - hope you get to do MNSSHP this year, it is so much fun! BWV is our home resort and I really love staying there - particularly in October.. close to Epcot for the F&W Festival

Just read all of your updates from the start! Took me long enough~ haha, sorry about that! I bookmarked your thread, but then I just started accumulating all these TRs that I never started.

I love your idea of being Barbie! It's creative without being overly difficult to put together. Plus, you looked comfortable enough to enjoy the entire party!

Yum, that crawfish etouffee looks delicious! Was it very spicy?

Hi! Thanks for reading along
The Barbie costume was pretty simple but I think most people got who I was supposed to be (except the little girl who asked if I was Sharpay from High School Musical lol)

The etouffee was excellent, it wasn't very spicy... the gumbo I had to start was, but I expected that to be



Emma x

 

[disneybarbie]

Saturday 13th October 2012


Today we were up a little bit earlier – as we were headed to Animal Kingdom for the Wild Africa Trek!
I had wanted to experience this ever since Disney started the tour – it sounded amazing! It was my birthday gift to myself

We headed down to the lobby at 7.30am and got a taxi to the Animal Kingdom – we were there so early that the car park wasn't quite open.. so we had to wait a few minutes!

Soon we were at the park entrance, and I spotted a cast member with a clipboard who was signing in guests who were taking the first Wild Africa Trek of the day at 8am. We both had to sign a waiver and a quick survey about how we'd heard about the tour. Once all of our group was together, we were escorted into the empty park (plus the Tusker House breakfast diners!)

I noticed the lights were still on in the park – I would really like to see Animal Kingdom at night one day..

We were led to the Africa section of the park, and turned left just before Tusker House and around the back of the Dawa bar – there was a wooden gate that we were led through which was the start of being 'back stage'.

Unlike the Keys to the Kingdom tour I did in 2009, the Trek isn't so much about being backstage and finding out secrets of how things work at the park, but it's like an extended story of Harambe and the Kilimanjaro safaris. The cast members stay 'on stage' all the time, and talk about 'the reserve' like you're really in Africa – I really liked this aspect of the tour.

Our guides introduced themselves, and then asked where each of the 'herds' were from (so we were the 'England herd'!).

Each of us were fitted with our harness, and given a name tag, sound pack and water bottle. We got to put our belongings in lockers, as you can only carry things with you that can be attached to your harness (e.g. cameras).

Then it was time for our practice rope bridge walking!

Once we'd walked over the little bridge, there was sun block and bug spray available to use.

Group photo of our herds...

.......

 

[disneybarbie]

.....

Then.. we were off to the reserve!

Walking through an empty Harambe...

We each had an ear piece which allowed us to listen to our guides, they were joking as we walked through the park that this was their favourite time of day, as there were no 'stroller beasts' around yet

We went to the Pangani Forest Trail, and into the bird area – where some cast members were undertaking a sort of stock count of the birds.

Our guide explained about one of the bird species here, where the males build the biggest nests they can so that they can attract a female to live with them...

We headed off the main path near the meerkats, around this area we heard a huge roar... apparently it was the top lion waking up!

The other side of the hippo pool on the Pangani trail..

It really was an unbeaten path – we had to move branches and watch our step most of the time..

We stopped in a clearing and one of the guides showed us a hippo skull, explaining the teeth and how it eats/hunts. We were surprised to learn that it is considered one of the most deadly animals in Africa as it is very territorial. If a crocodile and a hippo were to fight, the hippo would win!

Then we were led to the hippo area of the safari – we attached our harnesses to a rail of hooks so that we could lean closer to the pool while a CM was feeding the hippos lettuce leaves.

.....

 

[Leshaface]

How neat is this! I didn't realize they went all out and made you put on vests and gave you earpieces! So cool.

 

[ronnmel]

Yay for the Wild Africa Trek! Your pics are great so far. Love that last pic of you and your DH.

 

[cindianne320]

Wow! What an amazing experience! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[monica23535]

Wow, what great pics of the Wild Trek Emma, I wold love to do that when DS is a little older.

 

[khertz]

The Trek looks like a really incredible experience! It would be cool to get so close to the animals you can usually only see from afar on the Safari. Nice birthday present gift to yourself.

 

[disneybarbie]

How neat is this! I didn't realize they went all out and made you put on vests and gave you earpieces! So cool.

Hi Lesha, the Trek was really 'authentic' - when I booked it, I was told we had to wear 'trekking attire' and sneakers too!

Yay for the Wild Africa Trek! Your pics are great so far. Love that last pic of you and your DH.

Thank you! DH & I both had small cameras with us, but also one of the guides has a DSLR camera and they took loads of photos - the disc is included in the tour price, so 7 weeks after we got home the photo cd arrived in the mail it had over 200 photos on it!

Wow! What an amazing experience! Can't wait to hear more!

Thanks! It was an incredible tour, next update on the way...

Wow, what great pics of the Wild Trek Emma, I wold love to do that when DS is a little older.

Hi! I think the minimum age for the trek might be 13? It was excellent, the really good photos are the ones the CM guides took, but we both had cameras too

The Trek looks like a really incredible experience! It would be cool to get so close to the animals you can usually only see from afar on the Safari. Nice birthday present gift to yourself.

Hi, the Trek was excellent! I was so pleased we booked it, worth every penny IMO.


Emma x

 

[disneybarbie]

....

The next part of the tour was where we got to walk the wooden bridges over the crocodiles!
We were asked to take our name tags off (apparently on a previous tour, someone's had fallen off and landed in the water.. which made it look like a guest had fallen into the crocodile lagoon!), and given a lesson on how to attach ourselves to the tethers and make our way across the bridges.

We started to see the safari jeeps driving around the safari as it was almost 9am and park opening time...

I was one of the first to go...

Attached to the wire!

To start with it was fine, just like the practice bridge. But it was actually much longer than I expected – the rope sides of the bridge were worn away (deliberately) in the centre of the bridges and the steps got further and further apart – it really was more intense than I expected, but I loved it!

DH was brave enough to stop and take photos of the crocodiles below us – I concentrated on getting across the bridges though

Once all of our group were across the bridges, we regrouped and learnt about the crocodiles. The ones at Animal Kingdom are all male and came from a reserve in Africa, they have grown up together and were all born in the 1970s! Apparently they only eat once a week, usually a Friday, so they are more active on the days leading up to feeding day (we were there on a Saturday so they were pretty chilled out). As they have grown up together, it is not possible for Disney to add new crocodiles to the group as they would kill them!

The park was open by now so we were a part of the attraction!

We got to take off the jackets at this point, and have a group photo before heading off to the next part of our tour

.....

 

[klacey1]

Wow! This tour sounds amazing! That rope bridge looks scary but exhilarating! I can't believe how old the crocs are!

 

[Dream426]

This tour sounds really amazing. I would love to do this one day. Great pictures.

 

[saintstickets]

DW and I were considering the Trek during our trip this October...now I know we will do it! Great update!!!

 

[ronnmel]

Love reading the little facts, like the crocodiles only eating once a week!

That bridge is one of the things that attract me to this tour, I love "obstacles".

 

[Leshaface]

So hard to believe that they only eat once a week. I thought you were going to say like once an hour! Crazy.

 

[khertz]

The pictures on the rope bridge are so cool, but they gave me a bit of anxiety just looking at them!! I think I would be way too nervous to traverse that with crocs right under me, although at least they were fed so if you fell in maybe they wouldn't be coming right at you before you could be rescued. The pics your DH got of them from above is pretty awesome though. Not a perspective I get to see as a regular guest!

 

[RachelNinja]

I would LOVE to do that tour if we had the extra money to spare. Thanks for sharing your experience!