Caring for Giants – All New at Animal Kingdom!

Coming soon this March 2017, guests will be able to experience an exclusive backstage viewing opportunity behind the Kilimanjaro Safari area at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

For a nominal tour fee beyond park admission (UPDATED 2/14/17 – Cost is $30 per guest and discounts are available for Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members), guests will be able to take a safari bus through an exclusive backstage area to a viewing spot nestled in the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. This viewing area and tour is ADA accessible and suitable for guests of all ages. Guests will experience an up-close look at the beautiful elephants that live at the Harambe Wildlife Reserve, and will get to spend around 45 minutes viewing the animals, taking part in immersive exhibits in the viewing area, and talking with an animal keeper that actually cares for the animals. Total time for the tour will be 60 minutes, which includes transportation to and from the viewing site.

We were able to get a look at this all new area and take the tour as a part of our Disney Social Media Moms Celebration experience, and I thought the experience was a wonderful way to be more engaged with the animal keepers that are caring for the elephants on a daily basis, as well as gain more insight about the creatures themselves. After spending some time watching the elephants and speaking with their caregivers, you begin to realize how different their personalities are and how different they go about their own day to day activities – just like humans!

Some of the elephants were very playful, while some were protective, and others seemed to move at a slower pace. They had unique bonds with each other and we learned there was a relationship structure within their elephants groups. I found the experience to be very enlightening, and gained a new appreciation for these unique creatures!

Best of all, since the tour will be open to all ages – this will be something that I would definitely consider taking my girls to do in the future. My older daughter loves animals, and I could see her being very engaged in the research and scientific information about the elephants, while my younger daughter would love the interactive displays and seeing the elephants up close! This will be a great tour for all ages and is coming soon to Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park!

** I am a 2017 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration attendee and have received complimentary items and hosted experiences as a part of the event. All opinions are my own.