Welcome to this month’s Blogorail Red Loop. Today we are exploring experiences that people tend to overlook at Disney.
When you visit a Disney theme park, it’s easy to feel the pressure to just rush from ride to ride, or to hit up all the shows and parades. Who has time for just strolling around when there’s so much to do and see? I think that’s why a lot of people pass by the two main trails at Animal Kingdom: the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and the Maharajah Jungle Trek. It’s just a “walk through,” so maybe it doesn’t take priority. But there’s tons of cool things to see here so I recommend you check it out!
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is right at the end of Kilimanjaro Safaris. Make sure to catch the Colobus Monkey at the beginning, they can be a lot of fun! This is followed by an area with the yellow-backed duiker and the okapi. You might have seen okapi if you were on the safari, but this is a great chance to get a closer look at these unique creatures.
You’ll then pass through a research center, which has small tanks with reptiles and lizards. It’s a great opportunity to take some time and learn a little bit about all of these creatures. Continue on to the aviary section. Grab a bird spotting guide so you know what you’re looking at!
From there you’ll continue on to the hippo viewing area, where you can sometimes see the hippos swimming underwater, the meerkats, and the zebras. Finally, the end of the trail contains the namesake of this path – the gorillas!
Maharajah Jungle Trek
This is my favorite path to walk in Animal Kingdom, as there are so many great animals on it! The first thing you’ll see is the komodo dragon. You’ll then pass a couple of other small creatures, including monkeys, before you have a choice about how you want to proceed next.
You’ll find yourself outside of the bat house, where you can decide – do you just pass it by, or do you stop in to see the bats? Some people are not comfortable looking at bats so Disney has created an option for them to skip it, but they truly are beautiful and fascinating creatures so I suggest you at least go give them a look.
Up next you’ll find what most consider to be the “main attraction” to this trail, and that would be the tigers. It’s also my personal favorite part of the trail. What can I say, I’m a cat lover! If you go midday the tigers will most likely just be sleeping, but they are still gorgeous to look at. If you go first thing in the morning you may see them active – I even saw a tiger throw up once!
Past the tigers you’ll find Elds deer, blackbuck antelope, and the sarus crane. The Maharajah Jungle Trek ends with another bird sanctuary, where you can spot a number of beautiful birds.
Other paths
In addition to these two main trails, there are lots of other little paths hidden all over the Animal Kingdom! You’ll find a number when you first enter the park, and on Discovery Island. And did you know there’s even an area where you can go on Discovery Island to see otters? They are always fun to watch!
Animal trail tips:
- Each section of the trail has a knowledgeable cast member stationed at it so you can learn more about the animals. Feel free to ask them any questions you might have or just to tell you a little bit more about the animals you’re looking at!
- If anyone in your party is playing the Wilderness Explorers game, there are also a number of stops on the trail where you can earn some badges too.
- Allow a good chunk of time, perhaps 20-30 minutes, to get through each trail – especially if you are really interested in learning more.
- Bring your camera! You’ll have a much better opportunity to get some animal shots here than when you’re on the safari.
- To really see the animals in their most active state, go first thing in the morning, before it gets too hot. It also won’t be as crowded.
What are your favorite animals to see on the trails?
check out the other great posts from the Blogorail!
Here is the map of our Blogorail Red | Overlooked Experiences at Disney
- 1st Stop – The Delightful Life | The Most Surprising Thing your Kids will Enjoy in World Showcase
- 2nd Stop – Frontierland Station | Overlooked Attractions: Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
- 3rd Stop – Dad for Disney | Hall of Presidents – An American History Lesson at The Magic Kingdom
- 4th Stop – Disney Mamas Exploring One Man’s Dream at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- 5th Stop – Disney in Your Day | The Trails in Animal Kingdom
Love this! Pro tip: bring a drink with you from the Dawa Bar or Yak and Yeti. Makes for an incredibly relaxing, refreshing, and enjoyable stroll. AK is my favorite park because you can really slow down and enjoy. That’s the best way to fall in love with it. Great post!
That is such a great idea! I definitely want to do that on my next trip now.
I just had a blast doing this on my last trip. I was doing the Wilderness Explorer book, so I got to learn a lot of things from different cast members, and since i’m an adult, they geared the information towards me, rather than the stuff they normally tell the kids.
I had a lot of fun in the aviary, the cast member there had a lot of really interesting information about the Golden Weavers they have there. 🙂
But I do love a casual day at Animal Kingdom.
I’ve done one or two of the Wilderness Explorer stops but never took the time to do more. I’d really love to spend some time just doing that and learning stuff!
I’m a huge fan of all things Animal Kingdom, so it always makes me happy to read others spreading the word about all the things there are to see and do there. I think these trails are often the most overlooked, as people rush to their first attraction in the morning and drag themselves out after a long day. I agree with @disqus_RkGkiYMnvD:disqus – the Wilderness Explorers program really opens up a lot of these lesser-visited areas for guests!
Me too, I have such a love for Animal Kingdom. I’m glad they found a way to bring more people onto these trails!
I’ve never gone on these trails. To be honest, I don’t know why. They look like a lot of fun and a great learning experience for everyone in the travel party.
You should definitely check them out! So many interesting animals to see there.
Ah, yes. Bat genitals.
The Maharajah Jungle Trek is one of our must do activities at Animal Kingdom–we never pass up an opportunity to see the tigers (perhaps because it’s my alma mater’s mascot?!). Plus, they’re just gorgeous! Britton’s really into learning about animals these days, so it’s the perfect way to revisit old favorites and remind her about some that she might not know as much about!
I love the tigers. And learning about all of the animals, it’s so fascinating! That’s fantastic that Britton is so into it!
The Maharajah Jungle Trek has my 2 favorite animals at Animal Kingdom! The tigers and bats are so fascinating to watch!
Totally different animals, but both fascinating!