Surprisingly, they aren’t all in Disney’s Animal Kingdom…
Walt Disney held a special place in his heart for nature. In a way, he invented the concept of nature documentaries as we know them in his True-Life Adventures series, and though he never got to see his vision brought to life, he held steadfast to the dream that Walt Disney World in Florida would be a place where guests could experience animals up close. From the first inception of this vision in the now-abandoned Discovery Island, to the genesis of Disney’s Animal Kingdom as we know it, love for nature remains a central tenet of the Disney experience.
Whether you want to learn more about animals from abroad or explore Florida’s native wildlife, here are the top ten spots we found at the Most Magical Place on Earth to get up close to nature… Oh, and #10 is one of Disney’s best kept secrets!
1. Kilimanjaro Safari
Image: Disney
‘Across the board, fans agree that Disney’s Animal Kingdom is one of the company’s finest achievements, and it’s sad that many casual visitors miss it entirely. If you love animals, there is no better place to visit in Disney’s Animal Kingdom than Kilimanjaro Safaris, and you never know what you might see on this spectacular safari.
The attraction itself is a marvel of Imagineering, taking up almost 20% of the space in the park. Many guests never realize the safari trucks are free-moving vehicles or spot the clever ways Disney masterfully sectioned out its sprawling savannah. On one journey you might get to see the preserve’s resident lions napping happily on their own “Pride Rock” (the rocks are air-conditioned if you’ve ever wondered why the lions like it so much). On another, you might get to see the savannah’s newest baby elephants or giraffes—a surprised group of guests recently saw one of the park’s mama giraffes give birth when she decided she didn’t want to leave the guest area! Or maybe you’ll see something more mundane, like daddy hippo pooping frothing-poop-fountains onto the head of Hippo Jr. who was just chilling behind him—that happened to me once. For real. It wasn’t as majestic as a mama giraffe giving birth or as cute as a baby elephant learning how to walk, but it sure held the element of surprise. Nature is truly magical.
Whatever you end up finding on Kilimanjaro Safaris, it will always be a new experience. If you want the best chance of seeing the animals active, try visiting early in the morning or right around dusk.
2. Walt Disney World waterways
Image: Disney
Walt Disney World’s waterways are one of the best places to see local Floridian wildlife within the resort. While you can experience them on some level during short trips on Friendship Boats and the Magic Kingdom ferry, the best way to explore them is with a boat rental.
The boat rentals aren’t cheap, but they are well worth it. The type of boat will determine how far you can stray from your rental dock, and the boat choices include kayaks, Sea Raycer speed boats, and family-sized pontoons. While you can rent boats at the Yacht and Beach Club, most guests say Bay Lake is the best place to explore. With a boat rental, you not only get to explore Disney’s winding waterways, it is also the only way to get close to Bay Lake’s islands, including the aforementioned and long-defunct Discovery Island. Birds tend to be the most common sight on Disney’s waterways, but other denizens include turtles, local fish, and even the rare alligator sunning on the shore (heed all safety guidelines and warning signs regarding these and never feed them).
3. The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Image: Disney
Disney’s Animal Kingdom isn’t the only park where nature is highlighted. The Seas with Nemo and Friends (formerly The Living Seas) at Epcot hosts a 5.7-million-gallon aquarium home to a wide range of fish and sea mammals. Children can hardly contain themselves when they see their favorite characters from Finding Nemo brought to life surrounded by schools of real fish, sea turtles, and even sharks. The Sea Base exploration area holds hours of delights for kids and adults, where guests can learn about conservation, marine biology, and more about the wonders of the oceans.
The Seas houses an active dolphin-research program, and if you are willing to pay for an upcharge, guests can even participate in a Dolphins in Depth 3-hour encounter. Also, don’t miss the Seas’ rescued manatees. For such adorably lumbering animals, they move with a grace that is truly beautiful, and if you get a chance, it is well worth hearing their stories from an expert cast member.
4. The walking trails at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Image: Disney
We can’t gush enough about how much we love the walking trails at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Not only are they some of the most immersive wildlife trails ever designed, but they also hold some of the most serene places in The Most Magical Place on Earth.
The Gorilla Falls Exploration trail (formerly the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail) is the most well-known, housing a stunning array of exhibits including meerkats, monkeys, weaver birds, hippos, Marabou storks, and of course, Lowland gorillas. The trail gets very busy during the day due to its proximity to Kilimanjaro Safaris, so time your visit carefully, and don’t be afraid to step out of traffic to enjoy the sights.
An equal favorite is the Maharajah Jungle Trek, not far from Expedition: Everest. This one is more easily missed than the Gorilla Falls trail, which is a huge bonus as it is well worth taking your time in this otherworldly refuge. The trail truly feels like something out of The Jungle Book, and its diverse family of residents include Komodo dragons, tapirs, Indiana Jones-sized bugs, adorably immodest flying fox bats (by the way, that’s not squeaky-clean glass between you and them—they just like their space), and of course, tigers. The tigers are often fed 45 minutes before park closing, so this is a great time to see them.
5. Fort Wilderness
Image: Disney
Fort Wilderness might be one of Disney’s finest hidden-gems that most visitors have never been to. Guests love this immaculate campground, and a frequently cited highlight is the local animals. Along with the area’s gorgeous birds, Fort Wilderness regularly attracts deer, armadillos, and rabbits. They also offers horseback riding at the Tri-Circle-D Ranch for $55 a guest. If you want to get up close to nature in a serene environment, you can’t go wrong with Fort Wilderness. Not really into tent camping? They have cabins too!
6. The Conservation Station at Rafiki’s Planet Watch
We thought for sure that the Conservation Station at Rafiki’s Planet Watch was on its way to the list of Lost Legends, but it looks like Disney has kept this precious gem for now. If you have never visited, the Conservation Station is a peaceful refuge away from the regular hustle and bustle of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It is the home of Animal Kingdom’s only petting zoo—the “Affection Section”—where guests can wander amongst goats, pigs, sheep, cows, and donkeys, and inside the station, guests can watch presentations about some of Animal Kingdom’s tiniest residents. You can also watch scheduled veterinary procedures throughout the day if you time things right. On one of our visits, the veterinary team tended to a local duck’s injured foot. He even got a little webbed-foot duck bandage for his toes after the procedure was over!
7. Walking trails throughout the resorts
Image: Sam Stockton, Flickr (license)
Walt Disney World is home to a number of beautiful walking trails outside of its parks. We already mentioned one—Fort Wilderness is connected to a lovely hiking trail that connects to Wilderness Lodge, and you can often see local wildlife from it. Another popular choice is the trail that runs between Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, and Disney Springs. This trail (also called the Conch Flats Trail as it has gone through a myriad of name changes) is a great place to spot local Floridian birds, turtles, and fish.
If you aren’t scared of spiders, you might be able to spot some gorgeous specimens of local Golden Orb Weavers (possibly the most terrifyingly huge but comically-docile spider ever) and Argiope spiders along the trail between the Epcot resorts and the International Gateway. Just pay attention to the woods along the path on the Yacht Club side. This isn’t a surefire occurrence, but we’ve seen these colorful little giants chilling between trees in this area more than once. Once you spot them, they’re impossible to miss.
8. Animal Kingdom Lodge
Image: Sam Stockton, Flickr (license)
We would be absolutely remiss if we didn’t mention one of Disney’s most charming refuges for both animals and animal-lovers—Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Truly, Disney knocked it out of the park with this spectacular resort. A short walk from the entrance to the other side of the lobby is all it takes to get a view of the resort’s resident giraffes, ostriches, cranes, impalas, and more… and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The resort is home to four distinct savannahs throughout the resort. Savannah view rooms are the best way to see the animals, but you can also get some great views from the Sanaa restaurant, the resort walkways, and various locations throughout the second story. Whether you’re staying at the Lodge or just visiting for snacks at Mara, take your time at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and you never know what you’ll see!
9. Behind the scenes tours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot
Image: Disney
We already mentioned the “Dolphins in Depth” behind the scenes tour, but it isn’t the only way to get up, close, and personal with Disney’s resident wildlife. Disney offers a number of upcharge experiences where guests can experience Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the Seas in behind the scenes tours.
The Seas offers an Aqua Tour snorkeling experience where guests get in the water in The Seas’ massive Caribbean Coral Reef. For Scuba-certified guests, they also offer the Dive Quest program, a three-hour experience where guests can spend 40 minutes diving amongst the wildlife.
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, guests can learn more about how the park cares for their biggest residents in Caring for Giants. Guests looking for an intimate evening experience can partake in the extensive Savor the Savannah dining experience, and visitors looking for a closer look at the Savannah’s residents will love the Wild Africa Trek and night-vision aided Starlight Safari.
10. The Disney Wilderness Preserve
Image: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flickr (license)
This one is one of Disney’s best kept secrets, and the reason most guests never see it is that it technically is no longer on Disney property.
The Disney Wilderness Preserve, managed by the Nature Conservancy, is 11,500 acres of protected Florida wetlands set aside by the Walt Disney Company for nature conservation. Originally, the company had lands on the Walt Disney World property that were protected for this purpose—guests could even visit them on tours with The Disney Institute—but over the course of the last decade, Disney’s continue growth has bled over into these areas. To ensure the company’s commitment to conservation, they purchased this expansive stretch of wetlands which has continued to increase over the years.
The Preserve is located about a 40-minute drive from Walt Disney World, but if you have the means to visit, it is well-worth the effort. It is truly one of the most peaceful places anywhere in the vicinity of the Kissimmee and is home to over 1000 different species of plants and animals, including a wide range of Florida cranes, eagles, woodpeckers, tortoises, bats, fox squirrels, and even Florida panthers. Visitors can tour by car or hike extensive trails (be sure and follow the preserve’s guidelines for hikers and come well prepared with plenty of water and good shoes). If you love nature and have the means to sneak away from Walt Disney World proper, you won’t want to miss this hidden gem.
What is your favorite place in Walt Disney World to see animals?
