One of my favorite moments from the #MonkeyKingdomEvent in Orlando, Florida was experiencing the Wild Africa Trek in Disney’s Animal Kingdom! I had a blast. Here’s the scoop.

A Walk Through Disney Animal Kingdom's Wild Africa Trek

The Wilderness Explorers Program at Disney’s Animal Kingdom encourages families and children to experience the park in a whole new way! As Wilderness Explorers, Guests participate in a variety of activities, such as hiking the trails, digging for fossils, studying gorilla behaviors, listening to animal sounds, learning how veterinarians care for animals, and interacting with Cultural Cast Members representing different countries in Africa and Asia. Completing each activity allows you to earn a sticker badge in their very own Wilderness Explorers handbook, which can be picked up from any of the nine Troop Leader locations around the park. Explorers can earn up to 31 badges, but are encouraged to earn these badges in multiple visits, since exploring is a lifelong adventure! Completing all 31 badges gives Guests the honorary title of Senior Wilderness Explorer. The program’s goal is to connect Guests with animals, conservation and culture while spending time together as a family, during and even after their visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Our Wild Africa Trek included a 3-hour safari adventure at Disney’s Animal Kingdom…

A Walk Through Disney Animal Kingdom's Wild Africa Trek

A Walk Through Disney Animal Kingdom's Wild Africa Trek

A Walk Through Disney Animal Kingdom's Wild Africa Trek

complimentary photo services…

A Walk Through Disney Animal Kingdom's Wild Africa Trek

A Walk Through Disney Animal Kingdom's Wild Africa Trek

and gourmet eats.

A Walk Through Disney Animal Kingdom's Wild Africa Trek

During the trek, I even walked across a swing rope bridge (my first time, in fact) that spanned across live crocodile-infested waters. Not at all scary. Nope. Not one bit.

A Walk Through Disney Animal Kingdom's Wild Africa Trek

A Walk Through Disney Animal Kingdom's Wild Africa Trek

The Wild Africa Trek was truly a special, unique experience that I will always remember. You can experience it at Animal Kingdom, too.

MONKEY KINGDOM is now open in all theaters!

Life is an adventure for Maya, the clever and resourceful blonde-bobbed monkey in “Monkey Kingdom,” Disneynature’s new feature film set among ancient ruins in the storied jungles of South Asia. Maya’s world is forever changed when she welcomes her son, Kip, into her complicated extended family. Like all families, Maya’s has more than its share of colorful personalities—and she’s determined to give her son a leg up in the world. When their longtime home at Castle Rock is taken over by powerful neighboring monkeys, Maya’s whole family retreats, and she uses her street smarts and ingenuity to uncover untapped resources amidst strange new creatures and unsettling surroundings. Ultimately, they will all have to work together to reclaim Castle Rock, where Maya can hopefully realize her dreams for her son’s future. Featuring a rich variety of characters, including a mischievous mongoose, simple-minded langur monkeys, predatory leopards and monitor lizards, “Monkey Kingdom” is narrated by Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), directed by Mark Linfield (“Chimpanzee,” “Earth”) and co-directed by Alastair Fothergill (“Chimpanzee,” “Bears”). With music from award-winning composer Harry Gregson-Williams (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “Shrek” movies), Disneynature’s eighth True Life Adventure—the follow-up to 2014’s “Bears”—swings into theaters April 17, 2015.

Disclosure: Disney sponsored my travel, accommodations and activities during my stay in Orlando. Thoughts are my own.