One of my favorite splurges at Walt Disney World is to take a behind-the- scenes tour. I absolutely love learning new facts about my favorite attractions and getting a peek at what goes into making the magic happen. Last summer I got to cross an item off my bucket list and go on the Wild Africa Trek. It was one of my all-time favorite Disney experiences (read all about it here!) and while on that tour, our guides told us about the Caring for Giants elephant tour. It sounded great, and I knew that I wanted to experience it someday. Fast forward a few months later to when I found myself planning a trip with girlfriends around a race weekend. I was pregnant and knew I wasn’t going to experience the parks the way I usually do, so I decided that a tour would be the perfect way to spend some time while they were off exploring Pandora and conquering Everest.
Before You Go…
The Caring for Giants tour is an hour-long opportunity to get a closer look at the African elephants, and it is very affordable (especially when compared to other tours!) – $30 per person, and annual passholders do get a discount. Tours take place nine times per day, from 9:30 am through 4:00 pm. I booked my tour just a couple of weeks prior to the trip with no issues. I’m guessing that with so many times offered throughout the day, you could possibly even register the same day. Guests must be 4 years old to participate, and those under 18 will need an adult to accompany them.
Areas of the tour are backstage, and no photos or video are allowed in these areas. This includes the walk to the vehicle that will transport you to elephant habitat, as well as the ride on the way there. The entire tour is outdoors, so you will want to dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. There isn’t a lot of walking, but you will be standing up during most of the tour. Wheelchairs are permitted, but due to limited availability on the transport vehicle, this must be confirmed in advance.
Let’s See Some Elephants!
The afternoon of our tour arrived, and we headed to the check-in kiosk, which is located across from Kilimanjaro Safaris. We signed the mandatory waiver and were given name tags. The name tags are made from 85% elephant poop fibers! There is actually an entire website dedicated to paper products made from recycled waste – www.poopoopaper.com. How cool is that?!
Our tour began with us being escorted backstage through a nearby gate. I get so incredibly excited anytime I’m able to go backstage! Photos are prohibited, but I try to soak up every detail. We walked past the show building for Festival of the Lion King (on our way back, the show was in the middle of a performance and we could hear the music). We were also able to see the floating mountains of Pandora, and our guide pointed out a hidden Mickey that is only able to be seen from backstage! Total geek-out moment for me, as it was a really cool hidden Mickey!
We walked to a parking lot where there were also some safari vehicles parked, and we boarded a van that would take us further into the savanna to the elephant habitat. As we drove, our guide pointed out various animal barns and areas where they were growing trees and plants, and he told us which areas of the safari we were passing. As a big fan of Kilimanjaro Safari, it was fascinating to get this different perspective!
A few minutes later, we arrived at the elephant habitat, walked up a set of stairs, and…there they were! We were on the backside of where the safari drives by, approximately 80-100 feet away from the elephants. We were free to roam around the length of the outlook and take photos and video. Two cast members were there to speak to us. They told us some facts about the day-to-day care of the elephants, as well as some funny stories about them. I loved hearing the anecdotes, learning the elephants’ names and a little about their personalities. We were also encouraged to ask any questions that we had, and the cast members were more than happy to answer all of our questions. It was clear how much they cared for the animals and loved their jobs!
Once all of our questions had been answered, the cast members introduced us to a cultural representative from Africa. She concluded the tour by talking to us about conservation efforts in Africa and about things we can do here.
At the end of her presentation, we were able to take additional photos with our parties, including some fun shots with a frame (or some well-shellacked elephant poop if that’s your thing!) before we boarded the van and headed back.
Final Thoughts
Would I recommend this tour? Absolutely! I would definitely do it again, and I think my whole family would really enjoy it. I might hesitate to take a younger child who wasn’t able to stand and quietly listen and watch. The cast members aren’t speaking to the group through headsets like on other tours – this is a more intimate small group setting. This tour is fairly short compared to others – only an hour – but it was informative and watching the elephants was absolutely delightful. This would be a great first tour if you’ve never experienced one, or if you don’t have enough time to spend several hours on a tour. I felt like I’d experienced something special, and if you’re an animal lover, I can’t recommend this one enough!
