I had the chance to become a Wilderness Explorers at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as part of the Monkey Kingdom event. All opinions are my own!
Kids love adventure, which is why Disney Animal Kingdom’s Wilderness Explorers will add an extra bit of fun to your animal filled adventure! I had never heard of Wilderness Explorers until this trip but was so excited to have the chance to learn more about the animals as part of this adventure!
Kids will get to follow in the footsteps of Russell, who they might remember from Up, learning and earning badges as they head on their way to becoming a Super Wilderness Explorers. You start by checking into the Wilderness Explorers headquarters on the main street right in front of the beautiful Tree of Life! There are 30 different badges to be earned (which will give you a total of 31 because you’ll get the coveted Senior Explorers badge). At the headquarters you will get your first two badges, one is for learning the Wilderness Explorer call). Check out myself, Jennifer and Enza rocking out the call below:
Now it was time to get through the park and get as many badges as we could in our allotted time (yes we made it a competition between bloggers). We consulted the map to see what areas offered the most badges in a close distance. Then we headed on our way!
We stopped at the Flamingo area to get our third badge and the headed to Rafiki’s Planet Watch to pick up a whopping six badges. Our next stop was Africa where you could get 7 badges throughout the country. At that point, we kept looking at the map and headed through the rest of the park to get all of the badges they offered. We looked for the badge guides, who can be spotted by the orange bags they wear that contain the badges you are trying to earn.
We were a very competitive team and ended up getting the entire badge collection in just 1 hour and 55 minutes, even unheard of by the badge guides. I don’t suggest you try to do it in that short of time (nor would I have, if it hadn’t been a competition), because you will be sweating profusely from the running. However, I do suggest you do this on your next visit to Animal Kingdom. It’s free and it’s a fun way for kids to really learn about all the animals and countries throughout animal kingdom. Collect 30 badges, like we did, and you will become an official Senior Wilderness guide! I didn’t actually win a prize, but I can say I am in the ranks with the adorable Russell!
Because I was there for the Monkey Kingdom event and I want to encourage you to run, like Russell there, to theaters to see it by 4/23. Why? Because if you see Monkey Kingdom anytime through April 23, they will donate on your behalf! It’s playing nationwide, so it’s a great time to go see an awesome movie, see my review here, and give back! Get to know Maya and Kip in the trailer:
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 is forced to relocate, where she uses her street smarts and ingenuity to lead them to 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 cast of characters, including a mischievous mongoose, simple-minded langur monkeys, predatory leopards and monitor lizards, “Monkey Kingdom” is 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”
Toni Patton
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My Boys would absolutely love to do this! I can’t wait to take them to Disney some day.