Walt Disney World offers a variety of different tours and add on experiences to help enhance your vacation. Animal Kingdom is home to several that give you behind the scenes looks at different animals and their on going care at the park. Caring for Giants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is not a new tour experience but is one that has returned since the parks reopened from the pandemic.
Caring for Giants is a $35 per person tour that takes place several times each day. Guests can book this tour and any others beginning 60 days in advance on the Walt Disney World website. This 60-minute experience takes you backstage and into the African Elephant habitat on Kilimanjaro Safaris. You will get up close and personal views of the elephants as a guide is on hand to answer any question you may have.
This was my second time taking part in Caring for Giants. When arriving, Disney asks you check in 15 minutes before your designated tour time. These tours are limited to roughly 14 people per time slot. Your guide will take you backstage to a small shuttle bus that drives you to the elephant habitat. When you are backstage you are not permitted to take any photos or video. You will see things like the backside of the Festival of the Lion King theater and as you drive to the elephant enclosure, you will see other animal habitats that your guide will point out.
Once at the habitat, you are free to roam the fenced in area taking as many photos or video as you would like. Your guide will share facts about the elephants that are out as well answer any questions you may have. During my tour we saw four different female elephants. You are not guaranteed to be able to see any on any given tour. The elephants are free to roam between the on stage habitat and their backstage areas so it can be hit or miss on what you’ll be able to see.
The tour itself is very family friendly. Disney requires guests to be 4 years or older to participate. In the fenced in viewing area, the guide will also show some props to give a scale to just how big things like elephant teeth are and things like that. You will also be able to watch safari vehicles drive by from the other side of the habitat.
One of the great things about the this our and all of the Animal Kingdom tours is the contributions it makes to the Disney Conservation Fund. This relatively inexpensive tour donates all its proceeds to animal conservation. So not only are you learning about the animals but you are also contributing to their survival both domestically and in the wild. Disney with the conservation fund does a ton of work both at Animal Kingdom and across the world to keep these magnificent species thriving.
Another fun aspect of the tour is your name tag. Your name tag for the tour not only shares your name with the group but is also made out of 85% elephant poop. They take the fibers from the elephant poop and turn it into paper. Our guide shared with us that there are companies that do this with a lot of animals as a way to continue to preserve and protect the planet.
The general premise of each tour is the same but its hard to say what exactly each tour experience will be like because that depends on the elephants. So while I saw four different elephants this time, I may only see one or even none next time. With that said, I would definitely do this tour again. It is a great way to experience something you don’t see on a regular basis at Animal Kingdom as well as getting up close and personal with these amazing creatures that roam our planet.
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