Wilderness Explorers at Animal Kingdom

We tried out the new Wilderness Explorers game today at Animal Kingdom. This new activity is based off of the Boy Scout-esque troop Russell is a part of in the movie Up. When you arrive at the park the Wilderness Explorers headquarters is located on the bridge as you head towards the Tree of Life; it's on the right.

At Headquarters a Troop Leader will explain the game to you. It was at this point where we learned the the Wilderness Explorers Call and received our WE Handbook and very first badge (sticker)! We were then off to collect the rest of our badges.

There are 31 badges to collect, spread out throughout the park. The great thing about this new game is that you can complete it as you make your way around the park and you don't need to earn them all in one day. So there is no need to rush to the stations. We completed 10 badges during this first play and it took us about 2 hours.

We decided to complete the badges on the two main animal trails at Animal Kingdom, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek. Following our handbook we first went to the Jungle Trek where we completed activities involving the bats and tigers! Each activity station is marked with a Wilderness Explorer logo and corresponding badge picture. At the station there is usually something for you to either do, see, or fill out in your handbook. After completing the activity you will receive your badge from the Badge Guide.

Looking for our clue!

After the jungle trek we made our way to Africa and the exploration trail. On the way we stopped to earn our Music Badge!

Playing the drums!

On the exploration trail we worked on quite a few badges including our Hiking Badge! Be ready to spend a lot of time on this trail as there numerous badges to earn.

After receiving our Hiking Badge we decided to save the rest of the badges for another day so we could spread out the fun! It's also important to note, one of the badges requires you to ride the Safari; it might be a good idea to get a fast pass for this one!

We really enjoyed this new addition to Animal Kingdom. It is really a great activity for kids to learn while they explore the park! It also helps you explore areas of the park you might not normally go to. All the cast members seemed to really love the new activities as well, as they were all very excited to help us earn our badges. We cannot wait to go back and earn the rest of our badges because as any Wilderness Explorer knows "The wilderness must be explored, Caw Caw, Roar!"

Are you a Wilderness Explorer or excited to become one on your next trip? Share your experience below!