Question about Wild Africa Trek and that bridge?

maryj11

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jun 13, 2002
I really would like to do this but that bridge looks scary. I'm a little afraid of heights so should I skip it? Is the bridge as bad as it looks in the pictures?
 
As the previous poster said it's really not scary at all. I've done WAT twice, once with my mother who is absolutely terrified of heights and she wasn't bothered by it. You are secured from above via a harness, the bridge feels sturdy as you walk across it, the boards are not far apart so it's pretty easy to walk across and there is netting right under it too.

You should definitely do it, as I said I've done it twice and would do it again in a heartbeat.
 
I hate heights unless I'm securely strapped into a seat on a roller coaster, and I've done WAT. You're in a very snug harness attached to an overhead line, there's a net underneath the boards of the bridge, and on both sides there's a sturdy wire enclosure. I don't think you could get out of there if you wanted to, except for walking to the other side, which for me was mildly challenging (some of the boards were, IMO, a little far apart but I'm not that tall).
 


We did it in May, my son isn't comfortable with heights and he even bounced the darn thing on me. He was behind me. You are strapped in and has a net under it so it's safe. You don't have to look down but it's not as high as a lot of the roller coasters. The only problem for me was some of the planks were fairly far apart and I have very short legs so I had a few problems stepping from one to another but it was fine. We loved the whole thing.
 
I agree with above - very afraid of heights and I felt completely safe and secure on the bridge. It looks like net but is steel or some other metal supporting the bridge made to look like rope netting. The steps are varying lengths apart and even my slightly mobility impaired self could do it
 
It's Disney, if it looks unsafe that's because it's carefully curated and designed to look that way. We did this Trek week before last and loved it. Honestly the boards being occasionally missing kept me from noticing height much because I was focused on not stepping onto the net and also by making sure I wasn't walking too quickly (they like you to keep a certain distance from the person in front of you). I never felt unsafe or nervous about the height at all.
 


my 11 year old daughter is typically scared of activities like this but had no problems. walked it really slow but no panic attacks or whining.
 
Thanks all! What about doing it in the afternoon in August? Is it to hot for afternoon? I'm guessing yes.
 
Agree with everyone else - you are harnessed in and will feel completely safe. Enjoy! It was one of our favorite Disney tours!
 
I know the Disney chase visa use to have it listed for a discount. I'm not seeing it now, so I'm guessing they do not offer the discount for it anymore?
 
Thanks all! What about doing it in the afternoon in August? Is it to hot for afternoon? I'm guessing yes.

While the safety harness will trap heat the experience itself will not be much hotter than if you were walking the Asian animal path and taking the safari. Florida in August is hot no matter what, and only you know your heat tolerance. If you go make sure you follow their footwear recommendations.
 
I did the Trek two years ago, in mid-June. If I had taken advantage of one of the discounts, I would have had to go after lunch time. Nope, not happening. I booked the first tour of the day. That wasn't too bad as far as heat goes. They offer those discounts later in the day to entice guests to book them. I think there are AP and DVC discounts, but could be wrong.
 
I did the Trek two years ago, in mid-June. If I had taken advantage of one of the discounts, I would have had to go after lunch time. Nope, not happening. I booked the first tour of the day. That wasn't too bad as far as heat goes. They offer those discounts later in the day to entice guests to book them. I think there are AP and DVC discounts, but could be wrong.
I don't have AP or DVC. I did call about the discount with the Disney visa and they said no there wasn't any. I think we will just deal with the full price and go in the morning. After remembering last year there is no way I'm taking my granddaughter in the midday heat. She is a teen but last year she was miserable during that time of day and it was not fun. I can deal with the heat but it ruins it for me if she is not happy.
 
I am terrified of heights!! But I can honestly say it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. I felt really secure with the harness. I believe they offer a discount for signing up for afternoon treks automatically. Fewer people sign up in the afternoon because of heat and the rain or shine policy. I signed up for the 8:30 am trek last summer ( end of July) because I wanted to get in the park before everyone else! Plus it was neat walking to Africa with no one around!!
 
I loved it, and I fell.

I was videotaping (with a camera secured by lanyard) and not watching my steps close enough and stepped into a space with no board. The harness caught me about the same time my armpits were getting the side railings/cables. I didn't hit my arms, caught myself, stood up and kept going. My DD saw it and laughed but it was no big deal with everything working the way it should.
 

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