What an amazing trail! At the end you will see a gorilla just sitting there enjoying himself. In between there are birds and other reptiles to watch. Will come again. read more

See all

A great trail located at the back portion of AK. It's a walk-through trail that doesn't just offer Gorilla sightings, but much more! You'll see birds, reptiles, (of course) gorillas, meerkats, and more throughout the walk. There are plenty of signs to help guide you through the various exhibits and cast members available to answer questions. If you are doing the Wilderness Explorer booklet, you'll find five different stops in here to add to your sticker collection. It's always fun to speak with the cast members at these stops and learn about the different stations. My daughter loves it! Overall: A+ A great trail full of fun animals and various stops to learn more! read more

See all

What a cool trail! Got to see a gorilla during feeding time! Definitely going back, when I'm at Walt Disney World again. read more

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail - Amusement Parks Near Me - Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Similar to the maharaja trek, the gorilla falls trail was also really well done and awesome! The enclosures for the gorillas are huge and allow them to explore. It's really cool seeing them moving around, and there's so many! We got to see some playing together which was cute. I also loved the aviary, there's so many unique birds. You can also see an okapi, and zebras but the highlight is the gorillas. It's a really short walk so definitely check it out! read more

See all

Loved this side quest! Gorilla Falls is awesome to visit if you just got off the Kilimanjaro Safari, or you're in between ride and show time, or just a good general area with more animal exhibits. The whole area can be walked in about 25 minutes depending on how fast or slow you go through it but lots of cool animals. We loved the aviary and taking a look on the bird spotting guide. Cute spot at Disney's Animal Kingdom. read more

See all

Gorilla Falls is the walk-through attraction in the Africa section of Animal Kingdom. If you ride the safari as you are exiting and headed back into Animal Kingdom, you can enter the trail. You do not need to go on the safari to head into the trail. It is its own exhibit. This is a completely walk through attraction. There is never a wait, the only wait you will encounter is getting close to glass or railing to see an animal. On the trail, you can see monkeys, hippos, meercats, tons of birds, naked mole rats and my favorite, the gorillas, just to name a few. Most of these have glass so you can get somewhat close to them. The hippos you can actually see under water, it's pretty cool. The gorillas have a large glass area, and they love hanging out there. There is rarely a time, that we walk through here, that they are not right against the windows. The last time there was a baby, her mom loved having the baby sit right against the windows for everyone to see. I truly think they are some of the most interactive animals with us. They know we are there, and I always feel like they are truly looking at you. This walking trail is pretty quiet and peaceful. Take it at your own pace, walk fast through or stroll and spend tons of time in each section. It truly is what you make of it. Your experience can also be different based on which animals are out or not hiding. We have been through here where we just don't see that many, but there have been other times, where we see what feels like every single animal. All in all, I highly recommend this. It is a perfect spot for children to see new animals up close and for adults as well. If your kids are participating in the Wilderness Explorers, there are a few stops along the way. I have not seen any restrooms on the path or places to grab a water or something so I would say do these things before you head inside. I would definitely say check this out next time you are at Animal Kingdom. read more

See all

The gorilla falls exploration trail is a great walk through experience for everyone. You not only see gorillas, but there is a whole room dedicated to birds! You can also see meerkats. The walk is well done with plenty of information to read and so many different animals to look at. There are no cages for the birds or gorillas. But instead they created a canyon so keep the people and gorillas safe. 10/10 would do again read more

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail - Amusement Parks Near Me - Lake Buena Vista, Florida

See all

The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail attraction is located in Africa at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. This is one of my favorite activities at Animal Kingdom! You can go on an adventure, through the lush tropical forest and see a wide range of different animals from hippos, zebra, gorillas, and so much more! There are a variety of paths through the Pangani Forest! It is a self-guided tour. You can take as many pictures as you'd like! There are a variety of observation stations scattered through the exploration trail. While you're on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, you'll learn more about the conservation efforts to protect the animals as well as their habitats! My family and I visited during the holidays. It was relatively chilly outside, but luckily we had bundled up in some warmer clothes to go on the exploration trail! In the summer, there is plenty of shade on the trail as well! It took us approximately 45 minutes to go through the trail! This is a great activity to go to if you're looking for a break from the theme park rides and shows! read more

See all

This is another beautiful and relaxing self-guided trail. It's located in the land of Africa. It was quite an exploration, and a great precursor to the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. You'll get to see & read about the okapi before you see them in action on the safari. The very first sight to see was the Angolan black & white colobus. It was at the entryway of it's enclosure eating a variety of leaves. This monkey had such a human expression on its face. It kind of reminded me of the cartoon witch in Snow White. You know... the one that is delivering the poisoned apple? Is it wearing a black shawl with white fringe? Amazing! It was also cool to see the okapi. I originally thought it was related to the zebra because of the black & white stripes on the legs. It's actually related to the giraffe, and you can see that in the shape of the face. A very lovely animal. I think they have them at ZooTampa. There's an aviary here as well. Unfortunately, it was closed due to cold weather. That just means we'll need to visit again, and I'm loving that idea. However, we did get to the indoor exhibit of the naked mole rats, snakes, frogs, scorpions, and skinks. All were in their own terrariums, and the rats were in the tunnel system behind a glass viewing area. There were other animals such as meerkats, and you can even see their elaborate mound. But, the main attraction is obviously the gorillas. We saw one that came out to greet everyone in the observation area. This one was huge! As you can see in pictures, he is taller than some of those boulders out there (and he's just sitting down). My husband placed his hand in the 6 year old male gorilla's hand cast so that we could see the difference in size. It's a big one! This trail sets the stage for the safari. Be sure to take it all in before you climb into your safari vehicle. I learned a lot here. It didn't have as much of a theme, but it's supposed to be a research outpost in the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. There are stops along the way with some very detailed research written on chalk boards. It's educational, and fun! Oh, and I must say that these animals really seem to enjoy their habitat at Animal Kingdom. They like looking at the funny humans in the enclosed park. read more

See all

Gorilla Falls is a walk-through attraction located in Africa section of Animal Kingdom. If you ride the safari as you are exiting and headed back into Animal Kingdom, you can enter the trail. You do not need to go on the safari to head into the trail. It is its own exhibit. Something to note, this is completely walk through attraction, with little to no wait to enter the attraction. You might have to wait to see a certain animal. During the walking trail, you can potentially (based on where the animal is hanging out or if they are actually out) see monkeys, hippos, meercats, tons of birds, naked mole rats and my personal favorite, the gorillas. These are just a few of the animals, there could always be more. Most of these animals have either a glass window or fence so you are unable to actually touch the animals. The aviary is open though, so birds could fly right by your head. I like the glass windows especially the hippos and gorillas. The hippos you can actually see under water, which is really neat. The gorillas have a large glass area, and they love hanging out there, with many occasions just laying against the windows. There is rarely a time, that we walk through here, that they are not right against the windows. The last time one of the gorillas had a baby, her mom loved having the baby sit right against the windows for everyone to see. I truly think they are some of the most interactive animals that truly enjoy interacting with us. You can tell, they know we are there, and I always feel like they are truly looking at you. The path is pretty quiet and peaceful. It gives you the option to walk through really fast or take it really slow. There are a couple of benches but not many. Most people will just continue walking through, but I could really see sitting for a bit and taking a break and watching the animals. This attraction is truly what you make of it. Your experience might also be different based on which animals are out or hiding from everyone. We have been through here where we just don't see that many, but there have been other times, where we see what feels like every single animal. All in all, I highly recommend this walk through attraction especially for animal lovers. Animal Kingdom is notoriously "not a zoo" but this is the perfect spot to see tons of animals you might have never seen in person before. If your kids are participating in the Wilderness Explorers, there are a few stops along the way. I have not seen any restrooms on the path or places to grab a water or something so I would say do these things before you head inside. ACES! read more

EXPLORE TRAIL TO SEE GORILLAS, HIPPOS and OTHER ANIMALS We recently explored the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail in Disney Animal Kingdom (Africa). The Gorilla Falls trail is conveniently located next to Kilimanjaro Safari - begin or end your safari with a walk on this trail. Cast Member guides are stationed throughout the trail to answer questions and share fun facts about the animals. On the paved and partially shaded trail (stroller and wheel chair accessible), park guests can observe animals in their natural habitats behind glass walls, moats or metal fencing. Hey Disney - more shaded seating along the trail and an indoor AC space would be nice. Among the animals we saw were colobus monkeys with long white hair that fell from their shoulders like a cape, okapi with their dramatically striped behinds, an indoor exhibit of reptiles, insects and mole rats, an impressive group of western lowland gorillas, grazing zebras, birds in an aviary, the cutest meerkats and a pair of hippos. The gorillas were lounging in an open area and one gorilla was leaning against the glass wall. The hippos were in a pool with a glass front so that we could see them underwater - they eerily resembled sunken stone statues when underwater. The self-guided trail is short and can be a quick 1/2 hour walk. Bring binoculars and spend more time here observing the animals. It was amazing seeing the animals close up and especially the facial expressions of the gorillas. Also - binoculars made it easier to find hidden or camouflaged animals and birds. The Gorilla Falls trail is one of several self-guided trails in Animal Kingdom. We saw different animals on the Maharajah Jungle Trek and the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. If you have time for only one trail, we suggest choosing the immersive Maharajah Jungle Trek that invites park guests to be explorers who discover animals hidden in the jungle as they hike among ancient palace ruins. read more

I've always enjoyed these sections of the park in the past because it was wonderful to have a chance to safely see animals that you hardly ever get to see. On this visit I only made it there with a half hour before the trail closed. The only things I got to see were the okapi and a single gorilla. It was still a good walk and experience. read more

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail - Okapi - Amusement Parks Near Me - Lake Buena Vista, Florida

See all

Animal Kingdom (Orlando) AFRICA After exiting Kilimanjaro Safaris we chose to walk the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. It's basically a walk-through zoological exhibits. If you're not into thrill rides then you will enjoy this wildlife. I like both. This is a paved trail walking through a tropical forest of the African wildlife. Here we saw exotic birds aviary, hippos and, of course, gorillas including a mother gorilla cuddling with her young (one of the few photos I captured here). Yes! There's a new baby gorilla at Disney's Animal Kingdom! So cute! We took our time strolling in this trail spending around 20 mins here, which (I think) is more than sufficient. It's a self-guided tour with interpretive signs to read along the trails and is located in Africa at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. We walked through four animal viewing locations including a hippo pool with an underwater viewing area. If you have any questions about any of the wildlife here there are staff members that can answer your questions. There is also an interactive activity for the children. After our walk through the trail we returned to Harambe. Review #1454 read more

See all

This is a nice short little trail to check out when you need a break in Animal Kingdom... The Gorillas are some amazing animals and so much cooler to see in person. They're massive and super powerful. We saw 5 of them hanging out and walking around so we were able to get some pretty good pictures. There's also multiple walk up aquariums that offer some great views of a ton of fish swimming around. The main aquarium room is huge with 3 main viewing windows of a big pond with plenty of exotic fish to see. We were also able to catch a glimpse of a hippo briefly.The meercats section was probably my favorite. Their high energy running around and they're not afraid of the crowds. At times, it appeared they were posing for the everyone. Overall this is a great rain forest inspired exploration trail to explore. Like the Animal Kingdom in general, there's plenty of social media sections for the gram. Enjoy! read more

See all

Another one of the semi-hidden gems of Animal Kingdom that many miss out on because they don't even realize it's there and what it is. After you exit the Safari ride and are following the exit path, instead of exiting to the left - turn right instead. This will take you to the GFET entrance. Meander along winding paths amid a lush forest trail of African flora and fauna. The trail opened in 1998 as Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and then was changed to Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. In 2016, it took its original name again. Because you are walking at your own pace, it is great for taking photos and stopping longer at animals that peak your interest. So what can you expect to see? Well, besides the naked mole rats there are Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Stanley Cranes, Okapi, rare African birds like great blue turacos and bearded barbets (be sure to grab a bird spotting guide!), hippos, Marabou storks, Gerenuks, zebras, meerkats and guest-favorite Lowland Gorillas.  Allow about 20 to 25 minutes for your stroll through this hidden gem. Oh, and here's a tip. It's great to go through BEFORE the Safari ride too if you are waiting for your Fast Pass time to arrive. read more

See all

This isn't a hidden secret in Animal Kingdom. Still, I tend to completely forget about it until I come across the sign for it while visiting the park. This is about as close as AK comes to being a mini-zoo. You get to see so many animals through the walk. Most areas were shaded or enclosed. This was a welcome feature during my most recent visit (Feb 2020). My favorite part was getting to see the hippos. They swam right up to the glass multiple times. The gorillas were terrific, and their vast enclosure gives you several places to view them. There was a baby in there during my last visit, and I could have stayed there for hours watching. Don't save this for the end of the day, it does close at dusk. It's always a pleasant surprise and a great place to kill some time when you are waiting for your next Fastpass. read more

Normally I feel uncomfortable seeing gorillas in captivity, but they have such a lovely enclosure here with plenty of room to roam or seek privacy. No wonder Disney doesn't like Animal Kingdom being likened to a zoo. Even the most naturalist zoos I've been to don't compare. It's also very peaceful. I usually don't care for the combination of rides and animals, but Disney did a good job maintaining a serene environment. In addition to the gorillas, you can see meercats, zebras, and, if you're lucky, hippos in the underwater viewing area. Alas, we were not that lucky. But no ethical steward of nature would force animals to appear for our viewing enjoyment, so that's not the sort of thing I ever hold against anyone. My enjoyment is secondary if not tertiary to care and consideration for the inhabitants. read more

See all

We came to Animal Kingdom later in the day when the park was quite crowded, so we were looking for attractions with no wait. Gorilla Falls fit that bill! This is a trail that you walk through while checking out animals. This is a great place to learn about animals and to see them! We love monkeys, so we were happy to observe them from up close. We saw a couple of other animals on our walk. We did see the gorilla, but it was from far away. There is a sign next to the animal enclosure with detailed info on each creature, so this is a great opportunity to pick up some new facts. This would be a great filler between fast pass times. read more

See all

This is a nice little exploration trail to look at gorillas birds and other things in Disney's animal Kingdom Park. We enjoyed taking a little trail and seeing all the different animals and seeing the gorillas and learning things about them read more

A very nice trail to see the wildlife This walk is located in the Africa section of Disney's Animal Kingdom park. This was previously, from August 1998 to May 2016, known as Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. The entrance is located between the Kilimanjaro Safari ride and Harambe Market. It is about a mile trail through the various habitats of Africa. It is a paved trail with some slopes, stairs, a suspension bridge, and challenging entrances and exits. It is free, never has a wait time, and is good for all wages to walk through at your own pace. You will pass by various enclosures and habitats for all types of mammals from monkeys to hippopotami to birds. There are cast members at various locations along the trail to answer questions or provide information on the various animals throughout the trail. I enjoyed all the displays but thought the hippopotamus and the gorilla displays were the nicest. The various areas are often designed to allow people to see the animals somewhere in the habitat even when they are hiding. You can see a few of the habitats from both sides so pay attention as you are walking through the trail. Overall, a great trail that I try to visit every time that I come to the park. If you get adventurous and the opportunity you can go on Kilimanjaro Safari ride next door to this where you are driven through much larger enclosures with other animals like lions and giraffes. read more

See all

I'm surprised at how many people were skipping right past this after the Safari ride. We were some of the only ones to take the path to see the gorilla sitting in the falls. After that you can trek through the rest of the path and see other animals and birds. Definitely recommended. Don't miss it! read more

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail - Amusement Parks Near Me - Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Within Animal Kingdom, there are several trails you can walk through exploring wildlife. I absolutely love animals but sometimes it can be hard to make time for the trails amongst all the madness of running from ride to ride in a theme park. On my most recent trip to Disney World, I spent time on all the trails at Animal Kingdom and thoroughly enjoyed Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (formerly known as Pangani Forest Exploration Trail). Important to note: The trails usually close a bit earlier than the rest of the park so keep an eye on attraction times. In Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, the gorillas are the big draw for sure. Don't get me wrong, they are cool to see and fun to watch but everything else in this section of the park is great, too! One of the first things you encounter is a hut which houses a bunch of small critters like dung beetles (disgusting, I know, but I think I spent 5 minutes watching them), snakes from different African regions and tiny little snugglesnuff naked mole rats just to name a few. There are also tons of birds (there are guides to help you identify them), an insane amount of fish in some ponds, Dik-Diks (yep, that's an animal), gazelles, hippos, meerkats and okapi! Then of course, the showstoppers at the end - the lowland gorillas. The staff working along the trail was beyond amazing. It was pretty desolate as we went the last half hour it was open and thanks to that got tons of attention from the staff. Every single cast member came up to us to tell us about the animals in that area. The gentleman manning the Okapis area was especially excellent...pretty sure I qualify as an Okapi expert now and they've become one of my favorite animals. Even if the staff is busy or not around, you'll find informational plaques everywhere with details on the animals. While at Animal Kingdom, it can be hard to stop, take a breath and appreciate the wildlife this park was created for. Do yourself a favor and do just that. Visit the various trails like the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail when you need some downtime. read more

See all

This trail inside Disney's Animal Kingdom park will afford you some interesting views of animals and fish and wildlife. When we walked it it was later in the afternoon and close to the time that they start to close the trail so we didn't get to see all the animals and some of them were in further parts of the park but we did see the Gorilla's grooming one another and laying around and some gorgeous fish swimming in a pond with a glass wall for viewing - gorgeous. The end of the trail has a nice waterfall if I remember correctly where you can overlook the water and enjoy a scenic view. It tends to get really crowded since it butts up to the exit for the Safari (if I remember right) and entry and exit can be a nightmare - much like most stuff at Disney - so I was irritated with that and knocked some stars off for the added irritation and small trails filled with crowds. read more

Beautifully done experience in Animal Kingdom. This exhibit is at the exit of Kilimanjaro Safaris. It takes you through a nice, calm pathway where you will see various plants and Animals from Africa. We loved looking at the birds, hippos, gorillas, and more! It takes about 20ish minutes to walk through and was a great use of time for this animal loving family. We wanted to make a point of doing more things in the parks that we hadn't done before. Previously, I had such a go-go-go mentality, that I never stopped to meander through the many animal trails. That was a mistake I'll never make again! Next time, I'm going to make sure we do the Maharajah trail as well to see the tigers. read more

This is a GREAT PLACE to stop by after the Kilimanjaro Safari. As soon as you get off the Safari you can walk towards the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail also known as the Pangani Trail. Guests can remain in their stroller, wheelchair, motorized scooter or ECV to experience the trail. Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is a self-guided walking tour of Native African wildlife. It's a fun walk for the family and kids as you walk through the forest, aquarium, and by the birds on this lovely trail. It takes about 30 minutes to walk through at a normal pace and its worth seeing some of the animals up close. There are Cast Members along the trail who will answer any questions you may have about the wildlife. They can also provide you with some cool facts of some of the animals. The pack of Lowland Gorillas are the highlight of this trail. As you approach the gorilla sanctuary, just a reminder that it's a quiet zone. Most of the animals are out of there about 30 minutes to an hour before closing of the trail. So make sure you make this trail a place to go to well before closing time. read more

See all

This was a fun one to walk through. There were lowland gorillas, a couple of babies, some females, and one large male. They were just chilling, eating leaves, paying no attention to park visitors. The staff were very knowledgeable about the gorillas as far as there social habits and behaviors, and discussed their anatomy and physiology with the kids. This exhibit also had a hippo from the water tank with fish, and a bird exhibit with beautiful African birds. Enjoyed this exhibit very much! read more