In secluded pockets throughout the forests and savannahs of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, designers are crafting an experience unlike any other to be found in the theme park.
Among them, a three-hour African jungle trek in which small groups will pick their way through wooded overgrowth, peer over a cliff at a pool of hippos, cross a rickety bridge above Nile crocodiles, and dine in a safari-style camp where the gazelles are nearly close enough to touch.
But the experience won’t come cheap. Disney, which began accepting reservations Friday for tours that will begin in January, eventually plans to charge $189 a person for the tours, on top of the basic park admission.
Disney’s “Wild Africa Trek” is among the latest projects to sprout from an industry-wide effort by theme parks to develop attractions for guests who want intimate, personalized experiences — and are willing to pay a premium for them.
