Wildlife Express Train, Heritage railroad at Disney's Animal Kingdom, Florida, United States
The Wildlife Express Train is a narrow-gauge railroad that carries passengers between the Africa section and Rafiki's Planet Watch at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The short journey covers roughly two kilometers of track between these two areas.
The train opened with Disney's Animal Kingdom in 1998 and was designed by an Imagineer to replicate locomotives from 19th century Africa. The original intent was to connect different areas of the park using the same kind of railroads that once crossed the continent.
The name comes from an old African railway linking distant cities, and the design evokes those colonial-era trains. You see decorations and signs referencing places like Lusaka and Nairobi throughout your ride.
Each complete round trip takes about 12 minutes, and the train can move thousands of passengers throughout the day. The train runs regularly throughout operating hours, so wait times vary depending on the time of day you visit.
During the ride you can see backstage areas where animals receive care and are housed in specialized facilities. These glimpses show the daily work happening behind the scenes at the park.
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