Have you spent way too much time on the Adventures By Disney website like me? If so, when exploring all the destinations near and far, you probably were totally enthralled by one of the farthest (and most adventurous) of their offerings — the South African Safari.
Although this trip has always been tempting, Disney went and WAY upped the ante. Adventures By Disney will be offering an Adult-Exclusive South African adventure celebrating the 20th anniversary of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park with Imagineer Joe Rohde and Dr. Mark Penning. Joe Rohde, as you probably know, is the creative genius behind the creation of Animal Kingdom, so this 20 year milestone truly means something to him. Rohde will share his stories of Africa and how it inspired the creation of Animal Kingdom Park. Dr. Mark Penning is the VP of Animal Sciences at Animal Kingdom (and a native South African), which means that he’ll have very poignant insights into the creatures seen on the trip. Plus Rohde declares, “Dr. Mark Penning is a great raconteur and a party animal” (bonus!). Both will share their personal stories during a the trip along with a variety of activities and presentations.
The trip will include visits to the Kapama Game Reserve, Knysna Elephant Park, see the penguins of Boulders Beach, Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary, Table Mountain, and the Cape of Good Hope. Seriously amazing.
Joe Rohde, ever the artist (and an ex-art teacher), will encourage guests to sketch during the trip. “Each guest will get a sketchbook and pens similar to the ones I use when I do my own sketches,” he wrote. “Like this one of a kopje in the Serengeti. The point of sketching is not necessarily to create an accurate picture of what you saw… When you take the time to sketch, you can print a very vivid memory into your brain, regardless of the quality of the sketch.” Rohde continued saying, “I definitely think this would be a pretty cool trip.” Uh, yeah. It WILL.
The dates for this once-in-a-lifetime experience are November 30 to December 9. Find out more right here.
Photos: Adventures By Disney