How the Wildlife Express Train Works at Animal Kingdom
Bluey and Bingo are now at Animal Kingdom, and getting to their experience is a little different from other attractions at the park. You’ll need to take the Wildlife Express Train to reach this area of Animal Kingdom.
My husband and I recently took our two kids, currently ages 5 and 3, to see Bluey and Bingo. In this post, we’ll share what we learned about taking the train, including where to board, what to know about bringing a stroller, and how long you can expect the process to take.
What Is the Wildlife Express Train?
The Wildlife Express is a giant locomotive that takes you from Harambe, Africa to Conservation Station. Once you arrive, you’ll be able to explore Bluey’s Wild World, visit kangaroos and wallabies at Jumping Junction, and get an up-close look at different critters from around the world. You can even see a veterinary treatment room where animals from inside the park are brought for routine care and minor procedures.
If your little ones are participating in the Wilderness Explorers scavenger hunt, there are also a few badges to be earned here. The Wildlife Express Train is currently the only way to travel to this area of the park.
Where Do You Get on the Wildlife Express Train?
The Wildlife Express is located in Harambe, Africa, directly next to Kilimanjaro Safaris. There’s a large sign to help you find the entrance, as well as a digital display board with the current wait times for the Wildlife Express Train and Bluey’s Wild World.
Because of its close proximity to Kilimanjaro Safaris, we often choose to go on the safari first and then head right over to the train afterward. When visiting the park with young kids, we’ve found it’s so helpful to try to do experiences in the same location and limit how much extra walking we’re doing across the park.
How Often Does the Train Run and How Long Does It Take?
The Wildlife Express is typically open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, but I recommend verifying the exact hours on the day of your visit in the My Disney Experience app so you can plan your day accordingly.
The journey from the Harambe station to Conservation Station takes approximately 7 minutes, and trains run back and forth throughout the day. The train can carry a lot of people at once, so if you time it right and arrive while one is still in the station, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to get on. If you miss one, the wait for the next train is about 7 minutes.
Both Harambe station and Conservation Station are covered from the sun, which is always nice on a hot park day. There are also a few benches where you can sit while you wait.
Otherwise, there’s not too much for kids to look at while waiting for the train. My toddler has a hard time just standing around and waiting, so we always feel pretty lucky when our timing works out. Sometimes we can head almost straight onto the train. If not, it’s a great time to pull out a snack and take a quick water break before the train arrives.
Boarding the Train, Seating, and Strollers
There are several gates that open to allow guests to board the train, with each boarding area indicated in yellow on the ground. You won’t line up single file, but rather fill in all available space and slowly move together as the gates open. Cast Members are stationed along the loading platform to help find available seats if needed. We’ve found the boarding process to be pretty calm overall and haven’t had any issues taking our time boarding with the kids.
There are two rows of bench-style seating with quite a bit of space between them, and the seats face out toward the side of the train. We’re able to comfortably place our diaper bag on the floor in front of us with plenty of room to spare. There are no restraints, so very young kids might be better off sitting on the inside. There isn’t really any difference between sitting in the first or second row. It all comes down to preference, and our kids usually like to go in the back row, so that’s where we’ll typically sit.
When our younger son was still an infant, we found babywearing to be extremely helpful when navigating the train. We preferred using a baby carrier rather than bringing our stroller with us. Foldable strollers are permitted on the train. They should be folded prior to boarding, and you’ll need to place them on the ground in front of you during the ride. Most families we saw parked their strollers in the designated stroller parking areas before getting on the train, but we did see a few who chose to bring theirs with them.
Although you’ll be out of the direct sun while on the train, it’s not air-conditioned and the windows are open to the outside. On particularly hot park days, we like to bring one of our stroller fans with us for the ride just to keep the air moving. It’s definitely not something you need for the train, but on a really hot park day, we’re always glad we brought it along.
What You See and Hear on the Train
During your 7-minute journey to Conservation Station, a narration will play over the speakers in the train. With the opening of Bluey’s Wild World, Disney recently updated the narration and music for the ride. My kids were really excited to hear Bluey, Bingo, Chilli, and Bandit, along with some familiar music from the show. The story also gives you a quick overview of some of the things you’ll be able to see and do once you arrive at Conservation Station.
You’ll also get to see some behind-the-scenes areas where animals such as the rhinos and elephants are brought at night. Most of the time, we haven’t seen any animals in these areas during the day, so I wouldn’t necessarily expect to see any during your ride. However, there have been one or two times when we’ve been lucky enough to spot an animal back there.
Overall, the ride is very slow and relaxing, with nice scenery, some themed Bluey signs as you get closer, and a cute story that plays to help your little ones feel even more excited about who they’re about to see. Both of my kids are able to sit comfortably for the entire ride, so it becomes a really nice break for us all.
The narration is a little different on your return trip to Harambe. Instead of focusing on what you’re about to experience at Conservation Station, you’ll hear more about Disney’s conservation efforts while you make your way back.
What You’ll Find at Conservation Station
After arriving at Conservation Station, you’ll start seeing Bluey-themed signs as you make your way toward the path that leads to Bluey’s Wild World. Altogether, the walk took us about 6 minutes, and that was with two young kids walking on their own and stopping to look at the Bluey theming and other informational signs along the way. The path is flat and pretty well shaded. If you have little ones who may struggle with that amount of walking, that’s where bringing your stroller with you can come in handy. There’s also a covered pavilion along the way where you can earn a Wilderness Explorers badge if your kids are participating in the program.
At the end of the path, you’ll see the building where Bluey’s Wild World is located. The main queue is inside, but there is an extended queue outside. Inside, kids have an opportunity to interact with Bluey and Bingo during a 15-minute show with a group of other people where you’ll play games and dance. This is also where you’ll find the different critters and the animal treatment room.
Outside is Jumping Junction, which gives you an opportunity to see kangaroos and wallabies up close, as well as a gift shop with all different types of Bluey merchandise. Before heading back to the path that leads to the train, there’s also a cart selling cold drinks.
If you choose to bring your stroller with you on the train, there’s designated stroller parking outside before heading into the building to see Bluey and Bingo.
On our recent visit, we spent about an hour and 15 minutes at Conservation Station from the time we got off the train until we were ready to get back on. We didn’t make it to Jumping Junction this time because the line was pretty long and our kids were ready for lunch, so you may want to plan for a little more time if you want to experience everything in the area.
Final Thoughts
Riding the Wildlife Express Train at Disney’s Animal Kingdom has become something my two young kids really enjoy. With no height restrictions, often low wait times between trains, and a nice relaxing ride that now leads to two of their favorite characters, it’s hard to beat.
We often start our visits to Animal Kingdom by going on Kilimanjaro Safaris and then head right over to the Wildlife Express Train. After spending a little over an hour at Conservation Station, we can make our way back to the main area of the park and decide what’s next. Depending on the time and how everyone is doing, we may walk through the self-guided Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail to see even more animals or head right to lunch. We love that all of these experiences are located close together, especially when visiting the park with young kids.
If you have little ones who are fans of trains, are excited to see Bluey and Bingo, or love seeing animals and other critters from around the world, I recommend adding a ride on the Wildlife Express Train to your day at Animal Kingdom.
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