| Wildlife Express Train | |
|---|---|
 Entrance sign at Harambe Station, pictured in 2008. | |
| Disney's Animal Kingdom | |
| Area | Africa |
| Coordinates | 28°21′35″N 81°35′28″W / 28.35972°N 81.59111°W / 28.35972; -81.59111 |
| Status | Operating |
| Soft opening date | April 21, 1998 |
| Opening date | April 22, 1998 |
| Ride statistics | |
| Attraction type | Heritage railway |
| Manufacturer | Severn Lamb |
| Designer | Walt Disney Imagineering |
| Theme | African railway |
| Length | 6,336 ft (1,931 m) |
| Vehicle type | Train |
| Vehicles |
|
| Riders per vehicle | 250 |
| Rows | 2 |
| Duration | 12 minutes |
| Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
| Ride host | Robert Irwin (voice; 2026–present) |
 Wheelchair accessible | |
The Wildlife Express Train is an African themed 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge heritage railroad at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World, which opened on April 22, 1998. Its route is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long and takes guests on a trip between the Africa and Conservation Station sections.
History
Early plans for Disney's Animal Kingdom called for a railway that would have taken guests through the Savannah plains. This idea was modified, however, when concerns about the safety of the animals was raised. Instead, Disney decided to create a railway that would take guests from the Village of Harambe in the Africa section of the park to the Conservation Station section of the park. Imagineer George McGinnis came out of retirement to design the locomotives for the attraction. They were designed to give guests the impression that the trains had been traveling through Africa for a hundred years, collecting grime and rust along the way. According to imagineer Joe Rohde, the idea was to create a look for vehicles "that would be seen today in Africa and Asia, long after their original use in Europe in the late 1800s."[1]
The locomotives and rail cars themselves were built in 1997 by Severn Lamb, Ltd. in Alcester, England.[2] Production of the locomotives was overseen by Imagineers Bob Harpur and Joel Fritsche.[1] On April 22, 1998, the Wildlife Express Train opened with the rest of Disney's Animal Kingdom.
The Wildlife Express Train and Rafiki's Planet Watch were both temporarily closed on October 21, 2018, for refurbishment and reopened on July 11, 2019.[3][4] The train and Rafiki's Planet Watch both closed again on February 23, 2026, in order to make way for a new Bluey experience.[5] The Wildlife Express Train reopened on May 26, 2026, along with new on-board narration by conservationist Robert Irwin on the journey from the Africa section of the theme park to Conservation Station. The Rafiki's Planet Watch theme, the Animation Academy, as well as the petting zoo were all removed from Conservation Station and replaced with Bluey's Wild World, an interactive show, and a kangaroo and wallaby exhibit, called Jumping Junction, which also opened the same day.[6]
Experience
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The Wildlife Express Train is themed to the fictitious Eastern Star Railway, running between Lusaka, Nairobi, and Kisangani. Like most other Disney rail attractions, the railway is built to a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge, which is smaller than the 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge currently used on East African railways.
The train takes guests from Harambe Station in the Africa section to Conservation Station One full journey takes about twelve minutes to complete: seven minutes from Harambe Station to Conservation Station, and five minutes from Conservation Station to Harambe Station. During the ride, portions of the Animal Kingdom backlot can be seen, including animal holding buildings for rhinos and elephants, among other animals. The roundhouse where the trains are stored is also visible.[1][7]
Rolling stock
The Wildlife Express Train operates three 2-4-2DH steam-outline locomotives built by Severn Lamb in 1997 before the park's opening the following year.[1][7] The locomotives are based on the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway's Class 5 and Class 6 locomotives in England, designed by John Aspinall and built in 1898 at the railway's Horwich Works. There are also two sets of train cars, each consisting of five coaches with a total seating capacity of 250 people per train.
All rolling stock for the Wildlife Express were built brand-new, but are painted to look dated and weathered, in order to give the impression that the trains have been running for many decades.[8] The two train sets are decorated with various bins and items on the roof, simulating the luggage that passengers have brought aboard the train.[9]
| Number | Image | Wheel arrangement | Date built | Builder | Date entered service | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00174 | .jpg) |
2-4-2DH | 1997 | Severn Lamb | April 21, 1998 | Operational | – |
| 02594
R. Baba Harpoor |
 |
Carries the name R. Baba Harpoor in honor of Disney Imagineer Bob Harpur. | |||||
| 04982 |  |
– |
See also
References
- Broggie, Michael (2014), Walt Disney's Railroad Story: The Small-Scale Fascination That Led to a Full-Scale Kingdom (4th ed.), The Donning Company Publishers, p. 385, ISBN 978-1-57864-914-3
- Smith, Thomas (November 1, 2010). "Where at Disney Parks Can You Find…". Disney Parks Blog (Press release). Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- Terrell, Scott (June 10, 2019). "The Animation Experience at Conservation Station begins July 11". Disney Parks Blog (Press release). Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
- Tuttle, Brittani (September 29, 2018). "Rafiki's Planet Watch to reopen in spring 2019 at Disney's Animal Kingdom". Attractions Magazine. Archived from the original on November 12, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- Ace, Shannen (February 3, 2026). "Wildlife Express Train & Rafiki's Planet Watch Closing Date Announced for Bluey Takeover". WDW News Today. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
- Waltz, Kendall (May 25, 2026). "It's HERE! Disney World Debuts Bluey Early in Animal Kingdom". AllEars.Net. Archived from the original on May 26, 2026. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
- "Surviving Steam Locomotives in Florida". Steamlocomotive.com. February 14, 2017. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
- Amendola, Dana (2015). All Aboard: The Wonderful World of Disney Trains (1st ed.). Disney Editions. pp. 158–159. ISBN 978-1-4231-1714-8.
- "Historic British Trains Live Again on Wildlife Express". Walt Disney World News (Press release). December 11, 2006. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2019.