Get to Know Wildlife at an Orlando Safari

Do you want the thrill of an African safari but prefer chasing warthogs and zebras with a camera closer to home? Consider Orlando. You’ll find authentic safari experiences within easy driving distance of Central Florida’s seven Marriott Vacation Club^® resorts — so you can play all day before returning to a spacious villa at your home-away-from-home.

WILD FLORIDA DRIVE-THRU SAFARI PARK

At the Wild Florida Drive-Thru Safari Park, explore the savanna at your own pace from the comfort of your car. This 270-acre compound offers views of 150 animals across 50 species that roam freely as you cruise along a 4-mile long trail. Seek out South African and Arabian oryx as they go about their day, and spend time watching bongo antelope in their specially built habitat. You’ll also find wildebeest, Ankole-Watusi cattle, bison, and elk enjoying the fresh air. If time allows, stop by the Gator Park, home to sloths; porcupines; and 1,000-pound reptiles.

GIRAFFE RANCH

Scoot around the 47-acre Giraffe Ranch on a Segway^®, ride a camel, lead a llama, or board an open-sided Jeep^®. Prefer your own vehicle? Follow along in your car as a guide narrates your journey on the radio. No matter which method you choose, you’ll enjoy an eclectic array of 700 animals across 150 species, including giraffes, zebras, and a pygmy hippo.

Both witty and educational, the tour leads you to experiences like feeding giraffes and observing ostrich chicks — the closest living relative to the T-Rex. For an extra fee, you can wash a rhino, feed grapes to ring-tailed lemurs, or offer fish to small-clawed otters.

SAFARI WILDERNESS

Kayak your way through wetlands or zip around in an ATV at Safari Wilderness, home to 800 African and Asian animals living on more than 250 acres in Lakeland, Florida. You can take the narrated tour in your personal vehicle, ride in a shaded open-sided truck, or climb onto the back of a camel. For all experiences, a guide will point out the different species, such as defassa waterbuck and red lechwe, as they come into view.

Your guide will also share fun facts about the wildlife — and will even provide food for you to offer them. For an even more unique experience, embark on the summertime sunset safari.

KILIMANJARO SAFARIS

Settle into an open-air safari bus and let an expert guide drive you through 110 acres of wetlands, forest, and plains on Kilimanjaro Safaris^® at Disney’s Animal Kingdom^® Theme Park just outside Orlando. Admission to the theme park is required to enjoy this 18-minute excursion, where you’ll see lions, elephants, and rhinos — plus more than 30 other species in a setting that will have you thinking you’re across the world. For an additional fee, a night tour of Harambe Wildlife Reserve is also available, as well as a three-hour private tour on the Africa Wild Trek.