The Wilderness Must Be Explored

[devores 382]

In a previous TR (http://www.fortfiends.net/forum/topic/10220-a-pirates-life-for-me/) I mentioned we tried two new experiences at WDW.

 

The second was the Wilderness Explorers at AK.

 

This is a learning experience that takes you around AK and has you perform activities to earn badges. The great part about it is you do not have to dedicate time to this experience as it can be accomplished while you enjoy the park as normal.

 

First, a meet and greet to get us in the mood......

 

 

You start your experience at the hut just across the bridge when you first enter AK

 

 

Here, you receive your handbook and a badge (sticker) to identify yourself to the other troop leaders

 

 

Inside the book you will find a map of the locations of the other troop leaders

 

 

and the activities at each location

 

 

The activities vary by location and range from performing a task, finding a hidden clue, or just talking to a troop leader.

 

While walking around the park, you will find markers

 

 

 

that guide you to troop leaders

 

 

Most of the troop leaders are located in areas that you will be going to anyway, but some are in areas you might not have been before, so you get to see areas of the park you might otherwise have missed.

 

Most activities only take a few mins and are not difficult, and you will learn something.

 

The thing I like about this experience is that it is not just another game. You will learn something. The troop leaders start with basic info in an effort to teach you something but will not give you your badge until they feel you have learned something. And it is geared towards the explorers.  

 

One example is the Gorilla badge.

 

There was a group of small boys in front of us. The troop leader was telling them about how gorillas eat plants and how they walk on their knuckles. When it was our turn, she told us about how newer batteries contain a metal that is only found in the rain forests and that the forests are being cleared to get this metal, threatening the gorillas natural habitat. By recycling one battery, we can save aprox an acre of rain forest.

 

Since this can be done while enjoying your touring plan, I recommend everyone stop on your way in and pick up a handbook. You do not have to complete all the badges in one day and can start and stop whenever you want.

 

We arrived at 1pm and dedicated the day to this. When we left at 6pm, we had completed 18 out of 31 badges.

 

This will be a great activity for homeschoolers and field trips such as boy or girl scout troops.

 

We will return and complete the rest of our badges at some point.

 

 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

When you talk about earning badges, you aren't saying that they actually give you some type of badge, are you?

 

You are just checking it off in your book, right?

 

TCD

[devores 382]

When you talk about earning badges, you aren't saying that they actually give you some type of badge, are you?

 

You are just checking it off in your book, right?

 

TCD

The badges are stickers they give you to put in your book.....

 

 

Top left of the pages, the round symbols, are the badges you earn. They give you the sticker to put in the book.

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Sounds like a good thing for the younglings. Thanks Dave

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Sounds fun!

[CoachClough 12]

That sounds awesome.  My sons would definitely like that.  And I would too :)

[Ok Grumpy AKA Cindy~~ 9]

It sounds like all ages would get something out of this, Is that correct?

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Sounds like a good thing for the younglings.

 

...and.... me! 

 

I like fun and informative. 

 

Thanks for this, Dave!

[dblr....Rennie 224]

Sounds great and really not just for the kids!!!!!!

[GOBA Mom Lynn 18]

Thanks for showing us this.  It looks really cute. (Although I'm not sure what my 2 Eagle Scouts would think of it..)

Now, the question is---- Do they have an "assisting the elderly" badge?   ^-^

[ftwildernessguy 778]

This sounds like a great activity.