Changes
/* Attraction History */
Early plans for Disney's Animal Kingdom called for a steam engine railway which 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 steam engine that would take guests from the Village of Harambe in the Africa section of the park to Conservation Station. Imagineer George McGinnis came out of retirement to design the locomotives for the attraction. They were designed to give guests the impression that they had been traveling through Africa for a hundred years, collecting grime and rust along the way. According to Imagineer Joe Rhode:
{{Quotation| We're creating a look for vehicles that would be seen today in Africa and Asia, long after thier orignal their original use in Europe in the late 1800s}} The rail cars and engines themselves were built in 1997 Stratford-on-Avon by the model-railroad firm of Severn Lamb, Ltd., at Alcester, England. Production of the locomotives was overseen by Imagineers Bob Harpur and Joel Fritsche. Finally, on April 22, 1998 the Wildlife Express Train opened with the rest of Disney's Animal Kingdom.
==Attraction Description==
The Wildlife Express Train is a locomotive steam engine that takes guests from the village of Harambe in Africa to Rafiki's Planet Watch and vice versa. The train takes guests on a 1.2 mile circuit, along a narrow path between Africa and Asia. Along the way, guests can get a backstage view of the animal care facilities where the park's animals are kept overnight.
