Disney's Animal Kingdom



Disney's Animal Kingdom is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort. Built on a theme taking inspiration from the many cultures around the world, circling around a central animal message, the park's icon is the magnificent Tree of Life, into which is carved a massive array of animals, insects and fauna.

Plans for the park were originally released in 1995, and ground-breaking began soon after. The park opened on Earth Day 1998, and is the largest of the four theme parks in the Resort, due to the large expanses of man-made savanna and animal habitats in the north of the park.

The Oasis
The Oasis is the Main Street, USA of Animal Kingdom. Guests first enter this land after entering the park. Here, guests are surrounded by animal exhibits featuring birds and other animals as well as realistic rock work until they are greeted by a view of the Tree of Life.

Discovery Island
Located around the Tree of Life, Discovery Island is the main hub of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Many shops and restaurants are found here. Discovery Island is home to It's Tough to Be a Bug! inside the Tree of Life. Walking tours of the gardens surrounding the Tree of Life are also located on Discovery Island

Camp Minnie-Mickey
Camp Minnie-Mickey has become the main character greeting area in the park. It is also the home to both The Festival of the Lion King and Pocahontas and her Forest Friends, both stage shows. The area was originally slated to be Beastly Kingdom but these plans were never realized.

Africa
Themed around the southwestern continent, the Africa area is home to Pangani Forest Exploration Trails as well as a train to Rafiki's Planet Watch. You can also find the insanely popular Kilimanjaro Safaris in Africa.

Rafiki's Planet Watch
Rafiki's Planet Watch is the only land that is not connected to Discovery Island, it is instead connected to Africa. The land is named after Rafiki, a character from the 1994 Disney film The Lion King. Attractions in the land include Wildlife Express Train and walkthrough attractions Habitat Habit!, Conservation Station, and Affection Section.

Asia
Currently famous for the the new Expedition Everest roller coaster. Asia also contains the new restaurant The Yak and Yeti. Themed around a town near Tibet, Asia, Asia also contains Kali River Rapids, Flights of Wonder, and the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

DinoLand U.S.A.
Containing the controversial Hester and Chester's Dinorama, Dinoland USA has evolved into a diversified area within the park. Encompassing Finding Nemo: The Musical, DINOSAUR and Primeval Whirl, Dinoland USA contains a wide variety of attractions. Hester and Chester's Dinorama's theming is often under fire from Disney fans due to its theme of a cheap carnival in what is usually an impeccably themed complex.

Avatar Land
In September 2011, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts announced plants to partner with filmmaker James Cameron, his Lightstorm Entertainment production company and Fox Filmed Entertainment to develop attractions based on Cameron's Avatar film franchise exclusively for Disney theme parks. The first installation is planned for Disney's Animal Kingdom in the form of Avatar-based section of the park.

While no specifics were announced, the new area was described as being several acres in size and costing an estimated $400 million to build, a scale similar to the upcoming Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California. Components from the upcoming second and third films in the Avatar franchise will be featured, along with completely new designs not seen in any of the films. Construction of the new area is expected to begin in 2013 and speculated to be constructed on the land holding Camp Minnie Mickey.