“First came the Magic Kingdom, then Epcot, then Disney MGM Studios, and now... Introducing the most adventurous Walt Disney World theme park ever. 'Disney's Animal Kingdom'. The imagination of Disney... gone wild.”
Disney's Animal Kingdom is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort. Built on a theme taking inspiration from 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 (April 22) 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.
"Welcome to a kingdom of animals... real, ancient, and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions, dinosaurs, and dragons; a kingdom of balance, harmony, and survival; a kingdom we enter to share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama, and learn."
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. This area was originally named Safari Village.
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. This area also became the new home of the popular Festival of the Lion King stage show in the summer of 2014 (retitled A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King in 2021), following the closure of Camp Minnie-Mickey (which is permanently closed).
Containing the controversial Chester and Hester's Dinorama, Dinoland USA has evolved into a diversified area within the park. Encompassing Finding Nemo: The Musical (which was temporarily closed to make way for a "reimagined" version of the show as Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond!, which opened in 2022), Dinosaur, TriceraTop Spin, and Primeval Whirl (which is now permanently closed), Dinoland USA contains a wide variety of attractions. 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.
Camp Minnie-Mickey was the main character greeting area of the park. It was also home of two stage shows: Festival of the Lion King and Pocahontas and her Forest Friends. The area was originally slated to become Beastly Kingdom with the Camp serving as a temporary placeholder, but those plans were never realized. The Camp closed for good in January 2014 to make way for a new area, which would eventually become Pandora: The World of Avatar.
2021 Concept Art for a new look of Tree of Life's Beacon of Magic at the World's Most Magical Celebration in Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary celebration.
Trivia[]
When Imagineers were designing Animal Kingdom, executives were unconvinced that the park would have the necessary draw to compete against other zoos. To reassure them of the up-close excitement, Imagineers brought a live tiger to their presentation. It turned out that was all the convincing necessary.
Over a three-year period, Animal Kingdom came to life on what was a barren cow pasture. The incredible transformation included laying 60 miles of plumbing, importing 4.4 million yards of dirt, creating rivers, and relocating and relocating animals from around the world. The park was quite an investment—a whopping $800 million dollars!
Approximately 1,000 animals live in Animal Kingdom, and more than 150 species have reproduced since the park's opening.
Out of the three Walt Disney World Parks, this is the only one to not feature fireworks for the safety of the animals.
Ever wondered where all of your recycled containers go? Well, quite a few milk jugs ended up in Animal Kingdom. Through Disney's "green" efforts, the benches in the park are made of the recycled material.
It has a game on Facebook.com and unlocks more animals encircling the Tree of Life.
This is the only Disney Park where all of its restrooms have doors on their entrances/exits. This is because in the event of a rogue animal escaping its enclosure, guests would need to go into the restrooms and close the door for cover.
.jpeg "Disney's Animal Kingdom (Raised Animals Under The Tree Of Life).jpeg (94 KB)")
