Changes

Like the other Disney parks, Imagineers knew that Disney's Animal Kingdom would need a "weenie" or icon to draw guests into the park. The first icon considered for the park was the Animal Carousel <ref name= "book"/>. This three tiered structure would have featured birds, animals and fish that guests could ride on , as they went around the carousel. Michael Eisner eventually rejected this idea because he though it was "too frivolous"<ref name= "book"/>., and Imagineers came up with a new icon- The Tree of Life.

Initially, Imagineers had a tough time figuring out how to create the massive icon <ref name= "tree"> http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2012/06/tree_of_life_at_disneys_animal.html </ref>. The tree had to look authentic, while being able to withstand hurricane level winds<ref name= "tree"/> . On top of that, the tree would also have to house the attraction [[It's Tough to be a Bug!]] (the attraction show was chosen over an earlier idea of having a restaurant inside the treeicon) <ref name= "tree"/>. Eventually however, Imagineers came up with a fairly simple solution. First, they took the structure of an oil rig for the base<ref name= "tree"/>. Next, 45 secondary branches were then added to the tree, followed by 756 tertiary branches and finally 891 end branches. The Tree tree was then covered with 102,583 man-made leaves. After the structure was complete, 20 artisans carved over 300 animals into the treestructure's branches and trunk<ref name= "tree"/>. When the Tree of Life was completed, it stood 145 feet tall and looked as if the animals themselves were making up the tree's trunk<ref name= "tree"/>.

Disney's Animal Kingdom officially opened on April 22, 1998 (Earth Day). At the opening of the park, the song “The Circle of Life” from Disney's The Lion King played as guests were showered with rose petals <ref> http://allears.net/tp/ak/ak_opn.htm </ref>. A half hour after the park had opened; the parking lot was filled to capacity, while and 45 minutes later the park itself was filled to capacity <ref name= "day"/>. The first official guests to Disney's Animal Kingdom were Brenda Herr, her husband Damon Chepren, and their son Devon <ref name= "day"> http://thisdayindisneyhistory.homestead.com/apr22.html </ref>. They were greeted by Roy E. Disney and given lifetime passesto Walt Disney World. Unlike previous theme park openings, the event Grand Opening of Disney's Animal Kingdom was not a star studded oneaffair, although Michael J. Fox, Drew Carey, Stevie Wonder, and David Copperfield did appear <ref> http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1998-04-20/news/9804190408_1_walt-disney-animal-kingdom-disney-theme </ref>. Some 5,000 reporters were also on hand as Michael Eisner read the park's dedication:

In 2000 and 2001 many of Animal Kingdom's lands were renamed. The former [[Safari Village ]] became [[Discovery Island]] <ref> http://waltdatedworld.com/id131.htm </ref> and , while [[Conservation ]] Station became was renamed [[Rafiki's Planet Watch]] <ref> http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2009/07/rafikis_planet_watch_the_forgo.html </ref>. The change in name to Discovery Island coincided with the closing of the Discovery Island attraction on Bay Lake. Also changing its name at this time was the popular [[DinoLand USA]] attraction [[Countdown To Extinction]]. That ride was re-named after, and slightly altered, to tie into the 2000 Disney movie [[Dinosaur]] <ref> https://www.mouseplanet.com/10881/Remembering_the_Magic_Countdown_To_Extinction__DINOSAUR </ref>.

2001 also saw another expansion in of Disney's Animal Kingdom. At this time, [[Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama]] was added to [[DinoLand USA]]. This mini land housed Midway Games (later renamed [[Fossil Fun Games]]) and the [[TriceraTop Spin]] <ref name= "d23"> https://d23.com/a-to-z/chester-hesters/ </ref>. The following year on March 31, 2002, [[Primeval Whirl]] was added to the area <ref name= "d23"/>.

The next set of major changes came to Animal Kingdom in 2006. In DinoLand USA, Finding Nemo- the Musical replaced Tarzan Rocks, which had been there operating since 1999 <ref> http://allears.net/tp/ak/nemo.htm </ref>. Also in 2006, the “E-Ticket” roller coaster [[Expedition Everest]] was built in [[Asia]]. The attraction is a roller high speed coaster set in the Himalayas, and it includes a close encounter with the fabled Yeti. By including the Yeti in the attraction, Disney's Animal Kingdom finally featured a mythical creature (which had been promised since the park’s dedication).

One change that has yet to (and may never) come to Animal Kingdom is the addition of Beastly Kingdomme. Despite a dragon being featured on the park's original logo, there are currently no plans to build the land. Camp Minnie-Mickey proved to be popular with guests, and thus the land set aside for Beastly Kingdom remained in use. With the announcement creation of [[Pandora- The World of a land based on Avatar ]] it looks is unlikely that Beastly Kingdomme will be built. Despite this, remnants of the planned Beastly Kingdom can still be found including:

*Burnt suits of armor were located just outside the cave entrance , and when the Discovery Boats passed this scene, guests were told by the boat's captain that the fire was created by a fire-breathing dragon inside the cave <ref name= "hill"/>.

Located at the front of the park, the Oasis is the first land that guests encounter. Guest services Services and the Rain Forest Cafe are located here. The Oasis leads to the park's hub, [[Discovery Island]].

Rafiki's Planet Watch was originally called Conservation Station from 1998 until October 2000. It is the only land not accessible from [[Discovery Island]]. In order to get to Rafiki's Planet Watch guests must board the [[Wildlife Express Train]] which travels between [[Africa]] and the Planet Watch.

Initially intended to be a temporary land, Camp Minnie-Mickey was located constructed where Beastly Kingdom Kingdomme was originally supposed intended to be built. HereAt Camp Minnie-Mickey, guests could meet their favorite Disney characters including Mickey, Minnie, and Donald. The main attraction located in Camp Minnie-Mickey was the Broadway style show [[Festival of the Lion King]]. In 2014 Camp Minnie-Mickey closed in order to make room for a new land based on James Cameron's [[Pandora- The World of Avatar]]. Following Camp Minnie-Mickey's closure, Festival of the Lion King was relocated to the [[Africa ]] section of the park.

*StrawsPlastic straws, balloons, and cup lids are not used inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom to protect the animals from potential choking hazards <ref name= "guide"> http://www.guidetothemagic.com/animalkingdom/animalkingdom5.htm </ref>.