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/* Coneption */
==Coneption==
Although the plans for Disney's Animal Kingdom began in 1989, the idea of the park can be traced back to Walt Disney himself. When designing the attraction the [[Jungle Cruise]] for Disneyland, Walt wanted guests to see real animals. Walt felt that being in close proximity to real animals would give guests a unique and exciting experience. Eventually however, it was decided that real animals would be too unpredictable and each ride guest on the attraction would not get an even experience.When the Jungle Cruise opened it featured Audio Anamatronic animals, who were much more predictable and consistent than live ones. Although Walt never got to see it, Disney's Animal Kingdom took his basic idea and expanded it to a much larger scale.
When Walt Disney World was ready to expanded again in 1989, Michael Eisner (the CEO of Disney) tasked his Imageneers with creating a theme park based on animals. In 1990 a team of Imageneers led by Joe Rohde began brainstorming different ideas for the park. In 1992 the park layout was finally adopted. It was decided that the park would be part zoo and part theme park. The idea for a new animal theme park, was put on hold during the early 1990s. A recession had hit the country, and theme parks were hit hard. Also complicating matters, Disney's newest park-Disneyland Paris, was not doing as well as expected. However in 1994 with the economy picking up, and the recent success of the Disney movie The Lion King, plans for a new theme park were once again put in motion. From 1992-1995 Disney Imageneers studied wild animals in their natural habit (focusing on Africa).
The idea for a new animal theme park, was put on hold during the early 1990s. A recession had hit the country, and theme parks were hit hard. Also complicating matters, Disney's newest park- Disneyland Paris, was not doing as well as Disney had expected. However in 1994 with the economy picking up, and the recent success of the Disney movie The Lion King, plans for a new theme park were once again put in motion. From 1992-1995 Disney Imageneers studied wild animals in their natural habit (focusing on Africa). Within Disney however, their was much debate on whether the new park was a good idea. Many worried that the public would not want to visit a zoo when while on vacation. Besides the fact that there were zoos all over the country, Disney worried that people thought of zoos as a depressing place places with caged animals. Joe Rohde and his Imageneers however, believed in their idea. They explained that the animals would be living in a re-creation of their natural habitat. Their would be no fences, but natural boundaries (such as moats or rocks) that the animals would not cross. Animal Kingdom would not be a zoo, but a place of conservation, that taught guests the importance of nature.
Although the idea of the park was eventually seen as feasible, Michael Eisner and other executives worried that simply seeing animals would not be exciting enough for guests. Joe Rohde and his Imageneers however felt, like Walt Disney, that being in such close proximity to wild animals would be thrilling to guests. To prove his point, Joe brought a 400 pound tiger into a meeting. While he was giving a speech, to persuade the company to build the park, the Tiger walked around the table. The tiger went right next to Michael Eisner before eventually exiting the room. After the demonstration Eisner had to agree with Joe Rohde. He announced the park in June of 1995 and Disney's Animal Kingdom was green lit for construction.
