Difference between revisions of "Disney's Animal Kingdom"

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(History After Opening Day)
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In 2014 Camp Minnie-Mickey was closed in order to make way for a new area of the park based on James Cameron's 2009 film “Avatar” <ref name= "attractions"> https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Festival+of+Lion+King+closed+Avatar </ref>. Following the land's closure the [[Festival of the Lion King]] attraction was relocated to a new section of Africa called “New Harambe” <ref> https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/07/a-new-home-for-festival-of-the-lion-king-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ </ref>. In 2015 the Harambe Marketplace opened to guests. The new area was themed around a “Colonial-era train depot design complete with a 1960s water tower”. Inside the Harambe Marketplace guests can visit various food vendors who sell African inspired quinine <ref> https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/04/fun-new-tastes-at-harambe-market-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ </ref>.  
 
In 2014 Camp Minnie-Mickey was closed in order to make way for a new area of the park based on James Cameron's 2009 film “Avatar” <ref name= "attractions"> https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Festival+of+Lion+King+closed+Avatar </ref>. Following the land's closure the [[Festival of the Lion King]] attraction was relocated to a new section of Africa called “New Harambe” <ref> https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/07/a-new-home-for-festival-of-the-lion-king-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ </ref>. In 2015 the Harambe Marketplace opened to guests. The new area was themed around a “Colonial-era train depot design complete with a 1960s water tower”. Inside the Harambe Marketplace guests can visit various food vendors who sell African inspired quinine <ref> https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/04/fun-new-tastes-at-harambe-market-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ </ref>.  
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2016 saw several new experiences come to Animal Kingdom. The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic stage show opened as a temporary offering based on the Disney live-action film The Jungle Book <Ref>. Also debuting at this time was the [[Kilimanjaro Night Safaris]] and the Tree of Life Awakens, a nighttime event where magical fireflies make animal spirits come alive on the Tree of Life. Although delayed, a new nighttime show called Rivers of Light is expected to debut later in 2016 <ref> https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2016/04/update-on-nighttime-experiences-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ </ref.
  
 
===Beastly Kingdomme===
 
===Beastly Kingdomme===
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*A detailed dragonhead statue sits atop one of the ticket booths at the park's entrance <ref> http://www.wdwinfo.com/columns/walt-disney-world-never-built.cfm </ref>.
 
*A detailed dragonhead statue sits atop one of the ticket booths at the park's entrance <ref> http://www.wdwinfo.com/columns/walt-disney-world-never-built.cfm </ref>.
  
*In the first couple years of the parks existence, blasts of fire would be spewed from a cave at the edge of the water near Camp Minnie-Mickey <ref name= "hill"> http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2004/10/19/479.aspx </ref>.  
+
*In the first couple years of the parks existence, blasts of fire would be spewed from a cave at the edge of the water near Camp Minnie-Mickey <ref name= "hill"> http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2004/10/19/479.aspx </ref>. Also debuting at this time
  
 
*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"/>.
 
*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"/>.

Revision as of 13:49, 5 June 2016

Disney's Animal Kingdom is a theme park located in Walt Disney World.

Disney's Animal Kingdom
TreeOfLifeday.jpg
The Tree of Life is the icon of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Theme Animals, nature, conservation
Opened April 22, 1998
Icon The Tree of Life

Conception

Although the plans for Disney's Animal Kingdom began in full 1990 [1], 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. He 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 guest on the attraction would not get an equal experience. Because of this, when the Jungle Cruise opened it featured Audio Animatronic animals, which 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 expand again in 1990, Michael Eisner (the CEO of Disney) met with Imagineer Joe Rohde to hear a proposal for a new theme park that would feature live animals [2]. In 1990 a team of Imagineers led by Rohde began brainstorming different ideas for the park and in 1992 the park layout was finally adopted [2]. 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 however during the early 1990s. A recession had hit the country, and theme parks were hit especially 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. To this end, from 1992-1995 Disney Imagineers studied wild animals in their natural habit, focusing on Africa.

Although the plans were now moving forward, within Disney there was much debate over whether the new park was a good idea. Many worried that the public would not want to visit a zoo while on vacation. Besides the fact that there were zoos all over the country, Disney also worried that people thought of zoos as depressing places with caged animals. Despite this, Joe Rohde and his Imagineers still believed in their idea. They explained that the animals would be living in a re-creation of their natural habitat. There 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 Imagineers however felt (like Walt Disney decades before) 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. The tiger walked around the table while Joe was giving a speech to persuade the company to build the park. 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 Wild Kingdom (as it was then called) was green lit for construction.

Construction

Construction on Disney's Animal began in August of 1995. Like other Disney theme parks, Animal Kingdom was to be made up of various "lands". When designing the park, the lands in Disney's Animal Kingdom were going to be: The Oasis, Safari Village, Africa, Asia, Conservation Station, DinoLand USA and Beastly Kingdom. Through these lands Animal Kingdom was to represent three groups of animals: current living animals, extinct animals, and mythological animals.

Animal Kingdom cost nearly one billion dollars to build. Four million cubic yards of dirt were moved and nearly 40,000 plants were added during the parks construction. During this process it was decided that the plants in Animal Kingdom would need to be in the ground for two growing seasons before the animals arrived. This meant that the construction team had until the spring of 1996 to get all the plants in place. This deadline was met, and the fall of 1997 the animals were brought in to the park. They came from various zoo's or wildlife preserves around the world. A few animals were also from the wild, but were too injured to be re-released. In total Animal Kingdom is home to over 1,700 animals.

Elands grazing on the Kilimanjaro Safari

As construction continued, funds for the new park began to dwindle. Eventually it was decided that Animal Kingdom would have to open in three phases. The first phase would consist of The Oasis, Safari Village, Africa, Conservation Station, and an unfinished Asia. Also included in phase one would be either DinoLand USA or Beastly Kingdom. Disney eventually decided to build DinoLand USA, possibly due to the new movie “Dinosaur” that was to be released in 2000.

Phase II was planned to be the completion of Asia, along with the construction of Beastly Kingdom. Due to the park not being completed on opening day, Camp Minnie-Mickey, a place where guests could meet various Disney characters, was created as a temporary land. Camp Minnie-Mickey was to be essentially a place holder until Beastly Kingdom could be built.

Like the other Disney Parks, Animal Kingdom also has an icon “The Tree of Life”. The Tree of Life stands 145 feet tall and is made of mostly steel. Imagineers had a hard time figuring out how to make the tree look authentic, while being able to withstand hurricane winds. On top of all that, the tree would also have to house the 3D attraction It's Tough to be a Bug!. The solution Imagineering came up with was actually fairly simple. First, they took the structure of an oil rig for the base. 45 secondary branches were then added to the tree, followed by 756 tertiary branches and finally 891 end branches. The Tree was then covered with 102,583 manmade leaves. 20 artisans then carved over 300 animals into the tree. When the Tree of Life was completed it looked as if the animals themselves were making up the tree. Construction on Disney's Animal Kingdom finished in the spring of 1998.

Opening Day

Disney's Animal Kingdom 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 pedals. A half hour after the park had opened; the parking lot was filled to capacity, while 45 minutes later the park itself was filled to capacity. The first official guests to Disney's Animal Kingdom were the Werikhas family. They were greeted by Roy E. Disney and given lifetime passes. Unlike previous theme park openings, the event was not a star studded one (however Drew Carey did make an appearance in Camp Minnie-Mickey to film a television clip for ABC). Some 5,000 reporters were also on hand as Disney CEO Michael Eisner read the park’s dedication:

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.

Michael Eisner April 22, 1998

History After Opening Day

Although relatively young compared to the other Disney Parks, Animal Kingdom has gone through several changes. The first major expansion of the park came in 1999 when Asia was finally completed [3].Added at this time were the popular attractions Maharajah Jungle Trek [4] and the Kali River Rapids. The Discovery River Boats (which were located in Asia) closed with the opening of the new attractions [5].

In 2000 and 2001 many of Animal Kingdom's lands were renamed. The former Safari Village became Discovery Island [6] and Conservation Station became Rafiki's Planet Watch [7]. 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 [8].

2001 also saw another expansion in 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 [9]. The following year on March 31, 2002, Primeval Whirl was added to the area [9].

Expedition Everest opened in 2006.

The next set of majorchanges came to Animal Kingdom in 2006. In DinoLand USA, Finding Nemo- the Musical replaced Tarzan Rocks, which had been there since 1999 [10]. Also in 2006, the “E-Ticket” roller coaster Expedition Everest was built in Asia. The attraction is a roller 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).

In 2014 Camp Minnie-Mickey was closed in order to make way for a new area of the park based on James Cameron's 2009 film “Avatar” [11]. Following the land's closure the Festival of the Lion King attraction was relocated to a new section of Africa called “New Harambe” [12]. In 2015 the Harambe Marketplace opened to guests. The new area was themed around a “Colonial-era train depot design complete with a 1960s water tower”. Inside the Harambe Marketplace guests can visit various food vendors who sell African inspired quinine [13].

2016 saw several new experiences come to Animal Kingdom. The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic stage show opened as a temporary offering based on the Disney live-action film The Jungle Book Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag.

  • A detailed dragonhead statue sits atop one of the ticket booths at the park's entrance [14].
  • In the first couple years of the parks existence, blasts of fire would be spewed from a cave at the edge of the water near Camp Minnie-Mickey [15]. Also debuting at this time
  • 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 [15].

Backstory

According to The World According to Jack the backstory for Disney's Animal Kingdom states

'Once upon a time, no vegetation would grow on Discovery Island. There were no trees, no shrubs, no flowers, nothing. It was a barren piece of land. Then, one day, a tiny ant planted a seed and made a wish. He asked for a tree to grow – a tree large enough to provide shelter for all the animals. Magically, the ant’s wish came true and a tree began to grow -- and it kept growing until there was room beneath its limbs for all the animals from A (ants) to Z (zebras). And as the tree continued to reach for the heavens, the images of all the animals that took shelter beneath its shade appeared on its trunk, roots, and branches.[16]

Current Lands

To see the current Animal Kingdom map Click Here.

Oasis

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

Oasis Exhibits- This walking trail allows guests to see many animals including: the giant anteater, wallabies, exotic boar and more.

Discovery Island

Originally called Safari Village, Discovery Island is the hub of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. From Discovery Island guests can get to all the park’s other lands except for Rafiki's Planet Watch. Animal Kingdom's icon “The Tree of Life” can be found in Discovery Island.

It's Tough to be a Bug!- On this 4D attraction, guests enter the world of the Disney-Pixar movie A Bugs Life. Here they meet Flick, Dot, and even Hopper as they learn some of the challenges of being a bug.

Discovery Island Trails- On this short walking trail, guests can find Galapagos tortoises, lemurs, kangaroos and other exotic animals.

Africa

Home to the popular Kilimanjaro Safaris, the Africa section of the park takes place in the fictional village of Harambe. According to the land's backstory, Harambe was once a colony before gaining its freedom in 1961 after a peaceful revolution. Harambe is currently home to a wildlife reserve, where tourists can see some of Africa's most interesting animals. In 2014 the Africa section of the park was expanded to house the relocated Festival of the Lion King.

The 2016 Animal Kingdom map (click to enlarge)

Kilimanjaro Safaris- On this 22 minute safari, guests ride through the Savannah Desert in East Africa. Along the way, the trams come face to face with elephants, lions, cheetahs, rhinos and much more. The safari is usually operational from park opening until sundown. In 2016 Disney began featuring "night safaris" that take place after dusk.

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail- On this 3/8 of a mile walking trail, guests can observe some of Africa's most exotic animals. Okapis, meerkat, hippos, and Western Lowland Gorillas can all be seen here.

Wildlife Express Train- This seven minute train ride transports guests from the African village of Harambe to Rafiki's Planet Watch and vice versa.

Festival of the Lion King- This Broadway style show uses puppetry, song, dance and special effects to tell the story of Disney's The Lion King.

Wild Africa Trek- This three hour tour allows guests to trek through the African wilderness and the Savannah Desert where they can get an up close look at various African animals. The tour requires guests to pay an additional cost.

Rafiki's Planet Watch

Rafkik's Planet Watch was originally called Conservation Station and 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.

Wildlife Express Train- This seven minute train ride transports guests from the African village of Harambe to Rafiki's Planet Watch and vice versa.

Habitat Habit!- This short walking trail features various exhibits that teach guests how they can help conserve the environment. The trail is also home to a small group of Cotton-top Tamarin monkeys.

Conservation Station- At Conservation Station, guests can get an in-depth look at how Disney takes care of the animals located within Disney's Animal Kingdom. Interactive exhibits and live animals also help guests learn about various animal habitats.

Affection Section- This small petting zoo features domesticated animals from all over the world.

Asia

Perhaps the most popular land in Disney's Animal Kingdom, Asia was not complete until 1999. The land is home to Expedition Everest.

Flight of Wonders- In this show, guests can see various tricks performed by all kinds of exotic birds.

Maharajah Jungle Trek- This walking trail takes guests through the ruins of an ancient palace. Here, guests encounter giant fruit bats, Komodo dragons and even tigers!

Kali River Rapids- This raft ride takes guests down the Chakranadi River in true whitewater fashion. The Kali River Rapids also shows guests the danger of illegal logging and habitat destruction.

Expedition Everest- This high speed roller coaster takes guests on a frantic journey through the Forbidden Mountain as they search for the mythical Yeti.

DinoLand USA

DinoLand USA is home to the Dino Institute, which allows guests to travel back in time and come face to face with dinosaurs. In 2001 the land was expanded to include Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama. This new area is themed like a roadside attraction which was built to capitalize on the success of the nearby institute.

DINOSAUR- Housed inside the Dinosaur Institute, this dark ride allows guests to board Time Rovers and travel back to the Cretaceous period, where they come face to face with various dinosaurs. The attraction was known as Countdown to Extinction from 1998-2000.

Finding Nemo- The Musical- This Broadway style show is a musical retelling of the Disney-Pixar film "Finding Nemo". The show runs for approximately 35 minutes.

Fossil Fun Games- The Fossil Fun Games are a group of dinosaur themed carnival-style games found in Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama.

Primeval Whirl- This mild roller coaster takes guests back to the time of the dinosaurs.

TriceraTop Spin- This hub and spoke attraction allows guests to climb aboard a dinosaur and take a spin above DinoLand USA.

The Boneyard Playground- This kid friendly playground features not only slides and water guns, but also a large sand pit where young guests can dig up dinosaur bones.

Former Lands

Camp Minnie-Mickey

Initially intended to be a temporary land, Camp Minnie-Mickey was located where Beastly Kingdom was originally supposed to be built. Here, 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 Avatar. Following Camp Minnie-Mickey's closure, Festival of the Lion King was relocated to the Africa section of the park.

Fun Facts and Trivia

  • Straws, balloons and cup lids are not used inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom to protect the animals from potential choking hazards [17].
  • Animal Kingdom features 250 species and 1,0000 different animals [18]
  • Two Micronesian Kingfisher chicks were hatched at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, raising the world population of these birds by 3 percent [18].
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom contains live plants from every continent on Earth except Antarctica [18].
  • There are over 61,000 costume pieces worn by Animal Kingdom cast members.
  • In the early 2000s Disney promoted Animal Kingdom with the phrase NăHTăZū!(pronounced "not a zoo") [19].
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom features the largest groups of Nile hippos and African elephants in North America [18].
  • There are 27 million gallons of water in Discovery River [18]

References

http://www.magicalmountain.net/animal-kingdom/disneys-animal-kingdom.aspx

http://www.wdwradio.com/2007/09/disneys-animal-kingdom/

http://allears.net/ae/issue187.htm

http://saitonews.tripod.com/daknews2.html

http://www.orlando-florida.net/walt-disney-world/resources/timeline.htm

http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/The-Tree-of-Life.htm

http://zoo.findthebest.com/q/19/70/How-many-animals-are-at-the-Disney-s-Animal-Kingdom-in-Orlando-Florida

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/information-animal-kingdom-disney-world-10688.html

http://zannaland.com/remembering-disneys-animal-kingdom-opening-day-april-22-1998/

http://www.florida-project.com/disney-animal-kingdom-guidemaps

http://allears.net/tp/ak/ak_oas.htm

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/animalkingdom/ak-safari-tree.htm
  1. http://disneydose.com/joe-rohde/#axzz4AT6WmacW
  2. 2.0 2.1 http://allears.net/ae/issue187.htm
  3. http://allears.net/tp/ak/ak_asia.htm
  4. https://touringplans.com/animal-kingdom/attractions/maharajah-jungle-trek
  5. http://waltdatedworld.com/id55.htm
  6. http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/id131.htm
  7. http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2009/07/rafikis_planet_watch_the_forgo.html
  8. https://www.mouseplanet.com/10881/Remembering_the_Magic_Countdown_To_Extinction__DINOSAUR
  9. 9.0 9.1 https://d23.com/a-to-z/chester-hesters/
  10. http://allears.net/tp/ak/nemo.htm
  11. https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Festival+of+Lion+King+closed+Avatar
  12. https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/07/a-new-home-for-festival-of-the-lion-king-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/
  13. https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/04/fun-new-tastes-at-harambe-market-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/
  14. http://www.wdwinfo.com/columns/walt-disney-world-never-built.cfm
  15. 15.0 15.1 http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2004/10/19/479.aspx
  16. http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2012/06/tree_of_life_at_disneys_animal.html
  17. 17.0 17.1 http://www.guidetothemagic.com/animalkingdom/animalkingdom5.htm
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 http://allears.net/tp/ak/ak_fact.htm
  19. https://www.mouseplanet.com/10581/Its_Nahtazu