Changes

Although relatively young compared to the other Disney Parks, Animal Kingdom has gone through several changes. In The first major expansion of the park came in 1999 when Asia was finally completed <ref> http://allears.net/tp/ak/ak_asia.htm </ref>. Added to the land at this time were the popular attractions the [[Maharajah Jungle Trek]] <ref> https://touringplans.com/animal-kingdom/attractions/maharajah-jungle-trek </ref> and the [[Kali River Rapids]]. The [[Discovery River Boats]] (which were once located in Asia) closed with the opening of the new attractions <ref>http://waltdatedworld.com/id55.htm</ref>.

In 2001 change came to DinoLand USA with the addition of also saw another expansion in Disney's Animal Kingdom. At this time, Chester and Hester’s Dino-Ramawas 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 major set of changes majorchanges came to Animal Kingdom in 2006. In DinoLand USA, Finding Nemo- the Musical replaced Tarzan Rocks, which had been there 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 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 2008 the popular Yak and Yeti restaurant opened in Asia <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/yak-and-yeti/news/08nov2007-yak-and-yeti-opening-details.htm </ref>, as did Donald's Safari Breakfast at the Tusker House Restaurant.

In 2014 Camp Minnie-Mickey was closed in order to make way for a new area of the park based on the 2009 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>.

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 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 and is now set aside for . With the announcement of a land based on Avatarit looks unlikely that Beastly Kingdomme will be built. Despite this, remnants of the planned Beastly Kingdom can still be found including:

*The parking lot contains a section named "Unicorn."<ref> http://www.yesterland.com/avatarkingdom.html </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>.

*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"/>.