Difference between revisions of "Disney's Animal Kingdom"

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Disney's Animal Kingdom
The Tree of Life, the icon of the Animal Kingdom.
Theme	Animals and nature
Website	Animal Kingdom Homepage
Opened	April 22, 1998
Icon	The Tree of Life

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

Conception

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 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 Imagineers with creating a theme park based on animals. In 1990 a team of Imagineers 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 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 Imagineers 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 while on vacation. Besides the fact that there were zoos all over the country, Disney worried that people thought of zoos as depressing places with caged animals. Joe Rohde and his Imagineers 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 Imagineers 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.

Construction

Construction on Disney's Animal Kingdom began in August of 1995. Like other Disney theme parks, Animal Kingdom was made up of various "lands". 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 supposed to represent, three groups of animals, current living animals, extinct animals, and mythological animals.

Animal Kingdom cost nearly one billion dollars to built. Four million cubic yards of dirt were moved and nearly 40,000 plants were added. It was decided that the plants in Animal Kingdom would need to be put in 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. 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 Dinosaur movie that they were releasing in 2000.

Phase II was planned to be the completion of Asia, with Phase III being 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. It was essential a place holder until the Beastly Kingdom land could be built. Besides the lands, the park would feature the Kilimanjaro Safari which would allow guests to see the animals in a natural way, as if they were on safari.

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 they 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 man made leaves.

Although the tree itself would have been enough, Disney took it a step further. 20 artisans 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 and opened April 22, 1998. When completed Animal Kingdom was an astonishing 500 acres.

Opening Day

Disney's Animal Kingdom opened on Earth Day 1998 (April 22). 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. 45 minutes later, the park itself was filled to capacity. The first offical 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 Michael Eisner the CEO of Disney read the 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

Animal Kingdom opened without many problems, however Countdown to Extinction did break down for over an hour. Overall the grand opening was a success.

History After Opening Day

Although relatively young compared to the other Disney Parks, Animal Kingdom as gone through a lot of changes. In 1999 Asia was finally completed. Added to the land were the popular attractions the Maharajah Jungle Trek and the Kali River Rapids. The Maharajah Jungle Trek is a wildlife trail along which guests will encounter bats, a Komodo dragon, and even a Bengal Tiger. The Kali River Rapids is a white water rafting ride, that takes guests down the Chakranadi River. The Kali River Rapids also addresses the issues of illegal logging and habitat destruction.The Discovery River Boats that were once located in Asia closed with the opening of the new attractions.

In 2000 many of Animal Kingdoms lands were renamed. The former Safari Village became Discovery Island and the Conservation Station became Rifiki's Planet Watch. The change in name to Discovery Island coincided with the closing of the Discovery Island attraction in Bay Lake. Also changing it's names was the popular Dinoland USA attraction, Countdown To Extinction. That ride was re-named and slightly altered to tie into the 2000 Disney movie Dinosaur.

In 2001 change came to Dinoland USA with the addition of Midway Games (later renamed Fossil Fun Ground) and the TriceraTop Spin. The Fossil Fun Ground features dinosaur themed carnival games, while TriceraTop Spin was a dinosaur themed "Dumbo" attraction.

Expedition Everest opened in 2006.

The next major changes came to Animal Kingdom in 2006. In Dinoland USA, Finding Nemo- the Musical replaced Tarzan Rocks, which had been their since 1999. Finding Nemo- The Musical is a Broadway style show which uses live entertainers and puppets to tell the story of the 2003 Disney movie Finding Nemo. Also in 2006, Expedition Everest was built in Asia. The attraction is a roller coaster set in the Himalayas and includes a close encounter with the fabled Yeti. By including the Yeti in the attraction, Disney's Animal Kingdom finally featured a mythical creature. In 2008 the popular Yak and Yeti restaurant opened in Asia as did Donald's Safari Breakfast at the Tusker House Restaurant.

Beastly Kingdom

One change that has yet to come to Animal Kingdom is the addition of Beastly Kingdom. 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 it was determained that the small increase in guests would not warrant the cost. Despite this, remenets of the planned Beastly Kingdom can still be found including:

• The parking lot contains a section named "Unicorn."

• There is a dragon-shaped stone fountain near Camp Minnie-Mickey.

• A detailed dragonhead statue sits atop one of the ticket booths at the park's entrance.

• In the first couple years of the parks existance, blasts of fire would be spewed from a cave at the edge of the water, in Camp Minnie-Mickey.

• 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.

Current Lands

Oasis

Located at the front of the park, the Oasis is the first land guests encounter. Located here is guests services as well as the Rain Forest Cafe. The Oasis leads to the parks 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 the park. From Discovery Island guests can get to all of the other lands except Rafiki's Planet Watch. Disney's Animal Kingdom's icon, The Tree of Life can be found on 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 up with 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.

Camp Minnie Mickey

Originally intended to be a temporary land, Camp Minnie Mickey is located where Beastly Kingdom was supposed to be built. Here, guests can meet their favorite Disney characters including Mickey, Minnie, and Donald. The main attraction located in Camp Minnie Mickey is the Broadway style show, Festival of the Lion King.

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.

Greeting Trails- On the Greeting Trails, guests can find some of their favorite Disney characters including, Mickey, Donald, Minnie and Timon.

Africa

Home to the popular Kilimanjaro Safari, the Africa section of the park takes place in the fictional African village of Harambe. According to the land's backstory, Harambe was once a colony, but it gained it's 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.

A 2011 guidemap to Animal Kingdom

Kilimanjaro Safaris- On this 22 minute safari, guests ride through the Savannah Desert in East Africa. Along the way, guests come face to face with elephants, lions, cheetahs, rhinos and much more! The safari us usually operational until sundown.

Pangani Forest Exploration Trail- On this 3/8 of a mile walking trail, guests can observe some of Africa's most exotic animals. okapis, meerkats, 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.

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 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 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 Disney's newest attraction Expedition Everest.

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

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 Charkrandi 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 Mount Everest, as they search for the mythical Yetti.

DinoLand USA

Home to the fictional Dino Institute, DinoLand USA started out as a small highway town. After an amateur fossil-hunter found dinosaur bones at the site in 1947, scientists purchased the land, founding the Dino Institute and allowed guests to visit the area as a "fossil discover park".

Dinosaur- 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 movie 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.

Primeval Whirl- This mild roller coaster takes guests back in time, 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!

Fun Facts and Trivia

• Straws, balloons and cup lids are not used at Animal Kingdom to protect the animals from potential choking hazards.

• Two Micronesian Kingfisher chicks were hatched at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, raising the world population of these birds by 3 percent.

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom contains live plants from every continent on Earth except Antarctica.

• There are over 61,000 costume pieces worn by Animal Kingdom cast members.

• At over 500 acres, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is large enough to fit the Magic Kingdom , Epcot, and The Disney-MGM Studios in it.

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.

— http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2012/06/tree_of_life_at_disneys_animal.html

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