Disney's Animal Kingdom
| Disney's Animal Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| Location | Walt Disney World, Bay Lake, Florida, United States |
| Opened | April 22, 1998 |
| Area | Approximately 500 acres |
| Theme | Animals, nature and conservation |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
| Operator | Disney Experiences |
| Status | Operating |
Disney's Animal Kingdom is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, United States. Opened on April 22, 1998 — Earth Day — it is the fourth of the resort's theme parks and, at roughly 500 acres, by far the largest Disney park in the world. The park is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is home to more than 2,000 animals representing around 300 species, alongside conventional theme park attractions.
The park's icon is the Tree of Life, a 145-foot artificial tree whose trunk is carved with some 325 animal forms and which houses the 3D show It's Tough to Be a Bug! in a theatre beneath its roots. From its conception under lead designer Joe Rohde, the park was built around three kinds of animals: living animals in habitats, extinct animals — the dinosaurs of DinoLand U.S.A. — and imaginary animals, a category long represented by the park's dragon logo and eventually realised at scale in Pandora – The World of Avatar.
History
Animal Kingdom was announced in 1995, at a cost reported near 800 million dollars — the most expensive of the Florida parks to that date. It represented a return of sorts to Walt Disney's own interests: he had planned live animals for Disneyland's Jungle Cruise in the 1950s before mechanics proved more reliable, and his studio's True-Life Adventures documentaries had defined popular nature filmmaking.
Imagineers studied zoos and travelled to Africa and Asia with animal experts to design habitats that read as landscapes rather than enclosures, with barriers hidden in moats, rockwork and plantings. The flagship Kilimanjaro Safaris carries guests through a 110-acre savanna in open-sided trucks. To protect the animals, the park has never had a fireworks show, uses no plastic straws or lids, and closes earlier than its sister parks on most nights.
An ambitious land devoted to mythical creatures, Beastly Kingdom, was designed but deferred for budget reasons; its site was occupied for years by Camp Minnie-Mickey and ultimately by Pandora – The World of Avatar, which opened in May 2017 with Avatar Flight of Passage — the park's most popular ride — and the Na'vi River Journey. DinoLand U.S.A., one of the original lands, has been announced for replacement by a Tropical Americas land featuring Encanto and Indiana Jones attractions.
Lands
- The Oasis — lush entrance gardens with animal exhibits, leading to the Tree of Life.
- Discovery Island — the central hub around the Tree of Life, with trails through animal habitats carved into its roots.
- Africa — the village of Harambe, gateway to Kilimanjaro Safaris and the Festival of the Lion King stage show.
- Asia — the village of Anandapur, with Expedition Everest, the Kali River Rapids and Maharajah Jungle Trek.
- Pandora – The World of Avatar — the bioluminescent moon of Pandora, with floating mountains, Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey.
- DinoLand U.S.A. — dinosaurs and roadside Americana, anchored by DINOSAUR, a ride to the end of the Cretaceous (announced for replacement by Tropical Americas).
Signature attractions
- Kilimanjaro Safaris — a guided ride through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve, where giraffes, elephants, hippos, lions and other animals roam large open habitats.
- Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain (2006) — a roller coaster through a Himalayan scene that reverses direction as it encounters the domain of the yeti; the mountain, at 199.5 feet, is the tallest structure at Walt Disney World.
- Avatar Flight of Passage (2017) — a flying theatre ride linking riders to a banshee over Pandora.
See also
- Walt Disney World
- Disney's Hollywood Studios
- EPCOT
- Restaurantosaurus
- Rafiki's Planet Watch
- The Oasis (Disney's Animal Kingdom)