A closeup view of the Tree of Life

Animal Kingdom entrance

Disney's Animal Kingdom is a theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. It opened on April 22, 1998. There are 32 Resorts located on the Walt Disney World Property. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 232 KB) Close up view of Dinseys Animal Kingdoms Tree of life. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 232 KB) Close up view of Dinseys Animal Kingdoms Tree of life. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... Theme Park is a simulation computer game designed by Bullfrog Productions, released in 1994, in which the player designs and operates an amusement park. ... Cinderella Castle is the symbol of Magic Kingdom The Spaceship Earth geodesic sphere is the symbol of Epcot The Sorcerers Hat is the symbol of Disney-MGM Studios The Tree of Life is the symbol of Disneys Animal Kingdom Walt Disney World Resort, often referred to as simply... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami metropolitan area Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

It is the largest Disney theme park in the world, covering more than 500 acres (2 km²). It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely around animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney himself. The conservation movement is a political and social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including plant and animal species as well as their habitat for the future. ... For the company founded by Disney, see The Walt Disney Company. ...

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

The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

Themed areas

The park is made up of seven themed areas. However, the original plans called for another area.

Oasis

Upon entering the park, guests must walk through this area to get into any of the other lands in the park. The Oasis consists of different paths leading to Discovery Island which walk guests past animal habitats such as muntjac, cavy, spoonbills, ducks, fish, turtles, wallabies, giant anteaters, babirusa, Hyacinth Macaws, and others. The Rainforest Cafe is also located at the entrance of the Oasis. Families Cyclopedidae Myrmecophagidae Anteaters are the four mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua commonly known for eating ants and termites. ... Binomial name (Latham, 1790) Native to the forests of central South America, the Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is the largest macaw and the largest flying parrot species in the world, though the flightless Kakapo of New Zealand can outweigh it at up to 3. ... Rainforest Cafe is a themed restaurant chain owned by Landrys Restaurants, Inc. ...

Discovery Island

The main land in the park (previously known as Safari Village), Discovery Island is the center island in the park and has paths to all six of the other lands. It is also the home of The Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is the icon of the Disneys Animal Kingdom The Tree of Life is a massive fourteen story (145 ft. ...

Here you'll see kangaroos, flamingos, axis deer, West African crowned cranes, vultures, porcupines, lemurs, macaws, ducks, Galapagos tortoise, small-clawed otters, saddlebill storks, and more!

• It's Tough to be a Bug - At the roots of The Tree of Life, Flik from A Bug's Life shows a 3-D Film about bugs and their daily lives.

Its Tough to be a Bug! is an 9-minute 3-D movie based on the Pixar movie, A Bugs Life. ... A Bugs Life is a computer animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution in the United States on November 25, 1998, in Australia on January 12, 1999 and in the United Kingdom on 5 February 1999. ... In film, the term 3-D (or 3D) is used to describe any visual presentation system that attempts to maintain or recreate moving images of the third dimension, the illusion of depth as seen by the viewer. ...

Camp Minnie-Mickey

This land is the home of two shows and four character greeting spots where guests can see such characters as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Kenai and others. Mickey Mouse is an Academy Award-winning comic animal cartoon character who has become an icon for The Walt Disney Company. ... “Minnie” redirects here. ... It has been suggested that Goofy holler be merged into this article or section. ...

• Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends - A children's show with live animals based on the film Pocahontas.
• Festival of the Lion King - A high-energy musical performance featuring songs and characters from the film The Lion King.

Pocahontas is the thirty-third animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... The Festival of the Lion King. ... This article is about Disneys 1994 film. ...

Africa

• Kilimanjaro Safaris - Guests climb aboard an open-sided safari vehicle for an expedition seeing many African animals. Animals from Africa freely roam through acres of savanna, rivers and rocky hills. The guest can see Giraffes, Hippos, Elephants, Rhinos, Lions and other animals, while later embarking on a mission to stop some ivory poachers.

The Africa area features an exhibit of Silverback Gorillas

• Pangani Forest Exploration Trail - The guest treks into the forest in search of gorillas. Along the way, the guest goes on a nature walk through a verdant African valley filled with Nile hippos, birds and fish and enters an exotic bird aviary, a research centre with naked mole-rats and various rodents and reptiles, an underwater hippo viewing area, a savanna overlook, and has an intimate up-close encounter with a magnificent troop of gorillas.

One of the animals you will see on the ride Kilimanjaro Safaris is a safari ride at Disneys Animal Kingdom theme park on the Walt Disney World Resort property in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. ... Download high resolution version (800x812, 211 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Gorilla User:Raul654/favpics Disneys Animal Kingdom User:Bwmodular/Sandbox Categories: Primate images ... Download high resolution version (800x812, 211 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Gorilla User:Raul654/favpics Disneys Animal Kingdom User:Bwmodular/Sandbox Categories: Primate images ... Type species Troglodytes gorilla Savage, 1847 distribution of Gorilla Species Gorilla gorilla Gorilla beringei The gorilla, the largest of the living primates, is a ground-dwelling omnivore that inhabits the forests of Africa. ... The Pangani Forest Exploration Trail is a walkway next to Kilimanjaro Safaris in Walt Disney World Resort, Florida, from which you can see African animals. ...

Rafiki's Planet Watch

Formerly Conservation Station and still accessible by train only, this area contains small animals, a petting zoo with domesticated goats, and exhibits teaching about conservation efforts. The veterinary hospital's viewing window allows guests to watch medical procedures conducted by the veterinary staff. Domesticated animals, plants, and other organisms are those whose collective behavior, life cycle, or physiology has been altered as a result of their breeding and living conditions being under human control for multiple generations. ... Species See Species and subspecies The goat is a mammal in the genus Capra, which consists of nine species: the Ibex, the West Caucasian Tur, the East Caucasian Tur, the Markhor, and the Wild Goat. ...

• Wildlife Express Train - Guests ride the rails on this rustic African train that travels the savanna for a behind-the-scenes journey through several animal housing and care areas of the park. In just over five minutes, a guided train ride transports guests to the core of the park's conservation center.
• Habitat Habit! - Guests see endangered Cottontop Tamarin primates up close, trekking down an adventure trail and learning of novel ways to help animals.
• Affection Section - This attraction is an animal encounter with goats, sheep, pigs, chicken, llamas and more. Some of the park's friendlier animals make special guest appearances.
• Conservation Station - At the trail's end, guests can visit the center of Disney efforts to promote wildlife conservation awareness. Inside are a variety of wild animal experiences, interactive games and shows.

The Wildlife Express Train to Rafikis Planet Watch is a transport ride that takes guests at Disneys Animal Kingdom from Africa to Rafikis Planet Watch. ... Binomial name Saguinus oedipus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Cottontop Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus), also known as the Pinché Tamarin, is a small New World monkey weighing less than 1lb (0. ... Affection Section is an attraction at Disneys Animal Kingdom located in Rafikis Planet Watch it contains various animals likes cattle and goats. ...

Asia

• Flights of Wonder - Guests join a trainee bird handler and a wayward tour guide who teach each other about the delicate state of nature and see birds such as vultures, hawks, colorful macaws, crowned crane and the American Bald Eagle up close.
• Kali River Rapids - Guests raft down the turbulent waters of the Chakranadi River aboard a 12-passenger raft through an enchanting Asian rain forest. Guests ride past a blazing inferno, a rushing waterfall, and geysers. Guests will get wet on this ride.
• Maharajah Jungle Trek - Guests trek into the lush forests for an unparalleled adventure into the wilds of the mystical Anandapur Royal Forest of Southeast Asia and respective ancient ruins, having up-close encounters with Komodo dragons, fruit bats (the largest species in the world), tapirs, birds, and tigers.

The Expedition Everest 'mountain' which houses the roller-coaster attraction.

• Expedition Everest - In this runaway-train roller coaster, Himalayan trekkers board refurbished steam trains on their way to the base camp of Mount Everest, using a shortcut that passes through the "forbidden mountain" guarded by the legendary yeti.

Kali River Rapids is an attraction at the Disneys Animal Kingdom theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. ... The Maharjah Jungle Trek is a trail attraction at Disneys Animal Kingdom theme park. ... Binomial name Ouwens, 1912 Komodo dragon distribution The Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo Monitor[1], Komodo Island Monitor[1], Ora (to the natives of Komodo[2]), or simply Komodo, is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2-3 metres (approximately... Species Tapirus bairdii - Bairds Tapir Tapirus indicus - Malayan Tapir Tapirus pinchaque - Mountain Tapir Tapirus terrestris - Brazilian Tapir A tapir is a large, browsing animal, roughly the shape of an over-sized pig but with a short, prehensile trunk. ... Binomial name Panthera tigris (Linnaeus, 1758) Tigers (Panthera tigris) are mammals of the Felidae family, one of four big cats that belong to the Panthera genus. ... Image File history File links 07-everest. ... Image File history File links 07-everest. ... Expedition Everest One of the trains ascending the main lift hill A close up of one of the trains on the main drop WDI concept art The exterior of the ride in October 2005 Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is an elaborately themed roller coaster at Disneys... For other uses, see Yeti (disambiguation). ...

DinoLand U.S.A.

Main article: DinoLand U.S.A.

• The Boneyard - Guests slip, slide, slither and slosh through a play maze filled with fun fossils. "Exploration. Excavation. Exultation." is the motto of the Dino Institute and nowhere is this truer than here. Would-be paleontologists young and old play amidst a world of dinosaur discoveries like a Triceratops, T-Rex, and Wooly Mammoth.
• DINOSAUR (formerly Countdown to Extinction) - Guests whoosh back to primeval times for a wild ride of an expedition to complete a dangerous mission. Guests have mere minutes to rescue a stray dinosaur, and must beware the hungry clutches of one large meat-eating predator and the devastating power of an impending asteroid.
• Animals located in Dinoland include an American Crocodile, Abdim's Storks, and Asian brown tortoises.

• Finding Nemo - The Musical - The show debuted on November 12, 2006, the original stage show developed by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment tells the story of the Disney/Pixar film Finding Nemo with new songs by Avenue Q composer Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, and puppets designed by Michael Curry. The production combines dancers, acrobats, animated backdrops, and theatrical puppetry. Marlin, Dory and Nemo are depicted by actors holding large puppets while other characters are portrayed through a variety of puppetry styles. It currently performs four times daily and is recommended that guests arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the show.

• Dino-Sue - Disney's oldest "cast" member, clocking in at 67 million years, Dino-Sue is a painstaking reproduction of the largest, most complete T-Rex ever found. The length of a four-story building, the mighty T-Rex is available to pose for pictures with guests at the Dino institute.
• Cretaceous Trail - Cretaceous Trail is a walking tour amidst plant and animal survivors that have outlived the dinosaurs. Guests play with a Pachycephalosaurus, encounter living animal species that have survived since prehistoric times and discover fossil dig sites.

Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama - part of Dinoland U.S.A., this portion is an area made to look like a tacky 1950s roadside attraction built on an old parking lot. DinoLand U.S.A. is the name of the land in Disneys Animal Kingdom that contains all of the dinosaur attractions. ... Orders & Suborders Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Theropoda Ornithischia Thyreophora Ornithopoda Marginocephalia Dinosaurs were vertebrate animals that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for over 160 million years, first appearing approximately 230 million years ago. ... Binomial name (Cuvier, 1807) The American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is one of the four species of New World crocodile and the most wide-spread in range. ... Binomial name Ciconia abdimii Lichtenstein, 1823 The Abdims Stork, Ciconia abdimii also known as White-bellied Stork is a large, up to 81cm long, black stork with grey legs, red knees and feet, grey bill and white underparts. ... Finding Nemo is an Academy Award-winning computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released to theaters by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Disney Creative Entertainment is the theatrical and technical live entertainment production division of Walt Disney Imagineering, a fully-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. ... Finding Nemo is an Academy Award-winning computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released to theaters by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. ... Avenue Q is a Tony award-winning musical that was conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. ... Marx (left) and Lopez (right) Robert Lopez (born February 23, 1975) is an American composer and lyricist of musicals. ... If you mean the puppet designer, see Michael Curry (Puppet Designer). ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Primeval Whirl - Guests ride a spinning time-machine themed roller-coaster with sudden dips, hairpin turns and tight curves. Each colorful car spins independently.
• TriceraTop Spin - Guests ride a whirling, twirling, four-person flying dinosaur.

Dino-Rama! has been criticized by Disney fans for containing only "off-the-shelf" attractions (whack-a-mole and other carnival games) similar to what other parks offer, and for charging guests money for each play. Primeval Whirl is an attraction at Disneys Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. ... TriceraTop Spin is an attraction at Walt Disney Worlds Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. ...

Beastly Kingdom (cancelled)

Animal Kingdom's original logo includes a dragon at the center.

Beastly Kingdom is a land of the Animal Kingdom which was planned but has not yet been built. Beastly Kingdom (supposedly spelled in Old English as "Beastly Kingdomme") was to have featured mythical animals such as unicorns, dragons, and sea monsters. The land would feature realms of both good and evil creatures. The evil side would be dominated by Dragon Tower, a ruined castle home to a greedy fire-breathing dragon who hordes a fabulous treasure in the tower chamber. The castle is also inhabited by bats who plan to rob the dragon of his riches. They enlist the guests' help in their scheme, and whisk them off on a thrilling roller coaster ride through the castle ruins. The climax of the ride is an encounter with the evil dragon himself, resulting in a nearly-barbecued train of guests. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (720x718, 63 KB)Animal Kingdom Park This is a logo whose copyright and trademark rights are owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (720x718, 63 KB)Animal Kingdom Park This is a logo whose copyright and trademark rights are owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Disneys Animal Kingdom. ...

The good side of this land would be home to Quest of the Unicorn, an adventure which sends guests through a maze of medieval mythological creatures to seek the hidden grotto where the unicorn lives. Finally, the Fantasia Gardens attraction would be a musical boat ride through the animals from Disney's animated classic, Fantasia. The ride would feature both the crocodiles and hippos from " Dance of the Hours" and the Pegasus, fauns, and centaurs from Beethoven's "Pastoral." Look up Fantasia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Fantasia may refer to one of several things. ...

Due to budget constraints of the Walt Disney Company, Beastly Kingdom never came to fruition and Camp Minnie-Mickey was built as a temporary tenant of the Beastly Kingdom's land.

The change was supposedly rather sudden, as remnants of this planned area were visible when the park opened. One such remnant was a fire-breathing dragon in the Discovery River Boats attraction. Said dragon was visible from the Camp Minnie-Mickey bridge for several years, roaring loudly and spewing fire from a rocky cave. In addition, one of the McDonald's Animal Kingdom-themed Happy Meal toys was a winged purple dragon. McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest chain of fast-food restaurants, primarily selling hamburgers, chicken, french fries, milkshakes and soft drinks. ... Happy Meal logo, English Happy Meal logo, Japanese. ...

Legend has it that Disney laid off the Imagineers who had planned the Beastly Kingdom, and they were subsequently hired to create the Dueling Dragons attraction for Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park ^{[citation needed]}. Imagineer could refer to: Walt Disney Imagineering Imagineer (company), a video game developer An Engineer who only imagines things (aka the best kind of Engineer) This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Dueling Dragons is a pair of dueling roller coasters at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. ... Universals Islands of Adventure is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. ...

Even now, hints of a mythological land still exist, including:

• The "Unicorn" parking area

• The original Animal Kingdom logo, which prominently features the silhouette of a dragon, and still appears throughout the park

• The dragon-shaped stone fountain near Camp Minnie-Mickey

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

Restaurants and shops

Rainforest Cafe

The park contains only one table-service restaurant, a Rainforest Cafe located just outside the main entrance (also accessible from inside the park). An Asian-themed table-service restaurant (named Yak and Yeti) operated by Landry's Restaurants is scheduled to open on November 14, 2007. There are three counter-service restaurants that serve meals - Tusker House, Flame Tree Barbecue, and Pizzafari. Flame Tree Barbecue is popular for the quality of food but has only outdoor seating. Tusker House closed on August 20, 2007 and will be converted to a buffet table service restaurant with the reopening scheduled for November 17, 2007. Tusker House will offer a character breakfast called "Donald's Safari Breakfast" which will replace the existing "Donald's Breakfastosaurus" character meal. The Animal Kingdom has other locations and carts that offer snacks and/or beverages but do not sell complete meals. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 685 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 685 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Rainforest Cafe is a themed restaurant chain owned by Landrys Restaurants, Inc. ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... A barbecue in a public park in Australia A barbecue on a trailer at a block party in Kansas City Pans on the top shelf hold hamburgers and hot dogs that were grilled earlier when the coals were hot. ... is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ...

Operations

Much concern was brought to the animals' well-being when the park originally opened. The park typically closes earlier than other parks in the Walt Disney World Resort. The animals are said to require a strict schedule to avoid stress, so even on nights when the park is open later, animals usually will be brought "off stage" an hour or two before the park officially closes for the day. Another notable difference from other Disney parks is that Animal Kingdom does not have a fireworks show in consideration of the animals. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the division of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds and manages the theme parks and vacation resorts for which Disney is famous, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises. ... Cinderella Castle is the symbol of Magic Kingdom The Spaceship Earth geodesic sphere is the symbol of Epcot The Sorcerers Hat is the symbol of Disney-MGM Studios The Tree of Life is the symbol of Disneys Animal Kingdom Walt Disney World Resort, often referred to as simply...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items into other sections and removing inappropriate items. (June 2007)

• Conceptually, the park celebrates three types of animals — real, extinct (dinosaurs, etc.) and mythical (dragons, unicorns, etc.). The 2006 opening of Expedition Everest brought the mythical yeti to life in the park.

• After the park opened, Disney launched an advertising campaign using the fictional word "nahtazu" to describe Disney's Animal Kingdom. Pronounced "not a zoo," the word emphasized that the park was more than animal displays found in a typical city zoo. As of January 2006, Disney is no longer using the "nahtazu" phrase in park promotional material.

• Raymond, Disney's fully articulated Triceratops horridus, has a nameplate that misspells the name of the archaeologist who found, dug, and donated it. The nameplate reads "Dr. W. R. Gartska", when it should read "Garstka".^[1]

• There is a hidden Mickey on the Tree of Life.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Chinese dragon, color engraving on wood, Chinese school, 19th Century The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a large and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities. ... This article is about the mythical creature. ... Expedition Everest One of the trains ascending the main lift hill A close up of one of the trains on the main drop WDI concept art The exterior of the ride in October 2005 Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is an elaborately themed roller coaster at Disneys... Species (type) Marsh, 1890 Triceratops (IPA: ) was a herbivorous genus of ceratopsid dinosaur that lived during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period, around 68 to 65 million years ago (mya) in what is now North America. ...

See also

• Disney's Animal Kingdom attraction and entertainment history

Disneys Animal Kingdom is a theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. ...

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Disney's Animal Kingdom

• Walt Disney World Resort - Disney's Animal Kingdom web page

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