| People's enduring love for animals is the theme of Disney's Animal Kingdom, a new kind of live-action adventure park, which will be filled with the natural drama of life in the wild and celebrate all animals-real and imaginary. On June 20, 1995, Michael Eisner announced Disney's newest and largest theme park, five times the size of the Magic Kingdom. | |
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With a combination of thrilling rides, exotic landscapes, and close encounters with wild animals, Disney's Animal Kingdom promises to be entertaining, informative, fanciful, and fun in the tradition of all the Disney theme parks, yet it will incorporate a new dimension of reality with live animals in their natural habitats. Site preparation was nearly complete at the time of the announcement, and construction began in September 1995. Home to thousands of wild creatures, the new park will, by opening day, cover 500 acres on the western edge of the Walt Disney World property in Orange County. |
| The centerpiece of the park is the giant, majestic Tree of Life, 14 stories tall (nearly the height of Spaceship Earth at Epcot) and more than 50 feet wide at its trunk. Intricately hand-carved by Disney artists, the tree offers a swirling tapestry of animal forms that convey the richness and diversity of animal life on Earth. It is a powerful symbol of humankind's respect for nature. | |
| Opening date has been set for May 6, 1998, and construction continues. As with the other parks, the opening of Disney's Animal Kingdom promises to be a monumental event. If you would like to see a photo of the constuction efforts, click on the picture to the right! |
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| Guests will embark on journeys into three major areas of the theme park: the real, the mythical, and the extinct. | |
| Live wild animals and exotic landscapes set the scene for a thrilling safari that tells a dramatic story about wildlife today in Africa. Herds of live animals, including giraffes, zebras, lions, hippos, and elephants, will be presented in true-life adventure stories of mystery, danger and humor. As they encounter these animals, the guests will be participants, not spectators, in an adventure story in this largest land of Disney's Animal Kingdom. |  |
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These pictures illustrate a planned jungle rafting ride. This should be a very popular attraction for the park. |
| This was the basic premise behind the Jungle Cruise in MK, but when the ride was being designed, the imagineers realized that the animals would prefer to sleep during the busiest times of day. This has all been taken care of in Animal Kingdom. |  |
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In the mythical world of unicorns, dragons, and other magical creatures, guests will come face to face with make-believe animals from legends, fairy tales, and storybooks-all of which play an important role in the circle of life because of their powerful hold on our imagination. The creatures will come to life through Disney's creative storytelling. |
| The park's third region focuses on extinction. Guests will be whisked back 65 million years to witness the end of the dinosaur era. Disney's most advanced Audio-Animatronics will bring the giants of the Cretaceous period to life in a major thrill attraction. Other adventures will lead guests into a primeval forest and allow them to experience prehistoric life on Earth. | 
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The vast majority of animals for
Disney's Animal Kingdom will be born in zoological
parks. Others will be rescued from endangered habitats or
will be orphans that have been saved by wildlife
officials. Leading the conservation efforts at Disney's Animal Kingdom is Rick Barongi, general manager of animal operations for the park. Barongi joined Disney from the San Diego Zoo, where he was director of the Children's Zoo and curator of mammals. Prior to San Diego, he served as curator of mammals at Miami Metrozoo. Barongi has a master's degree in zoology from Cornell University. |
| Nearly three years ago, Disney created an advisory committee, composed of the nation's leading zoologists and conservationists. This esteemed group is contributing its world-class expertise in conservation to the design and development of Disney's Animal Kingdom as well as the company's overall conservation programs. The committee has already assisted Disney Imagineers in shaping the park into a place that can inform millions about the importance of conservation through the powerful medium of entertainment. Advisors are helping shape facility designs, conservation information programs, animal management policies, and guidelines for an expanded animal conservation program. |  |
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