Tinkerbells
Oct 24, 2005, 04:04 AM
The fourth Walt Disney World theme park celebrates one amazing adventure after another with wild animals, exciting attractions, lavish stage shows and lovable characters! Highlights include an authentic African safari, a whirling white-water raft ride and a thrilling race back in time to prehistoric worlds.
Location:
From Walt Disney World property: take World Drive to Osceola Parkway West. From off Disney property: take I-4 to Exit 64B (U.S. 192 West), to World Drive North, to Osceola Parkway West, to Disney's Animal Kingdom parking plaza.
Size: More than 500 acres
Parking: For 6,000 cars
Project Announced: June 5, 1995
Construction Began: August 1995
Grand Opening: April 22, 1998
Employees: More than 4,500 cast members to date
Animals: About 1,500, representing 250 species -- most acquired from zoos accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.
Landscaping: More than 4 million (3,000 species) trees, plants, shrubs, vines, grasses, ferns, etc.
Entry Garden: The Oasis -- A lush botanical garden designed for guests to explore habitats of fascinating creatures including iguanas, a giant anteater, several species of colorful birds and other animals.
Major "Lands":
Africa -- Journey through the "wild" savannah on Kilimanjaro Safaris that seems to put you in the heart of Africa with lions, zebra, giraffes and other magnificent animals roaming freely. An authentic African village is filled with sights and sounds of the mysterious continent.
Camp Minnie-Mickey -- The site to meet many of the lovable Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse and friends from classic Disney films. Live shows include "Festival of the Lion King" and "Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends."
DinoLand U.S.A. -- Here's where the world's fascination with dinosaurs comes to life: race back in time to save the last dinosaur on the thrill ride DINOSAUR; enjoy time-warp adventures on the Primeval Whirl coaster and a whimsical ride on TriceraTop Spin; let kids dig, swing and giggle through The Boneyard dig site and prehistoric playground. Presented by McDonald's.
Discovery Island -- The park hub and home of the towering icon, The Tree of Life, which houses within its trunk "It's Tough to be a Bug," a humorous 3-D and special-effects show in The Tree of Life Theater. Discovery Island also features gifts and food emporiums and the bright tropical colors of hand-carved animal architecture.
Asia -- Home of Kali River Rapids, a white-water raft adventure through a threatened rainforest; Maharajah Jungle Trek, a surprising walking journey past Asian ruins and live exotic animals including tigers and giant fruit bats; and the thrilling "Flights of Wonder" exotic bird show.
Attractions:
The Boneyard (DinoLand U.S.A.)
DINOSAUR (DinoLand U.S.A.)
Primeval Whirl and TriceraTop Spin(DinoLand U.S.A.)
Character Greetings (Camp Minnie-Mickey)
Kali River Rapids (Asia)
Maharajah Jungle Trek (Asia)
Kilimanjaro Safaris (Africa)
Pangani Forest Exploration Trail (Africa)
Wildlife Express (Africa/Rafiki's Planet Watch)
Rafiki's Planet Watch (near Africa)
"It's Tough to be a Bug!" (Discovery Island)
The Tree of Life (Discovery Island)Shows:
"Festival of the Lion King" (at 1,375-seat theater/Camp Minnie-Mickey)
"Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends" (at 350-seat Grandmother Willow's Grove/Camp Minnie-Mickey)
"Flights of Wonder" (at 1,000-seat Caravan Stage/Asia)Parade:
"Mickey's Jammin' Jungle" parade features Disney characters on safariWhere To Eat:
Flame Tree Barbecue (quick dining, outdoor seating/Discovery Island)
Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery (quick-service counter/Africa)
Pizzafari (quick dining/Discovery Island)
Rainforest Cafe (full-service/Entrance Plaza)
Restaurantosaurus (quick dining/character breakfast/DinoLand U.S.A.)
Dawa Bar (cocktails/Africa)
Tamu Tamu Refreshments (snack shop/Africa)
Tusker House Restaurant (quick dining/Africa)Essential Services:
Baby Care Center (Discovery Island)
Banking ATM (Entrance Plaza)
First Aid (Discovery Island)
Guest Services; Kennel; Lockers (Entrance Plaza)
Lost children; Lost and Found (Discovery Island)
Package pickup; stroller and wheelchair rental (Entrance Plaza)
Entry Garden
The Oasis -- This gateway to the adventures of Disney's Animal Kingdom is a cool, natural place of flowering glades and tumbling waterfalls. Guests explore several lush paths that lead to natural animal habitats of miniature deer, brilliant macaws, an anteater and iguanas. The park is laid out in a classic hub-and-spoke Disney style. Here's a tour:
The "Lands"
Discovery Island -- Towering 145 feet above this island village of brightly colored shops and restaurants is the giant Tree of Life, the park's centerpiece and principal icon. 325 images of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects are intricately carved into its trunk and branches. Several species of animals including Galapagos tortoises and red kangaroos live in pools and meadows around its base. Within the tree is a 430-seat 3-D film/special-effects theater featuring "It's Tough to be a Bug!" a humorous and exciting adventure within the miniature yet sometimes scary world of insects. Bridges lead across Discovery River to other lands and attractions, and the daily "Mickey's Jammin' Jungle" parade is a character safari that enters from the park's land of Africa and circles Discovery Island.
DinoLand U.S.A. -- Begins in an open-air, paleontological dig where scientists have reassembled gigantic dinosaur skeletons in The Boneyard, a playground for families and an introduction to one of the park's most thrilling adventures, DINOSAUR, where huge dinosaurs move and breathe with lifelike realism. Adventurers take a fantastic, careening, high-speed journey back 65 million years through a primeval forest in a desperate race to save the "last dinosaur" from threatened extinction in the fiery crash of a giant asteroid. At Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama! -- Primeval Whirl and TriceraTop Spin are two wacky time-warp rides next to the Fossil Fun Games midway. Nearby Cretaceous Trail allows guests to wander through cycads and palms to discover plant and animal survivors of the prehistoric world. DinoLand U.S.A. is presented by McDonald's.
Asia -- Guests explore an ancient palace and exotic rainforest where jungle animals inhabit mysterious ruins along Maharajah Jungle Trek. Tigers, gibbons, Komodo dragons and other animals roam freely, and giant fruit bats fly without apparent barriers from guests or one another. Most thrilling of the new Asia adventures is Kali River Rapids, a white-water raft experience along a raging river through a rainforest threatened by lumber operations. "Flights of Wonder" is an exciting free-flying demonstration of the many skills of falcons, owls and other exotic birds in performances several times each day. The open-air theater seats 1,000.
Africa -- Expeditions into the wilds of Africa begin at the edge of a typical wildlife reserve in the coastal village of Harambe, with its bustling marketplace, white-washed walls and reed-thatched roofs typical of present-day Swahili architecture. A huge, gnarled baobab tree, traditional icon of the African savannah, serves as the starting point for Kilimanjaro Safaris. Traveling in large, open-sided safari lorries, guests follow bumpy trails exploring 110 acres of forests, rivers, hills and grasslands filled with free-roaming antelope, rhinos, hippopotamus, zebra, crocodiles, baboons and other creatures.
The journey ends at Pangani Forest Exploration Trail where guests can disembark and walk through a bamboo jungle inhabited by two troops of lowland gorillas, see hippos from an underwater viewing area and explore a forest of exotic birds. And they can board the well-worn steam trains of Wildlife Express to Rafiki's Planet Watch for a backstage look at the veterinary headquarters and center for Disney's Animal Kingdom conservation programs. Visitors can enjoy interactive experiences and meet wildlife experts to discover how they can help endangered animals around the world. In The Affection Section, guests meet and touch fascinating animals.
Camp Minnie-Mickey -- In this character greeting and show area, animal characters made famous in "The Lion King" and other Disney classic animated motion pictures come to life to greet visitors and perform in special stage shows including "Festival of the Lion King," presented on huge moving stages in an enclosed pavilion. Live animals from American forests perform with Pocahontas in "Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends" at Grandmother Willow's Grove. Resembling an Adirondack summer camp, the area features themed shelters where guests meet individually with their favorites like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy.
Other Features
Live bands, "Streetmosphere" characters and other moving entertainment add to the non-stop fun at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
The park also includes a 100-acre parking area for 6,000 vehicles, plus many shops and restaurants and snack facilities including the exciting Rainforest Cafe at the main entrance, Flame Tree Barbecue, Pizzafari, Restaurantosaurus and Tusker House Restaurant.
[B]Fun Facts:
In preparation for creating Disney's Animal Kingdom, a core team of seven Walt Disney Imagineers, led by executive designer Joe Rohde, crisscrossed the globe in search of the essential look of life in the wild, amassing more than 500,000 miles . . . a distance equal to circling the globe 20 times.
Sixty dump trucks of dirt were delivered to Disney’s Animal Kingdom construction site every day for two years straight, equaling 4.4 million cubic yards of dirt.
Ten artists and three Imagineers worked full-time for 18 months to create the 325 animal carvings on The Tree of Life. Sculptors had between six and 10 hours to create the finished image before the plaster hardened.
The Tree of Life is topped with more than 103,000 transparent, five-shades-of-green leaves that actually blow in the wind.
Some 1,500 2-to-3-foot long fanciful hand-painted wooden folk art animal carvings -- a fusion of pre-Columbian, Peruvian, African and Polynesian forms -- were crafted on the island of Bali by native craftsmen, and can be seen adorning the architecture of Discovery Island.
More than 4 million trees, plants, shrubs, ground-covers, vines, epiphytes and grasses from every continent on Earth -- except Antarctica -- were planted.
The largest tree replanted in the park is located in Harambe village, and tipped the scales at 90 tons . . . that’s equal to the weight of 16 male elephants.
Planting Kilimanjaro Safaris was a challenge. With a ride-through attraction and live animals roaming about, planting patterns were based on what designers thought the animals would do, and what the guests will experience. Paul Comstock, principal landscape architect, laid out the plant bed lines on a motorcycle (using spray paint) riding at the same speed as the ride vehicle, “because guests will experience the landscape at that speed,” he said.
The rutted safari road also is part of the landscape design. Imagineering’s design team matched concrete with the surrounding soil, then rolled tires through it, and tossed stones, dirt and twigs into it to create an appropriately bumpy experience duplicating a remote African road.
In order to support the incredibly large and sophisticated dinosaur Audio-Animatronics at DINOSAUR in DinoLand U.S.A., their dino-size bases were built clear through the structure down to their own large foundations in the ground.
There’s one million square feet of rockwork at Disney’s Animal Kingdom . . . that’s twice the volume of rockwork in the Mt. Rushmore sculptures or a volume that could create a monolith 10 feet by 10 feet by two miles high.
To keep 1,000 animals happy takes about four tons of food a day . . . that’s a four-and-a-half year supply for the average person.
There are 27 million gallons of water in Discovery River . . . that’s an amount equal to 1,800 average-sized backyard swimming pools.
There are 2.6 million gallons of water contained in various water features that come in contact with animals. On average, the entire volume of water is treated and filtered five times daily, which means that 15.6 million gallons of water are treated and filtered every day.
The cycad collection along Cretaceous Trail in DinoLand U.S.A. represents the third largest such collection in North America, including direct descendants of the four botanical epochs of plant evolution dating back hundreds of millions of years, including ferns, mosses, conifers, broadleaf plants and the first flowering plants on earth.
Like a snapshot from an African safari, towering acacia trees and tall grasses paint a familiar picture of the Serengeti on a vast stretch of rolling landscape, but this is Central Florida, not east Africa, and the acacias are really 30-foot-tall Southern live oaks with a close-cropped crew cut.
Company founder Walt Disney’s love of animals began when he was four years old and his family moved from his Chicago birthplace to a 45-acre farm in Marceline, Missouri, where he helped take care of farm animals, as well as learned to draw pictures of his animal friends.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is home to the largest groups of Nile hippos and African elephants in North America.
The first birth at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was a kudu, a large African antelope.
The number of species that have reproduced since the park opened is more than 150.
Six Micronesian Kingfisher chicks were hatched at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, raising the world population of these birds by 9 percent.
The arrival of two black rhino calves born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom made them two of only 200 in captivity worldwide.
Animal Programs veterinarians have successfully performed surgery on a tarantula spider, placed an artificial eye in a fish and removed a golf ball from a hungry snake rescued at a Disney golf course.
The Animal Programs team performs more than 600 wellness checks per year.
Lab technicians have analyzed more than 10,000 samples of animal poop since Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened.
More than 2,000 pounds of vegetation and browse is fed to the animals every day, and several varieties of worms are provided to the animals, including super mealworms, yellow mealworms, red wigglers, night crawlers and wax worms -- 40,000 in a week! Dieticians also order 80,000 crickets per month as part of the healthy diet for the animals.
Disney Animal Kingdom scientists have discovered two new vocalizations never before reported in elephants.
Since 1995, the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund has devoted more than $7 million to conservation efforts around the world and has supported more than 300 projects.
Disney chefs have plenty of menu surprises in store for the four animal-themed restaurants at Disney's Animal Kingdom, all of them featuring gazelle-paced service, interesting recipes, a generous helping of innovative cooking methods and a colorful atmosphere in keeping with the exotic theme of each area.
Just outside the entrance to the theme park is [B]Rainforest Cafe, remarkably re-creating the sights and sounds of a rainforest through a combination of live and animated wildlife and special effects. The restaurant, featuring an assortment of casual dining menu items including pastas, salads, sandwiches and desserts, can be reached from both outside and inside the park.
Throughout Disney's Animal Kingdom, guests will find imaginative eateries inspired by culinary expertise of chef Rolf Gosswiler and his team of talented chefs. Each Disney restaurant has its own chef and a personality all its own. Beer and wine are served throughout the park's restaurants.
Here are the highlights:
Discovery Island
[B]Pizzafari -- Chefs created a special new pizza crust during 18 months of research and taste testing, baked in an open-hearth oven with a variety of unusual toppings. The restaurant itself is an outstanding artistic accomplishment -- walls are covered with animal murals and the ceiling is lined with colorful animal figurines.
Flame Tree Barbecue -- Features wood-roasted meats with a choice of two original barbecue sauce flavors -- a tomato-based sauce and a mustard-flavored creation -- plus a special dry marinade that is rubbed into the meat before cooking. Chef Hal Taylor says "it would have been easy to use an existing recipe for our barbecue sauce, but we wanted a unique product. We think it is so good guests will want to take some home." Flame Tree Barbecue also carries out the colorful artistic theme of Discovery Island, with outdoor, riverside dining pavilions featuring hand-carved and painted animals.DinoLand U.S.A.
Restaurantosaurus is themed as a home-away-from-home for fun-loving paleontology students of DinoLand U.S.A. Dinosaur memorabilia and class notes line the walls. Restaurantosaurus features Disney character breakfasts starring Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck and Pluto. "Nature students" living in the dorm keep guests happy with beverage refills. Presented by McDonald's, the restaurant serves such favorites as Chicken McNuggets, Happy Meals, cookies, and, of course, famous McDonald's french fries. Disney chefs offer up a tempting sandwich menu that includes hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches and cheeseburgers with a flavorful twist -- crock cheese instead of slices -- as well as fresh tossed salads.Africa
Tusker House Restaurant in Harambe is the adventurous culinary prelude for guests headed to Kilimanjaro Safaris. Disney chef Earl Penson features chicken several ways: on the rotisserie, roasted, grilled and fried. Prime rib, lasagne and grilled vegetable sandwich are tasty alternatives. Side dishes include fresh vegetables, garlic mashed potatoes and salads. The adjacent Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery is themed as an East African bazaar with Arabic archways, ceilings draped in exotic fabrics and daylight streaming through the skylight. Warm cinnamon rolls are among featured specialties. Across the marketplace, Tamu Tamu snack shop serves frozen yogurt, ice cream floats and sundaes.Colorful food counters in many streetside buildings throughtout Disney's Animal Kingdom add to the variety of eating opportunities with such delights as fresh-baked cookies in an Adirondack-style cabin at Camp Minnie-Mickey, "dinosaur" (turkey) legs in DinoLand U.S.A. and ice cream bars with the imprint of Simba's paw.
A shopping safari through Disney's Animal Kingdom is an adventure in itself. Discover themed backscratchers and bush hats as seen on your Kilimanjaro Safaris tour guide. Don't miss stryracosaurus and other dinosaur replicas straight from the DINOSAUR thrill ride.
The 1,600 specially created merchandise items at Disney's Animal Kingdom reflect the overriding theme of the park -- a celebration of animals.
The merchandise depicts all of the park "animals," whether they are Disney, dinosaurs or real.
Environmentally friendly conservation messages also are evident throughout the merchandise locations at Disney's Animal Kingdom. At each register guests can contribute to the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund by adding a dollar to a purchase. Penny press machines featuring the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund logo are located throughout the park with proceeds supporting wildlife and wild places.
[B]Shopping Options:
The Outpost Shop -- Located outside the park entrance, this is the first shop in and the last shop out of the park, offering Disney's Animal Kingdom T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and other Walt Disney World souvenirs.
Garden Gate Gifts -- This shop, located just inside the park, is a camera center with film, cameras, picture frames and albums, and it's the pick-up point for guest photos shot by park photographers. Guests also can find sundries, as well as stroller and wheelchair rentals.
Island Mercantile -- The park's largest merchandise stop located in Discovery Island offers a one-stop shop for everything guests may need. Highlights include a giant wall of Disney characters outfitted in safari garb, Walt Disney World logo merchandise -- T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, souvenirs -- plus candy, toys and more.
Disney Outfitters -- This shopping mecca in Discovery Island features upscale men's and women's apparel, jewelry, watches, frames and globes. Within the store is a Winnie the Pooh shop carrying T-shirts, nightshirts and housewares. Also offered are authentic African art carvings.
Creature Comforts -- Just for kids, this Discovery Island boutique is themed to animals with spots, stripes and colorful markings from leopards to ladybugs. Guests also can find safari-themed children's products, princess and hero costumes and everything else for little ones on safari. Also available are Walt Disney World T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, toys and dolls.
Beastly Bazaar -- This shop in the Discovery Island "artists colony" features a brightly colored whimsical exterior and showcases home accessories, kitchenware, bath products, candles and candle accessories. Also featured is a large assortment of packaged candies, coffee and coffee accessories.
Chester and Hester's Dinosaur Treasures -- A tacky and wacky roadside "garage" covered floor to ceiling with dinosaur doodads. Dinosaur toys, dolls, books, games and novelty hats are available. Also toys for all ages.
Mombasa Marketplace/Ziwani Traders -- African marketplace and trading company featuring artifacts you might find in the village of Harambe -- gourds, soapstone wood carvings, hand-painted gift boxes, plus Kilimanjaro Safari T-shirts, vests, shorts, mugs, hats and jewelry.
Out of the Wild -- Located at Rafiki's Planet Watch, this shop offers souvenirs and snacks, T-shirts and guest necessities.
Location:
From Walt Disney World property: take World Drive to Osceola Parkway West. From off Disney property: take I-4 to Exit 64B (U.S. 192 West), to World Drive North, to Osceola Parkway West, to Disney's Animal Kingdom parking plaza.
Size: More than 500 acres
Parking: For 6,000 cars
Project Announced: June 5, 1995
Construction Began: August 1995
Grand Opening: April 22, 1998
Employees: More than 4,500 cast members to date
Animals: About 1,500, representing 250 species -- most acquired from zoos accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.
Landscaping: More than 4 million (3,000 species) trees, plants, shrubs, vines, grasses, ferns, etc.
Entry Garden: The Oasis -- A lush botanical garden designed for guests to explore habitats of fascinating creatures including iguanas, a giant anteater, several species of colorful birds and other animals.
Major "Lands":
Africa -- Journey through the "wild" savannah on Kilimanjaro Safaris that seems to put you in the heart of Africa with lions, zebra, giraffes and other magnificent animals roaming freely. An authentic African village is filled with sights and sounds of the mysterious continent.
Camp Minnie-Mickey -- The site to meet many of the lovable Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse and friends from classic Disney films. Live shows include "Festival of the Lion King" and "Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends."
DinoLand U.S.A. -- Here's where the world's fascination with dinosaurs comes to life: race back in time to save the last dinosaur on the thrill ride DINOSAUR; enjoy time-warp adventures on the Primeval Whirl coaster and a whimsical ride on TriceraTop Spin; let kids dig, swing and giggle through The Boneyard dig site and prehistoric playground. Presented by McDonald's.
Discovery Island -- The park hub and home of the towering icon, The Tree of Life, which houses within its trunk "It's Tough to be a Bug," a humorous 3-D and special-effects show in The Tree of Life Theater. Discovery Island also features gifts and food emporiums and the bright tropical colors of hand-carved animal architecture.
Asia -- Home of Kali River Rapids, a white-water raft adventure through a threatened rainforest; Maharajah Jungle Trek, a surprising walking journey past Asian ruins and live exotic animals including tigers and giant fruit bats; and the thrilling "Flights of Wonder" exotic bird show.
Attractions:
The Boneyard (DinoLand U.S.A.)
DINOSAUR (DinoLand U.S.A.)
Primeval Whirl and TriceraTop Spin(DinoLand U.S.A.)
Character Greetings (Camp Minnie-Mickey)
Kali River Rapids (Asia)
Maharajah Jungle Trek (Asia)
Kilimanjaro Safaris (Africa)
Pangani Forest Exploration Trail (Africa)
Wildlife Express (Africa/Rafiki's Planet Watch)
Rafiki's Planet Watch (near Africa)
"It's Tough to be a Bug!" (Discovery Island)
The Tree of Life (Discovery Island)Shows:
"Festival of the Lion King" (at 1,375-seat theater/Camp Minnie-Mickey)
"Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends" (at 350-seat Grandmother Willow's Grove/Camp Minnie-Mickey)
"Flights of Wonder" (at 1,000-seat Caravan Stage/Asia)Parade:
"Mickey's Jammin' Jungle" parade features Disney characters on safariWhere To Eat:
Flame Tree Barbecue (quick dining, outdoor seating/Discovery Island)
Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery (quick-service counter/Africa)
Pizzafari (quick dining/Discovery Island)
Rainforest Cafe (full-service/Entrance Plaza)
Restaurantosaurus (quick dining/character breakfast/DinoLand U.S.A.)
Dawa Bar (cocktails/Africa)
Tamu Tamu Refreshments (snack shop/Africa)
Tusker House Restaurant (quick dining/Africa)Essential Services:
Baby Care Center (Discovery Island)
Banking ATM (Entrance Plaza)
First Aid (Discovery Island)
Guest Services; Kennel; Lockers (Entrance Plaza)
Lost children; Lost and Found (Discovery Island)
Package pickup; stroller and wheelchair rental (Entrance Plaza)
Entry Garden
The Oasis -- This gateway to the adventures of Disney's Animal Kingdom is a cool, natural place of flowering glades and tumbling waterfalls. Guests explore several lush paths that lead to natural animal habitats of miniature deer, brilliant macaws, an anteater and iguanas. The park is laid out in a classic hub-and-spoke Disney style. Here's a tour:
The "Lands"
Discovery Island -- Towering 145 feet above this island village of brightly colored shops and restaurants is the giant Tree of Life, the park's centerpiece and principal icon. 325 images of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects are intricately carved into its trunk and branches. Several species of animals including Galapagos tortoises and red kangaroos live in pools and meadows around its base. Within the tree is a 430-seat 3-D film/special-effects theater featuring "It's Tough to be a Bug!" a humorous and exciting adventure within the miniature yet sometimes scary world of insects. Bridges lead across Discovery River to other lands and attractions, and the daily "Mickey's Jammin' Jungle" parade is a character safari that enters from the park's land of Africa and circles Discovery Island.
DinoLand U.S.A. -- Begins in an open-air, paleontological dig where scientists have reassembled gigantic dinosaur skeletons in The Boneyard, a playground for families and an introduction to one of the park's most thrilling adventures, DINOSAUR, where huge dinosaurs move and breathe with lifelike realism. Adventurers take a fantastic, careening, high-speed journey back 65 million years through a primeval forest in a desperate race to save the "last dinosaur" from threatened extinction in the fiery crash of a giant asteroid. At Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama! -- Primeval Whirl and TriceraTop Spin are two wacky time-warp rides next to the Fossil Fun Games midway. Nearby Cretaceous Trail allows guests to wander through cycads and palms to discover plant and animal survivors of the prehistoric world. DinoLand U.S.A. is presented by McDonald's.
Asia -- Guests explore an ancient palace and exotic rainforest where jungle animals inhabit mysterious ruins along Maharajah Jungle Trek. Tigers, gibbons, Komodo dragons and other animals roam freely, and giant fruit bats fly without apparent barriers from guests or one another. Most thrilling of the new Asia adventures is Kali River Rapids, a white-water raft experience along a raging river through a rainforest threatened by lumber operations. "Flights of Wonder" is an exciting free-flying demonstration of the many skills of falcons, owls and other exotic birds in performances several times each day. The open-air theater seats 1,000.
Africa -- Expeditions into the wilds of Africa begin at the edge of a typical wildlife reserve in the coastal village of Harambe, with its bustling marketplace, white-washed walls and reed-thatched roofs typical of present-day Swahili architecture. A huge, gnarled baobab tree, traditional icon of the African savannah, serves as the starting point for Kilimanjaro Safaris. Traveling in large, open-sided safari lorries, guests follow bumpy trails exploring 110 acres of forests, rivers, hills and grasslands filled with free-roaming antelope, rhinos, hippopotamus, zebra, crocodiles, baboons and other creatures.
The journey ends at Pangani Forest Exploration Trail where guests can disembark and walk through a bamboo jungle inhabited by two troops of lowland gorillas, see hippos from an underwater viewing area and explore a forest of exotic birds. And they can board the well-worn steam trains of Wildlife Express to Rafiki's Planet Watch for a backstage look at the veterinary headquarters and center for Disney's Animal Kingdom conservation programs. Visitors can enjoy interactive experiences and meet wildlife experts to discover how they can help endangered animals around the world. In The Affection Section, guests meet and touch fascinating animals.
Camp Minnie-Mickey -- In this character greeting and show area, animal characters made famous in "The Lion King" and other Disney classic animated motion pictures come to life to greet visitors and perform in special stage shows including "Festival of the Lion King," presented on huge moving stages in an enclosed pavilion. Live animals from American forests perform with Pocahontas in "Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends" at Grandmother Willow's Grove. Resembling an Adirondack summer camp, the area features themed shelters where guests meet individually with their favorites like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy.
Other Features
Live bands, "Streetmosphere" characters and other moving entertainment add to the non-stop fun at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
The park also includes a 100-acre parking area for 6,000 vehicles, plus many shops and restaurants and snack facilities including the exciting Rainforest Cafe at the main entrance, Flame Tree Barbecue, Pizzafari, Restaurantosaurus and Tusker House Restaurant.
[B]Fun Facts:
In preparation for creating Disney's Animal Kingdom, a core team of seven Walt Disney Imagineers, led by executive designer Joe Rohde, crisscrossed the globe in search of the essential look of life in the wild, amassing more than 500,000 miles . . . a distance equal to circling the globe 20 times.
Sixty dump trucks of dirt were delivered to Disney’s Animal Kingdom construction site every day for two years straight, equaling 4.4 million cubic yards of dirt.
Ten artists and three Imagineers worked full-time for 18 months to create the 325 animal carvings on The Tree of Life. Sculptors had between six and 10 hours to create the finished image before the plaster hardened.
The Tree of Life is topped with more than 103,000 transparent, five-shades-of-green leaves that actually blow in the wind.
Some 1,500 2-to-3-foot long fanciful hand-painted wooden folk art animal carvings -- a fusion of pre-Columbian, Peruvian, African and Polynesian forms -- were crafted on the island of Bali by native craftsmen, and can be seen adorning the architecture of Discovery Island.
More than 4 million trees, plants, shrubs, ground-covers, vines, epiphytes and grasses from every continent on Earth -- except Antarctica -- were planted.
The largest tree replanted in the park is located in Harambe village, and tipped the scales at 90 tons . . . that’s equal to the weight of 16 male elephants.
Planting Kilimanjaro Safaris was a challenge. With a ride-through attraction and live animals roaming about, planting patterns were based on what designers thought the animals would do, and what the guests will experience. Paul Comstock, principal landscape architect, laid out the plant bed lines on a motorcycle (using spray paint) riding at the same speed as the ride vehicle, “because guests will experience the landscape at that speed,” he said.
The rutted safari road also is part of the landscape design. Imagineering’s design team matched concrete with the surrounding soil, then rolled tires through it, and tossed stones, dirt and twigs into it to create an appropriately bumpy experience duplicating a remote African road.
In order to support the incredibly large and sophisticated dinosaur Audio-Animatronics at DINOSAUR in DinoLand U.S.A., their dino-size bases were built clear through the structure down to their own large foundations in the ground.
There’s one million square feet of rockwork at Disney’s Animal Kingdom . . . that’s twice the volume of rockwork in the Mt. Rushmore sculptures or a volume that could create a monolith 10 feet by 10 feet by two miles high.
To keep 1,000 animals happy takes about four tons of food a day . . . that’s a four-and-a-half year supply for the average person.
There are 27 million gallons of water in Discovery River . . . that’s an amount equal to 1,800 average-sized backyard swimming pools.
There are 2.6 million gallons of water contained in various water features that come in contact with animals. On average, the entire volume of water is treated and filtered five times daily, which means that 15.6 million gallons of water are treated and filtered every day.
The cycad collection along Cretaceous Trail in DinoLand U.S.A. represents the third largest such collection in North America, including direct descendants of the four botanical epochs of plant evolution dating back hundreds of millions of years, including ferns, mosses, conifers, broadleaf plants and the first flowering plants on earth.
Like a snapshot from an African safari, towering acacia trees and tall grasses paint a familiar picture of the Serengeti on a vast stretch of rolling landscape, but this is Central Florida, not east Africa, and the acacias are really 30-foot-tall Southern live oaks with a close-cropped crew cut.
Company founder Walt Disney’s love of animals began when he was four years old and his family moved from his Chicago birthplace to a 45-acre farm in Marceline, Missouri, where he helped take care of farm animals, as well as learned to draw pictures of his animal friends.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is home to the largest groups of Nile hippos and African elephants in North America.
The first birth at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was a kudu, a large African antelope.
The number of species that have reproduced since the park opened is more than 150.
Six Micronesian Kingfisher chicks were hatched at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, raising the world population of these birds by 9 percent.
The arrival of two black rhino calves born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom made them two of only 200 in captivity worldwide.
Animal Programs veterinarians have successfully performed surgery on a tarantula spider, placed an artificial eye in a fish and removed a golf ball from a hungry snake rescued at a Disney golf course.
The Animal Programs team performs more than 600 wellness checks per year.
Lab technicians have analyzed more than 10,000 samples of animal poop since Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened.
More than 2,000 pounds of vegetation and browse is fed to the animals every day, and several varieties of worms are provided to the animals, including super mealworms, yellow mealworms, red wigglers, night crawlers and wax worms -- 40,000 in a week! Dieticians also order 80,000 crickets per month as part of the healthy diet for the animals.
Disney Animal Kingdom scientists have discovered two new vocalizations never before reported in elephants.
Since 1995, the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund has devoted more than $7 million to conservation efforts around the world and has supported more than 300 projects.
Disney chefs have plenty of menu surprises in store for the four animal-themed restaurants at Disney's Animal Kingdom, all of them featuring gazelle-paced service, interesting recipes, a generous helping of innovative cooking methods and a colorful atmosphere in keeping with the exotic theme of each area.
Just outside the entrance to the theme park is [B]Rainforest Cafe, remarkably re-creating the sights and sounds of a rainforest through a combination of live and animated wildlife and special effects. The restaurant, featuring an assortment of casual dining menu items including pastas, salads, sandwiches and desserts, can be reached from both outside and inside the park.
Throughout Disney's Animal Kingdom, guests will find imaginative eateries inspired by culinary expertise of chef Rolf Gosswiler and his team of talented chefs. Each Disney restaurant has its own chef and a personality all its own. Beer and wine are served throughout the park's restaurants.
Here are the highlights:
Discovery Island
[B]Pizzafari -- Chefs created a special new pizza crust during 18 months of research and taste testing, baked in an open-hearth oven with a variety of unusual toppings. The restaurant itself is an outstanding artistic accomplishment -- walls are covered with animal murals and the ceiling is lined with colorful animal figurines.
Flame Tree Barbecue -- Features wood-roasted meats with a choice of two original barbecue sauce flavors -- a tomato-based sauce and a mustard-flavored creation -- plus a special dry marinade that is rubbed into the meat before cooking. Chef Hal Taylor says "it would have been easy to use an existing recipe for our barbecue sauce, but we wanted a unique product. We think it is so good guests will want to take some home." Flame Tree Barbecue also carries out the colorful artistic theme of Discovery Island, with outdoor, riverside dining pavilions featuring hand-carved and painted animals.DinoLand U.S.A.
Restaurantosaurus is themed as a home-away-from-home for fun-loving paleontology students of DinoLand U.S.A. Dinosaur memorabilia and class notes line the walls. Restaurantosaurus features Disney character breakfasts starring Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck and Pluto. "Nature students" living in the dorm keep guests happy with beverage refills. Presented by McDonald's, the restaurant serves such favorites as Chicken McNuggets, Happy Meals, cookies, and, of course, famous McDonald's french fries. Disney chefs offer up a tempting sandwich menu that includes hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches and cheeseburgers with a flavorful twist -- crock cheese instead of slices -- as well as fresh tossed salads.Africa
Tusker House Restaurant in Harambe is the adventurous culinary prelude for guests headed to Kilimanjaro Safaris. Disney chef Earl Penson features chicken several ways: on the rotisserie, roasted, grilled and fried. Prime rib, lasagne and grilled vegetable sandwich are tasty alternatives. Side dishes include fresh vegetables, garlic mashed potatoes and salads. The adjacent Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery is themed as an East African bazaar with Arabic archways, ceilings draped in exotic fabrics and daylight streaming through the skylight. Warm cinnamon rolls are among featured specialties. Across the marketplace, Tamu Tamu snack shop serves frozen yogurt, ice cream floats and sundaes.Colorful food counters in many streetside buildings throughtout Disney's Animal Kingdom add to the variety of eating opportunities with such delights as fresh-baked cookies in an Adirondack-style cabin at Camp Minnie-Mickey, "dinosaur" (turkey) legs in DinoLand U.S.A. and ice cream bars with the imprint of Simba's paw.
A shopping safari through Disney's Animal Kingdom is an adventure in itself. Discover themed backscratchers and bush hats as seen on your Kilimanjaro Safaris tour guide. Don't miss stryracosaurus and other dinosaur replicas straight from the DINOSAUR thrill ride.
The 1,600 specially created merchandise items at Disney's Animal Kingdom reflect the overriding theme of the park -- a celebration of animals.
The merchandise depicts all of the park "animals," whether they are Disney, dinosaurs or real.
Environmentally friendly conservation messages also are evident throughout the merchandise locations at Disney's Animal Kingdom. At each register guests can contribute to the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund by adding a dollar to a purchase. Penny press machines featuring the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund logo are located throughout the park with proceeds supporting wildlife and wild places.
[B]Shopping Options:
The Outpost Shop -- Located outside the park entrance, this is the first shop in and the last shop out of the park, offering Disney's Animal Kingdom T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and other Walt Disney World souvenirs.
Garden Gate Gifts -- This shop, located just inside the park, is a camera center with film, cameras, picture frames and albums, and it's the pick-up point for guest photos shot by park photographers. Guests also can find sundries, as well as stroller and wheelchair rentals.
Island Mercantile -- The park's largest merchandise stop located in Discovery Island offers a one-stop shop for everything guests may need. Highlights include a giant wall of Disney characters outfitted in safari garb, Walt Disney World logo merchandise -- T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, souvenirs -- plus candy, toys and more.
Disney Outfitters -- This shopping mecca in Discovery Island features upscale men's and women's apparel, jewelry, watches, frames and globes. Within the store is a Winnie the Pooh shop carrying T-shirts, nightshirts and housewares. Also offered are authentic African art carvings.
Creature Comforts -- Just for kids, this Discovery Island boutique is themed to animals with spots, stripes and colorful markings from leopards to ladybugs. Guests also can find safari-themed children's products, princess and hero costumes and everything else for little ones on safari. Also available are Walt Disney World T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, toys and dolls.
Beastly Bazaar -- This shop in the Discovery Island "artists colony" features a brightly colored whimsical exterior and showcases home accessories, kitchenware, bath products, candles and candle accessories. Also featured is a large assortment of packaged candies, coffee and coffee accessories.
Chester and Hester's Dinosaur Treasures -- A tacky and wacky roadside "garage" covered floor to ceiling with dinosaur doodads. Dinosaur toys, dolls, books, games and novelty hats are available. Also toys for all ages.
Mombasa Marketplace/Ziwani Traders -- African marketplace and trading company featuring artifacts you might find in the village of Harambe -- gourds, soapstone wood carvings, hand-painted gift boxes, plus Kilimanjaro Safari T-shirts, vests, shorts, mugs, hats and jewelry.
Out of the Wild -- Located at Rafiki's Planet Watch, this shop offers souvenirs and snacks, T-shirts and guest necessities.