ANIMAL
KINGDOM

TOURING
Attraction Seating
   Photo Gallery
Basic Services
Calendar of Events
Character Meet and
   Greet FAQ
Extra Magic Hour
FASTPASS
Fun Facts
Guide Map
Kennels
Operating Hours
Overlooked Attractions
Reader Tips
Rehabs and Closures
Restaurant Photo Gallery
Ride Restrictions
Smoking Policy
Special Needs Travelers
--Animal Kingdom
    in a Wheelchair
Ticket FAQ

WDW At Large

AT A GLANCE...
Animal Species by Area
Attractions
Restaurants
Characters
Shopping

THE OASIS
Place of Transition Part I
Place of Transition Part II

DISCOVERY ISLAND
The Tree of Life
It's Tough to be a Bug
Discovery Island Trails

CAMP MINNIE-MICKEY
Festival of the Lion King
Character Greeting
   Trails

AFRICA
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Pangani Forest
   Exploration Trail

RAFIKI'S PLANET WATCH

ASIA
Expedition EVEREST
Flights of Wonder
Kali River Rapids
Maharajah Jungle Trek

DINOLAND U.S.A.
Dinosaur
The Boneyard
Dino-Sue
Chester and Hester's
   Dino-Rama
   --Primeval Whirl
   --Triceratop Spin
Finding Nemo: The Musical

ENTERTAINMENT
Mickey's Jammin'
   Jungle Parade
Mickey's JINGLE Jungle Parade
DiVine
Live Entertainment

Special Reports
African Comb Duck
Asian Tigers
Baby African Elephants
Capybara
Giraffe
Nile Hippopotamus
Okapi
Photo Essays
Gorillas
Faces
Hidden Mickeys
Park Details

ALL EARS®
Feature Articles
-- Animal Kingdom Turns 10
-- Animal Kingdom Turns 5
-- Kaleidoscopic Kingdoms
-- Other Side of Animal Kingdom

TOURS
-- Back Stage Safari
-- Wild by Design

ARCHIVES
Pocahontas and Her
   Forest Friends - Closed 9/27/08
Tarzan Rocks! Closed 1/06
Journey into the Jungle Book
Closed 4/99
Lucky the Dinosaur May-July 2005
March of the Artimals Closed 6/99
Radio Disney River Cruise aka
Discovery River Taxi aka
Discovery RiverBoat Ride aka
Discovery River Boats - Retired 1999
Walk Around Artimals
Pre-Opening Guide Map

OTHER THEME PARKS
Disney's Hollywood
   Studios
Epcot
Magic Kingdom

Disneyland
Disney's California
    Adventure

*****

The Adventure Begins at Animal Kingdom - Each morning, 15 minutes before the schedule opening time, you can go through the turn styles and head to the Tree of Life area. Soon, Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy arrive to welcome you to the park! Soon Mickey appears and gets on the truck and you can follow them into Harambe as the Adventure Begins in the Animal Kingdom!

**********

Disney's Animal Kingdom is a spectacular theme park unlike anything you have ever experienced.

In January 1990, Imagineering Concept Designer Joe Rohde met with Michael Eisner about a proposal for a new animal park. His concept was simple: a traditional theme park, an Epcot style pavilion, and a nontraditional zoo. Disney's Wild Animal Kingdom Project was announced June 5, 1995 and ground was broken in August 1995. The name changed a bit during the next couple years and the Grand Opening of Disney's Animal Kingdom was held on April 22, 1998. Animal Kingdom celebrated it's 10th Anniversary on April 22, 2008!

Animal Kingdom has an afternoon parade Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade.

OVERVIEW

The Tree of Life, an impressive icon, stands tall in the distance as you emerge from the entrance, called the Oasis. Then think of the park as a bicycle wheel, the Tree of Life is the hub and the various lands stretch out like spokes.

Animal Kingdom opened with the Oasis, Safari Village (renamed Discovery Island), Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, Conservation Station (renamed Rafiki's Planet Watch), Dinoland USA and a small portion of Asia. Before the park's first birthday, a larger portion of Asia opened to complete the circle.

Some say Animal Kingdom is only a half day park and not worth the price of admission. I disagree, yet there is a fair group of visitors that feel that way. I tend to think those are the folks who run from attraction to attraction, with the sole purpose of checking off what they have done and to hurry and get to what is left. By doing so, you'll miss much of what Animal Kingdom is about.

"Disney's Animal Kingdom won't be for everyone. The difference will largely be in one's expectations. Come expecting "rides" and you're bound to be disappointed. That's why Disney is advertising it as "a different kind of theme park". If you come expecting to learn a bit about animals, to view them in as natural a situation as any zoo in the world, to experience a themed environment as convincing as Main Street or Hollywood Boulevard, and to be awed by the many fantastic details from the walkway design to the Tree of Life, you'll love it!" (ZaZu)

The exquisite detail that Disney is known for shines through in Disney's Animal Kingdom where landscaping and attention to details dominate the 500 acre park.

Two "Behind the Scenes Tours" are offered for you to learn more about Animal Kingdom. A special Wildlife Discovery Excursion is available to any Disney Resort Concierge Guests. Your itinerary planner can assist you with reservations.

 

On the southwestern edge of the Walt Disney World Resort, Imagineers have created a nature rich and protective environment for exotic animals. Most of the barriers between the animals and you are natural looking or invisible.

Disney craftsman had the difficult task of making something brand new, look very old - with crumbling walls and roots sticking up into the walk ways. To create just the right feeling, buildings are a maximum of 30 feet tall, while many of the trees are over 40 feet tall.

The park is beautiful with wondrous vegetation, a broadway class show (Festival of the Lion King), a 20 minute journey into an African savannah (Kilimanjaro Safaris), an adventure to find the Yeti (Expedition Everest) time travel back to the Cretaceous Period (Dinosaur), and lots of exotic birds and animals to discover.

What's NEW?

A baby elephant is born in Animal Kingdom! (June 28, 2008). The new elephant's name is Tsavo (pronounced sah-vo). Disney officials wanted to give an him an appropriate name, since he was the largest calf born at Animal Kingdom. Tsavo is a region of Kenya located at the crossing of the Uganda Railway over the Tsavo River, and is the largest national park in Kenya, and one of the largest in the world.

Baby Sable Antelope - A Sable Antelope mother and her calf are spending their first week on the savanna together at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The calf's first day on the outdoor savannah was May 7. The savanna can be seen by guests on the theme park's Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction.

Tusker House ReOpens in Animal Kingdom. Linda Mac enjoyed the Character Breakfast and Jack Spence enjoyed Lunch.

Yak and Yeti Is Open!! To fit in with Anandapur, the fictional village that is home to Expedition Everest, the restaurant will be themed as a rural village in the Himalayan foothills. The pan-Asian establishment will house both a table service restaurant that seats 300 and a quick-service eatery that can hold 200 customers.

Review -- Photo Gallery - Andandupar Local Cafes

Menus: Yak and Yeti -- Yak and Yeti Kids -- Yak and Yeti Quality Beverages -- Anandupar Local Cafes

New Baby Giraffe -- "The Walt Disney World® Resort’s Animal Programs team welcomed a 6-foot-1 inch, 151-pound bundle of joy at Disney’s Animal Kingdom®. Nikki, a 10-year-old giraffe, gave birth to a healthy baby girl Monday, March 26. The calf, named Rori (ROAR-ee), was Nikki’s first and both the calf and Nikki are doing great and are expected to rejoin their herd on the savannah at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the next few weeks."

A healthy baby white rhinoceros named Tom was born January 4, 2007 at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Tom, the sixth white rhino born at Animal Kingdom, was named in honor of Dr. Tom Foose, President of the International Rhino Foundation (IRF). Kendi, the baby rhino's 8-year-old mother, was the first white rhino born at Animal Kingdom. There are five Southern White Rhinos in the herd at Disney's Animal Kingdom – three males and two females of various ages. At one time white rhinos were nearly extinct, numbering less than 100 animals. Thanks to conservation efforts there are now approximately 11,300 worldwide, with 196 in North American zoos. Look for Kendi and Tom to join the other rhinos on the savanna at Animal Kingdom soon. (Kayla, a white Rhino born February 2005, to Kendi (also born at Animal Kingdom). Kayla can be seen on the Kilimanjaro Safari ride.)

(1/7/07) The baby giraffe is now on the savanna. She is hard to see as she stays in the back. Most drivers will point her out. A baby giraffe was born October 7 at Disney's Animal Kingdom. She is the first offspring for her mother, a 9-year-old giraffe named Aibuni. The female calf, named Imara ("strong" in Swahili), is about 6 feet tall and weighs about 110 pounds. Aibuni and Imara are expected to be back on the Animal Kingdom savanna soon.

What's COMING?

Nothing is scheduled at this time.

What's Going - Going - Gone...

Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends - last show September 27, 2008. No word on a replacement.

Tarzan Rocks - Last Show 1/21/2006 - theatre was totally enclosed and is now the home to Finding Nemo - the musical!

*****

A wide variety of sources were used to obtain the Animal Kingdom information found on WDWIG including: Discussions with Cast Members, various Animal Kingdom Guide Maps, WDW Media Releases, the Backstage Safari Tour, "The Field Guide to Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park", and "The Making of the Animal Kingdom Theme Park", by Melody Malmberg.