DISNEY THEME PARKS CLUB #6: Walt Disney World, Animal Kingdom: A Tribute to the Natural World
Wednesday May 24th, 2023
Class Rules and Expectations
What is the Disney Theme Parks Club?
April 19 to June 21
Wednesdays (10 classes)
4:15-5:15 PM EST
Hey, Disney Park Buffs!! I'm pretty sure many of you have experienced a Disney Park at least once in our lives, but did you ever know of the history of how each and every one of these parks came to be? The Disney Theme Parks Club will be about not only uncovering the story behind the parks, but also allowing each of us to live out the stories through the people who brought them to life!! So, grab your mouse ears once again and get ready for a theme park experience like no other.
Class Schedule
What We Learned in Our Last Class?
A Theme Park Dedicated to Animals
Animal Kingdom’s story begins shortly after the opening of Disney/MGM studios where Imagineer Joe Rohde, following the construction of the Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island brought in a 400 pound bengal tiger into a meeting with CEO Michael Eisner and proposed the idea of a theme park devoted to the study of animals and nature.
Originally called “Disney’s Wild Animal Kingdom,” construction began in 1995 at a cost of $600-$800 million. To gather inspiration, Eisner sent planners and designers to Africa and Asia.
Creating a nature like atmosphere
By 1996, Animal Kingdom’s construction had included animal holding facilities, the instillation of trees, shrubs and grasses to capture the natural feeling of the animal world and to also capture the look of the African Savannah. Seeds from 37 different countries were used to grow the native trees and other agriculture.
Furthermore, many buildings contained thatched roofs built by Zulu tribe members from South Africa and 1,500 hand painted wooden horses were crafted in Bali under Disney Supervision. Finally, parts of the park would be designed to have an aged appearance featuring potholes in the safari roads and boats were peppered with dents and rust.
Gathering the Animals
By the fall of 1997, all of the animals that would be featured in the park were gathered and held at a rented holding facility in Northern Florida for quarantine and observation. To care for the animals, Disney hired staff from 69 zoos from across the United States.
Disney Goes Wild!
On April 22, 1998, Disney opened Animal Kingdom with the help of several marketing events including a two hour primetime special that aired on the Wonderful World of Disney about the creation of the park and an opening day party hosted by Eisner and Roy E. Disney for 14,000 corporate partners, travel agents and media figures including Michael J. Fox and Drew Carey.
In addition, news shows such as Today, Good Morning America and Live with Regis and Kathie Lee broadcasted live on opening day in a similar manner to the opening of Disneyland in 1955.
Opening on Earth Day
Disney’s decision to open Animal Kingdom fell on Earth Day 1998 since Earth Day was a day where people came together to care for the Earth and since the park was themed around natural environment and animal conservation, paying tribute to a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney himself.
Upon its opening, Animal Kingdom became the largest theme park on Walt Disney World property as well offering not only live animals, but also traditional theme park attractions.
Limits and Boundaries
Another aspect of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is its lack of nighttime activities such as fireworks. Because nighttime activities would bother the animals, Animal Kingdom was located on the far western edge of Disney World property and isolated from the other three theme parks.
Thus, Animal Kingdom’s original nighttime activities did not feature fireworks or loud music.
Being Eco Friendly and Should the Unthinkable Happen
In an effort to keep Animal Kingdom’s theme of being respectful to the natural world, Disney does not allow plastic straws, lids, or balloons to be used in the park, unlike the rest of the Disney parks. This is so that plastic does not inadvertently enter an animal's habitat and hurt them. Instead, the park uses biodegradable paper straws and offers lids for hot drinks only.
The restrooms at Disney's Animal Kingdom all have doors at their entrances. This practice is in place so that, in the event of an animal escaping, guests are able to shelter safely inside.
Seven Themed Lands
As for the layout of Animal Kingdom, the park is divided into seven themed lands and in total, is home to 2000 animals representing 200 species. These lands are:
Oasis Rafiki’s Planet Watch
Discovery Island Asia
Pandora: the World of Avatar Dinoland USA
Africa
Oasis
The Oasis is the Animal Kingdom version of Main Street USA and provides the transition from the entrance to the world of animals. The main paths feature animal exhibits and dense vegetation and trees lead deeper into the park and then onto Discovery Island. Between the parking lot and the Oasis sits a Rainforest Cafe, which can be entered from both inside and outside the ticketed area.
Discovery Island
Discovery Island serves as the central hub of Animal Kingdom connecting the other areas of the park by bridges and waterways. The island was originally called Safari Village, but following the abandonment of the other Discovery Island in 1999, was given it’s former name.
The island’s is also the home of Animal Kingdom’s signature attraction, the Tree of Life which also includes the 4D attraction, “It’s Tough to be Bug!” inspired by 1998’s “A Bug’s Life.”
Pandora: The World of Avatar
The youngest land in Animal Kingdom, Pandora is a tribute to the Avatar films directed by James Cameron and devoted to the characters from the films who inhabit it. The two main attractions of the land are the 3D flying simulator, Avatar: Flight of Passage and the Na’vi River Journey.
Africa (Part 1)
The Africa land is the area of Animal Kingdom that features the most animals. Set in the fictional east African port village of Harambe, this area contains several animal exhibits. Some snippets from Africa that were duplicated by the Disney Imagineers included a fortress that was found in Zanzibar, and a water-stained, crumbling old building that was found in Kenya. Harambe includes a "hotel”, restaurants, an outdoor bar with live entertainment, and different marketplaces.
The village is the namesake of the Harambe Wildlife Preserve, the fictional home of the area's main attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris. Guests climb aboard an open-sided safari vehicle for an expedition to see African species in several large field enclosures, replicating the African savannas, rivers and rocky hills. The safari features the okapi, greater kudu, saddle-billed stork, bongo, black and white rhinoceros, hippopotamus, pink-backed pelican, Nile crocodile, Masai giraffe, blue wildebeest, springbok, Ankole cattle, common eland, sable antelope, and African bush elephant.
Africa (Part 2)
The other major attraction of the Africa land is the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail where visitors trek into the forests to see animals such as the Western lowland gorilla, black-and-white colobus monkey, okapi, gerenuk, yellow-backed duiker, pygmy hippopotamus, Grévy's zebra, South African meerkat, Kenyan sand boa, kori bustard, naked mole-rat, tarantulas, and, as well as an aviary.
On the western side of the Africa area is the Harambe Theater, which is home to the Festival of the Lion King, a live stage show based on Disney's 1994 film, The Lion King.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch
The only land in Animal Kingdom not connected by Discovery Island, guests instead board a the 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge Wildlife Express Train for the short trip to and from the area, which consists of three sub-areas:
Habitat Habit!, where there are cotton-top tamarins.
Conservation Station showcases the various conservation efforts supported by the Walt Disney Company. It also gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Disney's Animal Kingdom's animal care facilities, including a veterinary examination room complete with a two-way communications system so the veterinary staff can answer guest questions.
Affection Section is a petting zoo featuring goats, sheep, cattle, domestic pigs, donkeys, and alpacas. As an added bonus, the land also features The Animation Experience at Conservation Station.
Asia (Part 1)
Asia, the first expansion area added to Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened in 1999. This area is set in the fictional kingdom of ‘Anandapur’, which means "place of many delights" in Sanskrit. Anandapur evokes the traits of Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, and Thailand.
According to Disney history, Anandapur was established as a royal hunting preserve in 1544. Asia contains both the riverside village of Anandapur and Serka Zong, which is set in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Asia (Part 2)
The visual focal point of Asia is Expedition Everest, a steel roller coaster ride. Nearby is Kali River Rapids, a river rapids ride. The Maharajah Jungle Trek leads guests through the forests and ruins outside the village, which are home to species such as the Javan banteng, bar-headed goose, Sumatran tiger, Indian blackbuck, Sumatran orangutan, Eld's deer, white-handed gibbon, Indian flying fox, Komodo dragon and over 50 bird species.
Feathered Friends in Flight is a live bird show featuring birds such as the black crowned crane and bald eagle.
Dinoland USA (Part 1)
DinoLand U.S.A. is themed around dinosaurs and other extinct prehistoric life. The area is anchored by the Dino Institute, a fictitious palaeontological facility which is home to Dinosaur, a dark thrill ride loosely inspired by the 2000 Disney animated film of the same name, featuring a trip through time to the Late Cretaceous.
Just outside the institute is "Dino-Sue", a casting of a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil that is the most complete yet found. At the nearby Boneyard, there is a playground area with a Columbian mammoth fossil and a cast skeleton of a Brachiosaurus.
Dinoland USA (Part 2)
Adjacent to the Institute and its surrounding facilities is Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama, which recalls the many roadside attractions that were once scattered throughout the United States. The area features the TriceraTop Spin aerial carousel ride, carnival games and gift shops.
At the eastern edge of DinoLand U.S.A. is the Theater in the Wild, which hosts Finding Nemo – The Musical (which was retitled Finding Nemo: The Big Blue........ and Beyond!), a live action musical stage show based on the story of the 2003 Disney·Pixar animated film Finding Nemo.
Like the other sections of Disney's Animal Kingdom, there are animals on display. The animals, such as the American crocodile, red legged seriemas, Abdim's stork and Asian brown tortoise, have evolutionary links to the age of the dinosaurs. They are animal species that have survived since the dinosaur era and can be found along the Cretaceous Trail along with a collection of Mesozoic plants.
The Animal Kingdom that Never Was or Used to Be: Camp Minnie-Mickey
Camp Minnie-Mickey was themed as a rustic summer camp, built as a placeholder on the location where Beastly Kingdom was intended to be built. The area closed on January 5, 2014, and was replaced by Pandora – The World of Avatar.
The Animal Kingdom that Never Was or Used to Be: Beastly Kingdom
When originally conceived, Disney's Animal Kingdom was to focus on three broad classifications of animals: those that exist in today's reality; those that did exist but are now extinct (i.e., dinosaurs); and those that only exist in the realm of fantasy such as unicorns and dragons.
The original design for Animal Kingdom included a themed section called Beastly Kingdom, devoted to creatures of legend and mythology. During the final stages of planning of development, Eisner decided that either Beastly Kingdom or Dinoland USA would be built first because of budget cuts after the failure of Euro Disney (known today as Disneyland Paris) and the higher cost of the upkeep and care of the animals at the park.
Early to Bed, Early to Rise
Another feature that makes Animal Kingdom stand out from the rest of the Disney World parks is that, when originally opened in 1998, it was the only park that closes the earliest in the day. The rule changed in 2016 allowing the park to stay open until 8:00pm. However, the park does open early at 7:30am for guests staying at Disney Resort hotels and select other hotels can take advantage of a 30-minute early entry into Walt Disney World theme parks every day.
Efforts at Being Conservative
As a zoological park, Disney's Animal Kingdom is engaged in research and conservation efforts involving its animal species. Since the park's opening in 1998, the resident elephant herd has produced seven calves, with births in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010,] 2011 and 2016. In 2008, the park's giraffe herd produced four newborns, raising the total number of giraffe births since opening to eleven.
In 1999, one of the park's white rhinoceros gave birth to a female calf named Nande. In 2006, Nande and Hasani, another of the park's rhinos, were transferred to Uganda's Ziwa animal sanctuary, in the first attempt to re-introduce white rhinos to the country. Civil strife had caused the white rhinoceros to be eradicated from the area. In June 2009, Nande gave birth to a male calf, the first such birth in Uganda in over 25 years. By January 2010, eight white rhinos had been born at Animal Kingdom since the park's opening; the most recent was born to another Animal Kingdom-born mother.
Controversies in the Animal World (Part 1)
Several Florida-based animal rights groups and PETA voiced concerns when the park originally opened, citing Walt Disney World's previous missteps in handling animals at the defunct Discovery Island. The groups protested, and PETA tried to convince travel agents not to book trips to the park. On opening day, the Orange County Sheriff's office sent about 150 deputies; about two dozen protesters showed up. The protest lasted two hours, and there were no arrests.
Controversies in the Animal World (Part 2)
Following a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection of the park, it was revealed that 31 animals died at Animal Kingdom between September 1997 and April 1998 from accidents, poisonings, fights, and other causes.
Two Asian small-clawed otters died after ingesting loquat seeds from trees planted in their exhibit
Two cheetah cubs died from ethylene glycol poisoning
Nine herd animals died from injuries caused by fights, being entangled in fences while trying to escape, and, in one case, being kicked by an ostrich.
Two crowned cranes were killed after being run over by safari vehicles in two separate incidents.
The USDA ultimately found no violations of animal-welfare regulations.Disney responded to the report by hiring additional security to prevent animals from fighting, relocating the crowned cranes to walking paths, as well as adding mirrors to the safari vehicles.
Controversies in the Animal World (Part 3)
One year after the park opened, Animal Rights Foundation of Florida complained that a New Year's Eve fireworks show could upset the animals. A USDA inspector came to the park and found no problems with launching low-noise fireworks half a mile away.
In January 2015, the animal rights group In Defense of Animals listed the park at number 10 on its 2014 "list of worst zoos for elephants."
Deaths and Incidents at Animal Kingdom
On May 29, 2007, five guests and one cast member were injured when an emergency exit platform malfunctioned. The guests were exiting a Kali River Rapids raft during a ride stoppage triggered by a monitoring sensor. The raft was on a steep incline and the emergency exit platform was designed to allow guests to easily access the emergency stairs from the incline. After an investigation determined that the platform "disengaged and slid", it was removed and an alternative evacuation procedure was adopted. The six people were taken to local hospitals for minor injuries and were later released.
In October 2014, a snake dropped out of a tree and bit a boy, precipitating the death of his great-grandmother who suffered a cardiac arrest as a reaction to the attack. A lawsuit was threatened because of the incident but was never filed. The park confirmed that the snake that bit the boy was a non-venomous indigenous snake and that it did not escape from an enclosure.
What does the future hold for Animal Kingdom?
In 2019, Animal Kingdom became the sixth most visited theme park in the world which goes to show the inclusion of live animals is another example of giving the people what they want.
Unlike the other theme parks, Animal Kingdom is likely one of the only theme parks at Disney that will probably stay as it is or change very little because it gets its message across about being a theme park exclusively for animals and the natural world.
QUESTION AND ANSWER TIME
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK REGARDING THIS CLASS?
CONTACT INFORMATION
Blog/Website, “Going the Distance”
https://jeffsnyderautismneurodiversityselfadvocate.wordpress.com
Email:
Also find me on the following social media sites: