To design the theme park, Disney Imagineers traveled to Africa and Asia to study the landscapes and wildlife. Originally slated as Disney's "Wild Animal Kingdom," Disney announced plans for the construction of the park in 1995 at an estimated cost of $600-$800 million. When presenting the idea of the new animal-themed park, Rohde brought a 400-pound Bengal tiger into the meeting with Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Animal Kingdom was the brainchild of Imagineer Joe Rohde, who had previously designed the Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island. History Planning and construction ĭisney began planning a new park shortly after the opening of MGM Studios in 1989. The park is the second-most-visited at Walt Disney World Resort, behind the Magic Kingdom.
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The park's icon is the Tree of Life, a 145-foot-tall (44 m), 50-foot-wide (15 m) artificial baobab tree. In 2019, Disney's Animal Kingdom hosted 13.888 million guests, ranking it as the third-most-visited theme park in North America and the sixth-most-visited theme park in the world. Disney's Animal Kingdom is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which indicates they have met or exceeded the standards in education, conservation, and research. The park also uses biodegradable paper straws and prohibits plastic straws, lids, and balloons. The park is located on the western edge of the resort, and is isolated from the resort's other theme parks and properties to minimize external disruptions to the animals as a result, the park's nighttime show also features no fireworks that would otherwise disturb the animals. Due to these sensitive conditions, special designs and provisions were incorporated throughout the park to protect the animals' welfare.
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ĭisney's Animal Kingdom is distinguished from the rest of Walt Disney World's theme parks in that it features traditional attractions while also exhibiting hundreds of species of live animals. The park is dedicated and themed entirely around the natural environment and animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney himself.
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The park opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and was the fourth theme park built at the resort. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division, it is the largest theme park in the world, covering 580 acres (230 ha). Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando.