Animal Kingdom

The Animal Kingdom is the newest of Walt Disney’s theme parks designed around different specias of aminals and their habitats – however it’s so much more than just a zoo. It’s a beautiful 500-acre theme park made up of seven different araes centered around both real live animals and extinct dinosaurs. With over 1,000 animals living at the Animal Kingdom, exotic and rare fauna, and even stunning architecture, the Animal Kingdom transports visitors to far away lands bursting with excitement and thrills beyond your imagination. The majesty of nature and animals comes to life in the Animal Kingdom and leaves visitors with a new found respect for our planet and all it has to offer. The Entrance Plaza at the Animal Kingdom contains Guest Relations, cash machines, telephones, pushchairs, wheelchairs and lockers, and is also the site of a service restaurant. Although the Animal Kingdom is very large (over five times bigger then the Magic Kingdom,) visitors ride through most of the Animal Kingdom’s seven different attractions. As you travel through, you encounter wildlife, experience thrill rides and exciting shows, and be awestruck by some of nature’s most fascinating creatures, as well as meeting some of Disney’s most lovable cartoon characters.

Animal Kingdom Rides and Attractions

The Animal Kingdom begins with The Oasis and Discovery Island at the centre of the park. From there, the other “lands” are reached by bridges and include DinoLand USA, Asia, Africa, Rafiki’s Planet Watch and Camp Minnie-Mickey. Visitors enter through The Oasis, and are transported into a tropical atmosphere of cool streams and waterfalls, lush foliage and parrots, boars and iguanas. Beginning at Discovery Island, visitors enjoy “It’s Tough to be a Bug,” a Bugs Life 3-D show located beneath the magnificent 145-foot Tree of Life, which is the main icon of the park. At over 14 stories high, this impressive artificial tree is intricately carved with beautiful images of more than 325 animals. Live animals located on Discovery Island include lemurs, flamingos, otters, kangaroos, cranes, and deer.

At DinoLand U.S.A., kids can dig up fossils, play on slides, and ride Dinosaur, a thrill ride similar to Disneyland’s “Indiana Jones Adventure” ride, which takes you back in time in pursuit of the iguanodon. DinoLand has a party-like atmosphere and contains theme park rides like the Primeval Whirl, the TriceraTop Spin and Dino-Rama. There is a Tarzan Rocks stageshow, in-line skaters that dazzle audiences with their amazing fast-paced precision skills, and The King of the Jungle and friends performing spectacular acrobatic feats.

Moving into the Africa area in the Animal Kingdom, visitors have the chance to ride in open-air vehicles on the Kilimanjaro Safari, through an area made to look just like an African Savannah, in which wild animals such as elephants, giraffe, lions and zebras roam freely. Africa also features the Silverback Gorillas exhibit and the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, where you can see animals like the hippo through a glass viewing area.

The Asia zone includes the Kali River Rapids, a white-water rafting ride along the Chakranadi River, with huge waterfalls and giant waves guaranteed to give you a thrilling (and wet!) experience. The Maharajah Jungle Trek tour takes you through the ruins of a temple where you’ll see Asian tigers and a special exhibit with amazing Giant Fruit Bats. Expedition Everest, an awesome roller coaster housed in a 200 foot mountain, is Asia’s newest attraction.

Rounding off the Animal Kingdom is Rafiki’s Planet Watch, which is accessible only by the Animal Kingdom train, and contains a petting zoo and teaching exhibits for the younger members of your party, as well as Camp Minnie-Mickey, which is host to two live shows, “Pocahontas and her Forest Friends” and “Festival of the Lion King”. Also at Camp Minnie-Mickey you have chance to meet all of your favorite Disney characters and have your photograph taken with them.

The History of The Animal Kingdom

Walt Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998. The underlying theme of the park is of conservation and preservation, and is based on a quote by Walt Disney; “I have learned from the animal world, and what everyone will learn who studies it is, a renewed sense of kinship with the earth and all its inhabitants”. The Animal Kingdom uses the made-up word “nahtazu” (pronounced “not a zoo,”) frequently to emphasize that this park is much more than your ordinary everyday zoo.

Contact: Animal Kingdom Address and Phone Number

The Animal Kingdom
P.O. Box 10,000
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
USA
(407) 824-4321

Animal Kingdom Park Map