Goldens on the Road: Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World – Animal Kingdom

The last 'Land' we were able to enjoy is Disney's newest attraction and we loved it! Here's what we learned and saw at WDW Animal Kingdom.

Many of us love to go to the zoo and I have shared with you some of the visits to various zoos during our travels. Animal Kingdom is all about animals however has been created by the Disney Imagineers to be so much more than a zoo. Animal Kingdom is made from and about nature including all of its unpredictabilitys.

The first thing you see when you enter the park is the Animal Kingdom icon, the 'Tree of Life'.

The Tree of Life is huge. It stands 145 feet tall, and at the base it is 50 feet wide. There are over 8,000 branches in various sizes, and over 102,000 man-made leaves. Each leaf is over a foot long. The design of the enormous structure is based on a bonsai tree.

The weather in Central Florida is not always ideal. The area is a magnet for strong storms in the summer, and Florida has been hit by several hurricanes and tropical storms. The Tree was designed to withstand hurricane force winds. The leaves move in the wind just like the leaves on a living tree would.

Most people realize that there are animals carved into the Tree of Life, but they may not know how many. Disney places the number at “over 300”, while other sources claim that there are “over 325”. The animals can be found in the roots, in the trunk, and in the branches. For a better look at the animals, bring binoculars into the park with you. You may even find a Hidden Mickey.

While the Tree of Life is lifelike, it is man-made. It is one of just a few artificial trees at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. There are over 4 million living plants in the park, but the icon is not one of them. The Tree of Life did not spring up overnight. It took 18 months to complete. There were three Imagineers and ten artists who worked full time on the design. Disney Imagineers decided to use an oil rig as the base of the tree. Over top of that sits a formed layer of rebar and metal lath, over which concrete was poured. Sculptors were then brought in to meticulously hand-carve the animals using special cement that acts like plaster. Here are several photos of the carvings on the 'Tree of Life'. See how many you can count!

One additional interesting note: Michael Eisner, CEO
from 1984 to 2005, invited Jane Goodall to come see construction of Disney Animal Kingdom, in particular the Tree of Life. He asked her what she thought about all the animals being carved in the tree and Ms. Goodall asked, "Where is the chimpanzee going?" After conferring with Zsolt Hormay (chief sculptor), it was discovered much to Michael Eisner's embarrassment that one was not included in the over 300 animals. Mr. Eisner told Ms. Goodall to pick a place on the tree and one would be sculpted. She chose the entrance outside of “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” so everyone would be able to see David Greybeard; the first chimp she ever observed. You will notice there is a plaque next to 'Greybeard's image describing him. (Disney)

Not that our fascination with the Tree of Life faded but we knew there was much more to see and do. The Village of Harambe was waiting for us with its lush, green gardens, filled with tall trees and flourishing plants and bushes. The walkways were pock-marked with animal footprints, tire tracks and cracks. The buildings were weathered, with rusted roofs and exposed bricks, giving the appearance of a place that had been there for decades with little or no upkeep.(Schmidt) Harambe is based on an African coastal village in Kenya

The old port section is visible to guests as they cross the bridge from Discovery Island to the Africa section of the park. The area is the home of the Festival of the Lion King a musical review.

The most recent addition to the area is the Harambe Market. The market includes Kitamu Grill, Chef Mwanga's and Wanjohi's. All offering delicious foods made with African spices, recipes and flare! Yum!! You can also shop in the market at the themed shops that replicate the look and feel of a traditional African street market. (Disney)

The Kilimanjaro Safari is a ride through an African savanna. At the loading area, you’ll board safari trucks that whisk you off to begin your African safari adventure.

The tour traverses a 100-acre savanna, during which your tour guide directs your attention to some of the 34 different species of birds and animals found throughout the game preserve. Some of these include antelopes, black rhinos, white rhinos, warthogs, ostrich, giraffes, zebras, elephants, crocodiles, hippos, baboons, white-bearded wildebeests and lions. This is a wonderful opportunity to see herds of free-roaming animals in a “natural habitat”. Here are some inhabitants we were lucky enough to see.

While it may look like the animals are a stone’s throw away, there is actually deep “pit-like” areas camouflaged by the abundant landscaping that separates man from beast and keeps the animals away from each other.

As we continue on our trek through Animal Kingdom we stepped into Asia. We enjoyed the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

The Expedition EVEREST adventure begins when guests board an old mountain railway destined for Mount Everest. As the train heads for the snowy mountain peak, it passes through bamboo forests, waterfalls and fields of glaciers. The excitement begins when it's discovered that the train tracks end in a twisted wreck of metal. From here, the train careens backwards and forwards through darkness, frigid canyons and treacherous caverns. A face to face encounter with the legendary Yeti (guardian of the Himalayas) brings this tumultuous train ride to its dramatic conclusion.

Bird lovers will be enchanted by the graceful, soaring birds in the Flights of Wonder performance.

Pangani Forest Exploration Trail - Aviary was another amazing and quite enjoyable walk through a bird kingdom!

The colorful Anandapur Ice Cream truck serves frozen treats in addition to smoothies and floats.

There is so much to see and do in Animal Kingdom that if you go you may want to plan two days for this park. Especially if you enjoy visiting a zoo ... this is the ultimate zoo!! Here are a few extra characters we met along the way.