Several years ago, the Walt Disney Company set aside 500 acres of the Walt Disney World Resort to create a totally new type of theme park — one that features a lively cast of animals, but that would be unlike any zoo or wildlife sanctuary. Construction of this theme park began in August 1995. Disney's Animal Kingdom is now larger than the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the Disney-MGM Studios, and offers what the company calls “a new species of theme park entertainment.”

So, what's Disney's Animal Kingdom all about? It's about seeing the animals that live on our planet in a whole new light and learning about them. It's also about fun, exploration, and excitement.

On April 22, 1998, the hard work and dreams of thousands of Disney Imagineers and cast members came to fruition as Disney's Animal Kingdom opened to the public. Here, guests come face-to-face with more than 1,500 animals (representing more than 250 species) in a theme park that only Disney's Imagineers could conceive. Since its grand opening, this park has continued to expand, with new rides, shows, and attractions that you'll learn about in this chapter.

While guests will see Mickey and his pals in the park, Disney's Animal Kingdom is designed to educate as well as entertain, in an environment that is less commercial than the Magic Kingdom. Messages and lessons about wildlife preservation and conservation are intertwined into virtually every experience that guests have while visiting this exciting theme park.

Area Divisions

Located in the center of this theme park is Safari Village, which contains the Tree of Life (a 145-foot masterpiece with 325 animals carved into its trunk). Just like the Magic Kingdom, Disney's Animal Kingdom is divided into areas, which include Discovery Island, Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, the Oasis, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Asia, and DinoLand U.S.A. Each of these areas has a totally different theme, yet all involve interaction with animals that are alive, from the past, or from the imagination of Disney's Imagineers.

Throughout this park, you'll find many rides, shows, and attractions suitable for young kids (under age twelve); however, Camp Minnie-Mickey and, more recently, DinoLand U.S.A. have become the kid-oriented areas of this theme park. So, if you're traveling with kids, be sure to allocate extra time for these two areas.

Animal Care

To ensure that the animals living in this theme park are always given the very best care, the Walt Disney Company has hired hundreds of the most prominent animal specialists, curators, animal keepers, veterinarians, and animal behavioral specialists from over 200 leading zoos, educational institutions, and wild animal parks from around the world.

Depending on when you visit Disney's Animal Kingdom and how crowded the park is, you'll easily be able to spend between one and one- and- a- half days experiencing everything this theme park has to offer.

Animal Viewing

As you plan your time at Disney's Animal Kingdom, pace your-self — lots of walking is required. Since some of the park's most popular attractions involve seeing live animals, keep in mind that many of the animals tend to be more active and visible to the public in the mornings and late afternoons when the temperature is cooler. The majority of the animals are allowed to roam freely in their habitats, so at times they may not be visible to guests, simply because they're napping in the shade. Thus, try to experience the live animal attractions early or late in the day.

The very best time to see the animals, especially the ones in the Kilimanjaro Safaris, is when it's cool, overcast, or raining. Obviously, this isn't ideal for vacationers, but the animals tend to come out and be far more visible and lively.

Virtually all of the live animals you'll be seeing at Disney's Animal Kingdom are wild. They have not been trained or domesticated. They are kept in habitats designed to simulate their natural environments as closely as possible. All of the animals are kept on strict diets in order to keep them healthy. Thus, while as a guest at Disney's Animal Kingdom you can purchase all sorts of food and snacks for yourself, it's critical that you do not share your food or beverages with any of the animals, no matter how tempting it might be to toss a few pieces of popcorn, for example, to one of the animals you encounter.

Same Day Re-entry

As you leave Disney's Animal Kingdom, be sure to have your hand stamped as you exit in order to be granted readmission into the park later that day or evening. In addition to the hand stamp, be sure to retain your ticket stub. The hand stamps are designed to be water-resistant, so don't worry if your hand gets wet if you choose to return to your hotel in the middle of the day to go swimming, and then want to return to Disney's Animal Kingdom later that evening. Try to refrain, however, from scrubbing your hands clean with soap until your day's visit to Disney's Animal Kingdom is complete.

What to Bring

Make sure you wear comfortable shoes, because you'll be doing a tremendous amount of walking! Much of your time will be spent outdoors while visiting this theme park, so depending on the weather, you might also want to take along a jacket (you can always store it in a locker). Sunglasses, a cap (with a visor), and sunblock are also important items to have with you, especially if the weather is sunny.

Try to avoid carrying too much stuff with you. You'll enjoy your visit more if your hands are as free as possible. Don't forget to bring your camera, along with plenty of film and batteries. Avoid having to purchase high-priced film, batteries, or camera supplies in the park.

In case of rain, plan on getting a bit wet. Wear a raincoat or purchase a Mickey Mouse poncho. Avoid bringing an umbrella into the park. You'll find it frustrating trying to walk around the crowded park with an open umbrella. During a rainstorm, crowds will be smaller; however, some outdoor shows and attractions will be closed or canceled.

The Information Board

Located next to the Creature Comforts shop inside the park is one of the park's Attraction Information Boards. A second board is located outside the Disney Outfitters store, across from the Island Mercantile. These boards list the current wait times for all of the major attractions in Disney's Animal Kingdom, and also list the showtimes for the various parades and stage performances.

Stationed at each board is a Disney cast member who is in constant contact with the operators of all of the park's major attractions. Accurate wait times for each ride and attraction are posted, so you can better plan your day at Disney's Animal Kingdom. If you have any questions about planning your day at the park, the cast members overseeing the Attraction Information Board will be able to provide answers. Other Disney cast members who are always in the know are those roaming the park carrying walkie-talkies.

The Disney cast members manning the Information Board will be able to assist you in determining how early you should arrive to the shows and how long you'll have to wait for the various attractions, based on how crowded the park is on the day of your visit.

Transportation

Located just outside the main entrance of Disney's Animal Kingdom is a 6,000-car parking lot. There is a daily parking fee if you're not a guest of a WDW Resort hotel. Guests can also be dropped off and picked up right near the park's main entrance when they use the WDW buses. When using the complimentary bus service, plan on spending thirty to sixty minutes each way getting to and from the park from any location within the WDW Resort complex.

There are no benches, telephones, or restrooms near where you'll wait for the bus (outside of the park's main entrance) to take you back to your hotel or to another Disney theme park, so take advantage of these facilities before leaving the park. You could wind up waiting between twenty and thirty minutes for the right bus to take you where you want to go. The bus stop is, however, covered, so you'll remain pretty sheltered during bad weather.

A faster, but more expensive, mode of transportation for getting to and from Disney's Animal Kingdom is taking a taxi. Guests will, however, ultimately save a tremendous amount of commuting time by renting a car for the duration of their vacation at the WDW Resort. (Renting a car at the Orlando International Airport is cheaper than taking taxis within the WDW Resort and much faster and less frustrating than dealing with the WDW bus.)

Tours

For an additional fee, private and small group tours are available that will give you a special behind-the-scenes look at Disney's Animal Kingdom. These tours are given by people who are extremely knowledgeable about the animals, and are designed for teens and adults. For more information about the tours that are available, call (407) WDW-TOUR. Since the tours are limited to small groups, make your reservations as early as possible.

Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade

All of the Disney theme parks are known for their daytime, character-oriented parades. Disney's Animal Kingdom is now the home to Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade, a fifteen-minute extravaganza featuring Mickey, Minnie, Rafiki, thirteen other Disney characters, and a cast of over sixty dancers and performers. Complete with an African jungle theme, this parade features original music and a format that encourages guest participation along the parade route. Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade is definitely suitable for the entire family.

The parade route begins at the Tusker House Gate at Harambe Village, then winds through Disney's Animal Kingdom (around Discovery Island) and returns to the Tusker House Gate. During the parade, it becomes extremely difficult for guests to leave the theme park (because the parade route blocks the entrance/exit), so plan your exit accordingly. Also, be prepared for large groups of people to leave the park immediately after this parade.

The Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund

While many people believe that some of Disney's theme parks and attractions are overly commercial, the underlying theme of the rides, shows, and attractions at Disney's Animal Kingdom is to promote the conservation of animal habitats around the world. The Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund promotes global wildlife conservation by working directly with scientists, educators, and organizations that are committed to preserving Earth's biodiversity.

The Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund provides financial support and resources to over 200 programs in over twenty-four different countries. To help raise money and awareness for this fund, each of the gift shops located in Disney's Animal Kingdom encourages guests to make a $1 donation to the fund when they make a purchase. All of the contributions are combined with the funds of the Walt Disney Company Foundation and are distributed to the wildlife conservation programs that the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund supports. To obtain a list of these organizations, write to: The Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund c/o Conservation Initiatives, Walt Disney World Co., P.O. Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830.