WDW's Animal Kingdom

Opened in April of 1998, Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom is the largest zoological theme park in the world. Covering 580 acres, it is dedicated to the natural environment and animal conservation. This dedication is represented by "The Tree of Life," a 145 foot tall and 50 foot wide artificial Baob tree, which celebrates all living creatures. "Inspired by the mythical tree of the same name, the Tree of Life features 325 carvings of existing and extinct species on its trunk and surrounding roots." (Wikipedia description). With nearly eleven million visitors per year, Animal Kingdom is the fourth most visited amusement park in the United States (behind the other three Disney World parks). Construction began in 1990, after the park's planners had traveled to both Africa and Asia to study landscapes and wildlife. The park is divided into six parts; OASIS (which is the main entrance area); DISCOVERY ISLAND ( which acts as the central hub connecting the other parts of the park); AFRICA (one of the original sections of the park and which includes a ride in a safari-type vehicle through real life animal habitats. Admittedly, there exists some strong feelings about animals in captivity, and we do respect those sentiments as existing. With that being said, this zoological presentation is one of the best we've encountered, and seems to done with sensitivity.); RAFIKI'S PLANET WATCH ( a three foot wide narrow gauge wildlife train ride which focuses on conservation); ASIA ( comprising two fictional villages with the focal point being the exceptional "Expedition Everest" roller-coaster ride - not for the feint of heart); and our personal favorite, PANDORA - THE WORLD OF AVATAR (with its main attraction being "Flight of Passage", an absolutely stunning 3-D, CGI ride through the fictional world of the Avatar. This is one ride you SHOULD NOT miss!).

  As with all of the theme parks in Disney World, once you understand the lay-out, it is easy to find your way around. We had a lot of fun here.

.As is true with all of the theme parks at Disney World, Animal Kingdom is approached through a main entrance announcing where you are...

...after which you follow paths into the park, surrounded by stunning landscapes.

The artificially created "Tree of Life" is the center piece of Animal Kingdom.

Its safari-type ride attempts to present an as true-to-life trip through "natural" wildlife habitats as possible in an artificial enclosure.

"Now which animal was that we just saw?"

If roller coaster rides give you a thrill, then "Expedition Everest" is one you should absolutely experience ( and yes, that erector-set structure to the left of the picture is the UPSIDE of the ride! "OMG! What did I get myself into this time?"

By far, the most amazing section was Pandora - The World of Avatar.

This 3-D, CGI presentation was the single, most amazing experience we've encountered.

This picture and the following one were taken from an advertisement about "The Flight of Passage" as my camera could not adequately capture the 3-D images.

And even these don't really do the experience justice.