Fun Facts about Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Here are a few interesting facts about the Animal Kingdom.

• Animal Kingdom was the fourth park built at Disney world. It opened on April 22, 1998
• The park has 7 themed areas taking up more than 400 acres
• There are more than 4,500 cast members to help maintain the Disney Magic.
• There is about 1,500 animals representing 250 species — most acquired from zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
• More than 4 million (3,000 species) trees, plants, shrubs, vines, grasses, ferns, etc can be found at DAK.
• The Oasis is lush botanical garden designed for guests to explore habitats of fascinating creatures including iguanas, a giant anteater, several species of colorful birds and other animals.

• Discovery Island has the Tree of Life.  The Tree of Life is 145 feet tall and 50 feet wide. It is an artificial tree that is right in the center of the park.
• Discovery Island is located in the middle of the park.  It was originally called Safari Village. It is pretty much the central hub of the park. There you will find It’s Tough to be a Bug, a 4-d film featuring Flik and Hopper from A Bugs Life. In Discovery Island you will also find the parks biggest gift shop.
• Camp Minnie-Mickey is a “Summer Camp” themed. It is built on the spot where Beastly Kingdom was originally planned to be.  It is a really cute area where you can meet Minnie and Mickey. In this area you will also find Festival of the Lion King.  It is a live stage show based on The Lion King. I am really not the kind of person to sit down and watch a show but this show was worth it. We know Disney does a good job of making you feel like you are in the movie, so to speak. I would highly recommend this show.
• Dinoland USA is all about, you guessed it Dinosaurs.  There you will find a fake dino institute. Dinoland is the home the ride Dinosaur. I went on a ride similar to this as a child and I had a traumatic experience on it, so needless to say I have not done this ride as an adult. Here you will also find Triceratop spin and Primevil Whirl, which a spinning roller coaster type of ride. I would not recommend that ride for those of you prone to motion sickness. An unexpected find in Dinoland is Finding Nemo the Musical, which is a stage show.
• Asia was the first expansion area added to Animal Kingdom. There you will find Kali River Rapids which is white water rafting type of ride.
• Rafiki’s Planet Watch is one of my favorite areas of Animal Kingdom. You board a train called the Wildlife Express Train to Conservation Station where you will see many different types of animals, including snakes, skunks, and Madagascar hissing cockroaches just to name a few. My daughter loved the train ride there because you sit facing out and you get to see everything as you go by.

If you are a thrill seeker don’t forget to check out  Expedition Everest. I hear the Yeti is huge and scary and not to mention the broken tracks that force you to go backwards and see everything in reverse.

•  Africa is modeled after an African village called Harambe. Harambe is the home of Animal Kingdoms biggest attraction, Kilaminjaro Safari. The Safari is the best of Animal Kingdom in my opinion. You get in an open sided safari vehicle and embark on a journey where you will be very close to animals that you never thought you would could get that close to. I was a little concerned about being that close to some very dangerous animals but we know Disney thinks of everything so no need to worry there is a mote separating you from the dangerous animals that we can not say.

Tip : Kilaminjaro Safari is a rough ride so if you have any back or neck problems you may want to avoid this ride. However I have back problems and I was able to do this ride but just once. Just in case have some painkillers on hand.

Last year Disney announced that they are going to be adding an expansion on to Animal Kingdom. There is going to be an attraction based on the move Avatar. It is going to be several acres and it is estimated to cost 400 million dollars. As of now the project is on hold!!!

Even if you are not planning a day at Animal Kingdom you should definitely make it there to do the safari, it is a do not miss and you should do it at least once. It really does look and feel like you are on an actual African safari, not to mention the hot weather here in Florida will definitely help you feel like you are in the heat of Africa.

Although I love everything Disney I have only visited Animal Kingdom a few times, mainly because I am addicted to the Magic Kingdom. So I am sure alot of you have more tips and tricks then I do, so please share some with us.

Sunshine is a Disney fanatic. You will find her counting down the days until she goes back to Disney, while annoying her daughter with everything Disney.

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