Back in 2004 during our last visit to WDW, Animal Kingdom struck me as the
least interesting. Part of this is due to personal taste and expectations from
a Disney based park. For one thing, viewing wild animals live in person was low
on my priority list. Don’t get me wrong, these are amazing creatures but now
necessarily something I want to see at Disney (I can do that at a local zoo).
The park also felt vastly underdeveloped…the ratio of space to attractions
feeling oddly unbalanced. The early closings just added to this feeling that
you could easily do everything by late afternoon and have no need to return.
Dragons did not make the final cut.
I
remember McDonald’s running a promotion when AK first opened which consisted of
4 drinking glasses (one for each park). The AK logo showed a parade of animals,
from real to mythical (the fantasy aspect represented by a dragon).
There was
something about the design that fired up my imagination as well as expectations
for the new park. Alas, Beastly Kingdom, as it was to be called, never came to
fruition. This was to be a land dedicated to mythical animals such as unicorns,
sea monsters, and of course, dragons. Instead AK got Camp Minnie-Mickey. Like
Walt’s vision of Epcot, one can only imagine how different the park might have
become had the company followed through with their original plans.
A million miles from Orlando or so it seems.
A treacherous climb to the top.
Guardian of the mountain.
The blog owner's favorite Walt Disney World attraction.
So it was with lukewarm feelings that we entered AK last December. Of
course, we were looking forward to Expedition Everest (still a metal skeletal
frame during our last visit)! The fact that a mythical creature like the Yeti
lived in the mountains already gave the E-Ticket ride a strong edge. The roller
coaster ride itself does not disappoint. The ride is imaginatively designed to
reach the end of vandalized tracks and then flung backwards in a myriad of
loops and dips.
Shadow of a beast
compared to the attraction's opening day.
But, and this is a big but, the yeti is a failure!!! I know
Disney was having trouble with the animatronics, but the silhouetted figure
against a cave wall and a brief glimpse through strobe lights are not adequate
substitutes. With Beastly Kingdom being a no go, it seems imperative that the
first mythical creature to appear in AK should… actually work! As a result,
Expedition ends up being a major thrill and disappointment all in one breath.
Local dining and beautiful atmosphere.
Other than that one strike, I was totally shocked by how much Sue and I
enjoyed Animal Kingdom. Where to begin? First, and perhaps most important, is
the food. We couldn’t find a bad meal even if we tried. Somewhere in Africa we
came across these delicious teri-beef sliders. A little bigger than a silver
dollar, the meat is marinated in a slightly sweet sauce and served on a moist
bun with an assortment of veggies. A little pricey at five bucks a pop, but
that didn’t stop us from ordering a few.
Guilty pleasures at Sanaa
in Animal Kingdom Lodge.
And then there are the incredible
breads at Sanaa (okay it’s not technically in the park, but we can probably lump
the lodge in the same boat). I’m a bread lover, so I’m not easily impressed,
but the texture and density of the African based carbs were pure delight.
Adding to that is an assortment of dipping sauces from hot & spicy to tangy
sweet that just added to taste bud nirvana!
Harambe Market is the newest addition to AK and is the beginning of what I
hope is a gradual expansion to the overall theming of the park. The Imagineers
found just the right mix between authentic cultural trappings and imaginative
visual aesthetics. I’m not sure it’s indigenous to African art, but the
combination of colors and patterns used for in AK’s Christmas decorations were
downright mesmerizing. I truly can say that the holiday trimmings here were
second to none.
We were able to catch several musical performances here and all
were top notch with amazing rhythms and vocals. Even the shops seem to carry
merchandise that were a cut above the normal tourist offerings found elsewhere.
My wife picked up a set of ceramic bowls with a very classy and colorful motif
while I purchased a pull over sweater featuring patches designed around
Expedition Everest (okay, I now I grumbled about the ride earlier, but this
jacket was too beautiful to pass up). It seems to me that a lot of the merchandise
here shows a bit more restraint in the advertising / marketing graphics. Whereas
a lot of stuff will scream “Look, I’ve been to Disney!”, AK’s wares have a more
subtle, low key approach that focuses more on the art itself.
The only blue tinted beings found in Animal Kingdom...
but not for long!
Did I mention that AK has not one, but two of the best musical productions
in all of WDW? “Festival of the Lion King” and “Finding Nemo the Musical” feel
like elaborate Broadway productions with their amazing vocal talent, grade A
staging/props, outstanding musical numbers. I prefer Festival to the Broadway
play, as it wasn’t a scene for scene mimicry of the movie. Nemo’s careful
integration of actor and puppet works to perfection and the audience can really
buy into this symbiotic relationship as believable.
DiVine is heavenly.
Prior to visiting the park, I started seeing images of a character named
DiVine. These are dancers hired to perform in costume as living embodiments of
nature. Her movements are slow and graceful, accomplished while on stilts!
DiVine often startles guests by blending in with the plants and trees, but more
often it gasps of amazement or the gleeful chuckle of a child that is the end
result. It’s interesting that something as small as DiVine’s performance can
add so much to a park that is already loaded with heavy hitter attractions.
It’s a prime example of what Disney does the best…attention to even the
smallest details. It’s this philosophy that’s worked well for the company and
why they’ve been able to keep ahead of the competition all these years
(although Universal is closing that gap).
The wonders of man's creation and God's creation
are both found in this park!
Not only has AK matched Epcot as a favorite park, the potential for growth
far surpasses all the rest. With the coming of River of Lights and Avatarland,
I think Imagineers are truly starting to tap into the unlimited potential Ak
has to offer. If the good Lord is willing, I hope to be back in several years
to see some amazing sights and changes!
A big mahalo to Mark Taft for allowing me to share my thoughts and pictures
with all of you! I hope it hasn’t caused anyone to avoid this wonderful blog as
Mark has done an incredible job entertaining and informing us throughout the
years. And although I did nitpick areas of WDW, I still highly recommend a
visit to the parks if you have a chance (but don’t forget to see the real world
too). Thank you for your time and have a wonderful day!
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Editor's note: Thank you, Len, for this incredible series of posts and the absolutely wonderful photographs! I've saved the most beautiful Animal Kingdom photo ever taken for a later post...
(Photographs copyright Len Yokoyama.)
Oh, the promise! Oh, the potential! 
Regardless of what we think should be or not be done with Avatar, this move by the company is exactly what Disney Imagineers should have been doing years ago. Beginning with the Star Wars and Indiana Jones properties from the beginning, the Walt Disney Company should have been ahead of the edge a full decade or more before Harry appeared at Islands of Adventure, creating incredible and immersive worlds based on these properties. Fully realized lands within lands. All in theme. To be fair, this holistic approach was once on the Disney slate but almost as quickly aborted. Remember the planned Myst makeover for Treasure Island / Discovery Island? Remember Tony Baxter's prediction of the 45 minute attraction of the future? Here, in Avatarland, all will join together. However we see it, the truth is Harry did set the pace and is the new standard.
Joe Rohde, who was intimately involved in the now defunct Adventurer’s Club at Pleasure Island, got the go-ahead from Eisner early in the new decade to proceed. He would head up the small but talented team to design the new park. With only a few months, a relatively short amount of time, and a high level of secrecy, this crew began to dream, plan and envision a park that would capture an audience and their money. 
As with any Disney park, this one had to have its themed “lands”. Initial concepts blended traditional Magic Kingdom elements (Beastly Kingdom- home to imaginary animals and the expected Disney dark rides); an Epcot style pavilion (Conservation Station- highlighting advanced animal care techniques); and traditional zoo with safari essentials (Kilimanjaro Safaris and Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail- among others, providing real life animal encounters). Additionally, a few old school Disneyland elements reappeared with slightly different twists: an exploration into the era of prehistoric creatures from Anaheim’s Primeval World met the cutting edge technology of California’s Indiana Jones Adventure (Countdown to Extinction), repurposed Jungle Cruise boats became transportation (Discovery River Boats), and lastly another railroad line linked the more guest friendly areas with the research facility (the Wildlife Express). Of course, any and all great plans are subject to the accountants red pen!
To quickly establish the idea this park was built for exploration, wonder, and maybe most importantly, was not your mother’s zoo, guests would pass the turnstiles and enter the enticing Oasis Gardens. This area establishes the feel of the park: there would be multiple paths to explore and animals and birds all around. With the vegetation lush and strewn with tropical flowers, streams, and small waterfalls, this place would be a place to relax as well as have fun. Nooks and crannies discovered along the way would contain animal exhibits quietly hidden for the folks who would choose to take the time to find them. Multiple paths into and out of the gardens encourage visitors to explore. All this to bring a sense of mystery. Once the chattering of birds and small creatures intermingled with the sounds of human laughter, anticipation would be built. What would it lead to? 
To ensure the park had an extremely authentic and exotic atmosphere, the Animal Kingdom team wisely involved Paul Comstock, the modern day genius landscape architect behind so many of Disney's wonderful theme parks and resorts. Mentored by the legendary Bill Evans, his reputation is crowned by his breathtaking work on Disney's Animal Kingdom. This unique combination gives the park its bold flavor. (Below is one of Paul’s original landscape plans. To view more of his two decades of work at Disney, see his portfolio at his new employer, Valley Crest Design Group.)
The landscaping plan for the park is spectacular, but it is the man made masterpiece, the Tree of Life, the park’s chosen icon, that was intended to steal the show. This astounding structure is a piece of art unparalleled in Disney’s history. Designed to quickly brand the Animal Kingdom, there are more than three hundred animals are carved into its trunk and branches. Surrounding it are even more gardens, streams, and waterfalls. The Tree of Life was a bold and breathtaking choice. Situated on Safari Island, there were various concepts initially proposed for the area before the designers settled on the final one.
As expenses grew making accountants nervous, plans continued to evolve to balance the centuries old tension of art and commerce. The victims of cost cutting meant a haven for meeting the Disney characters replaced the beautiful landscapes and attractions of Beastly Kingdom, old parade floats from Disneyland were turned into the Festival of the Lion King show, and the exciting Excavator coaster for Dinoland U.S.A. became extinct. In what was ultimately another concession to the business side of the Mouse House, a 3D film based on an upcoming Disney/Pixar movie “A Bug’s Life” would be placed inside the majestic Tree of Life. Although fewer attractions would premier on opening day than what was originally designed, the park promised and would deliver enticing adventures for those guests who chose to look beyond the traditional Disney park experience. 
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