Miniature Golf for Walt Disney World's Polynesian Village

Aloha! Like any good Californian, I really like my tiki culture! So, you can imagine how excited I was when this piece of concept art for a miniature golf course ended up on my desk. Is this possibly for Typhoon Lagoon or maybe it was part of a plan once upon a time for an expansion of the Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World. Looks like it would fit for something next to Trader Sam's Grog Grotto even. Does anyone know more?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Art of Typhoon Lagoon

Seems that Typhoon Lagoon is on its way to opening! When this water park opened in 1989, fans were thrilled. In fact, 1989 also included the opening of Pleasure Island and the Disney-MGM Studios. Quite a year!

From the wave pool, to the lazy river, to slides and the opportunity to snorkel with sharks, the park was a masterpiece of Imagineering. There is not too much concept art for this Walt Disney World space, but what's there is pretty charming!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Sunday Afternoon at Typhoon Lagoon

As you can see, it's a lovely day to be out at Typhoon Lagoon! The sun is shining, the grass is green, the orange and palm trees sway- wait, where have I heard that before? Imagineer Colin Campbell painted this beautiful piece of concept art. One of few done for this incredible water park. Opening back in 1989 along with the brand new Disney-MGM Studios, this place brought tons of hours of pleasure to guests looking for something different. We were there, shortly after opening to see it all. And what a great trip is was!

Mini Golf for Polynesian Village

Doesn't this look like fun! A new miniature golf course designed for Walt Disney World's Polynesian Village- or is it? This lovely piece of concept art just came across my desk undefined. Could it perhaps be an additional activity with special pricing for something else? Perhaps an expansion to Typhoon Lagoon? Anyone know more?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Fun in the Winter Sun at Blizzard Beach

River Country may have been the first of the Disney water parks, but it was really just a test for something bigger and better yet to come. 

Typhoon Lagoon came along in 1989 during the largest expansion ever in the history of Walt Disney World. It was joined by the Caribbean Beach Resort, the first moderate and the 3rd Florida theme park, the Disney-MGM Studios. With such incredible expansion, Walt Disney World was the place to be in the 90's. And the Imagineers wanted to make sure it stayed that way!

Come 1995, the third water park opened. Blizzard Beach was an instant hit. The concept of a snow resort turned water park was just too much fun, and it was hard to resist. The crowds kept growing, even as River Country was eventually left to rot.

What could be the theme for the next large expansion's water park? How about a Pirates of the Caribbean one? It was proposed sometime earlier this decade but has yet to come about. As they say, good ideas never die at Disney. Maybe it's time will come!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Snow Meets Sun Meets Water

In what world does one of my least favorite things (snow) become one of my most favorite things? Walt Disney World, of course! Blizzard Beach mixes metaphors, and the end result is a whole lot of fun. There's not much art to show for this water park, but here's a small piece. A perfect blending for a wintery day.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

River Country Makes a Splash

Long before the big expansion at Walt Disney World, the days of Disney-MGM Studios and Typhoon Lagoon, there was a gem of a little watering hole called River Country. By today's standards, it was a fairly simple place to hang out: rope swings, pools, a couple of water slides. Certainly nothing incredible, but it was a nice afternoon diversion for those folks staying at Fort Wilderness or those smart enough to leave the Magic Kingdom or Epcot for a break.  Look at the concept art from some unknown Imagineer. Makes a pretty enticing argument for bringing it back.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disney World Trip Report- 20 Years From Last Visit!

Imagine if you will... not having been to Walt Disney World for almost 20 years. Hard to think of for us Disney geeks, but it was reality for my sister and her husband. And I'm here to give you a second hand trip report as told to me by her. Perhaps you may see the Resort through a new set of eyes.
As with any trip report, it begins with who is traveling. In this case, my sister and her husband, both 50ish, and two daughters, one 26 and the other 17. My eldest niece last saw Walt Disney World in May of 1992, and my younger one had never been to the Vacation Kingdom of the World. My brother in law is by no means a big fan of Disney. In fact, he would probably prefer Universal Studios or a Marvel based theme park, but hint, hint, he is a huge lover of the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.

Due to other obligations, the parents arrived in Orlando first. They stayed at Lake Buena Vista. Immediate reactions to Orlando? "So many palm trees!" Spent the evening relaxing at Downtown Disney followed by a swim. The youngest daughter arrived the next evening, the eldest one day later than her sister- but the eldest was also departing a day earlier to go back to her husband on the West Coast. This left 3 days total for all of them to experience the resort together, beach time excluded.

Day One: Disney's Hollywood Studios, party of three.

Since the eldest daughter had been to Disney's California Adventure as well as Disneyland, they decided to do the former Disney-MGM Studios without her. She had ridden the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror already and little else seemed to appeal to her. Even though we hard core fans know each version is different and that Florida's is superior, here is the "reverse downside" of cloning attractions on both coasts. Anyone from California and familiar with that resort may bypass the Studios due to their view of a lack of compelling unique attractions there.

Arriving at the park well after opening, they began their day with a quick ride on Rock N Rollercoaster- which unanimously remained their favorite attraction in the park. I asked why. "It's just fun!" The Great Movie Ride was "ok" but the spectacular entrance of the Wicked Witch of the West was the highlight of the aging attraction. Star Tours 2 - great. Their journey through the Tower of Terror surprised and impressed them by the 5th Dimension room, eliciting a family friendly expression of shock.

The longest line for the day (at 20 minutes) remained Toy Story Midway Mania, and beyond three limousine rides with Aerosmith, it was the only ride they deemed repeatable. A quick lunch in a nameless restaurant (not a good sign if it couldn't be remembered or described) and no shopping led to an early evening exit. They had no interest in seeing Fantasmic!, however, a last minute choice to see the Little Mermaid theater show as they walked past left my sister with a smile on her face. Dinner was at Earl of Sandwhich, a pattern which would be repeated several times. And another swim ended the night.

Day Two: Magic Kingdom, party of four

Since daughter number one had to be picked up at the airport at around 11:00am, they did not arrive at the Magic Kingdom until 1:30pm. Dropped the car off straight at the lot and took the monorail in from the Transportation and Ticket Center. As I suspected, the ride on the Monorail past the resorts and around the lake made quite the impression on my youngest niece as it was her first visit to the park most appropriately compared to Disneyland.

Pirates of the Caribbean beckoned as the first destination. The remaining order was blurry in her memory, but Splash Mountain was happily with no wait due to Fast Pass- yet it was balanced out by a lengthy 40 minutes for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Not to be found in Disneyland, Liberty Square looked great, but it was not enough to grab their attention beyond the visit into the Haunted Mansion. No mention of the enhanced queue, and I didn't ask leading questions just so I could see what she told me about.

Fantasyland: Here, I quote my sister's reaction to It's a Small World- "It was just so beautiful compared to California!" No Philharmagic, instead they chose Snow White's Scary Adventures. And they were not told by me or did not realize it was on the chopping block due to the new Fantasyland Forest expansion. No Winnie the Pooh- "Saw that in California"or any other Fantasyland attraction beyond the ones I have mentioned. No snacking, no shopping.

A good amount of time was spent in Tomorrowland. It was Buzz Lightyear, Stitch, and Monsters, but a journey through Space Mountain was not to be had as the waits were 90 minutes each time they checked.

Interestingly to my way of thinking, there was not a single visit to Country Bear Jamboree or Carousel of Progress. Even though she and I grew up with these California favorites, they obviously did not have the lasting appeal to draw a visit when given the opportunity. Is it time for me to place them in their proper historical context and move on? I'll have to consider that!

To sum up the Magic Kingdom, my sister remarked about the incredibly lovely landscaping, the amount of available space- "the blessing of size"- and the beauty of the castle. Leaving the park after dark meant a stop at the Grand Floridian just to see it, followed by a visit to Gloria Estefan's Bongo's Cuban Cafe. (Great atmosphere, fatty food.)

Day Three: Epcot

Not being early risers, it was quite impressive to me that they arrived at my favorite Florida park before opening! Guess my talk about the Test Track/ Soarin' queues was successful.

Using both Fast Pass and the single rider line, everyone was able to ride Test Track three times total- and snag a ride on Soarin' (another Disney California Adventure favorite) with relatively little wait. A quick spin on nearby Mission:Space made my brother-in-law quite ill, not a small feat. He's a big, ex-football player, with a strong stomach. Needless to say, it was not the highlight of their Epcot day.

As much as the decent on Spaceship Earth is a sore spot for some of us, they found it quite fun, enjoying the personalization at the conclusion. There was no time for Living with the Land - one of our must dos- and The Seas with Nemo and Friends was a big hit, particularly the dark ride portion. No visit into the crystal pyramids of Imagination, either. In fact, I just ride it now to imagine what could and should be compared to the current pale imitation of what once was. Not even Michael Jackson could influence their decision. So much for Future World.

World Showcase was also to their liking. Interestingly, there was not a single mention of any particular attraction here (quite telling!)but stopping for lunch at the Yakitori House and a quick dessert at the new La Hacienda de San Angel made for a pleasant diversion between attractions. In spite of my sales pitch to stay for Illuminations - the best nighttime show on the property- , they opted out, left the park early for dinner once again at Earl of Sandwhich and an evening swim.

Day Four: Disney's Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon

For each Disney park enthusiast, there is that first time we walk into a brand new theme park. It happens so rarely; the thrill of new discovery, the fresh eyes to see things never encountered before, lots of "How did the Imagineers do that?" Honestly, I was very excited for them to experience the park, its immense beauty, and the new attractions- especially my long talked about favorite Expedition: Everest.

It was a choice between Kilimanjaro Safaris and Everest for the first ride of the day. An encounter with the yeti won out. Two happy rides later, they moved onto Kali River Rapids before hitting the safari. Following this up with the Maharaja Jungle Trek, they exited the park for some watery thrills of another kind.

I was shocked to hear this, as given my brother-in-law's love of animals, I expected this park to be the sleeper hit. No Dinosaur? No Festival of the Lion King? What about a meal at Flame Tree Barbecue or a showing of It's Tough to Be a Bug? In asking about the park, their answers made me think of my own observations over the years. In fact, my review of the park based on my last visit seemed very similar. (You can read it here.)

Their's was not a flattering assessment of the place. The animal exhibits were interesting but several "naturalistic" environments could be found at zoos they had seen; not enough Disney attractions (rides); theater shows are not their thing; too much of the same. What about theming and landscaping? Not enough to warrant more time, so they left. Typhoon lagoon was the crowd pleaser of the day, particularly the swim with the sharks. Dinner at Rainforest Cafe finished off the evening.

Day Five: Pony Rides, Goodbyes, and a Last Fling at the Polynesian

Stick ponies that is, at the Whispering Canyon Cafe. My sister had asked me to recommend a great place for breakfast before they reluctantly started dropping the daughters back off at the airport in the afternoon. Whispering Canyon did not disappoint. Nor did the short stroll around the Wilderness Lodge!

The food, the atmosphere, the fun. My sis described this breakfast as one of their most memorable experiences in all of Walt Disney World. Waitresses yelling across the room, pony races, laughing kids, great food. They'd go again in a minute. After an airport run, the adults returned to the Polynesian Village (sorry, I relapse)for a quick bite at Captain Cook's and walking the resort grounds before retiring for the night.

Now the million dollar question: Would they do it again? The answer surprised me. Yes, absolutely, without a doubt. But they would save much more money before they went, would stay on the property, and would spend much more time in recreation and being at the resorts, spreading out their park visits between more leisurely days.

Favorite Park? "Epcot, absolutely"
Favorite Attraction? Expedition Everest, Test Track, or Rock N Rollercoaster
Favorite Meal? Whispering Canyon Cafe

As much as would have loved to be there with them to see things through their eyes, I did get a pretty good idea of it all! I wondered how I could ever enjoy a Vacation Kingdom visit without Illuminations, a visit to at least one sit down Epcot restaurant in World Showcase, and a dozen other things. This isn't even counting favorite attractions!

Sure, opinions will vary, but here are the things they did not say. Not mention of peeling paint, poor upkeep, or too many character based attractions being shoehorned into the parks.

You and I, die hard fans, see these changes and cringe. Rightfully so, as a trip to Walt Disney World today reveals much less care of the parks and groups than that of previous decades. However to the casual or once in a lifetime visitor, the place still packs an impressive wallop. And unfortunately, that very fact is what keeps the current management team from doing more than is absolutely necessary!

Surf Disney: Typhoon Lagoon

In the history of the Walt Disney World resort in Florida, there has never been an expansion as large and varied as the one that began in 1988 and was completed on June 1 of 1989! The Grand Floridian and the Caribbean Beach resorts opened during this time frame as did Pleasure Island and the Disney-MGM Studios. However, the wildest and wettest addition was Typhoon Lagoon, a Disney water park then unparalleled in theme.

Not only was this park huge, it was the first time that Disney's Imagineers had created a water complex that was every bit as beautifully detailed as one of their traditional theme parks.

Everywhere guests look, there is lush, tropical vegetation and set pieces providing great photo opportunities. If River Country, Fort Wilderness' smaller and older sibling was a test case, it must have been a great success, for Typhoon Lagoon immediately raised the bar for water parks all over the country.

Disney artists created an exciting logo to promote their newest creation.

During our visit in May of 1989, Typhoon Lagoon was still in test mode and only a selected few guests were invited to spend an afternoon there. We were not one of them! It wouldn't be until three years later with more family in tow that we would "Surf Disney" and explore the park.

Aside from the great execution of the theme, as you can imagine, Typhoon Lagoon is just plain fun! The multitude of attractions mixed with the desire to relax and do nothing at all in the Florida sun makes it a great way to spend a full day here.

Castaway Creek is the park's lazy river attraction, and if the rest of the park wasn't so enticing, I would have been tempted to relax on my innertube and float the entire day all around the place. The waterfalls, grottoes and scenery is so beautiful. Picture an extended water journey swimming through a canal at Animal Kingdom, and you'll get an accurate picture.

Of course, Disney Imagineers, being the geniuses they are, wisely did a good bit of advertising for those tempted to relax all day. Following the creek, riders also get pretty good views of the waterslides and other fun temptations.

Just a view from the top of Humunga Kowabunga speed slide.

View from the ground!

Not all of the park's thrills start high above ground level. Shark Reef (above) is one of the most exciting aspects of Typhoon Lagoon, and its inclusion pushes the park beyond its competition. The was Disney first, allowing park guests to mingle with live creatures face to fin. Imagine being able to snorkel with beautiful specimens of the sea including non-quite-maneating sharks!

Although it was still a bit unnerving, the swim was the highlight of our day. Some of us were not inclined to move past our fears and prefered to journey inside the sunken tanker, viewing the wildlife through portholes in the side of the vessel.

The swim's a great opportunity for guests of all ages in Central Florida. This fact was not unnoticed by Sea World executives, who years later created an expansion of this idea, naming it Discovery Cove.

The youngest kids in our group had a great time at Ketchakiddee Creek. With a series of adventures similiar to those offered older guests, our little guys thoroughly loved their time here.


It was pretty sweet of the designers to give them gentler versions of rides their older siblings enjoyed, making it great fun for everyone when it was time to swap stories at the end of the day.

Cousins but friends until the end!

Eventually, our exciting and relaxing day came to an end. Typhoon Lagoon was a clear hit. It was beautiful and it was fun. It was everything we hoped and expected a Disney water park would be. We wanted to do it again but time ran out.

Needless the say, the park was a hit- a big hit, and Disney executives and accountants noticed. Soon, the Imagineers were planning another water park for a future and different expansion of the resort.

(Art copyright the Walt Disney Company. Photos by Mark Taft.)

The Genesis, Evolution, and Revelation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney’s fourth and largest Florida park celebrates ten years of opened gates today. In honor of that, let’s look back at the past, discuss the present, and speculate on the future of this wonderfully imagineered playground. And what a gorgeous park it is!

Many folks, myself included, have a deep appreciation for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Why? The combination of brilliant design, one fairly consistent theme, with faithful execution brings new and unique adventures and environments for our pleasure. However beautiful this combination zoo, botanical garden, and theme park is to behold, there are also the intangible factors that draw us to it: the deep emotional connection that comes from man’s love for nature and animals combined with the desire to run away from the concrete jungles of modern day life and reality!

Starting with Mickey himself, animals of all types and depictions continue to be a great and profitable fit with Disney. According to company lore, Walt’s well-known love for animals and exotic locales, evidenced by the inclusion of Adventureland at Disneyland, California, and his True-Life Adventure films formed the emotional heart and the beginnings of Animal Kingdom. That said, when the talk began about the creation of this park in 1989, it may have truly been a strictly business decision that brought it to fruition.
The Magic Kingdom was a concept unique to Disney, although Epcot Center was clearly inspired by world’s fairs. Disney-MGM was the least original of the three parks, taking ideas from Universal Studios in California and including its own Main Street of a different era for its entrance plaza.

To stand out, Animal Kingdom had to be different. This new park was purposely designed from the beginning to be unlike anything Disney had previously created, unlike anything visitors had experienced from Disney- and it is. Upon its completion, in order to communicate this place was something special, Disney’s advertising experts kicked it into high gear. The cleverest ad produced played on the sense of mystery the park strove to create: a young explorer walking down one of Animal Kingdom’s paths, looks behind him as shadows of animals imaginary, extinct, and wild are cast over him, clearly telling prospective visitors that exciting and unexpected animal encounters were the order of the day here.

Once enticed by this innovative advertising campaign, curious visitors at the entrance gates received the newest park’s handout. The “Adventurer’s Guide” gave a small hint of what was ahead.

Once visitors crossed the turnstiles, those expecting a traditional zoo environment or yet another version of Main Street were taken aback, finding a lush jungle instead.Here’s a rare map from Disney News introducing what guests found opening day.

Looking inside the Adventurer’s Guide or at the Disney News map, and we find the park is a little short on attractions. An honest count means less than ten, but several others are there to pad the list: character greeting kiosks, the village of Harambe in Africa, and Discovery River apart from the boats that cruised it.

Although not immediately obvious, similarities abound with the quickly built Disney-MGM Studios. Both parks are light on attractions, a trend that continued in later years with Disney’s California Adventure and Paris’ Walt Disney Studios. Instead of a lengthy Backlot tour, guests at Animal Kingdom travel via safari truck through the quite realistic African savannah. Exhibits abound in each park. Animation and behind the scenes artifacts are on display at the Studios, while creatures of all sizes reside in the main lands of the Kingdom. Time-consuming theater presentations are plentiful, replacing the absent traditional Disney dark rides while accommodating large groups of guests. Noticeably lacking, however, are Disney’s trademark and lavish Audio-Animatronics adventures. These costly extravaganzas are relegated to one per park: The Great Movie Ride, and Countdown to Extinction, respectively.

Rounding out the Animal Kingdom were a limited number of shops, mostly found in Safari Village. These are beautifully built with handcrafted carvings and stunning décor, and they surround a few small eateries. Happily, the lush gardens, waterfalls, and meandering paths (including the famous “hidden” one), beg for exploration, filling more of the visitor’s day. 

Entering the Oasis, we realize the place is designed for personal exploration as multiple winding paths curve through a lush jungle filled with small creatures and colorful birds. Folks who choose not to rush through this section of the park may uncover a small waterfall cascading before a bridge, all hidden from immediate view. Small caves contain unexpected animal exhibits. The scent of flowers and the distant sound of music fill the air. To experience this is to feel a combination of serenity and excitement, the desire to remain in this one spot all day and the need to explore even further.

Journeying beyond, the Tree of Life becomes a breathtaking piece of art upon closer inspection, as the three hundred plus animal carvings found in its trunk and branches become evident. One cannot help but photograph this masterpiece all through the day and from various angles.


However disarming the view, it is only upon entering the newly created village of Harambe, that the serious message of conservation comes into focus. The park’s signature attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris, is found here and takes up approximately 100 of its 500 acres. In this African town, which takes minor design elements from Epcot’s unrealized Equatorial Africa pavilion, its citizens make their living from eco-tourism and coexist in peace with their surroundings. The attraction itself contains a focus about the real evils of poaching, subtly weaving its important message among the views and the thrills.

In this regard, Animal Kingdom aligns itself much more with Epcot than with the Magic Kingdom or the Studios. The latter two parks place a heavy emphasis on pure fun and entertainment, but underneath Epcot’s incredible pavilions are doses of philosophy mixed with Disney magic dubbed “edutainment”. The same holds true with this park. It may be subtle, but it is always present.

Like its predecessors, the Animal Kingdom theme park is first and foremost a business venture, so it is designed to appeal to the masses. The emotional connection with its audience goes even deeper than appealing to our love for animals. Varying worldviews and spiritualities are foundational elements that combine with Disney’s attention to detail. All this is done very carefully as to not offend anyone, and Disney carefully straddles the lines between man as guardian and steward of creation to man as equal with the rest of creation, an important distinction.

The Oasis was once named Genesis Gardens during the planning stages, but the Tree of Life is a direct reference found in the holy books of all three major religions. Man and woman were created by God and placed in this beautiful garden and in the center stood the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It is only when they disobey God and eat of the forbidden fruit that they are banished. At Animal Kingdom, guests have a chance to return to this glorious place, and they rarely are disappointed. Disney’s creation here mimicks our Earthly creation. It is masterful and done with a loving hand. The environment designed does not fail in creating the most beautiful place they have ever conceived. This setting is satisfying to the soul!

Departing from the safari jeeps, we journey onto the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. In this verdant valley, a troop of incredible creatures roam freely within yards of the path. Later an excursion aboard the Wildlife Express to Conservation Station, Disney's behind the scenes visitor center, impresses with their animal care.

Moving on down the way, the Flights of Wonder bird show is found at the outpost of the soon to open Asia section of the park. In a few months, when guests can enter the village, they’ll discover another exploration trail revealing tigers, bats, and komodo dragons as well as an exciting but brief white water rapid ride.

Having completed the tour of the areas celebrating real animals, guests can venture to Dinoland, U.S.A., seeking encounters with those creatures prehistoric and extinct. Countdown to Extinction, a time machine journey gone awry, is the premier attraction here. It is a fast-paced, loud, and quite scary adventure. The layout of the track is an exact copy of the popular Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland, a concession to rising costs associated with building Animal Kingdom. Competitively, it is a direct answer to the Jurassic Park attractions planned at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

Even this innocent science fiction adventure reinforces an evolutionary theory that dinosaurs were destroyed by a meteor storm, compared to the great flood that many creation believing scientists think accomplished the end result. Regardless, it is a thrilling encounter not soon to be forgotten. Aside from the prehistoric botanical gardens, an imaginative child’s playground, and a stage show based on The Jungle Book, not much is found here as the planned Excavator coaster fell also prey to additional budget cuts.

Camp Minnie-Mickey concludes our journey of Animal Kingdom at opening. This land was originally planned as Beastly Kingdom (or Kingdomme), bringing the fantasy element of the park. Focusing on dragons, unicorns, griffins, and other creatures of the imagination, dwindling budgets aborted the plan. Eventually, character greeting kiosks transformed into an entire land.

Even in this natural Fantasyland, philosophy and theology exist hand in hand with entertainment. A small stage show with North American animals starring Pocohontas and Grandmother Willow, is enjoyable, yet sports a strong animist worldview, teaching nature itself possesses a soul. These are heady concepts for a theme park. The major revue, and some would say the best attraction in the park, is The Festival of the Lion King, a highly energetic show with gifted performers featuring recycled floats from of an old Disneyland parade. It is a deserving crowd favorite and a fitting way to end the day.

It was not the consistent serving of multicultural perspectives and spirituality that dissuaded visitors from entering the gates. Guests were quick to notice the cleverly disguised shortcomings, many deeming this “new breed of Disney park” a half-day excursion. Disney responded equally fast that this was a place to be savored, not a rushed experience. Both camps were right, yet since Disney understood that guests vote with their wallets, plans were immediately made to add to the park in short order.

During my first journey to the park, two erroneous design choices were clearly evident along with the lack of attractions. The majestic Tree of Life is truly a draw in itself, but the film experience inside, although quite good, uses space that should contain an iconic and timeless attraction. Additionally, the tacky and very unnecessary Rain Forest Café takes up prime real estate at the park’s entrance, lending a stench of commercialization to an otherwise organic and visually appealing piece of land. This is a major mistake, akin to placing a prominent Home Town Buffet at the grand entrance of Main Street.

Other guests were equally insightful. The persistent “half-day park” assessment, the early closing time, a lack of Disney quality, Audio-Animatronic attractions, and the misperception that Animal Kingdom was nothing more than a zoo, combined to keep attendance levels lower than the executives in Burbank desired. In fact, by some reports, attendance figures dropped for two to four consecutive years after the park opened. Although short on cash for expansion, new plans were developed with varying degrees of success in acceptance and execution.
Chester and Hester’s Dinorama was added to the prehistoric section of the park, providing additional fun for children but diluting the theme by adding a cheap carnival atmosphere to this elegant setting. Countdown to Extinction became the generic Dinosaur, tying itself in name to the newly released Disney film. Other smaller name changes made things easier to understand for guests. Popular shows were given new indoor theaters to answer the complaint that there was little air conditioning to combat the Florida heat.

In spite of these changes, numbers remained flat at best. Disney’s advertising team finally took on some of the misperceptions directly, promoting that Animal Kingdom was “Nahtazu”, eventually culminating in “Adventure Awaits” when Imagineering finally built an attraction that single-handedly changed the fortunes of the park.

Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain was just the high profile attraction the park needed. Beautifully in theme and stunningly executed, this high speed roller coaster appealed to teens and families alike. This was one instance where the superb concept art was surpassed by the majestic reality formed from concrete, steel and paint.
The success of Everest catapulted Animal Kingdom above the Studios in Florida park attendance, but it also created the need for more shows, attractions and eateries to handle the folks now determined to make the park part of their vacation. Fortunately, a small orange fish named Nemo was the impetus for another blockbuster, a theater show that easily rivaled Festival of the Lion King in scope, execution, and popularity.


A decade later, Animal Kingdom still bears a strong resemblance to its opening day presentation. However lofty the goals for this park were at conception and initial execution, during a decade with mixed results both creative and financial, eventually Disney Imagineers came to their own revelation: the beautiful Animal Kingdom park was primarily a business investment, and it had to be tended to with much care to maintain both its integrity and monetary success.

What is next for this marvelous place? Only the suits and Imagineers at Disney know. Strong contenders seem to be an animal area focusing on Australia, although some die-hard fans still desire a version of Beastly Kingdom. South America is also uncharted territory. Many Disneyphiles are concerned about the infusion of animated characters into the parks, feeling Animal Kingdom is the next to be infected by this trend. Time will tell.


Reagrdless of future plans, some things are certain: Disney will continue to compete with its neighbors, Harry Potter or otherwise; Imagineers will design attractions that inspire while Disney executives direct the park’s course based on guest attendance and spending.

Lastly, Disney's Animal Kingdom will continue to connect with guests. The superb craftmanship at the park is unrivaled in the States, and as long as the theme and execution remains uncompromised, it will be profitable. More importantly, due to man's deep love for animals, a spirit of adventure, and his longing for connection to the Garden where he began, this wonderful, creative place will bring us back again and again.
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This article appears in its original abbreviated form. Due to much feedback and reader appreciation, I have been encouraged to expand the series. So, I have, quite a bit in fact- and it starts here.

(All concept art and some photos copyright The Walt Disney Company. Most photographs copyright Mark Taft.)