On Earth Day back in 1998, Florida's Walt Disney World opened its doors to the Animal Kingdom theme park. Animal Kingdom brings tourism and the wild together with 580 acres of land and water. It's a park for nature enthusiasts and animal lovers as there are thousands of species of plants and animals to gaze upon. But just like the rest of Disney World, Animal Kingdom has specialized foods, rides, and Disney fun to be had.
What separates Animal Kingdom from other animal zoos or theme parks is how beautifully Disney designed the park. With so much land for the animals to roam and live happily, it was created to enjoy the animals in their natural habitat without disturbing them. To see what else Disney's Animal Kingdom beholds, keep scrolling!
10 Animal Kingdom Is Low Key High Tech
The Chicago Tribune leaked the magical way Magical Kingdom gets the animals to be in perfect sight during the open-air safari ride — and it's genius. By hiding treats like salt licks and food throughout the park, animals go to those spots to relax and enjoy while also being in perfect view. There are even temperature-controlled caves for the big cats!
9 The Tree Of Life Isn't Alive But Sure Does Look It
The Tree of Life is one of the Animal Kingdom's biggest attractions. It's a 145-foot-tall tree with over 400 animals carved in the trunk. But that's not all, WDW News added that to make the Tree of Life look real, there are over 100,000 different shaded leaves that move as real leaves do. So not only is the tree's meaning inspiring, it's as life-like as it gets.
8 Disney Imagineers Traveled To Nepal To Perfect Expedition Everest
Nepal is thousands of miles away from Florida's Walt Disney World but when Disney's Imagineers were creating Expedition Everest, they had to make it as real as possible. To score on the detail of the ride, researchers traveled to Nepal to study the culture to make sure they did the country justice. So, even if you've never seen the Himalayan mountains, Animal Kingdom's Everest ride is the next best thing.
7 Animal Kingdom Protects Endangered Species
Most Animal Kingdom guests head to the park for one reason: the animals. Visitors are completely immersed in a jungle-like experience that can't be replicated. With so many animals on display throughout the park, Mental Floss shared that the park has helped increase the white rhino population after being declared an endangered species.
6 And They're Fed... A Lot
Just how many animals does the Animal Kingdom have and how in the world does the park manage them all? With dedicated staff, over 1,000 animals are fed "four tons of food a day," according to Disney Fanatic.
5 Go Green
With an entire theme park based around the beauty and wonder of animals, Walt Disney and co. wanted to create a safe and inviting environment where both humans and animals are respected in their own space. To make sure the areas are maintained and safe for the animals, there no straws or lids found in the park!
4 All The Animals Sleep In Their Own Space
If you're wondering how the animals aren't attacking each other like in the wild, you're not alone. The Chicago Tribune found out that once nightfall comes, animals are contained in a comfortable shelter for safety until sunrise.
3 You Can Visit The Village Of Harambe Outside Of Disney World
Lamu is a small town in Kenya that was the inspiration behind Animal Kingdom's The Village of Harambe! If anyone enjoyed their time at Harambe Market where some of the best street food can be found, they can travel to Kenya to see where Disney's inspiration came from.
2 Beastly Kingdom Was The Park That Never Happened
If you're looking at Animal Kingdom's logo, you'll notice a fire-breathing dragon among the animals. At the front of the park, tourists will notice unicorns and dragons on the artwork as well.
1 Do The Animals Roam Free?
Similar to how the animals sleep at night, tourists are curious about how animals live among each other. To mimic the wild while also keeping all the animals happy and safe, the animals are separated by barriers undetected by guests. Moats and features are added to deter animals from getting too far and camouflaged fences were later added as well.