Disney's Animal Kingdom

File:Disney Animal Kingdom (27766103142).jpg

Disney began planning a new park shortly after the opening of Disney-MGM Studios in 1989.{{Cite web |last=Kober, J. Jeff |title=Looking Back on Disney's Animal Kingdom with Rick Barongi |url=http://disneyatwork.com/looking-back-on-disneys-animal-kingdom-with-rick-barongi/ |access-date=February 6, 2019 |website=Disney at Work}} Animal Kingdom was the brainchild of Imagineer Joe Rohde, who had previously designed the Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island.{{Cite news |last=Lancaster |first=Cory |date=April 10, 1998 |title=A Disney Executive With Big Earrings? |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1998/04/10/a-disney-executive-with-big-earrings/ |access-date=July 25, 2016 |work=Orlando Sentinel}} When presenting the idea of the new animal-themed park, Rohde brought a {{convert|400|lbs|kg|adj=on}} Bengal tiger into the meeting with Disney CEO Michael Eisner.{{Cite web |last=Gunther, Marc, McGowan, Joe |date=April 13, 1998 |title=Disney's Call Of The Wild Michael Eisner and his theme park wizards are counting on a profit bonanza from their new $1 billion Animal Kingdom in Orlando |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1998/04/13/240839/index.htm |access-date=February 7, 2019 |website=Fortune}} Originally slated as Disney's "Wild Animal Kingdom," Disney announced plans for the construction of the park in 1995 at an estimated cost of $600-$800 million. To design the theme park, Disney Imagineers traveled to Africa and Asia to study the landscapes and wildlife.

In July 1996, construction was underway on the animal holding facilities, the installation of trees, shrubs, and grasses to shape the park's African Savanna-inspired landscape.{{Cite web |last=Shenot, Christine |date=July 8, 1996 |title=Animal Kingdom Coming To Life At Disney World |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1996/07/08/animal-kingdom-coming-to-life-at-disney-world/ |access-date=February 6, 2019 |website=Orlando Sentinel}} Disney Imagineers collected seeds from 37 countries to be used for the plants and grasses in the park.{{Cite web |last=Halls, Bill |date=March 8, 1998 |title=Disney's Animal Kingdom promises wild ride |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/99850207 |access-date=February 7, 2019 |website=Detroit Free Press}} The landscaping efforts included spreading four million cubic yards of dirt, planting 40,000 mature trees (a mix of real Savanna species and artificial Baobab trees{{Cite news |last=Navarro, Mireya |date=April 16, 1998 |title=New Disney Kingdom Comes With Real-Life Obstacles |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/16/us/new-disney-kingdom-comes-with-real-life-obstacles.html |access-date=February 6, 2019 |work=The New York Times}}), constructing {{convert|60|mi|km}} of underground utilities, and construction of various waterways, and structures built by over 2,600 construction workers. Many buildings contained thatched roofs assembled by Zulu workers from South Africa. About 1,500 hand-painted wooden horses were crafted in Bali under Disney supervision. Parts of the park were designed to have an aged appearance, with artificial potholes in the safari roads and boats peppered with dents and rust.

Most of the park's animals were acquired in 1997 during the fall; they were held at a rented holding facility in northern Florida for quarantine and observation. Disney hired staff from 69 zoos around the United States to care for the animals.

File:Medium Closeup of the Disney Animal Kingdom Dedication Plaque at Night.jpg

The park opened to the public on April 22, 1998. Several marketing events surrounded the day. ABC aired a two-hour prime time special about the making of Animal Kingdom, as part of its The Wonderful World of Disney anthology series. Eisner and Disney Vice Chairman Roy Disney hosted an opening day party for 14,000 corporate partners, travel agents, and media figures, which included celebrities such as Michael J. Fox, Drew Carey, Stevie Wonder, David Copperfield, and Jane Goodall.{{Cite web |date=April 20, 1998 |title=Michael J. Fox among celebrities at opening |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/234521966/ |access-date=February 7, 2019 |website=Orlando Sentinel}} Broadcasts of Good Morning America, Today and Live with Regis and Kathie Lee aired live from the park on April 22.

In 2011, Disney announced a major expansion to the park, Pandora - The World of Avatar, a joint venture with director James Cameron and his production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, with the intention of transforming Animal Kingdom into a full-day operation with added attraction capacity and nighttime experiences.{{Cite web |last=Staggs |first=Tom |author-link=Thomas O. Staggs |date=September 20, 2011 |title=Answering Your Questions About AVATAR at Disney Parks |url=http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/09/answering-your-questions-about-avatar-at-disney-parks/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923171159/http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/09/answering-your-questions-about-avatar-at-disney-parks/ |archive-date=September 23, 2011 |access-date=September 23, 2011 |website=Disney Parks Blog }} Construction on the area began on January 10, 2014,{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Thomas |title=Construction Begins For AVATAR-Inspired Land At Disney's Animal Kingdom |url=http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/01/construction-begins-for-avatar-inspired-land-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110222116/http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/01/construction-begins-for-avatar-inspired-land-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ |archive-date=January 10, 2014 |access-date=January 10, 2014 |website=Disney Parks Blog }} and the area opened to the public on May 27, 2017.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Thomas |date=February 7, 2017 |title=Just Announced: Pandora – The World of Avatar Will Open May 27 at Disney's Animal Kingdom |url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2017/02/just-announced-pandora-the-world-of-avatar-will-open-may-27-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208014130/https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2017/02/just-announced-pandora-the-world-of-avatar-will-open-may-27-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ |archive-date=February 8, 2017 |access-date=February 7, 2017 |website=Disney Parks Blog }}

The park was closed from March 16 to July 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida.{{Cite web |last=Pallotta |first=Frank |date=March 12, 2020 |title=Walt Disney World closes, paralyzing the company's tourism empire |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/12/media/disney-world-close-coronavirus/index.html |access-date=July 17, 2020 |website=CNN}}{{Cite web |last=Laughing Place Staff |date=May 27, 2020 |title=Live Blog: Walt Disney World Presents Reopening Plans to Orange County Economic Recovery Taskforce |url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/articles/2020/05/27/live-blog-walt-disney-world-reopening-plans-presentation/ |access-date=May 27, 2020 |website=Laughing Place}}

On September 9, 2023, it was announced at Destination D23 that DinoLand U.S.A. would be replaced with a new area inspired by the American tropics,{{Cite web |date=September 9, 2023 |title=Disney: New Country Bear Jamboree coming, DinoLand going away |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/09/09/disney-d23-new-country-bear-jamboree-dinoland-closing-moana-test-track/ |access-date=September 12, 2023 |website=Orlando Sentinel |language=en-US}} and It's Tough to Be a Bug! would be succeeded by a Zootopia-themed film in the Tree of Life Theater.{{Cite web |last=Writtenberry |first=Lauren |date=September 9, 2023 |title=NEWS: 'Zootopia' Is Coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom |url=https://allears.net/2023/09/09/news-zootopia-is-coming-to-disneys-animal-kingdom/ |website=AllEars.net |language=en-us}}

On August 10, 2024, it was confirmed that It's Tough to Be a Bug! show would be replaced by the new show Zootopia: Better Zoogether in the Tree of Life Theater, opening in the winter of 2025, and DinoLand U.S.A. would be replaced by a new Tropical Americas land, set in the fictional town of Pueblo Esperanza, featuring Encanto and Indiana Jones-themed attractions with completion expected by 2027.{{Cite news |last=Weprin |first=Alex |date=August 10, 2024 |title=From 'Encanto' and Disney Villains to 'Monsters, Inc.' and Tony Stark: All the New Disney Theme Park Lands and Attractions Announced at D23 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/d23-new-disney-world-disneyland-parks-attractions-experiences-1235971518/ |access-date=August 11, 2024 |work=The Hollywood Reporter}}

In October 2024, the closing date of DinoLand, U.S.A. was pushed to 2025. The first phase of the closure of DinoLand, U.S.A. became effective on January 13, 2025, with the closure of the subsection Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama, including TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester's Dinosaur Treasures.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-14 |title=BREAKING: Closing Date for TriceraTop Spin & More of DinoLand at Disney's Animal Kingdom - WDW News Today |url=https://wdwnt.com/2024/10/breaking-closing-date-for-triceratop-spin-more-of-dinoland-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=wdwnt.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Mike |date=2024-10-14 |title=BREAKING: Phased Closure of DinoLand USA Begins January 2025 with TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and More |url=https://blogmickey.com/2024/10/breaking-phased-closure-of-dinoland-usa-begins-january-2025-with-triceratop-spin-fossil-fun-games-and-more/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=BlogMickey.com - Disney World News, Photos, and Info |language=en-US}} In February 2025, it was announced that ''It's Tough to Be a Bug!' would close on March 16, 2025.

On March 16th 2025 "It's Tough to Be a Bug!" had its Final Day of Operation and Work is now underway on "Zootopia, Better Zoogether!" which is based on the 2016 movie "Zootopia" and the 2025 Movie "Zootopia 2" Which will Release in November 2025 and is set to open in Winter 2025

{{Cite web |date=2025-02-03 |title=BREAKING: Closure Date Announced for It's Tough to Be a Bug at Disney's Animal Kingdom |url=https://wdwnt.com/2025/02/breaking-closure-date-anounced-for-its-tough-to-be-a-bug-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=WDW News Today |language=en-US}}

{{Main|List of Disney's Animal Kingdom attractions}}

Disney's Animal Kingdom is divided into seven themed areas. The park's Discovery River separates Discovery Island from the other lands. The park is home to approximately 2000 animals representing around 200 species.{{Cite web |last=Beach |first=Lisa |date=June 15, 2020 |title=How Walt Disney World Is Caring for Its 10,000 Animals While Parks Are Closed |url=https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-walt-disney-world-is-caring-for-its-10000-animals-while-parks-are-closed |website=Conde Naste Traveller}}

Oasis is the park's logistic equivalent to Main Street U.S.A. and provides the transition from the park's entrance to the world of animals. The main paths feature animal exhibits and dense vegetation and trees lead deeper into the park and then onto Discovery Island. Between the parking lot and the Oasis sits a Rainforest Cafe, which can be entered from both inside and outside the ticketed area.{{Cite web |title=Rainforest Cafe® at Disney's Animal Kingdom |url=https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/animal-kingdom/rainforest-cafe-animal-kingdom/ |access-date=March 2, 2017 |website=Disney.go.com}}

File:At Disney's Animal Kingdom 1.JPG

{{about||the island and now-closed attraction elsewhere in Walt Disney World|Discovery Island (Bay Lake)|other islands named Discovery Island|Discovery Island (disambiguation){{!}}Discovery Island}}Discovery Island is located at the center of the park and is an island within the park's Discovery River waterway. It serves as the "central hub" connecting the other sections of the park by bridges, with the exception of Rafiki's Planet Watch. It was originally called Safari Village, as Discovery Island was the name for the small zoological park located in Walt Disney World's Bay Lake but was renamed after that area, which closed in 1999.

The Tree of Life, the park's sculpted, man-made baobab tree, is located in this section and is surrounded by trails and animal enclosures. The park's largest gift shops and two of its major restaurants are on Discovery Island.{{Cite book |last=The Imagineers |title=The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World |date=May 22, 2007 |publisher=Disney Editions |isbn=978-1-4231-0320-2}}

File:Nighttime landscape in Pandora – The World of Avatar.jpg illuminated during the night]]

{{Main|Pandora – The World of Avatar}}

Pandora – The World of Avatar is themed to the fictional habitable exomoon, Pandora, from James Cameron's Avatar and devoted to the many extraterrestrial fauna and flora that inhabit it. The land's marquee attraction is Avatar Flight of Passage, a 3D flying thrill simulator that mimics an exhilarating flight on a banshee across the Pandoran landscape.{{Cite news |last=Graser |first=Marc |date=December 10, 2014 |title='Avatar' Ride Coming to Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom |url=https://variety.com/2014/biz/news/avatar-ride-coming-to-life-at-disneys-animal-kingdom-1201376587/ |access-date=August 14, 2015 |work=Variety}} Another attraction, the Na'vi River Journey, is a dark boat ride through Pandora's bioluminescent rainforests.{{Cite news |last=Martens |first=Todd |date=August 15, 2015 |title=Disney reveals plans for 'Toy Story Land' and 'Avatar' and more 'Star Wars' |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-disney-parks-to-receive-an-injection-of-star-wars-toy-story-and-avatar-20150815-story.html |access-date=August 16, 2015 |work=Los Angeles Times}}{{Cite news |last=Graser |first=Marc |date=February 26, 2015 |title=Disney 'Pushing Boundaries' with 'Avatar' Land at Animal Kingdom Theme Park |url=https://variety.com/2015/biz/news/disney-pushing-boundaries-with-avatar-land-at-animal-kingdom-theme-park-1201442369/ |access-date=August 14, 2015 |work=Variety}} The area opened on May 27, 2017.{{Cite web |date=February 7, 2017 |title=Pandora – The World of Avatar to Open May 27, Star Wars Lands Coming in 2019 - The Walt Disney Company |url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/pandora-world-avatar-open-may-27-star-wars-lands-coming-2019/ |access-date=February 8, 2017 |website=The Walt Disney Company}}

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Africa, set in the fictional east African port village of Harambe, resembles the local villages found in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Some snippets from Africa that were duplicated by the Disney Imagineers included a fortress that was found in Zanzibar, and a water-stained, crumbling old building that was found in Kenya. Harambe includes a "hotel”, restaurants, an outdoor bar with live entertainment, and different marketplaces.

The village is the namesake of the Harambe Wildlife Preserve, the fictional home of the area's main attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris. Guests climb aboard an open-sided safari vehicle for an expedition to see African species in several large field enclosures, replicating the African savannas, rivers and rocky hills. The safari features the okapi, greater kudu, saddle-billed stork, bongo, black and southern white rhinoceros, hippopotamus, pink-backed pelican, Nile crocodile, painted dog, Masai giraffe, blue wildebeest, springbok, Ankole cattle, common eland, waterbuck, sable antelope, African bush elephant, mandrill, greater flamingo, Hartmann's mountain zebra, common ostrich, cheetah, African lion, common warthog, and Nigerian dwarf goats.

On the adjacent Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, visitors trek into the forest to see animals such as the Western lowland gorilla, Angolan colobus, okapi, yellow-backed duiker, Grévy's zebra, meerkat, Kenyan sand boa, and naked mole-rat, as well as a walkthrough aviary.{{Cite web |title=Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail |url=https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/animal-kingdom/gorilla-falls-forest-exploration-trail/ |access-date=April 25, 2020 |website=Walt Disney World}} On the western side of the Africa area is the Harambe Theater, which is home to the Festival of the Lion King, a live stage show based on Disney's 1994 animated feature film, The Lion King.

File:Anglo-Nubian.jpg at the Affection Section petting zoo]]

Rafiki's Planet Watch is the only section of the park not connected to Discovery Island; it connects only to Africa. Guests board the {{Track gauge|3ft|lk=on}} narrow-gauge Wildlife Express Train for the short trip to and from the area, which consists of three sub-areas.

Conservation Station showcases the various conservation efforts supported by the Walt Disney Company. It also gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Disney's Animal Kingdom's animal care facilities, including a veterinary examination room complete with a two-way communications system so the veterinary staff can answer guest questions.

Outside, Affection Section is a petting zoo featuring goats, sheep, cattle, domestic pigs, donkeys, and alpacas.

The area also includes The Animation Experience at Conservation Station.{{Cite web |last=Bevil |first=Dewayne |title=Disney's Animal Kingdom: Rafiki's Planet Watch is reprieved |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/theme-park-rangers-blog/os-et-disney-animal-kingdom-rafiki-reopening-20180928-story,amp.html |publisher=Orlando Sentiel}}{{Cite web |last=Terrell |first=Scott |date=March 19, 2019 |title=Rafiki's Planet Watch Reopens this Summer at Disney's Animal Kingdom |url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/03/rafikis-planet-watch-reopens-this-summer-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ |access-date=June 19, 2019 |website=Disney Parks Blog |publisher=Disney|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223214254/https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/03/rafikis-planet-watch-reopens-this-summer-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ |archive-date=February 23, 2024|url-status=dead}}

File:Asia themed land at Disney's Animal Kingdom.jpg and surrounding panorama in Asia.]]

Asia, set in the fictional kingdom of Anandapur, evokes the traits of Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Thailand and Tibet, China. The first expansion area added to Disney's Animal Kingdom in 1999, Anandapur translates to "place of many delights" in Sanskrit. According to the park's fictional history, Anandapur was established as a royal hunting preserve in 1544. Asia contains both the riverside village of Anandapur and Serka Zong, which is set in the foothills of the Himalayas.

The visual focal point of Asia is Expedition Everest, a steel roller coaster ride through a forbidden Himalayan mountain guarded by the elusive Yeti. Nearby is Kali River Rapids, a river rapids ride. The Maharajah Jungle Trek leads guests through the forests and ruins outside the village, which are home to species such as the water buffalo, bar-headed goose, Sumatran tiger, Indian blackbuck, Sarus crane, swan goose, lion-tailed macaque, Malayan flying fox, Komodo dragon and over 50 bird species.{{Cite web |title=Maharajah Jungle Trek |url=https://www.disneyworld.eu/attractions/animal-kingdom/maharajah-jungle-trek/ |access-date=March 14, 2022 |website=www.disneyworld.eu |language=en}} In the Anandapur Theatre, Feathered Friends in Flight is a live bird show featuring birds such as the black crowned crane and bald eagle.

DinoLand U.S.A. is set in the fictional American rural locale of Diggs County and is themed around dinosaurs and other extinct prehistoric life. The area is anchored by the Dino Institute, a palaeontological facility which is home to Dinosaur, a dark thrill ride loosely inspired by the film of the same name, featuring a trip through time to the Late Cretaceous. Just outside the institute is "Dino-Sue", a casting of a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil that is the most complete yet found. At the nearby Boneyard, there is a fossil site playground area with a Columbian mammoth fossil and a cast skeleton of a Brachiosaurus.

At the eastern edge of DinoLand U.S.A. is the Theater in the Wild, which hosts Finding Nemo: The Big Blue...and Beyond!, a musical stage show based on the story of the 2003 animated film Finding Nemo.

Like the other sections of Disney's Animal Kingdom, DinoLand formerly had animals on display. These animals, which were an American crocodile, Abdim's storks, and Asian brown tortoises, respectively, all served as evolutionary links to the age of the dinosaurs. Each animal was once found along the Cretaceous Trail, along with a collection of Mesozoic plants. As of 2025, all three species were removed from DinoLand to make way for construction of the upcoming Tropical Americas land.

Camp Minnie-Mickey was themed as a rustic summer camp, built as a placeholder on the location where Beastly Kingdom was intended to be built. The area closed on January 5, 2014, and was replaced by Pandora – The World of Avatar.{{Cite web |title=What's Next for Disney's Animal Kingdom |url=https://d23.com/whats-next-for-disneys-animal-kingdom-avatar-tree-of-life-d23-expo-japan/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014050433/https://d23.com/whats-next-for-disneys-animal-kingdom-avatar-tree-of-life-d23-expo-japan/ |archive-date=October 14, 2013 |website=D23}}

When originally conceived, Disney's Animal Kingdom was to focus on three broad classifications of animals: those that exist in today's reality; those that did exist but are now extinct (i.e., dinosaurs); and those that only exist in the realm of fantasy such as unicorns and dragons.{{Cite news |date=June 21, 1995 |title=Disney Plans Wild Animal Kingdom in Florida |url=https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1P2-5687397/disney-plans-wild-animal-kingdom-in-florida |access-date=October 25, 2008 |agency=Associated Press}} The original design for Animal Kingdom included a themed section called Beastly Kingdom, devoted to creatures of legend and mythology. During the final stages of planning of development, Eisner decided that either Beastly Kingdom or DinoLand U.S.A. would be built first because of budget cuts after the failure of Euro Disney (known today as Disneyland Paris) and the higher cost of the upkeep and care of the animals at the park.{{Cite web |date=October 4, 2021 |title=The Fantastic Tale Of The Canceled "Beastly Kingdom" |url=https://www.piratesandprincesses.net/the-fantastic-tale-of-the-canceled-beastly-kingdom/}} DinoLand U.S.A. was chosen first mostly because of its lower budget. In 2000, Rohde said: "We had a vision and now it's become a placeholder. We have all kinds of ideas and not all of them fit with the theme of Beastly Kingdom. I'm not even convinced there will be a Beastly Kingdom."{{Cite news |last=Byrd |first=Alan |date=October 6, 2000 |title=Grand Prix out of gas; hotels to fuel land's future |url=http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2000/10/09/newscolumn1.html |access-date=October 25, 2008 |publisher=Orlando Business Journal}}

File:Disney Animal Kingdom Rainforest Cafe 1.jpg with immersive aquarium viewing]]

File:Disney Animal Kingdom (27791432901).jpg

The park contains four table service restaurants:

• Rainforest Cafe, a themed restaurant chain operated by Landry's, located just outside the main entrance (also accessible from inside the park). It is one of the two Rainforest Cafes at the Walt Disney World Resort.{{cn|date=October 2022}}
• Yak & Yeti, an Asian-themed restaurant located in the park's Asia section (also operated by Landry's).
• Tusker House, located in Africa and one of the park's original quick-service restaurants, was converted into a buffet restaurant.
• Tiffins, located on Discovery Island, features the themed Nomad Lounge adjacent to it.

There are seven quick-service restaurants located throughout the park:

• Flame Tree Barbecue on Discovery Island
• Pizzafari on Discovery Island
• Satu'li Canteen in Pandora – The World of Avatar
• Restaurantosaurus in DinoLand U.S.A.
• Tamu Tamu Refreshments in Africa
• Harambe Market in Africa
• Yak & Yeti Local Foods Café in Asia

As with other Walt Disney World theme parks, Disney's Animal Kingdom has other locations and carts that offer snacks and beverages.

The park typically closes earlier in the day than other parks in the Walt Disney World Resort; Animal Kingdom began to stay open through the evening on May 27, 2016.{{Cite web |title=Disney's Animal Kingdom Park at Night |url=https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/animal-kingdom/animal-kingdom-night/}}

Disney does not allow plastic straws, lids, or balloons to be used in the park, unlike the rest of the Disney parks. This is so that plastic does not inadvertently enter an animal's habitat and hurt them. Instead, the park uses biodegradable paper straws and offers lids for hot drinks only.{{Cite web |title=Disney says 'NO' to plastic straws for the animals |url=http://www.isfoundation.com/news/kids/disney-says-no-plastic-straws-animals |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121213195402/http://www.isfoundation.com/news/kids/disney-says-no-plastic-straws-animals |archive-date=December 13, 2012 |website=IS Foundation |publisher=Ian Somerhalder Foundation}} The restrooms at Disney's Animal Kingdom all have doors at their entrances. This practice is in place so that, in the event of an animal escaping, guests are able to shelter safely inside.

File:Animal Kingdom 265659.jpg

As a zoological park, Disney's Animal Kingdom is engaged in research and conservation efforts involving its animal species. Since the park's opening in 1998, the resident elephant herd has produced seven calves, with births in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008,{{Cite web |last=Bevil |first=Dewayne |date=July 1, 2008 |title=Baby elephant born at Disney's Animal Kingdom |url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2008/07/baby-elephant-b.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090816195231/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2008/07/baby-elephant-b.html |archive-date=August 16, 2009 |access-date=July 14, 2009 |website=Orlando Sentinel}} 2010,{{cite web |url-status=dead|title=UPDATED: New Baby Elephant, a Girl, Arrives at Disney's Animal Kingdom |url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/05/new-baby-elephant-a-girl-arrives-at-disney%E2%80%99s-animal-kingdom/ |publisher=Disney Parks Blog |date=13 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413135435/https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/05/new-baby-elephant-a-girl-arrives-at-disney%E2%80%99s-animal-kingdom/ |archive-date=April 13, 2024 }} 2011 and 2016. In 2008, the park's giraffe herd produced four newborns, raising the total number of giraffe births since opening to eleven.{{Cite web |last=Bevil |first=Dewayne |date=October 10, 2008 |title=Disney's Animal Kingdom welcomes baby giraffe Bonsu |url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2008/10/disneys-animal.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090816195235/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2008/10/disneys-animal.html |archive-date=August 16, 2009 |access-date=July 14, 2009 |website=Orlando Sentinel}}

In 1999, one of the park's white rhinoceros gave birth to a female calf named Nande.{{Cite web |last=Bevil |first=Dewayne |date=July 13, 2009 |title=Landmark rhino has roots at Disney's Animal Kingdom |url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2009/07/disneys-animal-kingdom-uganda-white-rhino-nande-ziwa-sanctuary-.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090724210715/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2009/07/disneys-animal-kingdom-uganda-white-rhino-nande-ziwa-sanctuary-.html |archive-date=July 24, 2009 |access-date=July 14, 2009 |website=Orlando Sentinel}} In 2006, Nande and Hasani, another of the park's rhinos, were transferred to Uganda's Ziwa animal sanctuary, in the first attempt to re-introduce white rhinos to the country. Civil strife had caused the white rhinoceros to be eradicated from the area. In June 2009, Nande gave birth to a male calf, the first such birth in Uganda in over 25 years. By January 2010, eight white rhinos had been born at Animal Kingdom since the park's opening; the most recent was born to another Animal Kingdom-born mother.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Thomas |date=January 25, 2010 |title=Animal Kingdom Welcomes Endangered White Rhino To Herd |url=http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/01/disney%E2%80%99s-animal-kingdom-welcomes-endangered-white-rhino-to-herd/ |access-date=January 25, 2010 |website=Disney Parks Blog|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128015549/http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/01/disney%E2%80%99s-animal-kingdom-welcomes-endangered-white-rhino-to-herd/ |archive-date=January 28, 2010 |url-status=dead}}

Disney's Animal Kingdom (Orlando) it looks like an african landscape (15818499911).jpg|Safari tour rides show animals in natural environments.

Elephants.jpg|Elephants at the Kilimanjaro Safari.

Lion, Disney's Animal Kingdom (41099152842).jpg|Lion (Panthera leo)

Equus zebra - Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Orlando, Florida, USA - 20100119 - 03.jpg|Hartmann's mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae)

Three (24141512814).jpg|One of the many flowering plants at the park.

Disney Animal Kingdom (27867033715).jpg|Africa and Harambe Village

Disney-Animal-Kingdom-Parrots-7763.jpg|Scarlet macaws at Discovery Island.

Disney-Animal-Kingdom-Tiger-8221.jpg|Tiger (Panthera tigris)

US Animal Kingdom 1211 (26) (17249262505).jpg|Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade, which ran from 2001 through 2014.

Disney-Animal-Kingdom-Crocodiles-7948.jpg|Nile crocodiles on display.

Tortoises being fed at Disney's Animal Kingdom.jpg|Tortoises being fed

Several Florida-based animal rights groups and PETA voiced concerns when the park originally opened, citing Walt Disney World's previous missteps in handling animals at the defunct Discovery Island.{{Cite news |last=Navarro |first=Mireya |date=April 16, 1998 |title=New Disney Kingdom Comes With Real-Life Obstacles |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/16/us/new-disney-kingdom-comes-with-real-life-obstacles.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=October 25, 2008 |work=New York Times}} The groups protested, and PETA tried to convince travel agents not to book trips to the park.{{Cite news |last=Shenot |first=Christine |date=December 10, 1995 |title=The Captivity Question Disney's Proposed Park Makes an Attractive Target For Animal-Rights Groups |work=Orlando Sentinel |page=9}} On opening day, the Orange County Sheriff's office sent about 150 deputies; about two dozen protesters showed up. The protest lasted two hours, and there were no arrests.{{Cite news |last=Lancaster |first=Cory |date=April 24, 1998 |title=Protesters at Disney Had Sheriff on Guard Talk of A Major Animal-Rights Demonstration Brought Almost 150 Specially Trained Deputies to the Opening of Animal Kingdom |work=Orlando Sentinel |page=9}}

Following a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection of the park, it was revealed that 31 animals died at Animal Kingdom between September 1997 and April 1998 from accidents, poisonings, fights, and other causes.{{Cite web |last=Lancaster, Cory |date=May 14, 1998 |title=31 Animals Died At Disney Park |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1998/05/14/31-animals-died-at-disney-park/ |access-date=February 6, 2019 |website=Orlando Sentinel}} Two Asian small-clawed otters died after ingesting loquat seeds from trees planted in their exhibit; two cheetah cubs died from ethylene glycol poisoning; nine herd animals died from injuries caused by fights, being entangled in fences while trying to escape, and, in one case, being kicked by an ostrich. Two crowned cranes were killed after being run over by safari vehicles in two separate incidents. The USDA ultimately found no violations of animal-welfare regulations.{{Cite news |date=April 7, 1998 |title=Death of Wildlife At New Disney Park Is a Worry to Experts --- Four Cheetah Cubs Succumb To a Chemical, and Cranes Are Killed by Tour Buses |work=Wall Street Journal |location=New York, N.Y.}} Disney responded to the report by hiring additional security to prevent animals from fighting, relocating the crowned cranes to walking paths, as well as adding mirrors to the safari vehicles.

One year after the park opened, Animal Rights Foundation of Florida complained that a New Year's Eve fireworks show could upset the animals. A USDA inspector came to the park and found no problems with launching low-noise fireworks {{convert|1/2|mi|m|spell=in}} away.{{Cite news |last=Lancaster |first=Cory |date=January 18, 1999 |title=Tragedy at Disneyland Leads to Beefed-up Checks Here |work=Orlando Sentinel |page=9}} In January 2015, the animal rights group In Defense of Animals listed the park at number 10 on its 2014 "list of worst zoos for elephants."{{Cite web |date=January 13, 2015 |title=Bronx Zoo, Disney's Animal Kingdom Make List Of The '10 Worst Zoos For Elephants' |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/13/worst-zoos-for-elephants-bronx-zoo-disney_n_6465600.html |website=The Huffington Post}}

In October 2014, a snake dropped out of a tree and bit a boy, precipitating the death of his great-grandmother who suffered a cardiac arrest as a reaction to the incident. The park confirmed that the snake that bit the boy was a non-venomous indigenous snake and that it did not escape from an enclosure. A lawsuit was threatened because of the incident.{{Cite web |date=January 29, 2016 |title=Family claims boy bitten by snake at Animal Kingdom caused grandmother's death |url=https://www.news4jax.com/theme-parks/2016/01/29/family-claims-boy-bitten-by-snake-at-animal-kingdom-caused-grandmothers-death/ |access-date=November 6, 2023 |website=WJXT |language=en}} The lawsuit was never filed.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}

File:Expedition Everest (17236368091).jpg roller coaster entrance]]

As of 2019, Disney's Animal Kingdom is the sixth-most-visited theme park in the world.

• Incidents at Disney's Animal Kingdom
• List of Disney's Animal Kingdom attractions
• Rail transport in Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
• World Nature at Epcot

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{{Cite web |title=List of Accredited Zoos and Aquariums |url=http://www.aza.org/current-accreditation-list/ |access-date=September 5, 2010 |website=aza.org |publisher=Association of Zoos and Aquariums}}

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Category:Zoos in Florida

Category:1998 establishments in Florida

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom

Category:Zoos established in 1998

Category:Amusement parks opened in 1998