Disney’s Animal Kingdom (1998- ) is the newest of the four parks of Disney World in Florida. It has both rides and animals – even lions and tigers (no bears).
In the middle of the park is Discovery Island that has the Tree of Life. The tree is fat and over 40 metres tall. Cut into it are pictures of animals.
From the island you can cross on bridges to the lands of Animal Kingdom:
- Africa
- Asia
- DinoLand USA
- Camp Minnie-Mickey
- Rafiki’s Planet Watch
In Africa you enter what looks like a down-at-the-heels African town. They have live entertainment.
By far the best part of Africa is the Kilimanjaro Safari: you get in a long Jeep that is almost like an open-air bus. A guide drives you through a small wildlife park and tells you about all the animals you see: giraffes, elephants, rhinos, hippos, flamingos and so on. Even a lion. All zoos should be like this! It is far better than Great Adventure.
Africa also has gorillas on the Pangani Trail. It is not part of the safari.
Halfway between Africa and Asia is a good view of the Tree of Life. You will want to take a picture of it.
In Asia you can see animals too, but here you are on foot. The animals are still loose, but you are behind walls and fences. The best thing are the tigers, but do not be surprised if they are sleeping! In another part of Asia you can see birds, not all of them native to Asia.
Asia also has the best ride in the park, if not all of Disney World: the Mount Everest. It is built into a scale model of Mount Everest – they seem to have got it right from what I can remember from Google Earth. Built into it is a roller coaster that, among other things, goes backwards in the dark! It also takes your picture and at the end of the ride you can see how you looked.
DinoLand USA mainly has rides, but you can see a copy of Sue, the largest T-Rex ever discovered. You can also see a stage show about Nemo.
In Rafiki’s Planet Watch you can touch animals and watch workers care for them. There is a train that takes you through it.
At Camp Minnie-Mickey you can meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and others. You can also watch a stage show based on characters from Lion King. It is said that this part of the park was to be the Beastly Kingdom with dragons and unicorns! Too bad. The people who were going to build it went to work for Universal and built Dueling Dragons instead.
Back on Discovery Island is a show called “It’s Tough to be a Bug”. It is just like the one in Disneyland in California, complete with what feels like bugs running under your seat.
You should allow at least two days to see it all.
See also:
Abagond 
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