       |
|
Disney Leaking Animal Kingdom Details
With the opening of its fourth theme
park less than a year away, Walt Disney World is offering
its closest look yet at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The
company divulged the details in Nashville last week
during the Discover America International Pow Wow, the
largest trade show promoting the United States as an
international destination.
Although many details of the park's
attractions already have been reported, it was the first
time the company has released anything more than general
information. Disney officials hope the new details will
prompt journalists to write stories about the park - to
open in May 1998 - and persuade tour operators to book
additional trips here.
The 500-acre park, to be home to more
than 1,000 live animals, realistic looking mechanical
critters and Disney characters, will be divided into
several lands:
- The Oasis, the park's entry area,
will be a lush garden filled with streams,
waterfalls, animals and a cool mist.
 Safari Village, which will be anchored
by the 14-story Tree of Life. Inside the tree,
whose trunk is carved with the shapes of
creatures, visitors will be able to watch a 3-D
movie about insects. Also in Safari Village is
Discovery River, which will feature boat rides
where' visitors can "journey past the
forbidding Dragon Rocks and brave steaming
geysers and mythical monsters," according to
the Disney description.
- DinoLand USA will be a slightly
campy small town overrun by archeologists,
tourists and the media when dinosaur bones are
discovered there. It will feature the park's
premiere thrill ride, Countdown to Extinction, as
well as the Boneyard Playground where youngsters
can climb up or slide down the bones of a
tyrannosaurus, a triceratops and a 50-foot-tall
brachiosaurus. Also in DinoLand will be
Cretaceous Trail, billed as a walk through the
past, and Theater in the Wild, a 1,500-seat
amphitheater featuring live stage shows. Asia, to
open in late 1998, will feature Tiger Rapids Run,
a white-water thrill ride, and Asian animals
including tigers and Komodo dragons.
- A character greeting area will
allow visitors to mingle with the park's least
realistic animals: Disney characters such as
Mickey and Minnie. The area also will feature a
Lion King live stage show.
- A visit to Africa will begin with
a stop in Harambe, a modern-day town on the edge
of a wildlife reserve. Next stop is Kilimanjaro
Safari, a peaceful photo safari that turns
adventurous when the group sets off after an
elephant poacher. Also in Africa is a Wildlife
Express train to Conservation Station, an
educational, behind-the-scenes look at the park's
animal care and conservation efforts. The last
stop is the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail,
where visitors can walk through the homeland of
two troops of gorillas and see hippos from an
underwater viewing area.
Officials haven't yet said whether
they'll build Beastly Kingdom, an area of the park that
would feature mythical creatures such as dragons and
unicorns.
Source:
Date: |
By Jill Jorden
Spitz, Orlando Sentinel
June 9, 1997 |
Back
to Top of Page
|
If you like what you see or have any
questions or comments, please