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A while back I wrote The Magic in the Details, it was all about how the details in Epcot add to the Magic. The Magical is in the Details II was about the Details of Disney Hollywood Studios. The Animal Kingdom probably has some of the neatest details of all of the Theme Parks in Walt Disney World. So, today I continue with the Magical Details of Walt Disney World and present the Details of the Animal Kingdom that are Magical.
The story is told that when the Disney Imagineers took the idea of an animal based park to then company President Michael Eisner, to prove the point that people were fascinated with animals, one of the Imagineers walked into the meeting with a tiger on a leash. This goes to show that the Imagineers were very interested in building this park. When they started building it, they took not only care with the animals and their surroundings, but with the guest areas of the park.



The “tree’ in the background is a feeder.



When it comes to the animals and their surroundings, the Imagineers took not only the animals’ safety and well being into account, but also how to make them available for guests to view them. They built special items into the savannah that as guests you don’t notice, but they make the viewing of the animals nicer and more fun. Some of these details that are not obvious are the huge rocks that surround the animal viewing areas are temperature controlled. In the summer months, they make them cooler and in the winter, they make them warm. This way the animal will lie on these rocks and be visible to the guests. Other things the Imagineers have built into the savannah are special feeding areas. They didn’t want to put troughs that wouldn’t seem natural in the area, so they built feeders that look like old tree stumps. These details make your viewing of the savannah a Magical Experience by making it seem as if you are viewing a savannah in Africa.

Another place where they took the time to put details that enhance your enjoyment of an area is at Expedition Everest. When you are in the queue, and walking through the Expedition Museum, if you will, there are some very neat “artifacts”. My favorites are castings of the Yeti footprints. They look as if they were cast right from a sight were the prints were made.

The train to the Conservation Station is another place where the details make you feel as if you are actually in another place. When you take the Wildlife Express Train, it’s as if you are
The top of the Wildlife Express
on an old train traveling through Africa, from the signs that ask you not to cook on the train to the items that are piled on the top of it, you are almost convinced that you have left Florida and are traveling in a whole different continent.

Of course the most impressive Details in the Animal Kingdom are the carvings in Tree of Life. The tree itself is 145 feet high and there are 325 different creatures that have been carved into the “bark” of the tree. These animal carvings cover every kind of animal from a sloth to a rhinoceros. This amazing tree is a work of art that can provide a Magical Experience for your family as you look for your favorite animals.

So, now you know, the Disney Imagineers used their talents to create Magical Experiences for you in Animal Kingdom, by giving extra attention to the details. So, when you are there, look for the Unknown Magics that make the park wonderful.