The Tree of Life is the icon of Disney's Animal Kingdom.
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Location | Walt Disney World Resort, Bay Lake, Florida, United States |
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Coordinates | 28°21′29″N 81°35′24″W / 28.358°N 81.59°WCoordinates: 28°21′29″N 81°35′24″W / 28.358°N 81.59°W |
Theme | Natural environment and Animal conservation |
Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
Operated by | Walt Disney Parks and Resorts |
Opened | April 22, 1998 |
Operating season | Year-round |
Website | Official website |
Disney's Animal Kingdom is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks and Resorts division, it is the largest theme park in the world, covering 580 acres (230 ha). The park opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and was the fourth theme park built at Walt Disney World. The park is dedicated and themed entirely around the natural environment and animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney.
Disney's Animal Kingdom is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, meaning they have met or exceeded the standards in education, conservation, and research. The park is represented by the Tree of Life, a sculpted 145-foot-tall (44 m), 50-foot-wide (15 m) artificial baob tree.
In 2015, it hosted approximately 10.9 million guests, ranking it the fourth-most visited amusement park in the United States and seventh-most visited in the world.
Welcome to a kingdom of animals... real, ancient and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions, dinosaurs and dragons; a kingdom of balance, harmony and survival; a kingdom we enter to share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama, and learn.
Disney's Animal Kingdom is divided into six themed areas.
The Oasis is the park's main entrance, providing guest services. It features several animal habitats, including African spoonbills, babirusas, giant anteaters, hyacinth macaws, muntjacs, northern pintails, and wallabies. The main paths lead deeper into the park, and onto Discovery Island.