PHOTOGALLERY
ENTRANCE / OASIS / MISCELLANEOUS
The Entrance
to Disney's Animal Kingdom with the ticket booths in the foreground.
Sometimes, in the morning at opening time, park guests are greeted
by a citizen
of Harambe. Here you can see the wealthiest women of Harambe, who owns
all the shops in town.
This friendly gentleman with the interesting Earring is Joe
Rhode. He ist the Chiefdesigner for Animal Kingdom. For Insiders: Joe
was also responsible for the design of the "Adventurer's Club" at Pleasure
Island.
Live entertainment: These Storytellers
act out african folk tales. I'ts a must see!
AFRICA / HARAMBE / SAFARI
After passing the bridge over Discovery River you enter the city
of Harambe
in Africa. Straight ahead at the end of the street you find the entrance
the Kilimanjaro Safri under a huge Baobab tree.
Almost the same view of the entrance
to Harambe as above, but 5 months later. You can see, how much the plants
have grown in this relatively short period.
Harambe townsquare.
In the remains of Harambe's old
Fort you will find a snack bar to the right, if you pass through the
doorway in the center, you get to a shady courtyard with chairs and tables.
In the left wing below the offices of the "Port Authority" are restrooms.
On the right you see an other view of the fort. In the background
is the covered terrace
of "Tuskers House" restaurant. All day long african life music is played
and in the afternoon a full service bar is open.
Inside view of "Tuskers
House" restaurant. When you pass through the doors on the left, you
get into several differently styled dining rooms and out to the terrace.
To the right are the tables, where you order and pay your food, then you
proceed to the service window to get it. Next to the entrance is a bakery,
where breakfast and, during the day, snacks are served.
When entering the Harambe Wildlive Reserve on the safari jeep,
you drive past this
sign.
The animals often get quite close to the tour vehicle, the
ostriches like to snap after hats on the heads of guests.
On the hill you see two white
rhinos. I know, they aren't white, but that's what they are called,
I cant't change it. :-)
Meercats
stand upright on hills or rocks in the savannah, to spot enemies in time
and be able to alarm their herd.
The huge tree in the background is a Baobab.
Only during rain season they wear leaves. Baobab trees may get as old as
2000 years old. This particular tree would be about half that old, judged
at his size. Of course, Disney couldn't wait that long, so most of the
baobab trees in the park are artifical. But there is a real one in front
of "Tuskers House" restaurant, since he is still very young, you can almost
reach around him with your arms.
In such trucks
you are driven through the savannah. The small island with the flamingos
on it is an insider joke of the designers, seen from above, it has the
shape of Mickey Mouse °o°. This is called a "hidden Mickey"!
A big herd
of giraffes. All day long, they are roaming the savannahin search for
food. At different times of day they can be found in several locations.
A giraffe
in front of a Baobab tree. The giraffes aren't shy at all and can often
be photographed from a very short distance. They are very curious and sometimes
they put their heads inside the cars to have a better look at the visitors!
At the conclusion of the safari, there is a wild chase to chatch
some poachers. Of course there is a happy end and the warden
arrests the poachers.
Sign,
showing the way to the train station of Harambe.
CONSERVATION STATION
From Harambe you can go to Conservation Station by train. During
the trip, you get some insights into the backstage areas. Here the animals
stay during the night. the massive gray buidling are the elephant
quarters. Reminds me somehow of "Jurassic Park", oops, wrong company,
Universal's up the street! :-)))
ASIA / ANANDAPUR
A rock, bearing the name of the town of Anandapur
at the entrance to Asia at Animal Kingdom.
Off the passage to the not yet opened Asia part of the park,
there is a small building in the style of a bar
in India, here you may buy refrehments. Guess which one, just look
at the painting on the wall.
An inside
view of the bar. Past the door you see a wooden pavillion, which stands
on stilts above Discovery River.
The wooden
pavillion, seen from the bridge to Safari Village.
Flight
of Wonders is the first show/attraction at Asia which is open. It's
a great bird-show, combined with a story.
Trucks like this one are a common sight in the streets of New Delhi.
Ice Cream is sold out of this one.
SAFARI VILLAGE / TREE OF LIFE
In the center of Animal Kingdom is an island, surrounded by Discovery
River, on it is Safari
Village. Mostly shops and also some restaurants can be found here,
but also the icon of the park, the Tree of Life.
In Safari Village, Kirikli,
mysterious nomads, riding on their strange anmimals, are wandering around.
Another picture of Kirikli.
Before the opening of Animal Kingdom, they could be seen around World Showcase
Lagoon at Epcot. Here in Safari Village, they have found a more suitable
surrounding, in my opinion.
The buildings in Safari Village all are decorated
very colorfull. Carvings and drawings of animals are an important part
of the decoration.
Another house in Safari
Village.
Costumedesigns
in Animal Kingdom are very diverse and an important part of the show. In
Safari Village, they are decorated with animal motives and little shells
are sewn onto the collar.
The Tree of Life is surrounded by the Tree
of Life Garden, where a wide variety of animals is living in a beautyfull
landscape.
The Tree
of Life is the icon and the center of Animal Kingdom. It is about 130
ft high. Beneath the tree's massive rootwork is a 400-seat cinema, where
a very entertaining 3D-movie about insects is shown. The tree is surrounded
by the Oasis Gardens umgeben, where you can marvel at many beautyful animals.
Hundreds
of animals are carved into the bark of the Tree of Life. Almost it
seems, as if they would grow out of the tree.
Depending from where the sun is located, you will discover new
animals in the bark.
DINOLAND, U.S.A.
The citizens of Dinoland U.S.A. make their living from tourists,
who are visiting the dinosaur excavation site. Out of this funny looking
trailer
they sell snacks.
Countdown to Extinction is an attraction in Dinoland, U.S.A.,
where you are sent to the era of the dinosaurs with a time machine. The
waiting area recreates very realisticly a museum of natural history. Here
you can see the skeletton of a Carnotaurus,
which you will meet "alive" later.
On wall
paintings, also found in the waiting area of Countdown to Extinction,
several different theories are shown of how the dinosaurs became extinct.
After watching an introduction video, you follow this sign
to the underground research facility, where you board a Time Rover to travel
to the past.
The Time
Rover transports you to the era of the dinosaurs and back home,
hopefully.
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