Arriving at Disney World's Animal Kingdom

Being within Disney World's Animal Kingdom is like being inside a live storybook - it was really made to give the visitors that kind of vibe. Wondering what's genuine and what's not is what most people will encounter, and this is how the Imagineers did it: they developed the Animal Kingdom so that guests end up comparing it to reality. This gives you a heightened sense of enjoyment. By understanding just how they came up with something like this, you'll find that you value their work more.

Arriving at the Parking Lot

Now this might seem like a mundane place to start. However, this is exactly where you start, anyway. After parking your car, walk to the park, and begin your fantastic experience. Parking lots are big and level.. that's it, nothing more. Most outdoor parking lots are scorching hot, as well. Nothing exceptional. Unmoving. However, as you look in the direction of where Disney World is, you can see the top part of a thicker forest. Doesn't that make you long for the cool, teeming-with-life forest? This is your first experience with the designers' Circle of Life principle.

You ride the tram or the bus and get out near the front gate. People generally don't look down as they are mesmerized by what they're seeing ahead, but then you should really set aside a second to look down at your feet. The paving of the parking lot already looks aged. This is, obviously, done in purpose. If you are feeling like nature has played a large function to make the paving look like the way it is, then that is precisely the result they were aiming for. As you continue to walk towards the front gate, you will then notice that you're no longer walking on the "aged" concrete, but on a colorful path of red and green. This is really a big photograph of the central graphic associated with Animal Kingdom, the Tree of Life.

Nature Requires Balance

The ticket booth and gateway were built in the American Arts and Crafts style, an architectural movement that revered natural materials as well as things made by hand. Even the inside areas of the buildings away from Animal Kingdom are also created by using the Arts and Crafts architecture. Disney has made great use of Arts and Crafts design. Other than Disney's Animal Kingdom, the inside of California's Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa in Anaheim is also designed using the Arts and Crafts concept, but then, this building is so huge that the interior design is maybe not entirely suited in reality.

Right at the entry, you will find various depictions of the numerous types and forms of lions, dinosaurs, and elephants. There's even a dragon, if you will look more carefully. Right on top of the ticket booth on the left side, you will find another kind of dragon. Dragons are known as creatures of fantasy, and that's why they are up there. Not only does the Animal Kingdom display genuine animals, extinct or not, but also mythical fantasy animals such as unicorns and dragons, as well. Are you serious? You just found out that unicorns are just imaginary? Even dragons?

Entering the Story

But now you've walked through the gate and you are in the Oasis. You can then feel your heart pumping with excitement. However, the imagineers developed this to not inspire you so much because you will have to find out what lies ahead. They would like you to be part of the tale. They want you to be ready to accept what Walt Disney described as the "Plausible Impossible." So they want you to definitely cool off first before you get out and have a Safari or Everest adventure, but by making you go through this particular green zone, they've subliminally helped you cool-down and unwind even a little bit from all the excitement you're feeling.

The Oasis pathways wander, deliberating keeping you at a modest pace, so that you can adjust to the marvelous environment. Be observant all the time. Don't be too content on what you have seen. Because something important is about to be revealed. All of a sudden, you'll stroll in on the actual Tree of Life! Here the walkway widens so that people can stop and admire this magnificent icon.

As in all of Disney's theme parks, there is a boundary between the real and the fantasy world. You'll then find a thin portal that everyone must go through to create a specific shift of mood. After going through this portal, you'll find yourself in a location where you'll see a lot of pathways to choose from, each leading to various components and themes of the Animal Kingdom.

Animal Kingdom is very special, compared to the rest of the 4 theme parks of Disney World. In other parks, the destination is actually most important. In the Animal Kingdom, however, the whole trip is priceless. You will sometimes realize this right after the whole adventure as you try to keep the recollections of your whole enchanting journey in your head.

Herb likes to write about Disney World. Please check out his website that contains Disney World Vacation information as well as DisneyWorld Vacations information.