Pardon Our Dust - Disney's Animal Kingdom
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Pardon Our Dust
Disney's Animal Kingdom

On April 6 and 7 media and invited guests will be given the opportunity to visit with a (supposedly) mythical creature that resides deep inside the newest and largest mountain in the Walt Disney World range. Is Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain exactly what the doctor (of zoology presumably) ordered for Disney’s Animal Kingdom park?

DAK opened with great fanfare on April 22 1998. The first new Disney theme park at Walt Disney World in almost nine years it broke the mould of traditional Imagineering. The park was a curious mix of ethnic reality (Africa) and bold, unique and colorful styling (Safari Village), the latter of which is highly reminiscent of Mary Blair’s work on it’s a small world (although we have Katie Olsen to thank for the striking coloration on buildings such as Disney Outfitters and Island Mercantile). The park was a breath of fresh air to the rigid architectural approach of its three brethren at Lake Buena Vista. An organic environment where the plants and animals dominated the landscape. The park was regarded as a critical success.

Park Operations were under the impression that the park could successfully trade for twelve hours (and even 13 hours initially) every day much like Epcot. However DAK did not have the attraction line-up to meet a “full�? Disney day. The animal exhibits including the signature Kilimanjaro Safaris could not operate after dark and many of the creatures would shelter during the blistering heat of a Floridian day. The park had only one full-service dining facility and had outsourced it to the then-hot themed restaurateurs at Rainforest Café. The venue (itself out of kilter with the reality that is so engrained in the DAK psyche with its cheap Audio-Animatronics figures and fake planting) was placed at the entrance to enable guests without DAK admission media to dine with them.

Under a year later Asia was added as a counterpoint to the dry savannahs of Africa. The dense tropical rainforests permeate the land’s two attractions; the stunning Maharajah Jungle Trek and the disappointing Kali River Rapids. The original plans for the land called for a full service Indian curry house to be stationed at the land’s entrance. This massive structure (eventually replaced by themed outdoor vending carts and the McDonalds’ fries kiosk and courtyard) was scrapped as DAK was struggling to keep guests beyond the late afternoon. Food & Beverage determined that they could not justify a restaurant that only operated for lunch (particularly from a staffing point of view). This coupled with the initial March of the Animals (later called March of the ARTimals) parade that was met with lukewarm (at best) reception (and many perplexed faces) meant that guests perceived DAK as a half-day park.