"Over the river and through the woods to Disney World we go...."
On April 19, 1998, my Dad and I started a trip to Orlando for the
opening of Disney's newest attraction, The Animal Kingdom. Nothing
Disney does is ever a disappointment and the opening of The Animal
Kingdom was not an exception to this statement.
Unlike MGM's quiet opening, the 500 acre, $800 million Animal Kingdom's
opening day began with people lined up at 3:00 A. M. Because of the
large crowd (350 cars at 5:00 A. M.), the park opened an hour ahead of
schedule at 6:00 rather than 7:00. By 7:00 A. M., 28,000 people had
arrived and the Animal Kingdom was closed.
Opening ceremonies included speeches by Roy Disney, Vice Chairman of
Walt Disney Co., and Judson Green, President of Walt Disney Attractions.
The new attraction includes The Oasis and 5 lands with the 14-story Tree
of Life the centerpiece. You can visit Safari Village, Dinoland USA,
Africa, Camp Minnie-Mickey, or Asia (opening in 1999). Some of the
favorite rides and experiences are sure to be the African safari, an
exciting ride back to prehistoric times, up-close meetings with friendly
animals, and the chance to meet the animal stars of Disney motion
picture classics. The new park is both a zoo and "a fantasy world of
fun."
The opening went smoothly with beautiful weather and only a few Animal
Rights protestors demonstrating on U. S. Highway 192 near an Animal
Kingdom billboard. They were protesting the treatment of animals and 12
animal deaths at Disney since last fall. However, the U. S. Department
of Agriculture cleared Disney of wrongdoing on Wednesday, April 23,
l998.
Meanwhile, sourvenirs sold briskly at Animal Kingdom. For example, one
tourist paid $225.00 for a poster of the Tree of Life. In addition,
the more typical sales of T-shirts, postcards, and buttons were
numerous.
Ticket prices have increased by $2.00 for a 1-day ticket and the 4-day
hopper pass has been replaced with a 5-day hopper pass. If you are
interested in more information, please give 1-407-W-DISNEY a call or
visit their web site at http://www.Disney.com.
We thoroughly enjoyed our "trek" and recommend it to all.
