at the Animal Kingdom

The following is a listing of what is planned, and currently under construction Walt Disney World' Animal Kingdom. This information has been compiled from a number of sources. If I left something out that one of you folks out there might know about, then please share it with the rest of us.

Due to the attacks on the United States and the concern for guest safety, Disney security is inspecting all bags before you are allowed to enter the park.

• General
  1. Current Refurbishment Schedules
  2. Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom
  3. Wondering why all the attractions at Animal Kingdom have FASTPASS? Well, it seems that Disney are using this park as a prototype to test some amazing new wireless network infrastructure, to majorly enhance the guest experience.

     "We were in WDW in November, and as we entered the Animal Kingdom we were offered a trial of a personal digital assistant (PDA) for the park. It consisted of a hand held device with a touch screen, and built in camera.

     We had to use it in the Oasis and in the Harambe area until 11-00am where we met to fill in a questionnaire. For the use we were given a $25 gift voucher, and a free hat that I had to wear.

     The PDA had the following features

     1. A park locator that indicated where in the park you were at that time
     2. A series of maps to guide you through the park
     3. Information on rides, restaurants, toilets etc.
     4. Games for the kids in the queues
     5. The ability to order on line gifts and shopping
     6. The ability to book tables in restaurants in the park.
     7. A special feature that allowed you to get a FASTPASS on the machine from any location in the park, when it was time a sound was heard in the ear piece and the FASTPASS was made visible, this was only working for Kilimanjaro Safaris, but worked well.Ê
     8. Bamboo shoots in the park had shape symbol codes, entering these 4 symbols gave audio and text with pictures of the local sights to see.
     9. A digital camera was built in and you could take 40 pictures, these were loaded onto the net for you to view and download when you got home.
     The questioning after involved questions about a device being used for all 4 parks for the length of your stay with maps, FASTPASS etc. They questioned how much you would be willing to pay and which features you thought were best."
     REPORTED: Adrian Ofman 29 JAN 01
  4. There is already talk in-house of real Disney safaris to Africa
     REPORTED: Tom and Renée Shaw 29 MAR 98

• Oasis Gardens
  1. Nothing to report
• Discovery Island formally Safari Village
  1. Nothing to report

• Camp Minnie-Mickey
  1. Nothing to report

• Africa
  1. Nothing to report

• Rafiki's Planet Watch
  1. Nothing to report

• Asia
  1. Nothing to report

• Dinoland, U.S.A.
  
  1. Nothing to report

• Resorts
  1. Nothing to report

• Phase 2
  
  1. A CM at AK told me that they're going to be adding "Australia" to the park...or at least it's in the imagineering in-box at this point. Funny....I thought they would do Egypt. I mean...it IS on the African continent....right? What has Australia got to do with Africa (aside from being great Landrover terratory). Maybe in Australia the could have an audioanimatronic Alby Mengals. Maybe they could program it with the original ego and affinity for not wearing pants too (ever seen that dork?)!
     REPORTED: Liam 26 MAY 02
  2. Is this the shape of things to come?
     REPORTED: anon 14 MAY 01
  3. Al Weiss was quoted saying "There were alot of rumors about (Beastly Kingdom) opening in the begining. It was never scheduled to be open in the beginning. It has always been scheduled to open in 2001 or 2002. It's still on our schedule and we're continuing to look at what to do with the land"
     REPORTED: Joe Weeks 04 AUG 98
     The beastly kingdom is being built behind the rain forest cafe. this the third phase of animal kingdom, the theme is what is, what is and what could have been., such as dragons,unicorns etc. i heard a part of it was going to be dedicated to villans.
     UPDATE: anon 04 JUN 99
  4. A recent article in the Orlando Business Journal reports that after the addition of the Asia section of the park, Disney will add one more continent themed zoological section. It will either be South America, Australia, or North America, with Australia now being the most likely. Also the Camp Minnie & Mickey section will be expanded to include some elements of the planned, but now canceled, mythological section.
     REPORTED: Amy Pompeo 02 MAY 98
  5. My wife talked with various cast members on 1/1 and 1/2/98 and was told that the Asia section of the Animal Kingdom (which apparently encompasses much of Phase II) will open in December of '98--just in time for the high-traffic holiday season.
     REPORTED: Michael Spry 03 JAN 98
  6. I have no idea if Disney will actually ever build a Mythical section in Animal Kingdom, or if, as some people have suggested, the dragon may be taken off the AK logo, but here's a bit of interesting news: McDonald's is planning an Animal Kingdom Happy Meal that should start around April 17th and include 12 animal figures (plus a rumored 13th animal only available at certain locations). But of the normal 12 figures, there is indeed a dragon toy, along with an iguanodon, zebra, lion, cheetah, crocodile, rhino, triceretops, toucan, gorilla, elephant, and lemur. The 13th toy is rumored to be a tortoise. If this major promotion includes a dragon, as does the logo, wouldn't it seem like there would be a dragon in Animal Kingdom? Though I guess nothing is stopping Disney and McDonald's from pulling the dragon toy from the lineup!
     CONFIRMED: Preturb 30 MAR 98
  7. The mythology-themed area has been on the drawing boards since day one, but will be held over until phase two due to exorbitant costs. Possible names are Fantasia, Heaven's Gate, and Mythos. Phase two, which also includes the Asian-themed area, has been penciled in for 1999, eight months after the park's grand opening.
     REPORTED: mark Sussman 14 DEC 96
     UPDATE: Patrick Fitzsimmons 01 JAN 97
  8. From what I understand Dragon Tower and the Mythical Kingdom may not be built at all now that Universal has announced plans for a dueling inverted dragon-themed coaster and mythological land to be built at it's Islands of Adventure.
     REPORTED: Chris Harper 25 JUN 97
  9. Dragon's Tower is part of Beastly Kingdom (name change imminent), therefore it will be part of phase three.
     UPDATE: Patrick Fitzsimmons 01 JAN 97
     Animal Kingdom's Beastly Kingdom has been added back to the blueprints and two of it feature will be Excalibur and Dragon Tower. Two thrill rides that will be fantasy based.
     UPDATE: anon 20 JAN 98
     People have been saying that the Orlando Sentinel has reported that the Beastly Kingdom in Animal Kingdom is cancelled and that instead elements of the land will end up in Camp Minnie Mickey. While the article DID say that some elements of the Beastly Kingdom may end up in Camp Minnie Mickey, it DID NOT say that Beastly Kingdom was cancelled.
     REPORTED: john gromko 06 MAY 98
     The Beastly Kingdom is now on again after much turmoil. Construction is set to begin sometime after Asia is done. It will be placed where Camp Minnie-Mickey (which was meant to be only a temporary land) is now. There will be a light side that contains and walk-through/ride call Search Of The Unicorn. The dark side will have a twisted looking castle that will contain the inverted coaster thats been mentioned (The name Dragon Tower will almost definitly be changed.
     REPORTED: Jared P. 10 JUL 98 <
     The beastly Kingdom stuff is most likely true but the name will be changed, Camp Minnie Mickey will remain and beastly kingdom will be added on to it. I have also heard of the Dragon Tower coaster idea an inverted coaster with a 50ft fire breathing dragon anamatronic, built in a burned out castle, sounds radical.
     UPDATE: anon 02 AUG 98
  10. Beastly Kingdom - I think the CM was really wrong on this one, but he said the Pocahontas show was going to be removed and the Beastly Kingdom was going to be over in that area. On the bridge over to Camp Minnie-Mickey, looking over Discovery River to the right-hand side, there is a cave in which a "fire-breathing dragon" lives and occasionally makes his presence known (I saw it!). I'd always heard the Beastly Kingdom was going to be behind the Character Grove area, but the CM said it was going over where the Pocahontas show was currently located.

      UPDATE: Just read on another Disney site that there is a large mound of earth pushed up near the Rainforest Cafe to keep visitors from seeing the construction going on behind RC. Can anyone confirm or deny this rumor? If confirmed, it would verify what this CM originally told me about Beastly Kingdom being built where the Pocahontas show is. I still find it very odd that Disney would put BK on that side of the park when there is a huge area of land available (not to mention the fire-breathing dragon) between the Character Grove and Harambe.
      REPORTED: MClift 23 FEB 99
      Being a CM and traveling the path behind the RC almost daily, there is no large mound of dirt behind the Rainforest Cafe, only some limited parking. However, as of now, that is where we've been told the planned site for the "Beastly Kingdom" is. And the "dragon" being mentioned that can be seen on the bridge to Camp Minnie Mickey is actual supposed to be refered to as an crocodile, not a dragon.
      UPDATE: anon 10 FEB 02

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