Disney's Animal Kingdom was opened in 1998 as an animal-conservation theme park with Disney's patented over-the-top twist. The park is divided into five major "lands" Africa, Camp Minnie-Mickey, Dinoland USA, Safari Village and Asia though the true tribute here is to the versatility of concrete, which is colored, imprinted upon and formed into an endless variety of shapes to help create mock-authentic ambiences for each land.
Once within the park, visitors have four major stops. The best is Kilimanjaro Safaris , where "lorries" of tourists ride past giraffes, zebras, elephants, lions, gazelles and rhinos, all passing what feels like authentic African wildlands (local oak trees have been trimmed to look like African acacias). Crossing over to "Asia," visitors walk through dense vegetation and village ruins to see giant fruit bats, Asian birds and possibly tigers in the Maharajah Jungle Trek . The park's only thrill ride is in DinoLand USA: Countdown to Extinction , a roller-coaster-style vehicle that makes small drops and short stops in the dark as dinosaurs pop out of nowhere and roar.
The remainder of the park requires no more than casual exploration. The Flights of Wonder bird show exhibits parrots, hawks and other unusual birds, and classic Disney characters in appropriate attire sign autographs in Camp Minnie-Mickey , where you can also catch Festival of the Lion King , a participatory production of upbeat music with some nifty acrobatics, loosely based on its namesake film.