Mission: Space - New Horizons?
Page 2 of 7

The Young Upstart
Disney’s Animal Kingdom may not have the attraction roster like its WDW counterparts, but it has a heart and soul unlike any other Disney theme park worldwide. The park is entirely the creation of the eccentric and creative genius of Joe Rohde, who supervised every single element of this park (and continues to do so). The park debut to great fanfare on April 22 1998, with a perfect blend of nature and technology. The Kilimanjaro Safaris remain one of the most innovative and immersive offerings ever developed by WDI, by literally transporting you to the wilds of Africa. The Tree of Life is a wonderfully impressive testimony to our love of wildlife and the creative spirit of Rohde.

The park has benefited from its “honeymoon�? period, as first time guests continue to outnumber repeat visitors. However, the former category is dwindling and the park is trying to find ways to increase the length of guest stays. Shows continue to play an important role, as they absorb more time than rides (a ploy used effectively at the Walt Disney Studios Paris) and are cheaper to develop. This Kingdom has suffered it fair share of failures (such as the Jungle Book show and the often hit and miss of Pocahontas) but also has the Festival of the Lion King which remains a huge draw.

Marking the route to Everest, Disney¹s Animal Kingdom, 2003
Click here for a much larger version of this picture
(1024 X 710, 186,254 bytes)

Despite much conjecture and rumour, Joe Rohde and his dedicated DAK team at WDI have waited to announce the first substantial E-ticket since Opening Day. The stories surrounded Beastly Kingdom, Australia and South America continue to circulate, but the development of Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is mouth-watering. This attraction promises to be the making of this park, as you will, the Tower of Terror of DAK. From the early schematic and storyline it will attract guests to the park beginning 2006 in their droves. Plus Rohde has promised that this is just the start, because as tourism continues to return to pre September 2001 levels and hopefully even higher, and no fifth park in development, DAK is in the prime position to benefit from any future investment.

Exit Horizons, Epcot, 1999
Click here for a much larger version of this picture
(1024 X 710, 219,120 bytes)