Disney’s Animal Kingdom celebrates 20th anniversary
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Disney’s Animal Kingdom will mark its 20th anniversary on Earth Day, April 22, kicking off a spring and summer of all-new events and experiences at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Commemorating the milestone year, the 500-acre adventure park will offer animal encounters, family-friendly activities, specialty desserts and more during an expanded Party for the Planet celebration April 22-May 5.
Over the two-week Party for the Planet celebration, guests can attend conservation talks by animal-care experts and participate in enhanced interactions with some of the more than 2,000 animals that make their home at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited park.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch will take centre stage. It’s home to fun educational exhibits and activities that help create awareness of animal issues.
During the 20th anniversary, Rafiki’s Planet Watch will offer experiences with experts where guests can learn about animal nutrition, visit the veterinary hospital and hear how Disney promotes global wildlife conservation.
Guests can also commemorate their visits to the theme park with special photo opportunities. They can step into an oversized picture frame celebrating the park’s 20th anniversary. Other photo frames support Disney’s Reverse the Decline, an initiative created to help protect 10 threatened animal species. One recent success of the program was the birth of two critically endangered Sumatran Tiger cubs at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Just for kids is the chance to earn a limitededition badge as part of the Wilderness Explorer program.
The badge is one of many that youngsters can earn by completing fun activities throughout the park.
Party for the Planet will also include six different Tiffins Talks – themed dinners hosted by animal experts at Tiffins, the theme park’s signature, full-service restaurant.
The 20th anniversary fun also includes a commemorative adventure guide, limitededition merchandise, and a special-edition print created by renowned Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde.
He will be available on April 22 from 1-4 p.m. to sign prints at Discovery Trading Company. Quantities are limited.
Here are other experiences and adventures rolling out in 2018 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
— April 22 will mark the debut of a brandnew show, UP! A Great Bird Adventure featuring Russell and Dug from the Disney-Pixar animated comedy-adventure film UP.
— A “dino-tastic” celebration with Donald and his friends will also premiere Memorial Day weekend in Dino Land. This dinosaur themed party celebrates Donald Duck’s discovery that his bird ancestors were actually dinosaurs.
— Memorial Day 2018 commemorates the one-year anniversary of Pandora – The World of Avatar. Here, travellers are transported to a mystical world of floating mountains, bioluminescent rainforests and breathtaking new experiences.
For more information about the 20th anniversary of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, visit DisneyWorld.com/AnimalKingdom.