Creating a Master Plan for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park began almost as soon as the designers convened for the first time. In the earliest design phase, all ideas were on the table. A mature park 20 years from opening date was laid out in ideal form.
Wetlands—Boggy Creek on the west and Reedy Creek on the east—hemmed in the long and narrow park site on both sides. Planned and existing roads, visual intrusion from off-site high-rises and natural features like existing trees helped dictate the layout of the park.
Starting at the center, with the Tree of Life, project landscape planner John Shields determined how much land was needed for Safari Village, then drew the inner edge of Discovery River. The width of the river determines the placement of the “lands” and the service road, a ring road that circles the park and lets employees move around “backstage.” Far from defining the perimeter of the park, the service road is considered movable; it can be located farther out if more land is required within its bounds.
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