Disney's Wild Kingdom: [Write-Ups and Ride-throughs Ongoing]

[PerGron]

While working on South America, I've also finalized the designs for the signs that'll be throughout the park for the animals (which'll also be the pages in the field guide once I release that!) Anyway, I wanted to show off one of the pages I'll be using based off the first animal I revealed for the park: The North Sulawesi Babirusa. Feedback on the signs would be greatly appreciated! (file too big to host on this site

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[D Hulk]

Looks great!​

 

[PerGron]

Amistad Wildlife Preserve

On the outskirts of Amistad is the Amistad Wildlife Preserve, a section of jungle left mostly untouched as a sanctuary for the wildlife who lives here. An old Incan village sits within the ruins of the jungle and a few more modern additions like boat launches along the river exist, but for the most part, much of Amistad Wildlife Preserve is untouched natural serenity.

Guests entering the wildlife preserve will first come across the Incan Village Splash Station. This is a playground that allows young guests to climb and play within the ruins, but also get wet. Water jets spray from different parts of the ruins, including the ground. Any young kids who want to splash around and get wet can do so right here!

For older guests who feel like getting soaked, they can hop on the Amazon River Expedition, a river rapids attraction on a grander scale than the Winnie the Pooh rapids attraction. Set right next to the Incan village splash station, guests can hop onto white-water rafting vehicles and launch from a boat launch down the Amazon River. This attraction is the third largest in the park (not counting animal trails) behind Kilimanjaro Safaris and Marco Polo Railway. Guests on this attraction spiral through the Amazon and encounter a large variety of show scenes. From passing through a portion of forest that has been illegally logged to a massive lift hill and fall down a waterfall, and an encounter with hungry piranhas. The attraction also passes by a few of the land’s animal exhibits, giving a look into habitats for tapirs, Jaguars, caiman, and capybaras as you pass by (though it’s not guaranteed they’ll be by the river part of their exhibit). For guests looking to be thrilled, inspired, and soaked, make sure to try out the Amazon River Expedition.

From the exit of the Amazon River Expedition, guests can then stop by the river for a bite at The Boat Lunch. This counter-service restaurant offers Tex-Mex food like nachos, tacos, and more as you can sit and watch the rafts go by. This outlook looks over the piranha attack sequence, and guests can enter coins into machines to also blast riders with water as they pass below.

Stepping away from the river and deeper into the jungle, you’ll come across Jaguar Basin, the land’s animal walking trails. Here, you’ll pass through the biomes of the jungle as well as a bit into the mountains and spy animals from all across South America. An ancient pyramid stands in the center, providing an indoor area where guests get a look at reptiles and even fish that live in the area. Some of the species featured here can be seen on the Amazon River Expedition, but their viewing areas here are significantly bigger and you’re more likely to see them here than on the ride.

Nearby Jaguar Basin is an old Incan ruin that has been turned into an open-air theater. Here, guests can sit and take in a 35-minute show featuring live animals: Flights of Wonder. Lifted from the now defunct attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Flights of Wonder is a free-flight bird show starring a lost tour guide and a bird expert. Guests here will encounter all sorts of birds from South America and beyond. Some birds will perform basic behaviors like flying to someone for a dollar or demonstrating hunting techniques. The roster of birds here is ever-changing, with species being rotated out at different times, meaning now two shows will ever feature the exact same lineup. Come with our bird expert and Guano Joe and experience the flights of wonder.

With that, we enter the last attraction of the land, set inside a massive Kapok Tree, this attraction is aptly named The Kapok Tree. Based on the children’s book “The Great Kapok Tree,” in which the animals that live within the tree tell two men not to chop it down and explain the importance of the tree, this attraction has a similar story, following a live actor interacting with animatronic animals who teach the importance of the rainforest to them, and subsequently the guests. This attraction lasts around 14 minutes and is set in a theater about the size of the Country Bear Jamboree.

With that, we wrap up the Amistad Wildlife Preserve. I hope you enjoyed, and next time, we’ll be visiting Paradise Falls!​

---

This land really was one of the more challenging ones to do as I didn’t have a ton of attraction ideas beyond the river raft ride. However, as a big E-ticket draw, I think it’ll succeed and I’m excited to write the whole thing out.

Flights of Wonder was my dream job my entire childhood and Up just doesn’t do it for me in the same way, so I had to bring it back here. It may tonally be different than what I’ve established for Amistad, but I had to have it here.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed!​

 

[Garfield Builder]

While working on South America, I've also finalized the designs for the signs that'll be throughout the park for the animals (which'll also be the pages in the field guide once I release that!) Anyway, I wanted to show off one of the pages I'll be using based off the first animal I revealed for the park: The North Sulawesi Babirusa. Feedback on the signs would be greatly appreciated! (file too big to host on this site

​

Nice

 

[PerGron]

Paradise Falls

Moving across the northern part of South America we reach the mountainous jungles of Venezuela and the towering Paradise Falls, modeled after Venezuela‘s Angel Falls. The majestic waterfall sitting at the back of the land is matched by the multicolored American home sitting next to it. This is the home of Carl Fredrickson from the 2009 Disney Pixar film Up.

Being the only sub-land in Disney’s Wild Kingdom
Themed to one single IP, the entirety of this sub-land Is dedicated to the 2009 film. The land is set in the jungles below Paradise Falls with the falls towering in the background. The jungle that envelops the walkways of the land can hide different secrets throughout, including Kevin an audio animatronic that life’s in the bushes. Much like Donkey at Universal Studios, this animatronic has a cast member using it to interact with guests. guests can see only the top half of Kevin, unlike the walk around character at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

As you make your way through the jungle, you will come across a cave system that is attached to the mountains at the back of the land. Here, you will find the entrance to Flight of the House Balloon. This attraction is similar to star tours and other simulator attractions where guests sit in a motion simulator and watch a screen depict what is going on outside. This simulator is made to look like the inside of Carl and Ellie‘s house and follows Russell, Carl, Dug, and Kevin as they soar over Paradise Falls with experiences with thunderstorms, tall rock formations, and even an aerial dog fight against actual dogs. Unlike the Star Tours system, this motion vehicle does not contain only one screen, instead featuring three; one in the front and one on either side of riders. This allows guests to feel like they are actually in a house looking out the windows at everything going on.

Once exiting the attraction, guests are brought back out into the jungles alongside the mountainside. Going a little bit further down the path you will find the entrance to Paradise Falls, a log flume attraction where are you can take the plunge down the 60-foot drop down the falls. The attraction itself follows Russell and Dug as they lead a Wilderness Explorers expedition across Paradise Falls. However, when it is revealed that Charles Muntz survived his fall, he decides to get his revenge by sending the Wilderness Explorers over the falls. While Russell and friends are able to escape, will your boat be?

Towards the exit from Paradise Falls towards the next land, you will find a very large Zeppelin. This is the Spirit of Adventure Dining Hall. Ever since the events of the film, Carl returned to Paradise Falls in an effort to turn it into an eco-tourism site in order to protect it, and on top of sightseeing tours that can be seen advertised, he returned the famous airship and permanently docked it and turned it into a high-class restaurant. Muntz’s displays and exhibits have been fixed up and once again adorn the halls of the Zeppelin. However, alongside the skeletal remains and taxidermy Animals you will find new displays constructed by Russell and Carl. New displays include information about the giant rainbow snipe (Snipus russelii) and their conservation efforts. This dining hall offers a unite and upscale venue with delicious entrees and desserts from all over the world, but for picky eaters, you can always get a hot dog and a glass of orange juice!

Throughout the land, you’ll occasionally find Carl, Russel, and Dug roaming around and stopping for pictures and meet and greets. They do not have a specific meet and greet location or time, but they can often be found nearby the Spirit of Adventure or the entrance to Flight of the House Balloon.

The cast members here do not dress as wilderness explorers to avoid confusion with the actual Wilderness Explorers team. Instead, they wear outfits resembling Jungle Cruise skippers with the Ellie Badge on them and patches that say “Fredrickson Jungle Conservation Unit”

With that we wrap up Paradise Falls and South America as a whole! I hope you all enjoyed and I’ll see you tomorrow for our final land at Disney’s Wild Kingdom: Primordia!

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[PerGron]

Primordia

Moving from Paradise Falls, you wave goodbye to the jungles of South America and enter a more unique jungle. One populated not by tall trees and bushes, but by ferns and palm trees. This is Primordia, a land lost to time.

But fear not, these jungles are not home to any real threats. No, this land is actually home to the Primordia Institute of Paleozoology, a research organization dedicated to the study of extinct species from the Pre-Cambrian all the way up to modern day.

Unlike the other lands that contain multiple sub-lands, Primordia is one single land, the PIP Campus, where guests can explore and discover extinct animals as well as animals saved from extinction, all set on the banks of the Lake of Life. Later today we will take a trip through Wild Kingdom’s final land: Primordia!​

 

[PerGron]

Primordia Institute of Paleozoology

Welcome, one and all, to the Primordia Institute of Paleozoology, a sprawling campus full of educational displays, live animals, and, of course, plenty of thrilling and exciting adventures with our planet’s extinct species. Opened back in 1924 by Dr. Alfred “Bones” Aplenty, the PIPZ has been a front runner for Mesozoic Era but has also grown to encompass studies across all of the Earth’s eras. Here at PIPZ, you’ll be able to learn about the flora and fauna that once roamed our planet, as well as the history of the Earth itself.

Upon entering the campus from Paradise Falls, you’ll first encounter the piece of history that inspired the creation of the institution. This is the Boneyard, an old dig site that had the first dinosaur discovery in the region; the iguanodon. While the iguanodon fossil would be moved for safe keeping, there are many other incomplete fossilized pieces still lying around in this dig site. Much like the playground of the same name at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, this Boneyard is a massive playground themed to a dinosaur dig site. Kids can climb and slide and swing, or they can make their way to the pits to dig up their own fossils.

As you move past the boneyard you’ll come across Fossil Fun, a hut where you can dig up a real fossil and keep it (for a price). Here, real fossils of small animals like snails can be dug up and then cleaned. Once you find your own fossil, you can then turn it into a piece of jewelry or get a special display container for it. This experience is similar to (and costs about the same) as the Pick-a-Pearl, but with fewer oyster deaths, since the fossils are already long dead.

From here, you pass under the Olden-State Bridge, a massive sauropod skeleton with a bridge that attaches to The Boneyard. Hanging from this bridge, you see a banner that reads “Primordia Institute of Paleozoology Open House this way!” This banner then leads you onto the campus proper. Here, you’ll pass by different animal exhibits along the way as a part of the Primordia Animal Research Initiative. Here, guests encounter different species from those once believed to be extinct (like the Cuban solenodon and the Chacoan peccary), as well as animals saved from extinction like the Lord Howe Island stick insect, as well as species closely related to dinosaurs or other ancient species (like the red-legged seriema and the American crocodile), as well as two incredibly rare occurrences of near-replication of extinct species, being the Heck’s Cattle and Heck’s horse, both of which resemble the extinct aurochs and tarpan respectively. These animals are scattered throughout the area rather than on a distinct walking trail like other lands.

Inside the open house, you’ll discover a few “temporary” rides set up, one being the Dino Egg Scramble, a tilt-a-whirl style ride where you sit inside a dinosaur eggs and spin around the track. Nearby is the Pterosaur Skies, a Dumbo-spinner where guests board a pteranodon and soar around a rock pillar where another pteranodon is perched. Finally, you can hop on Gallimimus Run, a spinning ride in the vein of Himalaya, where guests board vehicles shaped like gallimimus and run in a circle. This is set to music about dinosaurs, extinction, or similar themes. These three attractions sit in the courtyard of the institute and are accompanied by VelociWraps, a food stand serving different types of wraps, everywhere from classic chicken wraps to taco and burger wraps.

Once in of the courtyard, you can choose one of three branching paths, one heading towards the Visitor’s center, one towards the Lake of Life, and one towards the aptly named Cretaceous Falls.

Heading towards Cretaceous Falls you’ll see a dock that reads “River Tours” on it. Here, you’ll board a guided boat and pass along the river looking at animatronic dinosaurs in the Cretaceous Cruise Expedition. However, this attraction makes it known that the dinosaurs are animatronic, focusing on telling the history of the dinosaurs as you pass by some exciting animatronics of species from Tyrannosaurus Rex to stegosaurus and more. Not every species here is from the Cretaceous period as the cruise passes through the different periods and discusses different parts of each era. The Cruise is narrated by famed paleontologist Jack Horner. While it may not be the most thrilling experience in Disney’s Wild Kingdom, it does provide a way to see dinosaur animatronics in a more family-friendly way compared to other attractions.

Nearby the exit for the River Cruise, you’ll find Dino-Sue, a recreation of the most complete t-Rex fossil ever found. A plaque here tells the history of the fossil, it’s placement at Chicago’s Field Museum, and that this is a recreation, but it provides a great spot for fun pictures and a PhotoPass photographer is often stationed by her.

Heading back towards the courtyard, if you choose to make your way towards the Visitor’s Center, you’ll first encounter Habitat Heroes: PIPZ Visitor’s Center. This is a walkthrough museum all about extinction, dinosaurs, and geology. Here, guests can dust off fossils, see real examples of fossilized and even taxidermied extinct species. One such species is the Dusky Seaside Sparrow, a small bird that went extinct after the last individual alive died at Disney’s Discovery Island in Bay Lake in 1987. This individual, known as “Orange-band” is on display as the last pure individual of a now extinct species. Other exhibits featured here include displays about volcanos, the Earth’s crust, the K-T extinction, and more.

Nextdoor to the Habitat Heroes is the main E-ticket of the land: Countdown to Extinction. This attraction is similar to the original version at Animal Kingdom with an EMV and ties into Dinosaur with Dr. Grant Seeker reprising his role. Here, guests are taken to this very land billions of years to explore the grounds, but when Seeker reveals he wants to bring back a Styracosaurs, we are in for a dangerous expedition. We encounter countless dinosaurs, asteroids, and a chattery Dr. Seeker as we rush through time to save the last dinosaurs, all while avoiding a deadly and hungry carnotaurus. The lobby/queue for this attraction features a life-sized Carnotaurus skeleton as it battles with an iguanodon skeleton, a reference to the Dinosaur ride and attraction. This ride is similar to both CTX and Dinosaur, but with a few updated changes, a few new effects, and feathered dinosaurs, something present throughout the land.

The exit of this attraction leads you down the Hall of the Fallen, a memorial exhibit in a similar vein to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. Here, the images on the wall aren’t of fallen soldiers, but of species that have gone extinct due to humans. Species like the Dodo bird, the aurochs, the warrah, the passenger pigeon, and more are all present here. There is also a changing screen display that showcases different images with information about each species. Under the pictures are the dates the animals went extinct, and in the center of the room is a somber water fountain where guests can throw coins in. All of the coins collected to Disney’s Conservation Fund, but specifically towards protecting critically endangered species from meeting the same fate.

Finally, you enter the Institute Shop, a shop where you can buy plenty of dinosaur merchandise for all of your extinct species needs.

Finally, you can return to the hub and then head down the final path towards the Lake of Life. Here, you’ll pass by the snack stand Trilo-Bites, a location where you can buy french fries that are loaded with all kinds of different toppings. From chili cheese fries to Buffalo chicken and more, you’re sure to find something delicious at Trilo-Bites.

Finally, you reach the Lake of Life and see another Institute building, this one reading Paleo-Ocean Research Center. On the sign, you see Journey Below: Mysteries of the Cambrian Sea. This submarine attraction is set within the Lake of Life and takes guests through the Cambrian Sea to encounter species unknown to our world. This is a slower moving ride, but has thrilling elements including an animatronic icthyosaur, a species not from the Cambrian, which confuses your narrator as to why it’s there. This becomes an escape mission to save your sub from the icthyosaurs. This attraction is inspired by the version presented in OLS Season 2 by @kmbmw777 @Miru @NateD1226 @AceAstro @Pi on my Cake and @tcool123 in their Lost Valley project.

And that wraps up Primordia. Here, by the lakeside, there is stadium seating for the nighttime spectacular One Word, something we’ll explore down the line in the future. However, it’s not a nighttime spectacular exclusive to this park, so I’ll save it.

And that wraps up Disney’s Wild Kingdom! I’ve had so much fun working on this park and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as well! I’ve got a few more things planned, so keep your eyes peeled tonight!

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[PerGron]

I’ll leave it up to you guys, what would you like to see first: A second gate or ride-through write-ups? I’d put it in a poll but this site only allows one poll ever :/

 

[D Hulk]

I’ll leave it up to you guys, what would you like to see first: A second gate or ride-through write-ups? I’d put it in a poll but this site only allows one poll ever :/

I’d love to see ride-throughs first!

 

[MickeyWaffleCo.]

I’ll leave it up to you guys, what would you like to see first: A second gate or ride-through write-ups? I’d put it in a poll but this site only allows one poll ever :/

Both!

Hmmmm.... difficult choice. I think I’d personally like to see the second gate first, and then ridethrough write-ups after that.

 

[Brer Panther]

I personally would like to see ride-throughs first.

 

[Suchomimus]

Ride-throughs.

 

[Miru]

Ride-throughs

 

[PerGron]

Located within the Conservation Station, Soarin' Over the Wild is the third version and installment within the Soarin' series, following the likes of Soarin' Over California and Soarin' Around the World (or Soarin' Over the Horizon in Shanghai, the better name). Soarin' Over the Wild takes a unique storyline to those other two expeditions; instead of focusing on the manmade wonders of human civilization such as the Eiffel Tower or golf courses, Soarin' Over the Wild takes us to the most remote and dangerous locations across the world to experience the wonder and beauty of the natural world.

Much like the entrance at Epcot, the Soarin' entrance at Disney's Wild Kingdom is a hangar entrance within a larger building. This entrance doesn't feel like a commercial airport, however, but rather a smaller research institute's private launch area. Once you pass into the hangar, you enter the queue, a room themed to an airport waiting area. However, instead of a Hudson News or a McDonald's, you find artifacts from some of the world's most brilliant minds in the world of zoology and ecology.

In glass display cases and hanging on the walls are artifacts from famous minds stemming from Steve Irwin to Charles Darwin. One of Steve Irwin's famous khaki on khaki outfits is mounted to the wall, including a pair of his iconic hiking boots. You can also find a prototype SCUBA suit created by French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau on display. Actual study skins of the finches of the Galapagos by Charles Darwin are in a protective display case as you wind through the room, as are a free-standing "hug machine" made for livestock by Dr. Temple Grandin, bat houses constructed by Merlin Tuttle, a teapot owned by Dr. Jane Goodall, actual paintings by John James Audubon, a rifle owned by President Theodore Roosevelt, and more. All of these artifacts come with plaques talking about the artifact and the person that it belonged to.

Moving onward from the room, you pass down a large hallway that serves as a loading ramp. Here, much like in Epcot's queue, large screens are featured here. However, while Epcot's queue features a quiz game, this queue features a half-hour looping video showcasing footage of some of the World's greatest ecologists. Featured here are Dr. Jane Goodall, Steve Irwin, Sir David Attenborough, Marlin Perkins, Chris and Martin Kratt, and Jack Hanna. The video loops endlessly, but guests shouldn't expect to be in this stretch for the entire duration of the queue. At the end of this hallway is a massive painted mural featuring 36 of the greatest minds in animal conservation.

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Spoiler: Voices of the Planet

-Dr. Jane Goodall
-Steve Irwin
-Sir David Attenborough
-Aldo Leopold
-Chris Kratt
-Martin Kratt
-Jacques Cousteau
-Dr. Mary Temple Grandin
-John Muir
-Jeff Corwin
-Dr. Birute Galdikas
-Marlin Perkins
-Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt
-Marty Stouffer
-Yao Ming
-Greta Thunberg
-Dr. Roger Arliner Young
-Simangele Msweli
-Charles Darwin
-William Temple Hornaday
-Jim Fowler
-John James Audubon
-Joe Rohde
-Walt Disney
-Rachel Carson
-Wangari Maathai
-William Beebe
-Margaret "Mardy" Murie
-Dr. Eugenie Clark
-Dame Dr. Daphne Sheldrick
-Stephanie Arne
-Gerald Durell
-Alvaro Ugalde
-Carl Hagenbeck
-Nilanga Jayasinghe

Past the large mural, guests enter into the final part of the queue, mostly the same as the loading areas for Soarin' as well as SeaWorld's Wild Arctic ride. Guests stand and wait for the doors to open to board the attraction as the video screen above clicks on. However, instead of the familiar face of Patrick Warburton appearing, guests are greeted by Sir David Attenborough. Here, Attenborough explains the purpose of the quest.

Sir David
"Greetings, and welcome to the Soarin' Initiative, a brand new form of Eco-Tourism being tested from right here at the Conservation Station. For so long our educational programs and documentaries have allowed the general public to experience the wonders of the natural world through their television screens. However, as a part of a brand new eco-tourism initiative, we want to bring you directly into the action.

Soon, we will be boarding our revolutionary eco-explorer drones, a brand new flying technology, but before we do that, we must acquaint you with the safety regulations. When the doors to your flight open, please take your seat and store all carry-on items in the compartments directly underneath your seat. This includes all hats, purses, strapless cameras, and, of course, these little beauties [A recreation of the scene from the original attraction, but with Sir David]. Next, you will fasten your seatbelts, inserting them into the buckle on your right. If smaller travelers do not measure up to high indicator on the seat, put the belt through the yellow center loop before buckling. Nice work. Soon, you will be airborne, so if you or any members of your party have a fear of flying or heights, you may want to wait for the rest of your party at the arrival gate.

And now, the doors will open and you will board your vehicles as you prepare to witness the wonder and beauty of our natural world. Have a wonderful flight."

(Video ends)

Attention passengers, we are now ready for boarding: beginning with row one, followed by two, and then three. Welcome aboard!

(Guests move into theatre)

Sir David
"We are now conducting our final systems check. Please stow all carry-on items in the under-seat compartment. For your safety, remain seated with your seatbelt fastened during your flight. And watch your children."

(Spanish safety spiel)

Sir David
Soarin’ to Tower: we are ready for takeoff.

From here, the attraction begins. You lift out of real footage of Disney's Wild Kingdom, flying up and over the Gardens of Life before soaring directly into an overhead cloud. The cloud disappears as we are now flying above the frigid arctic tundra. Here, we can see polar bears playing on the ice and sling around. We also see a herd of caribou running away from a pack of hungry wolves as we fly over the landscape and directly into the ocean. Here, we swim alongside a pod of belugas until coming face to face with an orca. The orca dives below as we go up, crashing into the waves. The smell of salt water and cool ice are blasted through this scene, with cold air blowing on us and water splashing us when we dive below.

The wave turns into dust as we soar over the American prairies. We traverse over a massive herd of American bison who are stampeding along. We get lower as we travel alongside the bison, watching as they run along. We soon peel off to soar over a small family of prairie dogs who are hanging out alongside a herd of pronghorn. The prairie dogs become alert of our vehicle (our shadow resembling a hawk) and begin to tunnel below, startling the pronghorn who dart off, kicking up dust that we travel through. The smell of grass and dirt is pumped in throughout this scene.

The dirt we soar through becomes branches and leaves that crash along the screen as we tumble through the trees. Gusts of wind blow as we hit the branches, but we soon appear soaring over the Amazon River. Here, we see a jaguar on the banks hunting a sleeping caiman in the river. As we continue down, we see a pod of Amazon river dolphins popping up from the water, who we follow and dive below with. We see the dolphins peel off as we swim into a school of red-bellied piranhas, making it through harmlessly as we see two giant otters swimming gracefully. We pop out of the water to see capybaras and tapir resting on the riverbanks. One of the tapirs roars and it startles a group of macaws. We fly up to join the macaws, being momentarily blinded by the sun. The smells of the jungle and running water are pumped in here.

The sun fades and we're soaring over the African savannah where hundreds of thousands of animals appear below, running. We are witnessing the great migration as we see wildebeest, zebras, elands, gazelle, and impala rushing below us. We follow the herds as they cross over a river, encountering hippos and crocodiles. We peel off from the herd as we soar alongside a family of giraffes who are browsing from the trees, joined by a group of vervet monkeys who cackle at us. We then fly back up, this time over a family of elephants. One elephant tosses dirt up and we fly through it, much like in Soarin' Around the World. The smell of grass and dirt is pumped in here as well.

From this transition, we are now in the Himalayas, moving swiftly to avoid jagged rocky snow-covered peaks. We watch a snow leopard bounding along the mountainside, chasing after a markhor. Suddenly, it pounces and the two go tumbling off the cliff down the mountain. We follow, diving down, seeing the snow leopard enjoying his meal as we venture now into the bamboo forests where we pass giant pandas browsing on bamboo as well as golden snub-nosed monkeys chattering in the trees. We pass by a mountain and snow falls down, blinding us. The smell of bamboo and snow are pumped in throughout this scene.

This transition takes us over to Australia where we pass over the outback, including a family of camels running by. We peel off quickly, soaring up and seeing Uluru before flying over the top and down to find kangaroos hopping. We follow the kangaroos for a short while before passing through a Eucalyptus grove and narrowly flying alongside koalas and numbats. We then pass by a pack of dingoes before flying into a cave. This scene has the scent of sand as we cruise through it.

On the other side of the cave, we're now flying above the Australian coast. We see a pod of dolphins leaping from the water and we swoop underwater to join. We're soon immersed in a world of colorful fish and coral. We see fish swimming along before darting away as a large reef shark makes his way peacefully over the reef. We then encounter a sea turtle before making our way into the open ocean. The ocean becomes dark and we go blind. This scene smells of the ocean.

We then pop out of the water just as a massive humpback whale breaches and splashes, sending us on a wave as we gain air traction again and appear on the shores of Antarctica. We pass over a massive colony of Emperor Penguins who honk and squawk as we get lower. We pass by the beaches and watch the penguins dive into the ocean. We dive back underwater and follow a penguin as a leopard seal appears and chases it, and us. We fly up and out of the water, into a blizzard, going blind again.

We then reach Disney's Wild Kingdom again, flying over the One World spectacular, being sprayed by fountains and lights with water spraying us as well before we return to Conservation Station and touch back down. Our seats return to their normal positions as the screen goes to black. We then hear Sir David again.

Sir David
"On behalf of our entire flight crew, thank you for soarin’ with us. To unfasten your seatbelt, push down on the red button on your right. Be sure to gather all your carry-on items from the under-seat compartment and exit to your right. Have a great stay here at Disney's Wild Kingdom, or wherever your final destination may take you."

With that, we exit the attraction and return to the Conservation Station.


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[PerGron]

Animal Junction


Sitting outside of the Conservation Station is Animal Junction, a large set modeled after the location featured in the PBS Kids program "Zoboomafoo." This iconic set is a 1:1 recreation featuring the roof made up of leaves, the iconic snack machine, a window looking out into the jungle, and, of course, the messy closet. However, a lot of these pieces are solely for display purposes. The reason for that is this isn't just a recreation of the set, it is also the stage where the Wildlife Live performance takes place.

Wildlife Live sees Disney's Wild Kingdom animal trainers take to the stage with a wide variety of animal ambassadors to do a 15-minute animal presentation for guests of the park, with a little bit of a Zoboomafoo twist.

Bleacher-style seating is positioned overlooking parts of Animal Junction where guests can look down and see the stage. The stage contains the iconic locations from the show, but also a variety of ropes, climbing structures, bridges, and perches for the animal ambassadors to take full advantage of while on the stage.

The show begins with the music from the Zoboomafoo program, however, instead of featuring Chris and Martin Kratt within the song, they are not mentioned with their names written out and replaced. Then, through the door comes one of Disney's Wild Kingdom's animal handlers. The trainer greets the guests and talks about the amazing animals they get to work with and about Animal Junction a little bit before guests spot something moving by the window.

The trainer notices and out pops a puppet of Zoboomafoo, the Coquerel's sifaka, who laughs and asks when this person got to Animal Junction. The trainer explains that Animal Junction is a part of Conservation Station, a giant research and conservation institution and Zoboo asks if it still has any magic in it. The trainer jokes that he is a talking lemur and so there must be a little bit of magic left. Zoboo laughs but tells the trainer that Animal Junction had magic that could bring in any animal from all around the world. The trainer smiles and asks the audience if they think Animal Junction has any of that magic left. When the audience cheers, our first animal passes through the doors just like it would in the show.

The animal ambassadors are randomized so no show contains any specific list of species, but that is up to the trainers instead. The trainer will bring with them a specific group of animals they work with personally, so for a trainer who works with reptiles and birds, they will gear their show towards those species while a trainer who works with livestock will feature that, etc. This gives the handlers and trainers more control over the show and the animals. However, still, most shows feature a wide enough variety of species to keep peoples' interest as the show goes on.

For the most part, the animals are the star of the show, showcasing natural behaviors like climbing, hanging from tails, swimming, flying, or doing whatever that specific animal does. Meanwhile, Zoboo, who moves from the window, hangs out behind the snack machine where he makes sure to help disperse treats to the animals as a reward for proper behavior. Zoboo and the trainer explain things such as positive reinforcement and how providing a food incentive makes an animal more willing to perform a behavior.

The shows go through four to five animals before all of the animals return and the focus shifts back to Zoboo and the trainer. The trainer tells Zoboo and the audience how amazing all of the animals they saw were and Zoboo agrees, jumping into the second and final song of the show. A screen behind the stage (mainly used for camera footage of the animals so those up in higher rows can still see what's going on during the show) plays footage of the animals at Disney's Wild Kingdom playing and interacting with each other as the Animal Friend Song plays over it, sung by puppet Zoboo, who has made his way back to the window. The animals from the show come out one by one (so as to not have animals interacting on stage) as the song goes on and enter different doors under the snack stand to their behind-the-scenes crates so guests can see them.



The song comes to an end and Zoboo laughs saying he's had all kinds of fun, then leaves through the window. The trainer thanks guests for joining them and tells them to enjoy their day in Disney's Wild Kingdom.

Oftentimes, one or two animals will be out after the show, handled by a few trainers from backstage for guests to come and get a good look at and take pictures of. Guests are encouraged to ask questions at the end as well before they leave. As they exit, they pass a photo-op with a mural of Zoboomafoo and the Kratt Brothers from the Disney+ reboot of "Zoboomafoo."

Occasionally, this attraction is closed down for filming of the Zoboomafoo show, but most times it plays twice an hour from 10 am to 4 pm with an ever-changing array of animals to engage with. Animals from goats to eagles to snakes to porcupines can be seen in this show, you never know what you'll see at Animal Junction!​

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So I'm gonna get back into this project a bit now that I've finished my semi-hiatus from the boards. Not my best work, but writing a show is tough, especially when it's a randomized show using real animals, a script for that with a rotating cast of animals would be tough (see the travesty that is Up! A Great Bird Adventure for proof of that). However, as someone with great nostalgia for Zoboomafoo and wanted a live animal presentation for Conservation Station, it'll suffice, so I hope you enjoyed and I'll see y'all in the next write-up!

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[PerGron]

The Affection Section is Disney's Wild Kingdom's petting zoo, but unlike the one featured at Disney's Animal Kingdom, this attraction features a much larger petting yard.

The Affection Section houses six different paddocks for different groups of animals with varying different interactivity elements. For people hoping to directly interact with animals and walk amongst them is the main yard. Here, guests can interact with Florida cracker sheep, San Clemente Island goats, and kunekune pigs who walk amongst the guests and accept pats or brushes with provided brushes. The brushes are mounted to posts so that guests can't take them, but have long enough reach that animals can be reached from a decent distance from the post.

Of course, there are roped off structures where the goats, sheep, and pigs can enter to get away from the guests as well should they choose, including hay feeders and automatic water dishes so guests can't attempt to feed them either. Cast members walk around to ensure guests are not feeding any of the animals.

Along the outskirts of the main pen are the other five pens. The first is a meadow, heavily foliated with grass and bushes with a large barn in the back. This paddock houses a pair of Scottish highland cattle who spend their time grazing amongst the grasses. They do have a hay feeder near the guest fence that entices them to where guests can pat and brush them with mounted brushes, but their paddock is big enough they can avoid guests should they desire to.

The paddock next to the cows is a similarly foliated paddock with a barn in the back, but this one has a few artifacts within it, including a pull cart with some wine barrels on the back. Why? Because this exhibit houses the French steed the Baudet du Poitou or Poitou donkey. This exhibit houses a pair of donkeys with a near-identical setup to the cattle with a hay feeder near the fence to allow guests to get up close with the species. Because both the cattle and donkeys are large, contact is protected by a barrier, but guests are still able to interact with them.

The next pen is smaller in size, but still serves as a grassy field where the animals can roam. Here, we have five miniature horses who patrol their meadow together. The horses have a very similar setup to the previous animals, as do the fourth and final of the meadow paddocks, a paddock featuring a trio of alpaca.

The four paddocks take the outskirts of the petting zoo with the goats, sheep, and pigs roaming around between them. The final yard sits towards the back, in front of the goat, sheep, and pig barn at the back of the petting zoo. This yard is smaller and features a few coops as this yard houses poultry. With a pool, grassy yards to roam around, and coops to hide in, this yard houses Silkie chickens, Plymouth rock chickens, Bourbon red turkey, Indian runner ducks, magpie ducks, and a single male Flemish giant rabbit.

For the animals' safety, guests are not able to touch or interact with these animals in any way, but they can still look at them and occasionally toss them corn if provided by a cast member.

The Affection Section has limited operating hours from 10 am to 5 pm, but guests can still see the animals from outside the pen when walking through the Conservation Courtyard, just not enter the petting zoo proper. At the end of the day, around 6 pm, the goats, sheep, and pigs are all called back to their barn and guests are invited to cheer for the animals as they head home for the night.

For those of you who want to learn more about the animals pictured and not pictured at the Affection Section, please check out my field guide. Eventually, this will feature hundreds of species from the park in a massive personal project of mine, but I made a small one just for the affection section animals for your enjoyment!

Affection Section Field Guide

I hope everyone enjoyed the write-up and the field guide!
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[PerGron]

Coming Soon

DISNEY’S WILD OCEAN​

 

[Chaos Cat]

Coming Soon

DISNEY’S WILD OCEAN​

Someone's feeling salty about Seaworld again, aren't they?

 

[Garfield Builder]

Someone's feeling salty about Seaworld again, aren't they?

I agree, b-wolf95!

 

[PerGron]

Someone's feeling salty about Seaworld again, aren't they?

Will I be heavily influenced by that project? Yes. Will this be a Disney take on SeaWord, yes. Am I still salty about losing that round? Yes.

But this has been planned before that round so it’ll also be its own thing too lol