Suchomimus
Well-Known Member
It isn't anything too dire (both terms are more or less interchangeable in the states) but this video here should help to make things clearer for you.
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Mirror Walt Disney World
- Thread starter DisneyManOne
- Start date
Asia
Continuing on, we will arrive in Asia, one of the largest sections of the park. From Africa, a pathway leads through the jungles at the northern section of Discovery Lake. From here, guests will trek through the jungles and villages of Asia, to explore and discover the wonder and mystery that are yet to be seen. Guests enter into the village of Anandapur, located at the base and foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. The entire land is heavily inspired from Nepal, India and Thailand, using their influences to inspire a real-life experience of Asian wildlife.
On the outskirts of Anandapur is a crumbling stone temple, like the temple of King Louie. Passing over a small stream, we step inside the ancient ruins. A large “hole” is in one of the more prominent walls, leading out to the jungle (i;e the stage). Even the temple itself looks like the jungle has reclaimed some of it. There are vines and ivy going across the stone, and mysterious tracks running along the aisles. It’s obvious that this temple serves as a theater, and within this theater, we can take the Journey into the Jungle Book. In essence, this is a show that re-tells the story of Disney’s 19th animated feature, using unique sets and costumes, innovative puppetry, and of course, the classic characters and songs from the movie.
In 2008, just in time for the park’s 10th anniversary, the show got a slight retool. By that time, the Disney on Ice production Jungle Adventures had stopped performances, so Disney re-used a few assets from that show for the Animal Kingdom production. For example, the original bipedal designs for the elephants were swapped in favor of the massive two-person costumes the ice production utilized. With that, the Dawn Patrol saw its numbers shrink slightly, from seven to five. Rumors also circulated that Disney was intending to bring the vultures into the show, as well, utilizing the same costumes from the ice production, but they proved to be false, as Disney thought the vultures would interrupt the dramatic narrative of the show’s climax (which, if you are unfamiliar, goes straight from Mowgli running away upon hearing that Baloo has agreed to take him back to the Man-village to his confrontation with Shere Khan). They also reinstated the Kaa sequence that was originally going to be part of the show on Opening Day, but ended up getting cut.
The characters from The Jungle Book have often been known to meet guests right nearby the temple, particularly Mowgli, Baloo and King Louie, with rare appearances by Colonel Hathi and Shanti. Plus, I’ve heard that King Louie’s monkeys are often causing mischief along the path to Discovery Island, trying to entice guests to go see the show. Across the way from the temple is Upcountry Landing, the Asia dock for the Discovery Island Riverboats.
However, it is not only our Jungle Book friends we can meet here in Asia. Here, and roaming through Discovery Island is the famed stilt-walking living plant, DiVine. No matter where she is, it’s always a bit of a freaky surprise to stumble upon this silent giant maneuvering through the foliage.
Continuing up the edge past the crumbling temple, guests will enter into the central city of Anandapur, where guests can discover the wonderful sights that are yet to be held in Asia. On the immediate left, guests will find Yak and Yeti, a restaurant that operates as a table service restaurant, while also having a separate quick-service location, as well. Yak and Yeti specializes in Asian Fusion cuisine. Just outside of the restaurant, in the Anandapur Plaza, guests will find the Anandapur Baajaar, a circular, open-air marketplace which offers a wide variety of Asia-inspired merchandise, such as sushi plates and tea pots.
Continuing towards the back end of the Anandapur village, guests will come across three of Asia’s attractions at the northernmost end. On the left, guests will find the Maharajah Jungle Trek, a walking tour, taking guests far outside of the village of Anandapur and to the ruins of a former sultan’s palace. The walls have crumbled and broken, due to years and years of exposure to the weather. There are small towers and structures that have been clotted out by trees growing from within the former palace. This attraction is very similar to that of the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, where guests experience real life animal exhibits, just feet away. Tigers make up a large part of the Maharajah Jungle Trek, being seen from three different locations, while traveling through the ruined palace chambers. Guests continue walking through the trek, discovering different types of reptiles, gazelles and colorful birds.
One of the original plans for Disney’s Animal Kingdom was a rapids ride called Tiger River Run, where guests would not only get involved in white-water excursion, but also sail past more types of Asian animals. However, those plans were put on the kibosh because Imagineers didn’t know how to separate the rafts from the animals, and feared for the worst. Plus, with the addition of Mammoth Falls to the park plans, the latter became the park’s main water thrill ride. What to do now?
Well, it was decided to take the Tiger River Run animal aesthetic and use it to create a new animal trail. This new trail, known as the Anandapur Nature Reserve, has guests walk through the dense Asian forests to view more Asian animals, particularly our friends seen in The Jungle Book: sloth bears, panthers, Indian elephants and orangutans. Beyond these familiar faces, guests can also see other prominent Asian creatures, up to and including one of the most famous animals in the whole world: giant pandas! The trail takes guests through pathways of gushing waterfalls and lush greenery, before taking them back to the village of Anandapur.
However, in the middle of this Reserve, accessed from a path in the center of town, a center-most temple, inspired by Candi Plaosan and the Sewu Temple, both in Indonesia, plays host to The Great Continent, a seamless CircleVision 360 film exploring the countless biomes and locations found throughout Asia. The film covers ground all across the continent, exploring the deserts of the Middle East, the Caucuses, the Himalayas, India’s Gir National Park, the jungles of Indonesia, the Philippine Islands, Russia's Siberian taiga, the Mongolian steppe, the Gobi Desert, and more. This 15-minute film showcases the beauty and unique landscapes all across the continent of Asia. The film also showcases the wildlife of the continent, from species found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom like gibbons and tigers, as well as those you won't see at the park, including the incredibly rare saola, an animal that very little footage actually captures. This film is narrated by Sri Lankan activist and manager of the World Wildlife Fund's Asian animal conservation team Nilanga Jayasinghe.
Every day, the center of Anandapur Plaza comes to life with the Anandapur Street Celebration, a streetmosphere experience featuring dancers, acrobats, and instruments all tied into Southeast Asia. This celebration incorporates elements from the Yi Peng Festival in Thailand, Ati-Atihan Festival in the Philippines, the Bom On Touk Festival in Cambodia, and the Bali Kite Festival in Indonesia. Inspirations from all these festivals lead to a unique twice-a-day experience featuring dancing, music, acrobats, and kites soaring through the air. It is an experience celebrating all of Southeast Asia and one you don't want to miss at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Nearby the water’s edge where the festival occurs is Kites and Flights, a shop selling traditional Southeast Asian kites and other flying toys for people to purchase. All of these purchases can be sent to the front of the park for pickup at the end of the day, sent to your hotel if staying on property, or shipped home from the park depending on what you want to do, but none of the kites purchased here can be used within the park itself for the safety of the animals as well as out of respect for other guests. Like how @PerGron used this for his Wild Kingdom concept, I must also mention that this concept comes from @Outbound’s Disney’s Lost Kingdoms Park, so credit goes out to him!
From here, guests then walk back south through the Anandapur Plaza, walking to the right, past a closed off temple, where monkeys are frequently spotted, swinging from the temple structures overhead. The path then curves to the left, leading alongside the Discovery Lake on the right. From here, Mount Everest begins to loom just overhead. Along the lake, a special temple had been built by the people of Anandapur, a possible shrine to show respect to the foreboding creatures of the region. The trail also features telescopes that helps guests receive a closer look at Mount Everest. The path then leads through a dense jungle, featuring small buildings offering some appetizer specials.
Guests then enter into the opposite side of Asia, the town of Serka Zong. Serka Zong is a small village located at the base of the mountain, heavily inspired by Nepalese environments. Serka Zong features one of Disney's Animal Kingdom's most prolific attractions, one of the most visually striking attractions in any of the Disney theme parks, Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. The mountain completes the skyline of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, while also completely fitting into its surroundings. The legend of a Yeti is one of the many folklore tales that travels through Nepal and India. These people believe that the Yeti is a real creature, capable of great destruction and terror. Guests board old tea trains, as they set up to scale Mount Everest. However, the sacred ground of Mount Everest is closely guarded by the watch of the Yeti. Our expedition may not be as simple as our tour guide would have us believe. Upon reaching the apex of the mountain, we find that the Yeti has torn the track apart, leaving the train to reverse through the cavernous chambers of the mountain, before taking a terrifying drop and coming face to face with the fierce Yeti, themselves. The attraction exits out into the Serka Zong Bazaar, a merchandise location specializing in Expedition Everest merchandise.
Along the banks of Serka Zong is an outdoor amphitheater. Similar amphitheaters can be found along the banks of Australia and Dinoland, U.S.A. Every night, Discovery Lake comes alive with the majesty of Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s nighttime spectacular: Journey. Journey is the brainchild of @PerGron, created for his excellent Disney’s Wild Kingdom. Now, in his concept, he did not state that Journey was the nighttime spectacular. But here at Mirror Disney’s Animal Kingdom, it is. He even went so far as to state that “Journey is sure to make you cry”, a sentiment shared with pretty much any other Disney nighttime spectacular -- Happily Ever After, World of Color, IllumiNations, Fantasmic!, etc. Utilizing the same water-screen technology as World of Color and Fantasmic!, live musical accompaniment, unique floats, and even using projections on the Tree of Life, Journey is a perfect way to cap off any day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
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And there we have Asia! I should also point out that in addition to the aforementioned Journey, the ideas for The Great Continent and the Anandapur Street Celebration both come from @PerGron.
EmFromPlanetEarth
Well-Known Member
Do you have a map for Tomorrowland? It’s a lot easier for me to imagine with visual
I don't have one as of now, but I'll gladly make one for you. I mentioned this in the original post, but my Tomorrowland expansion was partially inspired by S.W. Wilson's Ideal Buildout post, so for now, I'll just say that Buzz is where TRON is in the picture, and Pan-Galactic Pizza Port and The Mysterious Galaxy are across the way.
And now, we shall explore the next realm of Disney's Animal Kingdom...
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North America
North America
Passing underneath a train trestle that the Wildlife Express passes over, the dense savanna foliage of Africa has transformed into the tall pine trees, quaint waterfalls and rolling streams of a Pacific Northwest oasis. A rustic sign welcomes our transition into North America. North America is a rustic, “outdoorsy” reflection of the natural beauty of its home continent. As you can tell from the picture above, the land is based on a redwoods national park -- a natural oasis of wood, rock and water. Although a wooden sign on the trestle names this land as “North America,” that welcome sign we passed by labels the area as Redwood Creek.
Apart from the tall pines and ferns, rolling green hills, gently-lapping rivers and red clay riverbanks, a number of blossoming apple trees line our entrance and exit into Redwood Creek. Naturally, we find this to be the location of Johnny Appleseed’s Fruit Cart. The makeshift merchant’s stall appears to have been built by Johnny himself - of course with the help of his critter companions. Nearby, the Redwood Trading Post is an old wooden cabin with a “cobblestone” chimney and thick grass growing on the roof. The rustic shop is unique for its selection of Native American arts and crafts, including a large selection of pottery, turquoise jewelry, totems, and kachina dolls.
On the other side of the path, overlooking the quaint river, the Klondike Inn is perhaps Animal Kingdom’s best in immersive dining, being held within an intimate, dimly-lit cabin typical of the northern wilderness. Oil paintings, period lamps and stained glass are used in the decorating of this classy steakhouse, where surf ‘n’ turf and steak dinners, salads and desserts are out-of-this-world extraordinary in both flavor, size, and price. The Klondike Inn also boasts a beautiful patio right on the banks of the river, providing excellent views and a good spot for people-watching. Also within the Inn complex is a gift shop called The Naturalist’s Canvas. Here, guests can purchase books and poems, art pieces, field guides, maps, and more all related to the famous naturalists explored in the nearby attractions. Of course, copies of the famous works, such as John James Audubon’s “The Birds of America,” are featured here for purchase, among other souvenirs.
The Inn also plays host to the Yellow Mountain Coffee House, a traditional rustic coffee house that serves as one of the most relaxing places in the park. Here, guests can grab a couch or a stool at the bar and sip on coffee, eat a nice hot bowl of soup, or read a book from the large library collection. The books can be purchased or you can just read and put them back on the shelf at the end of your stint.
On a path nearby the Klondike Inn, we head down a forest trail past thundering waterfalls and crystal-clear streams. Rock formations in the shape of eagles, owls, and other “forest spirits” lay hidden among the falls, suggesting that perhaps magic lays deep within the earth. Totem poles appear on either side of the trail, the distant howl of a wolf setting an eerie tone. Down the trail, the drumming and chanting of the Native American people seems to grow louder and louder, until we finally find ourselves in front of a world seemingly untouched by modern man. Marked by grass, wildflowers and waterfalls, an old mine train stands ready to take us through Nature’s Wonderland.
In this updated take on a Disneyland classic, Nature’s Wonderland takes us past tableaus of North American wildlife...only here, the animals are real. The adventure sets off from a rustic old railroad station, and the attraction is narrated by an old animal expert. Making use of berms and rockwork to make sure no uninvited guests mess with the train, we glide past Beaver Valley, offering views of beavers making their dams; followed by passage through Bear Country, where majestic black bears swim and laze around. The forest gives way to deer, pronghorn and elk. A trip through the Living Desert offers views of coyotes, javelinas, prairie dogs, bobcats and snakes, as well as a trip past the mountain range, where the cougars roam. The adventure climaxes past a part of the desert reserved for the mighty bison, and a tunnel takes us back to the station.
Right across the way from the path leading towards Nature’s Wonderland is the North American animal trail, the Redwood Creek Path. This trail features some animals that are more familiar to American tourists, but can still be a good chance to learn more about them. A forest trail offers raccoons, opossums, ferrets, foxes, squirrels, rabbits and skunks; as well as a wolf cave. The bayous feature frogs and toads, fireflies and alligators. There’s even a bird habitat featuring species native to North America, and a habitat devoted to the grizzly bear.
In a secluded area of the deep redwood forest is a stage area, known as “Grandmother Willow’s Grove”, serving host to Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends. In this show, Pocahontas, Grandmother Willow and a little sapling named Sprig set out to find the fabled protector of the forest. As Pocahontas discovers the path she must take, she interacts with live trained animals such as rabbits, opossums, a skunk, a porcupine, a snake, and rats. All in all, the show is mainly about the importance of protecting and preserving our forests.
In addition to playing host to Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends, Grandmother Willow’s Grove also serves as a home for Our America, a stage show where people from different tribes come to pass down their ancestral stories and traditions and teach the world about our Indigenous peoples. This show has very few theatrics or effects, focusing instead on the storytellers and their tales. Sponsored by the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, this show’s intent is to educate as well as entertain, and enrich everyone in the lesser-known cultures found on the North American continent.
Of course, if you’re in the mood to meet up with Disney characters, this is the place to go to not only meet Pocahontas herself, but also her faithful raccoon Meeko, as well as Kenai and Koda, Thumper and Miss Bunny, Flik and Atta, Bernard and Bianca and Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear.
Also within this area is the Redwood Creek Railway Station, where the Wildlife Express makes its second stop. This stop, made to resemble the Santa Anita Train Depot, also services the nearby Conservation Station. Guests disembark the train from the second floor of the station, then walk to the Station from underneath a train trestle.
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My biggest inspirations for North America came not only from @MANEATINGWREATH's Folktale Forest concept for Mirror Disneyland, as well as his Frontierland for the 2016 Dream Resort thread (this is where the Klondike Inn and Johnny Appleseed stand came from), and @PerGron's own North America from his Wild Kingdom (Naturalist's Canvas, Yellow Mountain Coffee House and Our America came from here). Plus, it was @MANEATINGWREATH who suggested I do Nature's Wonderland for North America, so thank you very much for that suggestion!
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All right, @ThatGuyFromFlorida, you've asked for it and I have delivered. Here is a map detailing out Mirror Tomorrowland!
EmFromPlanetEarth
Well-Known Member
Thanks! It’s a lot easier to read rather than a bunch of paragraphs of text lol, my eyes tend to get lost in big walls of text.
Twilight_Roxas
Well-Known Member
This looks great. Although missed opportunity to include Raya and the Last Dragon in Asia although it was most likely done before the film was released.
Indeed. I have not seen it yet, nor do I intend to spend money to watch it early on Disney+. I'll wait till the summer comes to give it a watch.
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South America
South America
South America is home to one of the most famous natural landmarks in the world: the Amazon Rainforest. As such, between this and North America, South America takes up the most space solely to do justice to such an amazing locale. The lush tropical rainforests of South America lend themselves perfectly to creating a highly immersive land. Come walk through a dense jungle environment, filled with exotic flowers and plant life, past waterfalls and rivers.
Stepping inside the land, we enter Comunidade Terrestre -- which is “Earthly Community” in Portugeuse -- a riverside village made up of a series of ramshackle buildings. Here, various local scientists -- including a class from the local university -- have come to study the flora and fauna of the rainforest as well as the negative effects of logging. Thus, the message of conservation is very strongly tied with the attractions in this area. Among Comunidade Terrestre, we find quite a few shops and restaurants. The major shop here is Rainforest Outfitters. Here, you’ll find everything from character merchandise to South American-themed items to leather goods. A cool shop with some neat items you probably won't find elsewhere. The major restaurant here is the Yucatan Grill, which serves up a variety of barbecue-style dishes. Plus, it’s quite a good place to go if you want to enjoy some healthy food. There are also quite a few food trucks, decorated like they are set up by the university students. Also within this village is the Estação Comunitária, the third and final station of the Wildlife Express, themed around the station the denizens of the village take in order to get back to the mainland.
The mainland of the village also serves as a place to go for local entertainment. The Artists of the Amazon are a street band that play throughout the day, often joined by traditional South American dancers. Furthermore, a giant kapok tree in the middle of the village serves as the meeting place for another group from the university: the drama department, who have gathered to tell the story of The Great Kapok Tree. @PerGron was the one who came up with this excellent idea to utilize an adaptation of the classic Lynne Cherry book, and I thought it was too good not to use! The story of The Great Kapok Tree involves the animals who live in the titular tree visiting a sleeping man, who has been charged to cut it down, and listing off various reasons why he should leave the tree intact. Utilizing live actors, puppets and even live musicians, this outdoor presentation helps further speak to the area’s themes of rainforest conservation.
Comunidade Terrestre is the embarkation point for three attractions. The major headliner here is a full-blown replica of Shanghai Disneyland’s Camp Discovery. At Camp Discovery, you can choose from a variety of expeditions to uncover the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest. You can climb on elevated rope courses to survey the stunning terrain of the rainforest’s mountains, hike through the breathtaking scenery or work inside a dig zone to unearth ancient artifacts.
There are three unique elevated rope courses, known as the Challenge Trails that traverse the terrain—taking adventurers over river gorges, waterfalls and sheer cliffs, through stunning terrain and into spectacular caverns.
- Hidden Falls Chamber – Journey behind a waterfall and deep into the jungle to a mystical cavern, home to the glittering gem-encrusted Temple of the Milky Way.
- Echo Cavern – Wind along a perilous river gorge, discover magnificent rock carvings and cave paintings, and hear for yourself how Echo Canyon got its name.
- House of the Ancients – Trek to the site of an in-progress excavation, where the university archeologists are unearthing an ancient trading center.
Nearby the settlement, you can explore the lush tropical rainforests of South America yourself, by way of the Amazon River Expedition. As Disney was planning out the South American section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, they decided to return to the abandoned Tiger Rapids Run concept. After all, what better way to immerse guests in the Amazon than to simulate a trek down the Amazon River?
The trek starts out innocently enough. Guests start by gently floating down the Amazon River, passing by a wide variety of animals, such as two-toed and three-toed sloths, giant anteaters, cotton-top and golden lion tamarins, howler monkeys and capybaras. However, guests soon discover a portion of forest that has been illegally logged. And from there, things only get worse… A lift-hill takes us up past the mountains, up to a higher plateau of the rainforest -- which is built over the cast member parking lot at Conservation Station -- where the water turns into raging rapids. It’s a mad dash as we bob and weave past oncoming rocks and low-hanging branches, try to outrun a piranha attack and ultimately fall down a 40-foot waterfall!
But that’s not all: To fully capture the grandeur of the Amazon Rainforest, there is Amazonia, an animal exhibit, designed by @tcool123, that is held within the mountain range, specifically designed to mimic the ecological layout of the real Amazon Rainforest. A mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits offer a taste of the various fauna that inhabit the rainforest. The Forest Floor, the first floor, features an otter exhibit, a jaguar exhibit, a bat tunnel, an agouti exhibit, a frog and reptile exhibit and a walk-in aviary. The jaguar exhibit and aviary actually take up two floors, visible from both the Forest Floor and the Understory/Canopy. Also on this second level are spider monkeys, harpy eagles and macaws, all of which can be seen on the third floor, the Emergent Layer. Also within Amazonia is an exhibit detailing conservation attempts in the Amazon Rainforest, showcasing how logging, beef production and the effects of climate change are hurting the rainforest and of what we can do to help curb such terrible things.
The fourth major attraction here in South America is Rainforest Race, an honest-to-God zip-line experience through the canopy of the rainforest. Taking off from a ledge on the mountains, we glide over the rivers of Camp Discovery, and through the trees of the Amazon River Expedition, thus giving the sense of zip-lining through the Amazon Rainforest. This would give a whole new kind of experience not only to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but to Walt Disney World in general.
But that’s not all: Among the buildings of Comunidade Terrestre is none other than the house of one Carl Fredericksen. And while Carl might be looking for peace and quiet in this little hamlet, Russell and his accompanying Wilderness Explorer compadres see this trip as the perfect chance to secure their final merit badge: Bird-watching.
Balloon-borne floating clubhouses are waiting to whisk guests up into the skies and down into the jungles of South America on an UP Snapshot Safari! On this vigorous venture, created by @D Hulk for his incredible DisneySky, guests will soar in the clouds. They will encounter countless brightly-colored bird species. And with the help of trusty cameras at the ready, guests can document their “snapshot safari,” earn their badges, and return home with a memorable tale of fun and merriment!
UP Snapshot Safari fuses many different winning Disney dark ride formulas. Suspended vehicles create a gentle flying sensation...and with seven decades of technological progress, we can overcome the capacity issues of Peter Pan’s Flight over in Disneyland. The on-ride cameras provide a fun interactive component...but without the gun-based violence inherent in shooter dark rides. Well-maintained, high-quality scenery - beautiful jungle vistas, expressively lifelike animatronics - recall the best dark ride efforts of Tokyo Disneyland. UP Snapshot Safari is one of the biggest draws for children here at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. After all, “Adventure is out there!”
Naturally, one can meet Russell, Dug, Carl, and even Kevin, throughout the day here in Comunidade Terrestre.
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Three more lands left to go here at Disney's Animal Kingdom! I'm quite excited to wrap things up among the four existing parks of WDW. Then, we can get into the fifth park! But for now, expect the next post to come within the next week or so. In that post, we'll finally get to explore Conservation Station!
Also, I should mention that another @PerGron idea was utilized for South America -- specifically, his incredible Amazon River Expedition! Credit for that ride goes out to him!
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WillWrambles
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
It’s worth every penny. The movie is that good.
Twilight_Roxas
Well-Known Member
With Fantasyland’s Beauty and the Beast how come you chose it to be a show instead of the trackless dark ride at Tokyo Disneyland?
MANEATINGWREATH
Well-Known Member
Now, the question is, do I revive Mirror Disneyland or move on?
Great work so far, DisneyMan!
Great work so far, DisneyMan!
Twilight_Roxas
Well-Known Member
Yes please. Btw what do you plan on doing with Storybook Land canal, and Fantasyland theater in case you plan to expand it with a second fantasyland expansion with Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, Tangled, and Frozen?
megatron_85
Member
In this Mirror universe, The Tale of Beauty and the Beast opens in 1998, long before the trackless ride was put into effect. Also in this Mirror universe, DLP is actually a hit, and the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast attractions slated to open there -- that were cancelled in our universe -- open there, as well. Basically, the Florida attraction is an English-language clone of the Paris attraction.
Thank you so much, MEW! And honestly, I'd love to see a revived Mirror Disneyland, myself. Frankly, with all this potential Disneyland Forward stuff, I'm curious to see how it would factor into a world where WestCOT did come to fruition. Given the layout of WestCOT, that means there could be a new Future World pavilion or a new area of World Showcase to be the equivalent of the DCA expansion.
Now, given that this next area of the park is quite small, I think I'll make up for it by doing two posts in one night. For now, let us explore...
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Conservation Station
Conservation Station
The Conservation Station is one of the very few areas of the park where guests can actually learn about the health and well-being of the animals that take up residence at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at the care methods and procedures that happen at the park, while also exploring the possibility of conservation efforts happening all around the world. The presence of the Conservation Station in Disney’s Animal Kingdom offers a real-world experience, where there doesn't have to be any major attraction or storyline, the animals, their health and the efforts of research and advances being initiated in the pavilion is the entire purpose of the exhibit. Conservation Station informs the guests that they can do good in the world and that they can take action to make the planet a better place.
It should be noted that due to the two new lands of the park, North America and South America, Habitat Habit closed when construction began; construction that temporarily halted daily Wildlife Express service. Despite this, the cotton-top tamarins still have a place in the park. Their habitat became part of the Amazon River Expedition. After all, South America is the tamarin’s native home.
Anyways, whether by a path from the intersection of North and South America, or via the Wildlife Express, you find yourself standing in front of the entrance to the Conservation Station. The exterior of the Conservation Station features several animals in a marquee above the entrance. The pavilion features bright and bold colors and shapes, the patterns are playful and colorful. Images of animals appear everywhere, in a very realistic fashion. Before the entrance here is the Conservation Court, a small open courtyard featuring benches, planters, and a small waterfall that spills into a wishing pond. A plaque by the pond reads that every coin tossed into this pond will be donated to the Disney Conservation Fund, a non-profit conservation charity run by Disney and found at many of their parks worldwide.
Heading into the Conservation Station, guests walk down the Hall of Animals. The immediate entrance features a changing board as well as black walls painted with hundreds of photorealistic animals. The Hall of Animals serves as the entrance into the Conservation Station, so we go through until we get to the building’s main hall.
We enter into the main forecourt of the Conservation Station, where the wise and knowing Rafiki acts somewhat as a host. He narrates a video that is displayed on a prominent screen, speaking of humans’ actions upon the environment and how all of our choices have consequences that affect our environment, for better or for worse -- on the one hand, clean energy. On the other hand, climate change. Along the walls of the pavilion, video screen exhibits play of the animals’ lives in their natural habitat, as Rafiki narrates the films. Underneath a skylight, the center of the indoor pavilion is lush with large trees, logs and branches, as well as a flowing raised waterfall fountain, circulating throughout the lush foliage, as it cascades down the sides of the fountain. This fountain is a popular place to meet random characters throughout the day -- Rafiki, Pocahontas and Jiminy Cricket, who serves as the mascot of Disney’s “I’ve Got Environmentality” program. But for more realistic encounters, the trees and foliage yield terrariums and habitats for species like lizards, frogs, snakes, and even an exhibit for giant land snails.
Conservation Station is where many animal program efforts take place, in some ways, it could be considered as the truest heart of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. There are various exhibits here, and they can be dividable into two categories: Animal Care and Environmentalism. On the “Animal Care” side of things, we have a food preparation center, a backstage viewing area, a hatchery, a nursery, a science center (where actual working scientists come to do research), as well as windows featuring more amphibian, reptile and invertebrate habitats. But by far, the most popular exhibit in the “Animal Care” category is the Veterinary Treatment Room. This is where guests learn and witness the care methods given to the animals of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The visible windows into the care units of the station shows that Disney uses the highest level of care that they could possibly give. At times, this exhibit offers the guests a chance to see into a surgery or a birth, which can happen from time to time.
On the “Environmentalism” side of things, we have the Eco-Web, which showcases conservation efforts taking place around the globe, as well as Song of the Planet, where guests enter booths, put on headphones and listen to the sounds of four different biomes on Earth: The Amazon Rainforest, the Serengeti savannah, the polar ice caps, and the Chinese bamboo forests.
At the north end of the pavilion, connecting back to the entrance, guests will find the Affection Section, an area for guests to have the closest encounters with animals. The Affection Section operates as a petting zoo, where guests can have physical contact with the animals, bringing that value closer to the guests. Although, the Affection Section might only seem as a petting zoo for sheep, llamas, horses and rams, but it also brings a sense of connection to the animals throughout Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Conservation Station also features Out of the Wild, a shop featuring conservation-themed apparel, decorative gifts, bath care, books and soft cuddly animal toys.
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I must credit @PerGron for coming up with the Conservation Court and Song of the Planet; as well as the waterfall added to the central tree garden and the subsequent snail exhibit. I even borrowed some of the descriptions of the area (particularly The Hall of Animals) from his description of his own Conservation Station; so once again, all credit goes out to him!
As I said earlier, the next post will be around later tonight. See you then!
WillWrambles
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Australia
Australia is quite possibly the home of some of the world’s most unique animals, and they will be represented here at Disney’s Animal Kingdom quite well. Heading to your left, past Expedition Everest, you’ll find yourself in the glory of the Land Down Under’s vast wilderness. Whereas Australia at EPCOT focuses on the country, Australia at Disney’s Animal Kingdom focuses on the continent and its more unique animals.
A small, sun-beat village known as Alkawari greets us as we enter, offering a host of shops and restaurants. Directly to our right as we enter is The Yowling Yowie, themed to that of a roadside restaurant in the middle of absolutely nowhere, named for Australia’s own Sasquatch, the Yowie. Unlike the Yeti of Expedition Everest, the Yowie is nowhere to be seen, only represented through decorative newspaper trimmings and its chef hat-wearing silhouette utilized in nearly all of the decorating. The main attraction of the “Yowie” is the unique menu of all-Aussie-inspired items; vegemite, sausage rolls, emu, pavlova, kangaroo, several variants on coffee, Australian twists on the classic hamburger, etc. The Outback Showbag next door is a remote gift shop selling souvenirs and trinkets unique to what one would find in the Australian Outback. For those of us not accustomed to life “down under”, gifts strictly unique to Australia are also sold here (i.e. “license plates”, keychains, mugs, etc.) in addition to boomerangs (which are not to be thrown in the park) and didgeridoos.
Neighboring the Outback Showbag is Platypus Point, which is just a short walk from the edge of the crocodile pool, resembles that of a roadside food stand, this time selling...wait for it...wait for it...gelato and jerky! But really unique gelato and jerky. Some of the gelato flavors include vegemite, coffee, and an unspecified “mystery flavor”, while jerky-types include emu, kangaroo, crocodile, and animals non-native to Australia, such as alligator and ostrich. On the outskirts of Alkawari is the Alkawari Landing, the fourth and final stop for the Discovery Island Riverboats before they chug on back to Discovery Island. A smaller seating area for Journey is found not too far away.
Beneath the scorching desert sun we find ourselves peering into a remote mud hole, almost an oasis of sorts. However, this oasis is barred-off and ridden with caution signs as it plays home to a family of actual saltwater crocodiles, or “salties” as the locals refer to them. This mini-zoo sits near the entrance to the Steve Irwin Conservation Centre, an oddity amid the Disney theme park setting. As a “satellite extension” of the Australia Zoo, the conservation center is dedicated to Steve Irwin, more famously known as the “Crocodile Hunter”, who was there alongside his family to cut the ribbon when Australia opened in 2005*. In this well-sized building, we are invited to step inside and learn about Australia’s vast collection of colorful wildlife, as well as other wildlife around the world, whether they're endangered or not. Here we learn of the Australia Zoo and Disney’s Animal Kingdom and their efforts to conserve and protect the creatures of the planet as illustrated through demonstrations, videos, and exhibits. Several varieties of insects and reptiles are kept here in enclosures, allowing an up close and personal glimpse at potentially-deadly creatures.
* Just like with Jim Henson, Steve Irwin does not die in this Mirror universe. That stingray does not claim his life too soon.
As mentioned before, the crocodiles in the “mud hole” outside the Conservation Centre are in fact living, breathing creatures. Zookeepers trained through the proper channels at the Australia Zoo are on duty at the Conservation Centre, doubling as hosts at the center and as the keepers of the salties. These same keepers also perform daily demonstrations of crocodile safety and upkeep, as well as a showcase of several birds native to Australia, including the ever-famous kookaburra. This demonstration is appropriately called Australian Animals.
Appropriately enough, the land’s animal trail is located right across the way from the Conservation Centre: the Aussie Adventure Trails. This trail puts you right in the middle of the verdant Australian Outback marked by verdant fields of grass and gum trees, dominated by a replica of Uluru, the mighty sandstone rock formation sacred to the Anagu, the Aboriginal people of the area. Along the trails, guests can encounter a variety of animals such as emus, platypus, galahs, kookaburras, dingoes, black-necked storks, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, Tasmanian devils, and koalas.
At the end of the village street is a small gorge with a stream running down from it and forming a small river that runs through the land. Another dock and a large boat sit next to this stream, marking the entrance to a reef area, where the waves crash upon the sand. Since Australia is home to the legendary Great Barrier Reef, it makes sense to devote some space to honor such a location. Plus, this area will also serve well to introduce animals from the ocean into the park, as the current version of the park does not. This way, the park will fully feature animals from the ocean, sea and sky. And naturally, this sub-area is mainly themed around Finding Nemo, giving the area a respectful Disney tie-in.
This “Great Barrier Reef” area is contained within the interior confines of a massive oceanic rock covered in kelp, seaweed, coral, and other aquatic matter. The salty waves of the tide crash up against the base of the massive rock. Before we enter through a cavernous hole crafted into the side of the rock, we hear the nearby cawing of some beady-eyed seagulls perched upon a smaller rock, famously shrieking “MINE! MINE! MINE!”
Entering the Great Barrier Reef is almost like entering an aquatic dreamworld of sorts...in a mere matter of seconds, the atmosphere around us has been transformed into a near-exact replica of one of Australia’s many natural wonders...giant coral, oversized anemones, and the shimmering sunlight reflecting upon the visible oceanic surface above our heads, accomplished via clever lighting, projections, and a rather convincing scrim...luscious orchestrations taken straight from the films provide an ambient environment of realistic fantasy...the silhouettes of passing fish and other sea creatures are cast upon the rocks, hinting at an unseen community of wildlife beyond the limits of our own imaginations...every so often, a boat, otherwise referred to by younger fish as a “butt” can be seen treading water on the waves above, causing the aforementioned silhouettes to scatter and hide until the “butt” is well out of sight. Our adventure has begun...
Most the attractions here would be smaller and nothing really groundbreaking in terms of new technology, but they would be fun options for children. Taking inspiration from Tokyo DisneySea, this area would feature Jumping Jellyfish, a version of the classic parachute attraction. Boarding a large seashell (clutched by jellyfish tentacles), one of several oversized jellyfish pulls us up and down at varying speeds for a “jumpin’” good time, providing stunning views of the aquatic sub-area in the process, not to mention simulating one of the most memorable scenes from Finding Nemo. Another attraction is the Blowfish Balloon Race, a gondola-style spinner attraction. Hopping inside a hollowed-out seashell, an overhead blowfish grabs ahold of us via four strands of seaweed and takes us on an “airborne” spin through the “skies” of the colorful reef. Finally, we have The Whirlpool, a variation on the teacups. While these attractions may not be anything special, it is the highly immersive theming and detail of the area that would really be the main draw.
Nearby Blowfish Balloon Race, embedded into a large volcanic rock, is a screen that plays films about preserving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and all the oceanic wildlife that inhabit it, warning of the dangers of pollution and the motto of “all drains lead to the ocean.” This little area is known as the Junior Explorer Academy, managed and operated by Mr. Ray. Built right nearby is a circular cove, surrounded by think rocky moss formations and coral. The entire area seems like an aquatic grove with a rocky sand sketched floor bottom. Upon entering the great mossy rock, guests will enter into the Undersea Life Exhibits, a great aquarium featuring numerous aquatic animals; schools of numerous different types of fish, sharks and stingrays, mainly the breeds and types represented in Finding Nemo, all of them finding a home here. Cast Members located throughout the great exhibit grounds offer more information on the animals found within.
The Humpback Whale serves as the resident Finding Nemo superstore, strangely held inside the pink bowels of a humpback whale with its mouth agape. You can bet that all the cast members here say “thank you” in the exotic whale language, up until now thought to only be known to whales and Dory. Speaking of which, Dory’s Tidepool, found just a short distance away, is an indoor-water playground utilizing spitting fish, spinning seashells, and lots and lots of puddles...underwater…
Another large oceanic rock, found in the center of the grotto, serves as our entrance to Finding Nemo: The Musical. In this innovative production, which has delighted guests of Disney's Animal Kingdom since 2007, the story of father and son lost and re-united is brought to life through the music of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, best known for their work on Frozen and Winnie the Pooh, as well as for writing the Oscar-winning “Remember Me” from Coco. (And among the Broadway circuit, Robert is known for co-writing Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon.) The show is lush with large sets and an entire ensemble of characters, utilizing puppetry to portray the memorable characters from the Pixar film.
A short walk from the edge of the reef (also known as the “Drop Off”) brings us into an abandoned graveyard of fallen submarines and warships, the seemingly haunted abode of Bruce, Chum, and Anchor, a trio of sharks with a not-so-carnivorous appetite. Spiked-mines appear suspended in midair, almost like party balloons...but be careful, you wouldn’t want one of these balloons to pop. Bruce’s Steakhouse is the major point of interest in the area, held within the massive wreckage of an old war submarine. Underneath the proud slogan of “Fish Are Friends, Not Food”, Bruce’s Steakhouse is a fine-dining establishment composed of old machinery and abandoned weaponry of some forgotten naval battle, a bit of an oddity in a Disney park considering the rather grim subject of war. Despite the vegetarian diet of the sharks, all of the menu items almost all feature meat...although some dishes are in fact made with vegetarians specifically in mind, tofu fish being one of them...yuck. Inside the restaurant, a rather static Bruce figure allows diners to take a photo inside his wide-open jaws. Don’t worry, he doesn't bite...I hope…
On the other side of this indoor grotto, you may notice a large turtle shell careening in and out of a canyon wall. Well, my friends, that's because this side of the rock is home to Crush’s Coaster. This attraction is one of the most popular at Walt Disney Studios Paris and provides some mild thrills. Guests ride in a turtle shell through elaborate show scenes depicting different events from the movie before going on a high-speed spin through the EAC where the turtle shell itself starts to spin as it moves along the track. Of course, the whole “studio” aspect Paris has will be scrapped, so the queue and exterior will be themed around meandering catacombs located deep beneath the ocean’s floor. We can even talk to the “totally sweet” sea turtle at Turtle Talk with Crush. Here, we step inside a “human tank” and get up close and personal with the righteous dude who always goes with the flow. In this interactive experience, we’re invited to ask Crush questions about the fish world, and answer his questions about the human world.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
My biggest inspiration for this land came from @MANEATINGWREATH and two of his concepts: the Badlands and the "Great Barrier Reef" sub-area of Pixar Place, both from his 2016 Dream Resort thread. Also, I must credit @PerGron for the name of the village, "Alkawari."
Well, we've only one more land to go before we finish Animal Kingdom. And at some point in the coming week, or next week, I'll post the final land of the park: Dinoland, U.S.A.! See you then!
You know what, guys? I figured I'd finish up Animal Kingdom tonight. So, with that said, here come the final two posts, starting with the last area of the park...
In 1947, the quaint American small-town of Diggs County was just that: quaint. Nothing much happened there. But one day, the town’s sand and gravel company made a shocking discovery. As workers were digging up sand to load into a waiting dump truck, they uncovered a massive dinosaur bone. All were amazed at this revelation, and with eager hearts, they kept digging around the site to find not just a wealth of bones, but a plethora of perfectly-intact dinosaur skeletons! This peaked the interest of one of the workers, an amateur fossil-hunter, and he soon teamed up with fellow scientists to buy up the property where the bones were found. On that property, they established the Dino Institute, a research and study center for all paleontologists. The property itself was soon affectionately dubbed “Dinoland, U.S.A.” by the scientists who worked at the Institute.
One of those scientists was a wealthy benefactor who became obsessed with why it was that so many perfectly preserved dinosaur skeletons could be found in this one spot. The only way to solve this particular mystery was to travel back in time and then attempt to observe whatever it was that actually caused this massive dinosaur extinction. The wealthy benefactor thus helped pour billions into the creation and funding of the Dino Institute, whose research resulted in the invention of the CTX Time Rover. To this very day, Dinoland, U.S.A. invites one and all to come and explore at their perpetual Open House, so that they may see the latest and greatest in what the Institute is learning about these prehistoric beasts.
The site where the dinosaur bones were found has been turned into a full-blown excavation site, dubbed “The Boneyard” by the paleontologists. The Boneyard is an open-air playground made to look like an archaeological dig site. In fact, in addition to the usual slides, rope bridges, caves and other playground detritus, there’s also a large dig site, with the bones of a Triceratops and a Tyrannosaurus rex buried beneath the sand.
It seems only fitting that The Excavator take up residence right nearby this dig site. Back in the days when Dinoland was nothing more than a dig site for the sand and gravel company, the Excavator was a pivotal piece of machinery: a series of ore cars that had once been used to haul materials up out of the heart of this pit to the area where the dump trucks got loaded up. Over time, due to over-digging and as the sand in the pit began to shift, the Excavator became unsafe to operate. The sand and gravel company then shut down the ore cars and the Excavator stood empty and abandoned for a few years, becoming even more rickety and unsafe. Then, when the Dino Institute was set up, the wealthy benefactor sent in groups of college students to work on the site. These college students then decided to put this old and unsafe piece of mining equipment back to work again, allowing them to use the old, rusty ore cars to haul some of the larger dinosaur bones that they’ve discovered. If only they could take the time to fix up the rusty old thing…
As guests move through the queue for this attraction towards the load area, they walk past dozens of “Condemned” signs in addition to all sorts of safety barriers that the sand and gravel pit’s workmen had set up that the college students have recently pulled down. The ride itself is a wooden roller coaster that takes guests past antiquated pieces of mining equipment, dodging around massive dinosaur bones and fossils, giant dinosaurs made out of metal and discarded machinery, and careening through unstable mine shafts that could collapse at any moment. This wild and crazy ride is similar to that of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Thunder Mesa Railroad over at the Magic Kingdom, or Big Grizzly Mountain over at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Not too far from The Excavator is a large rock cave, covered in snow. Within this cave is Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s major water thrill ride: Mammoth Falls. Since Kali River Rapids does not open in this Mirror universe, and Amazon River Expedition is about 20 years away, Mammoth Falls fills that void. In this ride, we glide back in time, to the world that once was; a world that trembles beneath giant feet. Strange mammals and hulking creatures thrive among the subtle populace of early man. Sabre-toothed cats and monstrous wolves stalk their prey. The mammoth, mastodon, ground sloth and wooly rhinoceros graze amidst the frozen tundra. It all climaxes with a dramatic, 75-foot plunge into an icy lake below!
Across the street from these three attractions, almost hidden behind the trees, guests will come across Restaurantosaurus, which serves as the mess hall for the workers at the Institute. The restaurant is noted for its décor, as it features skeletal replicas of several dinosaurs and mosaics of every era of the dinosaurs along the walls of the restaurant.
Further down the path is a special animal exhibit set up by the Dino Institute, highlighting a few special animals… Modern Dinosaurs. The animals presented here are animals who may be descended from the dinosaurs, as well as animals who are in grave danger of ending up like the dinosaurs… extinct. First, we have the American crocodile, who is vulnerable to endangerment. The American crocodile exhibit will be designed with inspiration taken from the Floridian mangrove forests found within its natural range. Guests will be able to see the crocodile swim throughout its exhibit or sunbathe on either land or upon the artificial tree branches submerged within the exhibit’s pool. The dense foliage will transport guests into the mangrove forests, and the sounds of other native animals are heard in the distance as if the guests really stumbled onto a pond in the wilderness. Guests will be able to see a small research area comparing crocodiles, alligators, and their ancient ancestors to each other.
Next, we have the Southern cassowary, a creature at least concern for endangerment. Although the Southern cassowary seems gentle, watch out! Much like their Velociraptor ancestors a swipe from their claws will leave any foe dead. These birds are truly descendants of the mighty dinosaur. The exhibit for this bird will be designed as a thick Australian rainforest with various fruit trees planted within the exhibit providing the animal with an authentic cycle of fruits throughout the year. This exhibit will accommodate the cassowaries’ unique defensive maneuvers. The viewing area will be housed within a research camp with glass walls separating the guests from the bird safely. This research camp theme will provide for various learning experiences to be housed such as a cassowary claw and dinosaur claws being on display highlighting their similarities.
Housed within the same exhibit are two different animals. First is the Abdim stork, which is at least concern for endangerment, and then, we have the critically-endangered Asian brown tortoise. The reason why they share the same exhibit is because their space will come with a display demonstrating how birds are more related to dinosaurs than reptiles.
As part of this new exhibit space, the crocodile exhibit will be moved to a bigger, more expansive space, as detailed above. As for the old space, that has been converted into an exhibit for the shoebill, a creature vulnerable to endangerment. The shoebill is a carnivore, eating mostly fish; it is diurnal, and its natural range is throughout Central Africa. It is an unusual looking bird, and even more unusual is the sound that it produces, reminiscent of that of what dinosaurs have been believed to sound like. Similar to the rest of exhibits within the land there will be a comparison to an extinct species. The head of a shoebill and phorusrhacid will be on display to highlight both the differences and similarities of the two different yet similar looking species.
Gradually getting closer to the headquarters of the Dino Institute, we find one more interesting sight on the right-hand side of the building. Currently, the Dino Institute is in the process of using time travel to bring dinosaurs back from prehistoric times to the modern day, so that they can study them up close. As such, we have the Dinosaur Encounter, where guests can interact with “lifelike” dinosaurs. Using the most sophisticated animatronic technology to date, these dinosaurs can interactively react to guests in real time. Also within this building is the Cretaceous Creatures display unit, which offers the skeletal bone remains of several dinosaurs, similar to the one of the Carnotaurus constructed in the queue of the Dinosaur attraction. The exhibits offer a wealth of information about each of the dinosaurs, while also continuing to carry out the Dino Institute theme throughout the entire land.
And now, of course, we come to Dinoland’s signature attraction: Countdown to Extinction! On Countdown to Extinction, guests enter the Dino Institute, where its current head, Dr. Marsh, promises a calm ride through the early Cretaceous Period aboard the Institute’s fleet of Time Rovers. However, her associate, the eccentric Dr. Grant Seeker, has hijacked the plans and wants to use our journey to rescue an Iguanodon from extinction. Oh, and did I mention the timeframe he’s sending us into is right before the meteor hits?
The trip takes guests on a frantic chase through dense prehistoric jungles, forests and swamps, as they catch glimpses of broad displays of different dinosaur species, most of which get in near misses with the Time Rovers. For example, guests deal with a Pterodactyl swooping down at the Time Rover and a Compsognathus leaping over the vehicle as it passes by. And that’s not even considering that we have to deal with volcanic eruptions, feasting Tyrannosaurs and attacking Deinonychus! If that’s not enough, guests also have to deal with crashing meteors and several encounters with a Carnotaurus, who spots the guests as his prey. Making full use of unique lighting, smoke, some of the roughest EMV moment in any theme park attraction, a unique soundtrack and some of the scariest and advanced Audio-Animatronics in Disney history, Countdown to Extinction is an E-ticket, and then some!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And thus, we have Dinoland, U.S.A.! Our main walkthrough of Disney's Animal Kingdom is over! The recap post should be coming along very soon!
I should point out that "Modern Dinosaurs" came from an idea for the One Little Spark Competition back in 2019, created by
@kmbmw777, @Miru, @NateD1226, @Pi on my Cake, @tcool123 and @AceAstro. Likewise, the idea to include Mammoth Falls came from S.W. Wilson's parallel Ideal Buildout concept and the description was borrowed from @MANEATINGWREATH's description of the "Ice Age" railroad diorama from his 2017 Dream Resort thread.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dinoland, U.S.A.
Dinoland, U.S.A.
In 1947, the quaint American small-town of Diggs County was just that: quaint. Nothing much happened there. But one day, the town’s sand and gravel company made a shocking discovery. As workers were digging up sand to load into a waiting dump truck, they uncovered a massive dinosaur bone. All were amazed at this revelation, and with eager hearts, they kept digging around the site to find not just a wealth of bones, but a plethora of perfectly-intact dinosaur skeletons! This peaked the interest of one of the workers, an amateur fossil-hunter, and he soon teamed up with fellow scientists to buy up the property where the bones were found. On that property, they established the Dino Institute, a research and study center for all paleontologists. The property itself was soon affectionately dubbed “Dinoland, U.S.A.” by the scientists who worked at the Institute.
One of those scientists was a wealthy benefactor who became obsessed with why it was that so many perfectly preserved dinosaur skeletons could be found in this one spot. The only way to solve this particular mystery was to travel back in time and then attempt to observe whatever it was that actually caused this massive dinosaur extinction. The wealthy benefactor thus helped pour billions into the creation and funding of the Dino Institute, whose research resulted in the invention of the CTX Time Rover. To this very day, Dinoland, U.S.A. invites one and all to come and explore at their perpetual Open House, so that they may see the latest and greatest in what the Institute is learning about these prehistoric beasts.
The site where the dinosaur bones were found has been turned into a full-blown excavation site, dubbed “The Boneyard” by the paleontologists. The Boneyard is an open-air playground made to look like an archaeological dig site. In fact, in addition to the usual slides, rope bridges, caves and other playground detritus, there’s also a large dig site, with the bones of a Triceratops and a Tyrannosaurus rex buried beneath the sand.
It seems only fitting that The Excavator take up residence right nearby this dig site. Back in the days when Dinoland was nothing more than a dig site for the sand and gravel company, the Excavator was a pivotal piece of machinery: a series of ore cars that had once been used to haul materials up out of the heart of this pit to the area where the dump trucks got loaded up. Over time, due to over-digging and as the sand in the pit began to shift, the Excavator became unsafe to operate. The sand and gravel company then shut down the ore cars and the Excavator stood empty and abandoned for a few years, becoming even more rickety and unsafe. Then, when the Dino Institute was set up, the wealthy benefactor sent in groups of college students to work on the site. These college students then decided to put this old and unsafe piece of mining equipment back to work again, allowing them to use the old, rusty ore cars to haul some of the larger dinosaur bones that they’ve discovered. If only they could take the time to fix up the rusty old thing…
As guests move through the queue for this attraction towards the load area, they walk past dozens of “Condemned” signs in addition to all sorts of safety barriers that the sand and gravel pit’s workmen had set up that the college students have recently pulled down. The ride itself is a wooden roller coaster that takes guests past antiquated pieces of mining equipment, dodging around massive dinosaur bones and fossils, giant dinosaurs made out of metal and discarded machinery, and careening through unstable mine shafts that could collapse at any moment. This wild and crazy ride is similar to that of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Thunder Mesa Railroad over at the Magic Kingdom, or Big Grizzly Mountain over at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Not too far from The Excavator is a large rock cave, covered in snow. Within this cave is Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s major water thrill ride: Mammoth Falls. Since Kali River Rapids does not open in this Mirror universe, and Amazon River Expedition is about 20 years away, Mammoth Falls fills that void. In this ride, we glide back in time, to the world that once was; a world that trembles beneath giant feet. Strange mammals and hulking creatures thrive among the subtle populace of early man. Sabre-toothed cats and monstrous wolves stalk their prey. The mammoth, mastodon, ground sloth and wooly rhinoceros graze amidst the frozen tundra. It all climaxes with a dramatic, 75-foot plunge into an icy lake below!
Across the street from these three attractions, almost hidden behind the trees, guests will come across Restaurantosaurus, which serves as the mess hall for the workers at the Institute. The restaurant is noted for its décor, as it features skeletal replicas of several dinosaurs and mosaics of every era of the dinosaurs along the walls of the restaurant.
Further down the path is a special animal exhibit set up by the Dino Institute, highlighting a few special animals… Modern Dinosaurs. The animals presented here are animals who may be descended from the dinosaurs, as well as animals who are in grave danger of ending up like the dinosaurs… extinct. First, we have the American crocodile, who is vulnerable to endangerment. The American crocodile exhibit will be designed with inspiration taken from the Floridian mangrove forests found within its natural range. Guests will be able to see the crocodile swim throughout its exhibit or sunbathe on either land or upon the artificial tree branches submerged within the exhibit’s pool. The dense foliage will transport guests into the mangrove forests, and the sounds of other native animals are heard in the distance as if the guests really stumbled onto a pond in the wilderness. Guests will be able to see a small research area comparing crocodiles, alligators, and their ancient ancestors to each other.
Next, we have the Southern cassowary, a creature at least concern for endangerment. Although the Southern cassowary seems gentle, watch out! Much like their Velociraptor ancestors a swipe from their claws will leave any foe dead. These birds are truly descendants of the mighty dinosaur. The exhibit for this bird will be designed as a thick Australian rainforest with various fruit trees planted within the exhibit providing the animal with an authentic cycle of fruits throughout the year. This exhibit will accommodate the cassowaries’ unique defensive maneuvers. The viewing area will be housed within a research camp with glass walls separating the guests from the bird safely. This research camp theme will provide for various learning experiences to be housed such as a cassowary claw and dinosaur claws being on display highlighting their similarities.
Housed within the same exhibit are two different animals. First is the Abdim stork, which is at least concern for endangerment, and then, we have the critically-endangered Asian brown tortoise. The reason why they share the same exhibit is because their space will come with a display demonstrating how birds are more related to dinosaurs than reptiles.
As part of this new exhibit space, the crocodile exhibit will be moved to a bigger, more expansive space, as detailed above. As for the old space, that has been converted into an exhibit for the shoebill, a creature vulnerable to endangerment. The shoebill is a carnivore, eating mostly fish; it is diurnal, and its natural range is throughout Central Africa. It is an unusual looking bird, and even more unusual is the sound that it produces, reminiscent of that of what dinosaurs have been believed to sound like. Similar to the rest of exhibits within the land there will be a comparison to an extinct species. The head of a shoebill and phorusrhacid will be on display to highlight both the differences and similarities of the two different yet similar looking species.
Gradually getting closer to the headquarters of the Dino Institute, we find one more interesting sight on the right-hand side of the building. Currently, the Dino Institute is in the process of using time travel to bring dinosaurs back from prehistoric times to the modern day, so that they can study them up close. As such, we have the Dinosaur Encounter, where guests can interact with “lifelike” dinosaurs. Using the most sophisticated animatronic technology to date, these dinosaurs can interactively react to guests in real time. Also within this building is the Cretaceous Creatures display unit, which offers the skeletal bone remains of several dinosaurs, similar to the one of the Carnotaurus constructed in the queue of the Dinosaur attraction. The exhibits offer a wealth of information about each of the dinosaurs, while also continuing to carry out the Dino Institute theme throughout the entire land.
And now, of course, we come to Dinoland’s signature attraction: Countdown to Extinction! On Countdown to Extinction, guests enter the Dino Institute, where its current head, Dr. Marsh, promises a calm ride through the early Cretaceous Period aboard the Institute’s fleet of Time Rovers. However, her associate, the eccentric Dr. Grant Seeker, has hijacked the plans and wants to use our journey to rescue an Iguanodon from extinction. Oh, and did I mention the timeframe he’s sending us into is right before the meteor hits?
The trip takes guests on a frantic chase through dense prehistoric jungles, forests and swamps, as they catch glimpses of broad displays of different dinosaur species, most of which get in near misses with the Time Rovers. For example, guests deal with a Pterodactyl swooping down at the Time Rover and a Compsognathus leaping over the vehicle as it passes by. And that’s not even considering that we have to deal with volcanic eruptions, feasting Tyrannosaurs and attacking Deinonychus! If that’s not enough, guests also have to deal with crashing meteors and several encounters with a Carnotaurus, who spots the guests as his prey. Making full use of unique lighting, smoke, some of the roughest EMV moment in any theme park attraction, a unique soundtrack and some of the scariest and advanced Audio-Animatronics in Disney history, Countdown to Extinction is an E-ticket, and then some!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And thus, we have Dinoland, U.S.A.! Our main walkthrough of Disney's Animal Kingdom is over! The recap post should be coming along very soon!
I should point out that "Modern Dinosaurs" came from an idea for the One Little Spark Competition back in 2019, created by
@kmbmw777, @Miru, @NateD1226, @Pi on my Cake, @tcool123 and @AceAstro. Likewise, the idea to include Mammoth Falls came from S.W. Wilson's parallel Ideal Buildout concept and the description was borrowed from @MANEATINGWREATH's description of the "Ice Age" railroad diorama from his 2017 Dream Resort thread.
Recap time!
ATTRACTIONS
1. Oasis Animal Exhibits
DINING
1. Rainforest Café
SHOPPING
1. Garden Gate Gifts
Discovery Island
ATTRACTIONS
1. Earth
2. Tree of Life Garden
3. Discovery Island Trails
4. Discovery Island Riverboats
DINING
1. Pizzafari
2. Tiffins
3. Flame Tree Barbecue
SHOPPING
1. Island Mercantile
2. Creature Comforts
3. Disney Outfitters
4. Riverside Depot
5. Beastly Bazaar
ENTERTAINMENT
-- March of the ARTimals
-- Viva Gaia Street Band
-- Tree of Life: Awakenings
-- Winged Encounters: The Kingdom Takes Flight
Beastly Kingdom
ATTRACTIONS
1. Mythic Manor
2. Dragon’s Tower FP
3. Fantasia Gardens
4. King’s Garden Trail
5. Pal-Around Woods
6. Merlin’s Menagerie
7. Beastly Spin
8. Quest for the Unicorn
DINING
1. Heroes’ Tavern
SHOPPING
1. Mother Goose’s Cottage
2. Dragon’s Tower Portrait Studio
Africa
ATTRACTIONS
1. Kilimanjaro Safaris FP
2. Festival of the Lion King FP
3. Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
4. Wildlife Express
5. Tarzan’s Treehouse
6. Discovery Island Riverboats
DINING
1. Tusker House
2. Tamu Tamu Refreshments
3. Dawa Bar
4. Kusafiri Coffee and Bake Shoppe
5. Harambe Market
SHOPPING
1. Mombasa Marketplace and Ziwani Traders
2. Duka La Filimu
ENTERTAINMENT
-- Burudika Band
-- Tam-Tam Drummers of Harambe
-- Harambe Village Acrobats
-- Kora Tinga Tinga
Asia
ATTRACTIONS
1. Journey into the Jungle Book
2. Maharajah Jungle Trek
3. Anandapur Nature Reserve
4. The Great Continent
5. Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain FP
6. Discovery Island Riverboats
DINING
1. Yak & Yeti
SHOPPING
1. Anandapur Baajaar
2. Kites and Flights
3. Serka Zong Bazaar
ENTERTAINMENT
-- Anandapur Street Celebration
-- Journey
North America
ATTRACTIONS
1. Nature’s Wonderland
2. Redwood Creek Path
3. Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends
4. Our America
5. Wildlife Express
DINING
1. Johnny Appleseed’s Fruit Cart
2. Klondike Inn
3. Yellow Mountain Coffee House
SHOPPING
1. Redwood Trading Post
2. The Naturalist’s Canvas
South America
ATTRACTIONS
1. Amazon River Expedition FP
2. Camp Discovery
3. Amazonia
4. Rainforest Race
5. UP Snapshot Safari FP
6. Wildlife Express
DINING
1. Yucatan Grill
SHOPPING
1. Rainforest Outfitters
ENTERTAINMENT
-- Artists of the Amazon
-- The Great Kapok Tree
Conservation Station
ATTRACTIONS
1. Conservation Station
2. Affection Section
SHOPPING
1. Out of the Wild
Australia
ATTRACTIONS
-- Alkawari --
1. Steve Irwin Conservation Centre
2. Aussie Adventure Trails
3. Discovery Island Riverboats
-- Great Barrier Reef --
4. Finding Nemo: The Musical
5. Crush’s Coaster FP
6. Jumpin’ Jellyfish
7. Blowfish Balloon Race
8. The Whirlpool
9. Junior Explorers Academy
10. Undersea Life Exhibits
11. Dory’s Tidepool
12. Turtle Talk with Crush
DINING
1. The Yowling Yowie
2. Platypus Point
3. Bruce’s Steakhouse
SHOPPING
1. The Outback Showbag
2. The Humpback Whale
ENTERTAINMENT
Australian Animals
Dinoland, U.S.A.
ATTRACTIONS
1. Countdown to Extinction FP
2. The Excavator FP
3. Mammoth Falls FP
4. The Boneyard
5. Modern Dinosaurs
6. Dinosaur Encounter
7. Cretaceous Creatures
DINING
1. Restaurantosaurus
SHOPPING
1. Dinosaur Treasures ***
CHARACTER GREETINGS AROUND THE PARK
-- Mickey and the Gang throughout Discovery Island
-- Characters from Robin Hood and Winnie the Pooh at Pal-Around Woods
-- Merida roaming through Beastly Kingdom and at Pal-Around Woods
-- Rafiki and Timon across from Festival of the Lion King
-- Tarzan, Jane and Terk at Tarzan’s Treehouse
-- Characters from The Jungle Book across from Journey into the Jungle Book
-- Pocahontas, Meeko, Kenai, Koda, Thumper, Miss Bunny, Flik, Atta, Bernard, Bianca, Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear in North America
-- The Three Caballeros *** in South America
-- Carl, Russell, Dug and Kevin nearby UP Snapshot Safari
-- Rafiki, Pocahontas and Jiminy Cricket at Conservation Station
So, this is it. No more posts about Disney's Animal Kingdom...until the inevitable ride-through descriptions. I'm sure there's some attractions here you'd like to learn more about in-depth. I think I'll take the next week off, so on April 10th, we'll begin our trek through the fifth park of Mirror Walt Disney World...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mirror Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The OasisMirror Disney’s Animal Kingdom
ATTRACTIONS
1. Oasis Animal Exhibits
DINING
1. Rainforest Café
SHOPPING
1. Garden Gate Gifts
Discovery Island
ATTRACTIONS
1. Earth
2. Tree of Life Garden
3. Discovery Island Trails
4. Discovery Island Riverboats
DINING
1. Pizzafari
2. Tiffins
3. Flame Tree Barbecue
SHOPPING
1. Island Mercantile
2. Creature Comforts
3. Disney Outfitters
4. Riverside Depot
5. Beastly Bazaar
ENTERTAINMENT
-- March of the ARTimals
-- Viva Gaia Street Band
-- Tree of Life: Awakenings
-- Winged Encounters: The Kingdom Takes Flight
Beastly Kingdom
ATTRACTIONS
1. Mythic Manor
2. Dragon’s Tower FP
3. Fantasia Gardens
4. King’s Garden Trail
5. Pal-Around Woods
6. Merlin’s Menagerie
7. Beastly Spin
8. Quest for the Unicorn
DINING
1. Heroes’ Tavern
SHOPPING
1. Mother Goose’s Cottage
2. Dragon’s Tower Portrait Studio
Africa
ATTRACTIONS
1. Kilimanjaro Safaris FP
2. Festival of the Lion King FP
3. Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
4. Wildlife Express
5. Tarzan’s Treehouse
6. Discovery Island Riverboats
DINING
1. Tusker House
2. Tamu Tamu Refreshments
3. Dawa Bar
4. Kusafiri Coffee and Bake Shoppe
5. Harambe Market
SHOPPING
1. Mombasa Marketplace and Ziwani Traders
2. Duka La Filimu
ENTERTAINMENT
-- Burudika Band
-- Tam-Tam Drummers of Harambe
-- Harambe Village Acrobats
-- Kora Tinga Tinga
Asia
ATTRACTIONS
1. Journey into the Jungle Book
2. Maharajah Jungle Trek
3. Anandapur Nature Reserve
4. The Great Continent
5. Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain FP
6. Discovery Island Riverboats
DINING
1. Yak & Yeti
SHOPPING
1. Anandapur Baajaar
2. Kites and Flights
3. Serka Zong Bazaar
ENTERTAINMENT
-- Anandapur Street Celebration
-- Journey
North America
ATTRACTIONS
1. Nature’s Wonderland
2. Redwood Creek Path
3. Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends
4. Our America
5. Wildlife Express
DINING
1. Johnny Appleseed’s Fruit Cart
2. Klondike Inn
3. Yellow Mountain Coffee House
SHOPPING
1. Redwood Trading Post
2. The Naturalist’s Canvas
South America
ATTRACTIONS
1. Amazon River Expedition FP
2. Camp Discovery
3. Amazonia
4. Rainforest Race
5. UP Snapshot Safari FP
6. Wildlife Express
DINING
1. Yucatan Grill
SHOPPING
1. Rainforest Outfitters
ENTERTAINMENT
-- Artists of the Amazon
-- The Great Kapok Tree
Conservation Station
ATTRACTIONS
1. Conservation Station
2. Affection Section
SHOPPING
1. Out of the Wild
Australia
ATTRACTIONS
-- Alkawari --
1. Steve Irwin Conservation Centre
2. Aussie Adventure Trails
3. Discovery Island Riverboats
-- Great Barrier Reef --
4. Finding Nemo: The Musical
5. Crush’s Coaster FP
6. Jumpin’ Jellyfish
7. Blowfish Balloon Race
8. The Whirlpool
9. Junior Explorers Academy
10. Undersea Life Exhibits
11. Dory’s Tidepool
12. Turtle Talk with Crush
DINING
1. The Yowling Yowie
2. Platypus Point
3. Bruce’s Steakhouse
SHOPPING
1. The Outback Showbag
2. The Humpback Whale
ENTERTAINMENT
Australian Animals
Dinoland, U.S.A.
ATTRACTIONS
1. Countdown to Extinction FP
2. The Excavator FP
3. Mammoth Falls FP
4. The Boneyard
5. Modern Dinosaurs
6. Dinosaur Encounter
7. Cretaceous Creatures
DINING
1. Restaurantosaurus
SHOPPING
1. Dinosaur Treasures ***
CHARACTER GREETINGS AROUND THE PARK
-- Mickey and the Gang throughout Discovery Island
-- Characters from Robin Hood and Winnie the Pooh at Pal-Around Woods
-- Merida roaming through Beastly Kingdom and at Pal-Around Woods
-- Rafiki and Timon across from Festival of the Lion King
-- Tarzan, Jane and Terk at Tarzan’s Treehouse
-- Characters from The Jungle Book across from Journey into the Jungle Book
-- Pocahontas, Meeko, Kenai, Koda, Thumper, Miss Bunny, Flik, Atta, Bernard, Bianca, Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear in North America
-- The Three Caballeros *** in South America
-- Carl, Russell, Dug and Kevin nearby UP Snapshot Safari
-- Rafiki, Pocahontas and Jiminy Cricket at Conservation Station
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
So, this is it. No more posts about Disney's Animal Kingdom...until the inevitable ride-through descriptions. I'm sure there's some attractions here you'd like to learn more about in-depth. I think I'll take the next week off, so on April 10th, we'll begin our trek through the fifth park of Mirror Walt Disney World...
Suchomimus
Well-Known Member
Fun fact: What is referred to in the ride as a "Pterodactyl" is actually a Cearadactylus, a South American pterosaur that was featured in Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park.
You know how I said I was done with the Animal Kingdom posts until the ride-throughs?
April Fool's!
I still have one more post up my sleeve. The way @PerGron went into detail with his Wild Kingdom inspired me to do a supplemental post: specifically, a natural roll call. Here now is a list of all the species you'll find here at Mirror Disney's Animal Kingdom...
Quite the list, eh? Looking through this list, some of you may notice that I decided to utilize some of the creatures found at @PerGron's Genesis Gardens. Seeing those pictures in his posts made me want to bring those creatures into this Mirror Animal Kingdom, so I have to credit him as my biggest inspiration for creating this list.
Anyways, that's my last post for now. April 10 will still be the day I begin the next leg of our tour of Mirror Walt Disney World. Stay tuned...
April Fool's!
I still have one more post up my sleeve. The way @PerGron went into detail with his Wild Kingdom inspired me to do a supplemental post: specifically, a natural roll call. Here now is a list of all the species you'll find here at Mirror Disney's Animal Kingdom...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Animals of Disney’s Animal Kingdom
THE OASISThe Animals of Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Fulvous whistling-duck
- Black-bellied whistling-duck
- Marbled duck
- Argentine ruddy duck
- Black stork
- Long-tailed duck
- Northern pintail
- Eurasian white-fronted geese
- North Sulawesi babirusa
- Southern giant anteater
- Military macaw
- Patagovian cavy
- Reeve’s muntjac
- Rhinoceros iguana
- Scarlet macaw
- Roseate spoonbill and African spoonbill
- Swamp wallaby
- Black swan
- Black-necked swan
- Scarlet macaw
- Red-fronted macaw
- Blue-and-gold macaw
- Blue-throated macaw
- Green-winged macaw
- Military macaw
- Hyacinth macaw
- Cotton-top tamarin
- Collared lemur
- Ring-tailed lemur
- Flamingo
- Painted stork
- Saddle-billed stork
- White stork
- African crested porcupine
- Tambaqui
- Aardwolf (Replaced kangaroos when the exhibit moved to Australia in 2005)
- Matschie’s tree kangaroo
- Galapagos giant tortoise
- Asian small-clawed otters and spotted-neck otters
- Lappet-faced vulture
- Capercaillie
- Red deer and fallow deer
- Wisent
- European mouflon
- European lynx
- European mink
- European badger
- Mute swan
- Italian wolf
- Reindeer
- Norwegian lemming
- Camargue horse
- Puffin
- Wolverine
- Red fox
- European brown bear
- European rabbit (coney rabbit)
- Western barn owl
- Okapi
- Greater kudu
- Saddle-billed stork
- Sable antelope
- Greater flamingo
- Blue wildebeest
- White-backed wildebeest
- Bontebok
- Thomson’s gazelle
- Common eland
- Yellow-billed stork
- Pink-backed pelican
- Mandrill
- Scimitar oryx
- Bongo
- Waterbuck
- Plains zebra
- Black and white rhinoceroses
- Hippopotamus
- Nile crocodile
- Warthog
- Ostrich
- Cheetah
- African elephant
- Lion
- Spotted hyena
- African wild dog
- Painted dog
- Springbok
- Ankole cattle
- Nigerian dwarf goat
- Western lowland gorilla
- Grevy’s zebra
- Hamerkop
- Slender-tailed meerkat
- Naked mole rat
- Sitatunga
- Black-and-white colobus monkey
- Drill monkeys
- Pygmy hippopotamus
- Pygmy goose
- Red-tailed monkeys
- Dumeril’s boa
- Golden weaver
- Great blue turaco
- African bullfrog
- Ornate spiny-tailed lizard
- African cichlid fish
- African pancake tortoise
- Bengal and Sumatran tigers
- Gibbons and macaques
- Boa constrictors and pythons
- Green peafowl and Indian peafowl
- Blackbuck and gaur
- Malayan flying fox
- Eld’s deer, axis deer and sambar
- Bar-headed goose and other Asian birds
- Asian elephant
- Sloth bear
- Melanistic Indian leopard (aka black panther)
- Orangutans
- Siamang
- White-cheeked gibbon
- Red panda
- Maleo
- Clouded leopards
- Phillippine eagles
- Water buffalo
- Giant panda
- North American beaver
- Marmot
- American black bear
- White-tailed deer
- Olympic elk
- Javelina
- Prairie dog
- American desert hare
- Mexican hare
- Coyote
- Bobcat
- American bison
- Cougar
- Common raccoon
- Virginia opossum
- Black-footed ferret
- American red squirrel
- Fox squirrel
- Eastern chipmunk
- Woodchuck
- American red fox
- Brush rabbit
- Mountain cottontail
- Appalachian cottontail
- New England cottontail
- American pika
- Striped skunk
- Pronghorn
- Grizzly bear (American brown bear)
- Grey wolf
- Spotted salamander
- Marbled salamander
- Blue-spotted salamander
- Tiger salamander
- Rocky Mountain tailed frog
- Giant bullfrog
- Florida bog frog
- Northern leopard frog
- Pacific tree frog
- American green tree frog
- Spring peeper
- Coqui
- American toad
- Western toad
- Yosemite toad
- American alligator
- Mohave Desert tortoise
- Western pond turtle
- Common snapping turtle
- Blue jay
- Cardinal
- Mallard
- Trumpeter swan
- Loon
- Ruby-throated hummingbird
- Upland sandpiper
- Bald eagle
- Wren
- Swallow
- Woodpecker
- Giant otter
- Jaguar
- Spectral bat
- Common vampire bat
- Fischer’s little fruit bat
- Agouti
- Red-eyed tree frog
- Poison dart frog
- Surinam horned frog
- Amazon river frog
- Green anaconda
- Annulated tree boa
- Boa constrictor
- Green iguana
- Arrau turtle
- Yellow-footed tortoise
- Common basilisk
- Forest gecko
- Toco toucan
- Yellow-throated toucan
- Green-billed toucan
- Plate-billed mountain toucan
- Aracari
- Scarlet macaw
- Red-and-green macaw
- Blue-and-yellow macaw
- Hyacinth macaw
- King vulture
- Tanager
- Amazon parrot
- Spider monkey
- Harpy eagle
- Llama (outside Camp Discovery)
- Cotton-top tamarin
- Pied tamarin
- Golden lion tamarin
- Two-toed sloth
- Three-toed sloth
- Giant anteater
- Howler monkey
- Capybara
- Caiman lizard
- Centipede
- Colorado river toad
- Dart frog
- Fire salamander
- Gopher tortoise
- Green tree python
- Prehensile-tailed skink
- Puerto Rican crested toad
- Scorpion
- Stick insect
- Tarantula
- Tree monitor
- Alpaca
- Goat
- Kunekune pig
- Miniature donkey
- Pineywoods cow
- Sheep
- Koala
- Red kangaroo
- Western grey kangaroo
- Agile wallaby
- Parma wallaby
- Swamp wallaby
- Tasmanian pademelon
- Quokka
- Wombat
- Australian dingo
- New Guinea singing dog
- Tasmanian devil
- Platypus
- Emu
- Galah
- Kookaburra
- Black-necked stork
- Saltwater crocodiles (at Steve Irwin Conservation Centre)
- Clownfish
- Regal blue tang
- Moorish idol
- Porcupine fish
- Sea star
- Yellow tang
- Royal gramma
- Striped damselfish
- Cleaner shrimp
- Hermit crab
- Horseshoe crab
- Porcelain crab
- Butterfly fish
- Kelp bass
- Ocean sunfish
- Triggerfish
- Tuna
- Betta
- Flounder
- Sturgeon
- Eel
- Lionfish
- Sunfish
- Kissing fish
- Sawfish
- Yellow-tail catfish
- Flapjack octopus
- East Pacific red octopus
- Seahorse
- Moonfish
- Jellyfish
- Grouper
- Anglerfish
- Barracuda
- Spotted eagle ray
- Great white shark
- Hammerhead shark
- Mako shark
- Whale shark
- Beluga whale
- Blue whale
- Humpback whale
- Green sea turtle
- American crocodile
- Southern cassowary
- Abdim stork
- Asian brown tortoise
- Shoebill
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Quite the list, eh? Looking through this list, some of you may notice that I decided to utilize some of the creatures found at @PerGron's Genesis Gardens. Seeing those pictures in his posts made me want to bring those creatures into this Mirror Animal Kingdom, so I have to credit him as my biggest inspiration for creating this list.
Anyways, that's my last post for now. April 10 will still be the day I begin the next leg of our tour of Mirror Walt Disney World. Stay tuned...