Well, AK does have some striking similarities with the best zoos in the world. It's AZA accredited, of course, and attractions like Gorilla Falls or the Maharajah Jungle Trek are pretty similar to some of the best zoos around, that don't use cages or enclosures any more, but let guests actually explore surroundings that they would find those animals living in if they were in the wild. Furthermore, anyone who has taken the Backstage Safari knows that the entire north side of the park is where the traditional zoo is really located, out of the public eye. There, you find the traditional cages with bars that you would think of with traditional zoos. They are, however, the best facilities I have ever seen. If you want proof, you need only look at Animal Kingdom's breeding program, which is outstanding...the baby elephant born a few weeks back is the first baby elephant that has been born and lived in a zoological facility in America in years...But, regardless, while we can see those similarities, as Evan stated, at least from the every-day guest's perspective, this is nothing like a normal zoo, with its completely immersive theming...at the best zoos in America, while there are exhibits themed like the animals' true surroundings, they are never continuous throughout all of the walking paths and such like they are at Animal Kingdom. Combined with outstanding music, some of Disney's greatest rides, and the best daytime parade in any of Disney's domestic parks, the overall guest experience is not at all like you find at a zoo. The theming makes it distinctly-Disney, a theme park with nature and animals as the theme, nahtazu. I would say that from the zoologist's standpoint, this is the greatest zoological facility on the planet, and from the guest perspective, it is the most immersively and incredibly themed park built to date.
