Opening Day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Walt Disney World’s fourth (and so far final?) theme park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened its gates to the public 23 years ago. (Cue “What’s My Age Again” by blink-182.) Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s anniversary is also Earth Day, April 22! Today we’re taking a trip back in time to the Opening Day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom — April 22, 1998.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s opening had a grand opening ceremony featuring primatologist Jane Goodall, Ph.D. Disney CEO at the time, Michael Eisner, was also in attendance calling the park “a kingdom we enter to share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama and learn.” A few days after the park opening a television special, Disney’s Animal Kingdom: The First Adventure aired on April 26, 1998. This special gave viewers at home a look into Walt Disney World’s latest theme park! You can take a trip back to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 1998 by watching the video below.
View the opening day map or “Adventurer’s Guide” for Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 1998!
Opening Day Lands
If you look back at a map from April 1998, you may notice a few changes. From shorter attraction lists to missing lands, it was a totally different Disney’s Animal Kingdom! On Opening Day, guests could visit The Oasis, Safari Village, Camp Minnie-Mickey, Dinoland U.S.A. (Sponsored by McDonald’s), Africa, and Asia.
Where’s Discovery Island in this lineup? When Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened, Discovery Island was known as “Safari Village.” In 1998, the original Discovery Island on Bay Lake near Magic Kingdom was still in operation. This now-abandoned Disney island is a story for another Disney Throwback, but for now, you just need to know that’s why Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s mainland becomes “Discovery Island” in 1999.
Fun Fact: On opening day, Safari Village/Discovery Island was home to an attraction that was inspired by a Pixar film that hadn’t released yet! It’s Tough To Be A Bug featured some of your favorite characters from A Bug’s Life — a film that wouldn’t have its theatrical premiere until later that year, November 20, 1998.
Camp Minnie-Mickey was created as a placeholder for a then-planned Phase II land, Beastly Kingdom. You may notice that this mythological-themed land never joined Disney’s Animal Kingdom Map, but you can read all about what might have been in my Disney Throwback piece on Beastly Kingdom. The area where Camp Minnie-Mickey once sat is now home to Pandora – The World of Avatar!
Dinoland U.S.A. is a land you can still visit today, but its layout, attractions, and sponsor have changed a bit since its start in 1998. Dinoland U.S.A. opened during the exciting McDisney partnership, which led to the entire land being sponsored by the Golden Arches! Even the opening day map shows signs of McDonald’s sponsorship. You can read all about the McDisney Partnership in this Disney Throwback post!
Africa is probably the most similar to Disney’s Animal Kingdom land in comparison to the 1998 version. Many of your favorite attractions from this area were opening day features, but we know that the Harambe Market has expanded quite a bit since.
Asia was very much under construction on opening day back in 1998! While they offered Flights of Wonder and the Discovery Island River Boats, the map previewed quite a bit of construction promised to open in 1999. This area became Kali River Rapids, Maharajah Jungle Trek, and eventually Expedition Everest!
Opening Day Attractions
Below I’ll share a list of every attraction with their corresponding lands you could experience on opening day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You may notice that some attractions are no longer a part of the attraction lineup, and some even exist under a different name!
- Affection Section – Africa
- The Boneyard – Dinoland U.S.A.
- Character Greeting Areas – Camp Minnie-Mickey *
- Colors of the Wind, Friends From the Animal Forest – Camp Minnie-Mickey *
- Countdown To Extinction – Dinoland U.S.A. **
- Cretaceous Trail – Dinoland U.S.A. *
- Discovery River Boats -Safari Village *
- Discovery River Boats at Upcountry Landing – Asia *
- Festival of the Lion King – Camp Minnie-Mickey
- Flights of Wonder – Asia **
- Fossil Preparation Lab – Dinoland U.S.A. *
- Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail – Africa
- Harambe – Africa
- Interactive Fun at Conservation Station – Africa
- It’s Tough to be a Bug! – Safari Village
- Journey into Jungle Book – Dinoland U.S.A. **
- Kilimanjaro Safaris – Africa
- Look Backstage! – Africa *
- The Tree of Life – Safari Village
- The Tree of Life Garden – Safari Village
- Wildlife Express – Africa
- 1998 Dinosaur Jubilee – Dinoland U.S.A. *
* These attractions are now defunct at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
** These attractions are still at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but under a new name or have been slightly modified since 1998. “Countdown to Extinction” was DINOSAUR’s original name until 2000. “Flights of Wonder” was recently changed to UP! A Great Bird Adventure. “Journey into Jungle Book” was a show that was performed in the original version of the theater that houses Finding Nemo – The Musical today.
Opening Day Dining
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park opened with sixteen dining locations for guests, and in 23 years the number of offerings has almost doubled at twenty-eight locations in the park today! Here’s every place you could grab a bite on opening day, April 22, 1998. Click the links below to visit menus of opening day eateries that you can still visit in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Was your favorite place to dine on the opening day list?
- African Lounge
- Campside Funnel Cakes
- Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Cookie Cabin
- Dino Diner
- Dinoland Snacks
- Drinkwallah
- Flame Tree Barbecue
- Harambe Fruit Market
- Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery
- Mr. Kamal’s Burger Grill
- Munch Wagon
- Pizzafari
- Rainforest Cafe
- Restaurantosaurus
- Tamu Tamu Refreshments
- Tusker House Restaurant
Celebrating Earth Day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom has come a long way in 23 years, and there’s still so much that can be done at this unique Disney theme park experience. Today Disney Parks Blog released Disney’s Animal Kingdom nature sounds in honor of Earth Day. You can watch below!
Ready to learn more about Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Check out nine facts about this park here. Walt Disney World has been celebrating Earth Month all of April at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and here are seven Earth Month experiences you can take part in if you’re visiting this month!
- Enjoy specialty treats and sips in Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the month of April. Here’s a full list of offerings!
- Marvel at the ‘Secrets of the Whales’ Sand Sculture at the Discovery Island Stage.
- Learn to draw some of your favorite Disney characters at The Animation Experience at Conservation Station.
- Experience new additions at Kilimajaro Safaris like Ivy the Mandrill and Ranger the White Rhino.
- Use Disney Memory Maker Service to take advantage of Disney PhotoPass spots in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
- Stock up on some Earth Month merchandise at Disney’s Animal Kingdom — including sustainable souvenirs AND a limited-edition Te-Fiti trading pin on Earth Day.
- Celebrate Expedition Everest’s 15 anniversary by experiencing the Forbidden Mountain!
I hope you enjoyed this trip back in time to the legendary opening day of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s always fun for me as a life-long Disney Parks fan to compare what has changed in Walt Disney World and beyond! I can’t believe Disney’s Animal Kingdom is already 23 — only two more years until its 25th anniversary.