When Disney’s largest park is the world’s most-visited zoo: Animal Kingdom, a green gem in Orlando

Animal Kingdom can’t exactly be described as a hidden gem, mainly because it’s hardly hidden. Spanning 230 hectares, it’s the largest of the dozen parks that Disney, a giant in the entertainment and destination world, has around the world. But it can certainly be said that it’s the most unique and the most important for its social work: there are no castles or princesses, instead it’s home to 5,000 animals of 300 different species, from gorillas to axolotls. It’s also the base for Disney’s worldwide conservation program, in natural spaces spread across more than 125 million hectares, and it’s also considered the most-visited zoo in the world.

Anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of Mickey and Minnie Mouse will probably be in luck, because, dressed in hats, baggy pants, and khaki shirts, the icons of the factory stroll through this park, one of four located at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, along with two other water parks and around 20 resorts. An immense expanse, even overwhelming for visitors, it’s complicated when planning a visit and means that Animal Kingdom is sometimes seen solely as the park that houses the modern attractions of Pandora, the imaginary land where Avatar takes place. But this park, created in 1998, has become the most-visited zoo in the world; it broke the record six years ago, when it reached almost 14 million visitors in one season. Despite the usual negative reputation that these types of spaces carry, here they pursue a policy of total transparency, precisely to convince even the sworn enemies of zoos.

Dr. Scott Terrell doesn’t hesitate to call it a zoo. He likes to call things by their name; he’s very clear. Even with himself. “Just call me Dr. Scott,” he says with a smile, pointing to the name tag worn by all employees. He was one of the first to arrive at the park, “from day one,” back in the mid-1990s, when there were no animals yet, just a vast, green, vacant lot, to which they were gradually being incorporated. The park was closed for about a year, so that the different species could adapt. Because, as Terrell explains, the most important thing for them is the well-being of the animals, that they live comfortably. This can be seen in the large number of park attendants, who explain any information visitors want to know; or in details such as the possibility of visiting facilities like the hospital, where they can even see live animal operations.

Terrell explains that the creation of Animal Kingdom was a vision of Walt Disney, who died in December 1966, but that shortly before that, he already knew he wanted to build a second, enormous park in Florida (the first being the one in California, which turned 70 this summer), and as such he acquired thousands of acres of land. “Disney was a conservationist when no one knew what that word meant. I think you can see that in his early work. And when he wanted to build Walt Disney World, here in Orlando, he himself had the vision for this park, and he set aside a few acres of land to be preserved for the animals,” explains Terrell — sorry, Dr. Scott. “In the end, it all comes back to Walt, like almost everything in this company.”

Those handful of hectares made the park disproportionately large, but the animals, logically, need their space. It has six distinct zones, each with different species. The largest number of animals are found in the so-called Oases, in Africa and Asia; they’re also preparing an expansion to create an ecosystem similar to that of Central America. As Terrell explains, they obviously don’t have animals from very cold places. Here, attractions like water rapids and rollercoasters coexist with guided trails to see gorillas, tigers, monkeys, Komodo dragons, and immense bats that, when unfolded, have a wingspan the size of a human. And of course, newborns, like Bakso, a Sumatran tiger, or Tucker, a Maasai giraffe.

But the star of the show is the safari, which takes place aboard specially designed vehicles. If it weren’t for the sticky humidity, it would be hard to remember you were in Florida. Antelopes, lions, gorillas... all are seen throughout the tour. Ryan Coddington is Head of Zoology and has worked here since 2008; his closeness to his work is such that he recognizes the animals by name. “Look, they’re Daphne, Eloise, and Penelope,” he explains, pointing to three female warthogs shortly after passing a group of okapis, a cross between a giraffe and a zebra.

With its dry and wet zones and even two rivers running through it — where pelicans and up to a dozen hippos can be seen — the safari is so large in itself that it could easily fit another Walt Disney World park, the most famous one of all, the Magic Kingdom (yes, the one with the famous Cinderella Castle), inside its boundaries. Every day, some 3,000 people take part in the tour, seeing the ostriches, watching Thomson’s gazelles run at almost 100 kilometers per hour, and marveling at the peaceful lions, who sleep 22 hours a day.

“Ultimately, this is an animal reserve,” reflects Coddington. “We strive for the best experience for our guests, but also for the animals.” Therefore, if visitors don’t see one of their stars, it may be because they’re resting elsewhere or undergoing a medical checkup, also within the park, in facilities that can be toured. “We were the first zoo to open its hospital to its visitors,” Dr. Scott boasts. In fact, it’s one of the most advanced in North America, specializing in ultrasounds, endoscopies, and radiology. “Disclosure is important; for us, transparency is fundamental.”

The park’s motto is always animal welfare (“it’s essential that they’re happy, but also healthy”), and that’s why they’re certified by the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In reality, as Dr. Scott explains, that welfare is twofold. “It’s based on two pillars,” he says. “First, the care of the animals within the park; then, their care in the wild.” That’s why they have partnerships with foundations, parks, and reserves around the world, in more than half the countries on the globe, with professionals from those territories. They also have a local presence; for example, they participate in a baby turtle rescue program on the beaches of Florida, through which they have helped more than 22,000 specimens. They estimate they have invested more than $132 million in these programs, through 600 organizations.

Furthermore, a zoo of this size largely manages to sustain itself in terms of species renewal. “We don’t bring in animals from outside, from the wild,” Terrell says. “We maintain partnerships with other zoos around the world, especially in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom, Germany, and of course Canada…” For example, he recalls how years ago they faced an overpopulation of hippos, and then contacted other places to donate them.

In addition to expanding with a new zone and its collaborations with the animal world, the park is also extending its reach. “We have a world-class aquarium here at Epcot,” Terrell explains of the park adjacent to Animal Kingdom (next to Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios), “and a hotel, Animal Kingdom Lodge,” he says, “but in the Disney universe, this is the only animal park.” The accommodations are a natural extension of the park, with a very similar design — there you can clearly see the influence of Disney and the engineers behind these creations, the famous Imageneers — where guests have breakfast every day watching giraffes wander by, of course, at the not-so-modest price of a custom-built resort by the House of Mouse.

Both Dr. Scott and his staff know that the magic of being part of a Disney park is present in their work and in what they show to the outside world, but they are clear about their main mission. “We staff truly believe we are making the world a better place, for humans and animals. That is the spirit that makes this place special, which is very unique, blending all the Disney stories with reality.” For him, moreover, in a future where climate change is a reality rather than a threat, its continuity is very important, maintaining the conservationist focus, continuing to offer variety and quality. The most difficult question for him to answer is choosing his favorite among the animals. “It would be like deciding which of your children is your favorite,” he smiles. But he opts for “the African wild dog,” a mammal halfway between a dog and a hyena: “It has ears like Mickey Mouse,” he laughs.

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