Disney's Animal Kingdom park is absolutely beautiful. It takes you out of the hot Orlando sun and right into the savannas of Africa, a village in Asia, and even a roadside carnival. Imagineers — the team that makes the storylines and builds everything for Disney Parks and Resorts — put this park together with so much detail that you could never take it in all in one day. We've uncovered some wild facts about the Animal Kingdom that even the biggest Disney fans probably won't know. Keep reading to test your knowledge, and earn more Disney stripes!
1. The Tree of Life Has Over 300 Carvings 
There are over 300 hand-carved animals in the Tree of Life. Some of the animals are odes to friends and family members of the team who originally worked at building Disney's Animal Kingdom.
2. The Yeti Inside Expedition Everest Is Actually Structural Support 
The Yeti inside the Expedition Everest attraction has been broken for years. Imagineers can't take the massive Audio-Animatronic out of the ride because it's actually structural support for the attraction.
3. There Are Extinct Animals on the Tree of Life 
The Tree of Life has areas around the roots of the tree where "living wood" has fallen away to show old layers of dry, dead wood. In these layers, extinct animals are carved, showing the death of the animal just like the death of the wood.
4. Disney's Animal Kingdom Was Meant to Have a Mythical Creature Area 
Beastly Kingdom was meant to be part of Disney's Animal Kingdom, and even though it was scrapped before the park opened, there are still nods to the idea around the park. These include the lanterns on Discovery Island and the Animal Kingdom logo sign in the front of the park, which shows a dragon along with animals from Africa and Asia.
5. The Shaman of Songs Can Be Replaced With a Screen 
On Na'vi River Journey, the Shaman of Songs is an impressive Audio-Animatronic. If, for some reason, she stops working, the team at the attraction can pull her off of the set and project her onto a screen to fix her. Doing this allows the attraction to still run even though there are technical difficulties.
6. The Music In Pandora — The World of Avatar Is All Animals Except in 1 Area 
When you walk into Pandora — The World of Avatar, you might notice the sounds of animals throughout the land. This is true for all areas except where humans might dwell, which is near the restrooms and restaurant. Here, the music is all human-made sounds.
7. This Statue Is a Replica of Expedition Everest 
The shine on the opposite side of the lagoon from Expedition Everest is meant to reflect the shape of the attraction and real-life mountain range. The mountain on the back of the shrine is an actual Everest replica!
8. Dinosaur Has a Parody Attraction Linked to It 
The Primeval Whirl attraction in Dino Land U.S.A. is supposed to be a down-home parody of Dinosaur. The whole area is meant to look like a roadside carnival that just pulled up and was never torn down.
9. These Totem Poles Were Originally Found in Camp Mickey 
Before Camp Mickey Minnie was closed for whats now Pandora — The World of Avatar, these totem poles lined the entrance walkway into the area. Now they're located inside Tiffins restaurant. Each pole was hand carved in Bali and are covered with detailed animals, much like the Tree of Life.
10. Tiffins and Nomad Lounge Is The Place To Go For Weary Travelers 
When you translate the word "tiffin," it means a type of meal, usually lunch, or the item to carry food in. At Tiffins, the idea is that you're a traveler who needs a break and something to eat. Around the restaurant and bar, the animals that decorate it are all traveling animals or animals that carry riders and supplies.
