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Tag Archives: Expedition Everest
Best Things I Love About Disney – The Tree Of Life
Talk about an icon!! The Tree of Life is positively the first thing most people think about when Disney’s Animal Kingdom is mentioned. It is not just beautiful but it is an engineering marvel. There is a lot of information available about the Tree of Life but, as usual, I generally find the best information about all things Disney in the Imagineering Field Guides.
A lot of folks (me included) thought that the Tree of Life must have been modeled after a huge noble tree in some exotic locale. In reality, the first inspiration came from a bonsai tree spotted by the Imagineers at the International Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. A tiny piece of gardening art turned into magnificent piece of Imagineering art.
There are gorgeous carvings of animals in the trunk. I have heard varying numbers but the source that seems the most trustworthy places the number at 325. Here are several close ups that demonstrate the beauty of these carvings (not taken with a telephoto) that I took in 2009:
I have more but this demonstrates the sheer beauty of the art work as well as the aim of the tree which seems to be to relate how life is co dependent and meant to interact for survival. I think you will agree that it is truly beautiful.
I know I have said that Animal Kingdom is not my favorite park but there are several things that draw me back, if only for a short time, on each visit to Walt Disney World. This is one of them. Next time you visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom don’t just rush past this icon to get to Expedition Everest, take the time to really look at it. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!
Ken
Related articles
- Best Things I Love About Disney – The Imagineers (chipandco.com)
- New Species at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Emperor Tamarin and Addax (chipandco.com)
Top 10 Disneyworld Attractions that Won’t Make you Lose your Lunch!
Here is the next edition of Top 10 According to Jess:
I am a big thrill seeker. I could ride Splash Mountain all day long, take the trek to the top of Everest every hour on the hour, and spend enough time on Rockin Roller Coaster to make Aerosmith question my sanity. Let’s face it though, there is a lot more to Disney than big thrills and there are some days when a slower pace is just what the Dr. ordered. Here are my top ten attractions that won’t make you lose your lunch!
- Soarin’: This virtual hang glider ride over California is located in the land pavilion at Epcot. The combination of sight, smell, and sensation will leave you breathless!
- Pirates of the Caribbean; This classic ride located in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom will take you through a swash buckling tale that will make everyone in your group smile! You will also be guaranteed to be singing “Yo Ho Yo Ho, a pirate’s life for me” for the rest of the day!
- The Haunted Mansion: Head over to the Magic Kingdoms Liberty Square for this gem. The 999 happy haunts that live in this mansion are always happy to entertain!
- Muppet Vision 3D: This show, located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is one of my favorites. The Muppets never disappoint when it comes to laughter and old school entertainment!
- Kilimanjaro Safari: This scenic ride through the Animal Kingdoms menagerie is so incredibly awesome. Each time you ride it is a little different. You will see elephants, hippos, rhinos, lions, gazelle, giraffes, zebras, and so much more!
- Turtle Talk with Crush: Dude, you need to check this out! Crush from Finding Nemo fame wows audiences in Epcot every day! This interactive show is a must do and a great way to get out of the sun for a bit!
- The Jungle Cruise: This ride is worth going on for the cast members alone. The scripts are hilarious. It is a great way to see some fun animatronics animals while you are entertained with a little stand up comedy!
- Toy Story Mania: Head over to Pixar Place in Hollywood Studios for this adventure through Andy’s room. Play interactive midway style games with your pals from the Toy Story movies.
- Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin: Help Buzz battle the evil emperor Zurg on this ride. Located in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom, This ride is simply a must do!
- Captain EO: This Epcot original is only here with us for a brief engagement! I say, catch it while you can! This 3D feature stars the late great Michael Jackson. It is definitely worth a view!
Related articles
- Top 10 Disneyworld Snacks – According to Jess (chipandco.com)
Best Things I Love About Disney – The Imagineers
The soul of the Disney Company was and continues to be Walter Elias Disney. The heart of the Disney Company has to be the thousands of Cast Members in every division of the company. That brings us to the mind of the company which has to be the Imagineers. These are the people who conceive, research, design, and build the attractions we all know and love.
I think a lot of visitors take the detail involved in putting together an attraction for granted. Believe it or not this is probably exactly what the Imagineers have in mind when they begin their brainstorming for a new or update of an existing attraction. They want the appearance of an attraction on the property or an update to an attraction to be as seamless as possible and cause the minimal inconvenience to the visitors. They do a wonderful job of this.
They are artists, engineers, construction professionals, etc. but they have one thing in common – they think a bit differently than most of us, completely “outside the box.” After watching some interviews with Imagineers and reading about their work I believe that most of them have never even heard of the “box”. Yes, they would consider that statement a compliment. Take Expedition Everest for example, it looks like a single structure but it is actually three structures with the coaster track being the innermost. This had to be done so that the stresses put on the structure by the coaster wouldn’t shake it to pieces. Even with the aid of very powerful computers it took eighteen months just to complete the design phase.
Next time you see an attraction you have never seen before please look at it a bit differently and appreciate the planning, thought, imagination (perhaps that’s why they call them Imagineers), and work that goes into making it what it is. Enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!
Ken
PHOTO BY DISNEY
Disneyworld Quick Tips – Want to avoid the lines?
I was talking about today’s Quick Tip in a previous article I wrote earlier this week in Chip’s Animal Kingdom Touring Plan. If you missed it check it out the article above.
Today’s Quick Tip is perfect for single people, parents, or for couples who don’t mind not riding together.If you pair this trick with a fast pass you could easily squeeze out 3 rides in a matter of minutes.
There are 3 rides that a single rider line is available right now.
- Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Test Track at Epcot
All you have to do is fine the Single Rider Line and wait to be inserted in an open spot. You don’t need to do anything else. Pretty cool huh?
If you have any Tips for avoiding lines let us know in the comment section below.
Disney Pic of the Day – Expedition Everest
Like mountain homes of the Himalayas, the rustic rammed-earth and stacked-stone buildings of the mythical village of Serka Zong sag and buckle under the weight of time. But time cannot erase the beauty of the structures’ intricately carved window frames nor the significance of the symbolic earth-based colors layered upon walls to protect against perceived dark forces.
