by Beth Keating
Lifestyle
DisneyBizJournal.com
August 3, 2023
On a recent trip to Disney, we found ourselves facing longer than usual wait times at a number of our favorite rides. It was a hot and humid day, and we just weren’t feeling it in terms of standing in a 60+ minute line, and as annual passholders, we generally don’t spring for the cost of Genie+, because if we don’t ride this time, we’ll try it another day. Shelling out up to $30 for Genie+ just doesn’t make sense for us, unless we have out-of-town guests with us who are trying to squeeze every last drop of the fun out of a park day.
We have found, though, that forgoing Genie+ forces us to slow down and explore some of the other offerings the parks have on tap. At Animal Kingdom, we’ve taken the train over to the Affection Section at Rafiki’s Planet Watch to pet the goats; slipped into a drawing class at the Animation Experience at Conservation Station; and spent time exploring the pathways of Discovery Island, where there were far more creatures lurking about than we’d seen before. We even watched the animal caregivers taking care of some of the critters along the way.
Perhaps one of the most relaxing discoveries, though, was strolling through the Tree of Life Garden, the meandering byways that take you below the branches of the Tree of Life. (The entrance to the pathways is near Creature Comforts.)
Most guests have certainly spared a glance for the Tree; after all, it is the most recognizable icon of the park, drawing you in toward the center of Animal Kingdom. More than a few PhotoPass photographers are positioned in front of the Tree, waiting for guests to take some truly memorable family photos.
If I had to guess, though, it’s a good probability that most visitors never venture into the winding paths below the Tree of Life to take a closer look at the artistry carved into the bark of the tree. (We’ve rarely encountered more than 2 or 3 travelers on our explorations.) If you’ve ventured into the theater nestled into the subterranean root system of the tree to catch the It’s Tough to be a Bug! show, you might have caught a glimpse of a few of the creatures silhouetted on the bark of the tree, but many people heading into this 8-minute, 3-D movie starring Flik and Hopper from A Bug's Life probably race on by the carvings to get into the cooled theater to wear their bug’s eye glasses.
At 145 feet tall, the massive tree looks real, but it is actually made from the skeleton of an oil rig, built to withstand the rigors of Florida’s hurricane season. Ten artisans worked to carve over 300 animals into the shell of the tree, sometimes having as little as six hours to carve their artwork before the plaster hardened. It took 18 months to get all the critters where they needed to be. The trails coil around the base of the tree, allowing guests a close-up view of the animal carvings, and sometimes even a glimpse and a splash from a cooling waterfall. The 8,000 branches support leaves in five different shades of green to help give the tree its realistic appearance.
It is well worth the investment of time to slow down and take a closer peek at these works of art. Along the way, you’ll also be treated to a variety of live animal habitats, including lemurs, flamingos, kangaroos and Galapagos tortoises. We even unexpectedly came across a hidden character meet-and-greet location one day, with no one on line, so we were able to spend as much time with the characters as we wanted.
Among the animal carvings are eagles, giraffes, ants, lions, elephants, gazelle and more. Search for your favorites, or make a game of finding David Greybeard, the chimpanzee named after primatologist and researcher Dr. Jane Goodall’s favorite chimp. (She was there when Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, and David was added to the tree in her honor.) Here’s a hint if you are having trouble locating him: You’ll have to make your way down to the theater to find David.
As is always the case with Disney, the Tree of Life has its own backstory. The story starts with a small ant (you can find him by peeking through the viewing holes toward the bottom of the tree), and that little ant planted the original seed for the Tree of Life. He hoped to grow a tree that would welcome more animals to the land, giving them a safe place to shelter.
As he planted the seed, he made a wish that more animals would come. The Tree of Life began to grow tall and strong, providing a cool oasis, and soon animals began gathering at the nearby water. As the animals bent over to drink, their reflections bounced onto the tree, magically leaving their images behind.
If you are lucky enough to be at the park during the time of year where it gets dark before the park closes for the evening, you’ll also be treated to “Tree of Life: Awakenings,” a beautiful and colorful rendering of short stories projected onto the trunk of the tree. And not a bad way to end a relaxing park day.
Photos courtesy of Beth and Jonathan Keating
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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.
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