Walt Disney Adventures: Part I (Page 2 of 3)


  Bengal Tiger resting amongst the western Asian ruins: above. Komodo Dragon just around the corner: below.





  The Tree of Life was the first exhibit built in the Animal Kingdom theme park. More than just the replication of a gigantic tree, the Tree of Life is a steel and concrete sculpture, with the detailed reliefs of a variety of animals formed and carved from the concrete skin by very talented artists, and laminated with special resins, to resemble wood carvings of the multitudes of creatures that inhabit our Earth. These special resins give the exterior of the "Tree" a brown complexion and the intricate detail of the animals of the land, the air and the sea, give this composite sculpture the look of bark. The 145' tall "Tree" serves as an anchor at the center of Animal Kingdom, just as it is anchored into the good soil of a former Orange Grove. At the core of the "Tree" is the structure of an oil rig, that is fixed so deep below ground level, that the Tree of Life can withstand the winds of a category four hurricane, and yet, still provide enough space below ground to house a theater in its base. This theater can seat over 300 folks to enjoy the performance of crowd favorite "It's Tough to be a Bug."



  As we made our way toward the Africa Exhibition, after leaving the Tree of Life, the flora began to rise up and darken our pathway, until it appeared that we would become entangled in the living jungle. And then, I noticed its movement: humanlike, but yet, more like a tree, still moving toward us.

  It was eleven feet tall, mostly shades of green and the colours of other living matter, and moving toward us, and in a moment, it was past us. The jungle was expanding now, less restrictive, oppressive, and then we walked through a misting fog and into an African Village.



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    This article provided courtesy of our sister site: Better Travelers Now