Status Updates From The Making of Disney's Anim...

Don't underestimate the money, land, and resources that Disney has contributed through its Disney Conservation Fund. Sure, there may be some self-serving benefit, but that's worth it in the light of the good they do.

Interesting fact - there was going to be another walking trail among animals - the Cretaceous Trail - that would have survivors of the dinosaur era, like Chinese alligators.

There IS a Cretaceous Trail near the Dinosaur attraction, but it is just a garden path (albeit featuring plants from that era) that sometimes has character meet-and-greets.

Gino! This section had a nice write-up of the gorillas, and it was nice to see that Gino was the patriarch of this gorilla family from the beginning. Seeing him and his family is always a treat at Animal Kingdom. Previously, he was at the Lincoln Park Zoo and accustomed to living mostly indoors. The AK provided a much better habitat for the rest of his life.

On to chapters describing the design, landscaping, and construction of the park. This has me back to full engagement, as the previous chapters were about the zoological aspects of the projects and care of the animals. I am not an animal lover, so it's ironic that AK is my favorite park at WDW. But I love the atmosphere and messages of the park, and I am immersed in the story now.

With the project green-lit, the book addresses how the animals would be collected and curated. The majority of the animals at the outset would be captive-born, and likely remain that way; although they have secured some rights to bring in wild-caught animals.

Interesting that Disney switched its focus from preparing for wild-caught animals to putting conservation teams out into the world to serve those in the wild

A good look at some of the research and preparation necessary to create Animal Kingdom. Includes a legendary story where Eisner and Wells were unsure whether live animals would be thrilling enough for guests. So a board meeting was called and as Joe Rohde read his summary of their plans, a colleague walked a live adult tiger around the boardroom, silently. The executives were so unnerved that they saw the point.