Legend of the Tree of Life

Myths and stories involving a Tree of Life have played a role in many cultures for thousands of years (most recently at the heart of Disney's Animal Kingdom park itself). In most of these legends, the tree is a symbol for the idea that all living things are connected.

Along the ruined walls of the ancient Tomb of Anantah in Anandapur's Royal Forest is a series of bas relief sculptures, depicting a tale of the Tree of Life. In the first panel (above), the Tree draws life to it and supports that life in harmonious balance. In the next panel, however, Man cuts down the Tree, upsetting that balance.

God unleashes the power of the Heavens to strike down Man, teaching him a lesson.

Finally, Man replants the Tree and learns to live in harmony with nature.

Legend has it that the man in the version of the myth depicted here was Anantah himself, founding ruler of Anandapur. He has passed what he learned down through the generations of Anandapuris, teaching them a reverence for the natural world.

By Special Request

Renowned primatologist and researcher Jane Goodall has been a supporter of Disney's Animal Kingdom and a friend to the Animal Programs staff there since before the park opened. During a construction tour of the park, she inquired of Animal Programs Director Rick Barongi if there was an image of a chimpanzee on the Tree of Life. He said he would have to check.

When Barongi checked with Chief Sculptor Zsolt Hormay, he discovered that there was no chimp planned for the tree. Within a week, though, that all changed. Hormay and one of his team, Fabrice Kennel, created a sculpture of one of Jane Goodall's most famous subjects, David Greybeard.

They placed the chimp at eye level, right at the entrance of the It's Tough to be a Bug attraction, and proudly presented it to her upon her next visit to the park.

The plaque placed alongside the sculpture reads as follows:

In 1960, wildlife researcher Jane Goodall observed a wild

chimpanzee as it carefully stripped a stick of its leaves and

inserted it into a mound to fish for termites.

This discovery that non-humans could create tools opened a

door to a previously unknown world of animal intelligence

and inspired Jane Goodall's life-long commitment

to understanding these complex, amazing primates.

To honor Jane Goodall, this likeness of the chimpanzee

she called David Greybeard was created in the

Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Sculpture Garden

While the story of Discovery Island and the Tree of Life may be that the Tree naturally grew in this place, the animal forms emerging organically from its bark, the reality is even more spectacular. The 14-story park icon is an engineering marvel and one of the largest works of sculpture ever created.

Imagineering Senior Show Production Designer and Chief Sculptor Zsolt Hormay assembled a team of artists who worked for nearly a year to create the hundreds of animals seen on and around the Tree. Views of the Tree and their work can be had from locations all around Discovery Island and neighboring bridges and paths, but some of the best sights are in one of the least visited spots: The Tree of Life Garden.

The Garden is actually a pair of paths. One leads from near the entrance to the queue for "It's Tough to be a Bug" and snakes back toward the temporary tattoo stand near Pizzafari. The other runs along the back side of the Tree, from Creature Comforts to Beastly Bazaar. These paths provide dramatic views of the Tree of Life, surprising encounters with unique animals, and a chance to really appreciate some of the spectacular animal sculptures created by the Imagineering artists:

Take your time and look closely. In some views, one animal clearly stands out, but deeper inspection reveals other creatures subtly woven into the folds of the Tree.

Nearly every variety of animal life is represented here: mammals, birds, insects, sea creatures:

The queue area for "It's Tough to be a Bug" takes Guests down into the root system of the Tree, giving the impression of shrinking to the size of an ant. Along the way, we discover bugs depicted in the bark. At one point, the path of the queue even takes us under the Tree. Here we find one of the coolest discoveries of all... extinct animals. Dinosaurs...

So the next time you visit Disney's Animal Kingdom, spend some time exploring the Tree of Life. The Tree and its Gardens may not be listed as attractions on the Guide Map, but they can be every bit as fascinating and enjoyable as a trip on Kilimanjaro Safaris or a jaunt down the Kali River.

The Art of the Ancients

The majestic Tree of Life stands at the center of Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. It also happens to be the central element in the story of the area in which it's found - Discovery Island.

Discovery Island is populated by a village of people who share a love for all forms of animal life on Earth. As the story goes, these people are the modern descendants of an ancient, nomadic tribe. For centuries, the tribe moved from one place to the next, until one day they came upon this Tree. They were awed by the sheer magnitude of the Tree, but as they moved closer, they found inspiration in the forms they discovered among its gnarled trunk and branches.

The Tree had an almost magical quality to it. It seemed to radiate with life. The tribe knew instinctively that they had come home. They settled on this island, around the base of the Tree, and built a community in harmony with nature.

Inspired by the forms on the Tree and the diversity of wildlife around them, the ancient settlers began creating their own works of art, stylized interpretations of the animals they had come to love. This tradition continues today, as the entire village on Discovery Island has become an artistic treasure. The modern-day residents here clearly favor color and whimsy in their art. Look around the island, though, and you can still find examples created by their ancient relatives.

Let the Adventure Begin

When it opened in 1998, Disney's Animal Kingdom was billed as "A New Species of Theme Park." It certainly lives up to that. From the very beginning, the park was designed to give Walt Disney World Guests a different experience from that offered in the other, more traditional Disney Parks. The Imagineers wanted Guests to become immersed in the park, surrounded by a world of animals and completely removed from the outside world.

The experience starts in the parking lot. Here, though, we are presented with exactly what we expect: barren concrete and plain grass medians. It's important that this area be wide open. We are meant to be surrounded by cars, buses and trams - creations of the human world.

As we get closer to the entrance plaza, things start to change very subtly. In the distance, we can see an immense forest. The pavement at our feet starts to become more interesting. There's color and the hint of swaying branches, leading us forward. There's architecture here, too, bold and out front. On the faces of the structures are images of animals created by human hands, but we still don't see real animals. We are definitely still in a theme park environment we expect.

Just past the ticket booths, as we approach the turnstiles, things really start to change. The architectural style chosen for this area is Craftsman, for its earth-tone colors and use of natural materials. Notice, though, how the tree in the foreground is contained in a planter, but just beyond we see that nature is breaking free and growing up and around the side of the building, completely enveloping it.

Once through the turnstiles, there are no planters at all. We are in a natural environment, where the "dirt" paths brush right up against the vegetation:

There are one or two small structures, then nothing but trees - an oasis of nature in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Walt Disney World. Here is where Disney's Animal Kingdom completely breaks from the norm. Instead of being presented with a direct avenue of shops leading to a central icon, our forward march stops. In front of us is pure nature: trees, water, birds, and paths wandering in different directions.

The goal is to get us to slow down, take our time and appreciate the world around us. It's to create a sense of exploration, of discovery. Admittedly, some Guests visiting the park aren't quite as adventurous. For them, directional signs have been added to the area over the years, but their design has been kept subdued so as not to conflict with the surroundings.

Those with a sense of adventure are rewarded here. Sure, the main path up each side of the Oasis ultimately leads to Discovery Island and the rest of the park, but there are many side paths. Along them can be found all sorts of delightful animals (wallabies, rhinoceros iguana, macaws, muntjacs) and a few spectacular surprises like this waterfall:

Or this suspension bridge, leading to a dark and mysterious cave (one of the favorite places for me and my little boys):

Eventually, whether you follow the herd or take the path less traveled, the Oasis opens up to a spectacular view of the Tree of Life. It's still in the distance, inviting us to explore further, but already we feel a sense of accomplishment. Our initial adventure is complete, and we've arrived at this place of wonder and enchantment - a place fully detached from the world of parking lots and bus depots we left behind.