The Tree of Life

Including today we have four Monday posts left until our trip. It just so happens that there are four park icons related to Walt Disney World. We will take a look at the those icons in greater detail in the coming weeks. I will, however, be working backwards from when they were built. So we will start with:

Disney's Animal Kingdom. 

The Tree of Life is unique in that it is one of the largest structures that Disney has built that was meant to look like a living tree. They took great lengths to ensure that from every angle the tree looked as authentic as possible. They went so far as to design the structural steel of the branches in bend and sway in a breeze. Unlike other icons in Walt Disney World, you don't actually get your first view of the icon until you get into the park and past the area known as the Oasis. After turning a corner and crossing a bridge, the Tree of Life looms over the park. 
The tree is 14 stories tall and 50 feet wide. It took a team of ten artists and three Imagineers over 18 months to create the 325 animal carvings that cover the trunk. There are over 100,000 artificial leaves on its trunks. The general belief of the breakdown is thus: 45 secondary branches leading to 765 tertiary branches leading to 7,891 end branches. The leaves themselves are over a foot long. They even rustle.
In the trunk of the tree there is a theater showing It's Tough to Be a Bug based on A Bug's Life. The 430 seat theater not only houses the movie screen but several animatronics and in-theater effects such as smoke and water.

Some detail shots:

THIS WEEK IN WDW HISTORY:

1974 - Walt Disney World's Treasure Island opens to the public. It will later be called Discovery Island. 

1983 - Walt Disney World welcomes its 150-millionth Guest. Carrie Stahl. 

1990 - Rock 'n' Roll Beach Club opens in Pleasure Island.

1990 - Cage replaces Videopolis East in Pleasure Island. 

1994 - Michael Eisner assumes the titles of President and Chief Operating Officer of Disney the day after the tragic death of Frank Wells.

1994 - At Epcot, the Stargate fast food facility closes.

1998 - The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) opens in Magic Kingdom.

2001 - Who Wants to be a Millionaire PLAY IT opens at Disney - MGM Studios. 

2006 - George Britton, who has worked on the Walt Disney World Railroad since 1969 (he started the restorations) puts in his last day of work. He is honored with a window on Main Street.

2006 - Expedition Everest officially opens. 

2007 - At Epcot, Gran Fiesta Tour opens replacing El Rio de Tiemp in the Mexico Pavilion.

DAYS UNTIL OUR VACATION: 23