Encircled by Discovery River, this lush green island is your magical departure point for excursions into the different Lands of Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.
The hub of the park is Discovery Island, home to a colorful Safari Village where animal inspired art is everywhere. As you emerge from the wilds of the Oasis and cross the bridge to the island the view ahead is dominated by the Tree of Life — paths run around the tree on either side leading to bridges to the park’s other lands.
Attractions
- The Tree of Life. Dominating Discovery Island is this giant, 145 ft. high tree, the icon of Animal Kingdom. It looks something like an outsized banyan tree but, up close, you begin to see the unusual details — this tree is completely carved into interlocking animal shapes with more than 325 different images. You could spend hours discovering them all.
- Discovery Island Trails. Meandering around the base of the Tree of Life are trails with several of their own animal enclosures to see.
- It’s Tough to be a Bug. What’s inside the big tree? What else? Bugs! Flik, the star of A Bug’s Life, hosts this entertaining look at the insect world. Termites, dung beetles, and a rather aromatic stinkbug show their stuff in this 8-minute 3-D movie with in-theater effects that include Hopper, the ant threatening, human hating grasshopper. Guests with bug phobias, as well as small children who are afraid of the dark, should skip this one.
