New Animal Carvings Bring Tree of Life to Guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park

Hi everyone!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom has added beautiful new carvings to the “roots” of the Tree of Life, letting guests enjoy the tree in a new way – up close and personal.

We don’t visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom nearly enough, but that will change as more is unveiled around the park over the next couple of years. The day was gorgeous!

Walls are still up along the walk to the Tree of Life.

This was my first view of the carvings – the elephant that almost looks like a bridge between other animals. The details are exquisite, and we enjoyed looking for the different animals that can be found here.

The elephant is on the left, a lizard on the right. I almost completely missed the bird (a macaw?) that is in between them at first.

The elephant’s trunk meets a wing.

Antlers rise from this carving.

Check out our video of the carvings, and then keep reading below!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom park opened in 1998, and I still remember seeing the Tree of Life for the first time in a preview a few days prior to opening. The park has changed some over the years, but it has taken until now for a real expansion.

The Tree of Life is 145 feet tall and features over 300 carvings.

This buffalo is another of my favorite carvings here, but there is so much more to see!

Many of the carvings are not accessible, but the otter and alligator below are seating areas. I took a photo of the otter, then someone sat on it and I didn’t see it again!

The alligator was being used as seating later on as well.

There are plenty of photo opportunities here for guests. We found it much too busy when the park closed, but the middle of the afternoon was a nice time for a photo together. What do you think of the new carvings?

We talk about the Tree of Life additions – and more at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and around the parks, resorts and Disney Cruise Line – on Mousesteps Weekly show #135!