Inspired by the fictional tree of the same name, the Tree of Life features approximately 325 carvings of existing and extinct animal species carved on its trunk and surrounding roots.
Engineered from a refitted oil platform and based on the natural forms of baobab trees, the Tree of Life is located on Discovery Island, roughly in the center of the park. Its leaves are made out of kynar.[2] At the structure's interior base is a 400-seat arena that hosts It's Tough to Be a Bug!, a 3-D film attraction based on A Bug's Life.
When the park opened, the Imagineers wrote this fairy tale to explain the tree's origins:
One day, our vegetation would grow on Discovery Island. There were trees, shrubs, flowers, and birds. It was a barren piece of land. Then, one day, a tiny ant planted a seed and made a wish. He asked for a tree to grow ― a tree large enough to provide shelter for all the animals.
Magically, the ant's wish came true and a tree began to grow ― and it kept growing until there was room beneath its limbs for all the animal alphabet from A is for (ant) to Z is for (zebra). And as the tree continued to reach for the heavens, the images of all the animal alphabet that took shelter beneath its shade appeared on its trunk, roots, and branches.
This original ant can be spotted through a knothole hidden along the paths around the tree.
Tree of Life Awakens[]
The Tree of Life Awakens is a series of projection mapping shows that debuted on May 27, 2016, as part of the park's new nighttime operating hours.[3] A media preview of the show was presented on April 19, 2016.[4] Four presentations are featured throughout the evening, which has been named on a soundtrack release:
Journey: A playful deer and a watchful hawk.
Rendezvous: A hummingbird and flowers.
Gift Giver: A red fox in a winter setting.
Jungle Jam: A bald eagle and a colorful peacock in a combined forest, desert, and river setting.
In addition to the four shows, the tree's animals will also occasionally combine.
In 2019 to promote the photo-realistic remake of The Lion King, a new Lion King show was added to the lineup. This was followed by a series of holiday segments and a special New Year's Eve countdown presentation hosted by the shamans from the original version of Rivers of Light.
The Tree of Life is topped with more than 103,000 translucent, five-shades-of-green leaves that were individually placed and actually blow in the wind.
The carving of David Greybeard, the famous chimp studied by Jane Goodall, was added late in construction by her request, as she had asked if a Chimpanzee was featured on the Tree. Placed at the entrance to the It's Tough to Be a Bug! theater, a plaque accompanying the sculpture tells the chimp's story.
A show was originally meant to be hosted up in the tree's canopy, before being replaced with It's Tough to Be a Bug underneath its roots.
As both trees were designed as massive baobabs, the Tree of Life name was adopted for use as a name of Rafiki's Ancient Tree in some of the menus for the 2003 Platinum DVD release of The Lion King.
Another Tree of Life is featured in the 3rd season of The Lion Guard. In this series, animals from all over the world come there for protection, and sick and injured ones go there to be healed. After Kion was badly scarred by Ushari and Ono damages his eyes while saving Bunga from falling into the volcano in "Battle for the Pride Lands", the Lion Guard's mission was to journey there and help heal them. Kion and Rani would become king and queen of this Tree of Life
2021 Concept Art for a new look of Tree of Life's Beacon of Magic at the World's Most Magical Celebration in Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary celebration.
↑Wright, Alex (2007). The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World. New York: Disney Editions, page 35–39. ISBN 978-14231-0320-2.
↑Malmberg, Melody (1998). The Making of Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. New York: Hyperion Books, page 38–40. ISBN 0-7868-6402-8.
Camp Minnie-Mickey (Pocahontas and her Forest Friends) • Dinosaur Jubilee • Journey into the Jungle Book • Tarzan Rocks! • The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic
Sequel:Where Do I Go from Here? • What a Day in London • Wait 'Till He Sees You • Things Are Not What They Appear • Between Two Worlds Deleted:Different Drummer • First To Dance • In the Middle of the River
Entertainment:Rivers of Light: We Are One Fireworks:Momentous • Tree of Life Awakens • Wondrous Journeys Spring:Disney's Easter Wonderland • Hippity Hoppity Springtime • Usatama on the Run! Halloween:Mickey's Halloween Celebration • Re-Villains! Halloween Parade Christmas: Disney's White Holiday Parade
Dinosaur • Disney's DinosaurDisney's Wonderful World of Reading • Dinosaur Activity Center • Dinosaur Song Factory • Dinosaur: The Essential Guide • Video
Musical:Who Better than Me • No Other Way • I Need to Know • Sure as Sun Turns to Moon • Waiting for this Moment • Different • Like No Man I've Ever Seen • For the First Time • Everything that I Am
Locations
Africa • Jungle • Pellucidar • Dark Mountain • Skull Cave
Video Games:Finding Nemo • Finding Nemo: The Continuing Adventures • Finding Nemo: Escape to the Big Blue • Disney Universe • Nemo's Reef • Finding Dory: Just Keep Swimming • Disney Crossy Road • Disney INFINITY: 3.0 Edition • Disney Emoji Blitz Soundtrack:: Finding Nemo • Finding Dory • Finding Nemo - The Musical Books:Little Golden Book • Disney's Wonderful World of Reading • Big Golden Book • The Art of Finding Nemo • The Art of Finding Dory
Nemo Egg • Let's Name the Species • Just Keep Swimming • Beyond the Sea • O, We're Going Home • What a Wonderful World • Unforgettable • In The Big Blue World • Go With the Flow
Shows:Jungle Cubs Video Games:The Jungle Book • The Jungle Book Groove Party • The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Wild Adventure • The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Run • Disney Classic Games Collection Books:The Strength of the Wolf is the Pack • More Jungle Book... Further Adventures of Baloo and Mowgli
Deleted characters:Tabaqui Sequel:Ranjan • Ranjan's Father • Messua • Shanti's Mother • Lucky • Wargs Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book:Grey Brother • Nathoo • Kitty Brydon • Colonel Geoffrey Brydon • Sergeant Claibourne • Dr. Julius Plumford • William Boone • Sergeant Harley • Buldeo • Tabaqui • Lt. John Wilkins • Indian Bandits • Alice, Rose, and Margaret Jungle Cubs:Arthur and Cecil • The Croc • Mahra • Benny and Clyde • Ned, Jed & Fred • Mungo • Leah • Cain • Dholes • Winifred's Uncle • McCoy • Dictator Turtle • Whitehood House of Mouse:King Larry
Locations
Jungle • Ancient Ruins • Man Village • India • Asia
Episodes
Season One: "A Night in the Wasteland" • "How the Panther Lost His Roar/The Humans Must Be Crazy" • "Hathi Meets His Match/Buffaloed" • "Mondo Mungo/Bare Necessities" • "Who Wants to Be a Baboon?" • "Red Dogs" • "The Great Kaadini" • "Hulla Baloo/Shere Bliss" • "Treasure of the Middle Jungle" • "Feather Brains/Benny & Clyde" • "Splendor in the Mud" • "Trouble in the Jungle/Fool Me Once..." • "The Coming of the Wolves"
Season Two: "The Ape Who Would Be King" • "Trunks for the Memories/Kasaba Ball" • "Hathi's Makeover/Curse of the Magnificent Melon" • "The Five Bananas/Birthday Snake" • "Old Green Teeth/The Elephant Who Couldn't Say No" • "Hair Ball/A Tale of Two Tails" • "Waiting for Baloo/Tree for Two" • "Nice Tiger/Sleepless in the Jungle"
More Jungle Book: "Baloo's Blues" • "Jungle Fever" • "If You Wanna See Some Strange Behavior (Take a Look at Man)" • "It's a Kick" Jungle Cubs: "Take Your Sweet, Sweet Time" • "Jungle Cub Love" • "Everything's Gonna Be Right with the World" The Jungle Book Groove Party: "The Jungle's No Place for a Boy" • "Join the Ranks" • "Go Bananas in the Coconut Tree" • "A Mood for Food" • "We Are the Vultures" • "Run" • "A Brand New Day" Sequel: "The Jungle Rhythm" • "W-I-L-D" • "Right Where I Belong" Deleted: "Brothers All" • "The Song of the Seeonee" • "Monkey See, Monkey Do" • "I Knew I Belonged to Her" • "In A Day's Work" • "The Mighty Hunters" • "I've Got You Beat" • "Braver"
Television:Find Out Why • Timon & Pumbaa • Timon and Pumbaa's Wild About Safety • The Lion Guard • It's UnBungalievable! Soundtracks:The Lion King • Rhythm of the Pride Lands • The Legacy Collection • The Lion King Collection • Return to Pride Rock: Songs Inspired by Disney's The Lion King II: Simba's Pride • Best of the Lion King • The Lion King 1½: Songs from Timon and Pumbaa's Hilarious Adventure • Original Broadway Cast Recording • Festival of the Lion King • The Legend of the Lion King • The Lion Guard • The Lion King (2019 film) • The Lion King & Jungle Festival: Rhythms of the Pride Lands Video games:The Lion King • Timon and Pumbaa's Jungle Games • The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure • Kingdom Hearts II • Animated Storybook: The Lion King • Disney Universe • Disney Infinity: 2.0 Edition • Adventures in Typing with Timon and Pumbaa • Activity Center • The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride: Active Play • The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride GameBreak • The Lion King 1½ • Disney Crossy Road • Disney Emoji Blitz • Disney Heroes: Battle Mode • Kingdom Hearts III • Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King • Disney Classic Games Collection • The Lion King: Operation Pridelands Books:Marvel Comics • The Art and Making of The Lion King • The Lion Guard: Can't Wait to be Queen Cancelled projects:The Lion Guard: Hear Me Roar! • The Lion King Family Tree
Season One: "Boara Boara" • "Saskatchewan Catch" • "Kenya Be My Friend?" • "Good Mousekeeping" • "Brazil Nuts" • "South Sea Sick" • "Never Everglades" • "Cooked Goose" • "Yukon Con" • "Doubt of Africa" • "How to Beat the High Costa Rica" • "Swiss Missed" • "Russia Hour" • "You Ghana Join the Club" • "Uganda Be an Elephant" • "To Kilimanjaro Bird" • "Rocky Mountain Lie" • "Amazon Quiver" • "French Fried" • "Big Top Breakfast" • "Madagascar About You" • "Truth or Zaire" • "Mojave Desserted" • "Beauty and the Wildebeest" • "Don't Break the China" • "Can't Take a Yolk" • "The Pain in Spain" • "Frantic Atlantic" • "Unlucky in Lesotho" • "Rafiki's Apprentice" • "Tanzania Zany" • "Guatemala Malarkey" • "Mombasa-In-Law" • "TV Dinner" • "Back Out in the Outback" • "Gabon with the Wind" • "Timon's Time Togo" • "The Law of the Jungle" • "Manhattan Mishap" • "Paraguay Parable" • "Be More Pacific" • "Going Uruguay" • "Let's Serengeti Out of Here" • "Congo on Like This" • "Okay Bayou?" • "Shake Your Djibouti" • "Yosemite Remedy" • "The Sky is Calling" • "Mozam-Beaked" • "Ocean Commotion" Season Two: "Palm Beached" • "Jamaica Mistake?" • "Oregon Astray" • "New Guinea Pig" • "Isle of Manhood" • "Puttin' on the Brits" • "Klondike Con" • "Isle Find Out" • "Beetle Romania" • "Rumble in the Jungle" • "Wide Awake in Wonderland" • "Zazu's Off-by-One Day" • "Animal Barn" • "Roach Hotel" • "Africa-Dabra!" • "I Don't Bolivia" • "Shopping Mauled" • "Library Brouhaha" • "Catch Me if You Kenya" • "Scent of the South" • "Monster Massachusetts" • "Handle with Caribbean" • "Forbidden Pumbaa" • "Washington Applesauce" • "Alcatraz Mataz" • "Oahu Wahoo" • "I Think I Canada" • "Zazu's Off Day Off" • "Beast of Eden" • "Sense & Senegambia" • "Timon on the Range" • "The Man from J.U.N.G.L.E." • "Maine-Iacs" • "Fiji-Fi-Fo-Fum" • "Rome Alone" • "Amusement Bark" • "Once Upon a Timon" • "Home is Where the Hog Is" • "Beethoven's Whiff" • "Bumble in the Jungle" • "Mind Over Matterhorn" Season Three: "Whiff" • "To Be Bee or Not to Be Bee" • "Luck Be a Meerkat" • "Just When You Thought You'd Cuisine it All" • "Lemonade Stand Off" • "Big Jungle Game" • "Boo Hoo Bouquet" • "So Sumo Me" • "Now Museum, Now You Don't" • "Visiting Pig-nitaries" • "The Truth About Kats and Hogs" • "Escape from Newark" • "Truth Be Told" • "Circus Jerks" • "Nest Best Thing" • "Super Hog-O" • "Don't Have the Vegas Idea" • "Hot Enough for Ya?" • "Werehog of London" • "Bigfoot, Littlebrain" • "Astro-Nots" • "Robin Hoodwinked" • "Seregenti Western" • "All Pets are Off" • "Two for the Zoo" • "The Swine in the Stone" • "You May Have Already Won Six Million Bakra" • "My Meteor, My Friend" • "Jungle Slickers" • "Don't Wake the Neighbear" • "Recipe for Disaster" • "Going Over-Boar'd" • "Ivy Beleaguered" • "Broadway Bound & Gagged" • "Steel Hog" • "Dealer's Choice Cut" • "Space Ham" • "You Bet Your Tuhkus" • "No-Good Samaritan" • "Living in De Nile" • "One Tough Bug" • "Pirates of Pumbzance" • "Miss Perfect" • "Hakuna Matata U." • "Pig-Malion" • "Why No Rhino" • "War Hogs" • "The Big No Sleep" • "Common Scents" • "Mister Twister" • "Don't Be Elfish" • "Lights, Camera, Traction" • "The Running of the Bullies" • "Special Defects" • "Wishy Washy" • "Ice Escapades" • "Guru-Some" • "Jailhouse Shock" • "Nearly Departed" • "Early Bird Watchers" • "The Spy's the Limit" • "Ready, Aim, Fire" • "Timoncchio" • "Ghost Boosters" • "Stay Away from my Honey!" • "Sitting Pretty Awful" • "He's a Bad, Bad, Bad Sport" • "Dapper Duck Burgers" • "It Runs Good" • "Hot Air Buffoons" • "Timon in Love" • "Kahuna Potato" • "Mook Island" • "Cliphangers"
Timon & Pumbaa:Zazu's Tree • Madame Credenza's Place • Savage Rock • Boss Beaver's Log Land • The Tree of Truth • Dismal Swamp The Lion Guard:Lair of the Lion Guard • Janja's Den • Tree of Life
Instrumental Scores:This Land • Hyenas • ...To Die For • Under the Stars • King of Pride Rock • Didn't Your Mother Tell You Not to Play with Your Food • We are All Connected • Hyenas in the Pride Lands • Elephant Graveyard • I Was Just Trying to Be Brave • Stampede • Mufasa Dies • If You Ever Come Back We'll Kill You • Bowling for Buzzards • We Gotta Bone to Pick With You • Kings of the Past • Nala, is It Really You? • Remember Who You Are • This is My Home • The Rightful King Rhythm of the Pride Lands:The Lion Sleeps Tonight • Kube • Lea Halalela • It's Time • Lala • Busa • Noyana The Lion King II: Simba's Pride:He Lives in You • We Are One • My Lullaby • Upendi • One of Us • Love Will Find a Way The Lion King 1½:Digga Tunnah • That's All I Need • Sunrise, Sunset • Grazing in the Grass Musical:Lioness Hunt • Rafiki Mourns • One by One • Grasslands Chant • Chow Down • The Madness of King Scar • Shadowland • Endless Night • Simba Confronts Scar Timon & Pumbaa:The Lion Sleeps Tonight • Alone Together • Stand by Me • Yummy Yummy Yummy The Lion Guard:Call of the Guard • A Beautiful Day (Ni Siku Nzuri) • Zuka Zama • Tonight We Strike • Kion's Lament • It is Time • Here Comes the Lion Guard • We're the Same (Sisi Ni Sawa) • Don't Make a Stink • Bunga the Wise • Duties of the King • Outta the Way • Jackal Style • Our Kupatana Community • My Own Way • Utamu • All Hail The Vultures • Hero Inside • Bird of a Thousand Voices • Panic and Run • Trail to Hope • Life in the Pride Lands • We'll Make You a Meal • Find Your Roar • Chungu's Lament • Baboons • Beware of the Zimwi • Lions Over All • Stand Up, Stand Out • Kuishi Ni Kucheka • Running with the King • Hadithi the Hero • Makin' Hippo Lanes • Tickbirds and Rhinos • Teke Ruka Teleza • Everyone is Welcome • The Traveling Baboon Show • A Real Meal • Fujo • The Path of Honor • Bring Back a Legend • Today is my Day • I Have A Plan • Gotta Look on the Bright Side • The Worst Hyena We Know • May There Be Peace • Big Bad Kenge • Christmas in the Pride Lands • The Twelve Ways of Christmas • I Do Have a Great Deal to Say • Fabulous Dhahabu • Give a Little Guy a Chance • We're the Smartest • Good King Simba • The Faster I Go • I'm Gonna Run This Dump • Now You See Me, Now You Don't • Wisdom on the Walls • He's The Zebra Mastermind • Kwetu Ni Kwetu • Nothin' to Fear Down Here • Shujaa Ponda • Pride Landers Unite! • Prance With Me • Tujiinue • Height and Sight • We Will Defend • A New Way to Go • On the Last Night • When I Led the Guard • The Tree of Life • Home of a Snow Monkey's Dreams • Ghost of the Mountain • Anything • That's the Dolphin Way • As You Move Forward • Flamingo Dance Party • You Best Not Mess With Mama • Friends to the End • Kion's Reckoning • Welcome to the Tree of Life • Who is Better Than Who • Poa the Destroyer • Long Live the Queen • Remember What Makes You You • The Power of the Roar • Of the Same Pride • As You Move On Remake:Life's Not Fair • Rafiki's Fireflies • Scar Takes the Throne • Simba is Alive! • Reflections of Mufasa • Spirit • Battle for Pride Rock • Remember • Never Too Late • Mbube Deleted:To Be King • Warthog Rhapsody • The Lion of the Moon • Old Fearless Buzz • The Madness of King Scar • Where Do I Belong Miscellaneous:Safety Smart
