This year is Disney’s Animal Kingdom‘s 20th anniversary on Earth Day, April 22! The park is celebrating with a “Party of the Planet” that will take place between April 22-May 5. During the celebration, guests will have the opportunity to experience special “animal encounters, family-friendly activities, specialty desserts and more.”
Conservation animal-care experts will be interacting with guests to answer questions, and showcasing animals that guests can have “enhanced interactions with.”
What would a Disney celebration be without special PhotoPass opportunities? Of course, during the celebration, PhotoPass will be taking photos – this time guests can select a number of oversized picture frames including a special 20th-anniversary frame, or a frame that supports Disney’s “Reverse the Decline” initiative, which helps “protect 10 threatened animal species.”
Backstage experiences will be offered to guests at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, where they can learn the dietary and nutritional needs of the animals at living at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Guests will also have the opportunity to visit the veterinary hospital. During these experiences, guests can also learn about how Disney is helping the global wildlife conservation.
The Wilderness Explorer program is adding a limited-edition badge, the task to earn the badge has yet to be announced.
There will be six different Tiffins Talks, which will be hosted dinner events by animal experts. The full details on this dinner have yet to be announced, but we will report on them when they are.
Special merchandise will, of course, be available including a limited edition print created by legendary Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde. Joe Rohde will be signing those prints between 1-4 p.m. at Discovery Trading Company.
Shortly after the “Party of the Planet” ends, there will be another celebration on Memorial Day weekend. This will be a “dino-tastic celebration” in DinoLand, U.S.A. Donald Duck will be celebrating that his bird ancestors were once dinosaurs! Special meet-and-greets with Scrooge McDuck, Launchpad McQuack, and more will be available during the celebration!
Stephen "Steve" Porter started going to the parks with his family in 1996. Since then he hasn't looked back! Steve was a cast member participating in the Disney College Program in 2013. Most recently he graduated from Penn State University!
