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Discovery Island Trails

Welcome to Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Exotic animals and beautiful surroundings await you as you enter the park!
Location:Animal Kingdom
Discovery Island
Type of Attraction:Walking nature tour
Height Restrictions:None
Typical Wait Time:None
Is It Scary?Nothing scary here!

Quick Links:

Magical Moments
Hidden Mickeys & Other Secrets
Did You Know…?
Touring Tips
Photo Gallery

As you walk towards the Tree of Life, you’ll find yourself in an exotic maze of lush jungle trails. Scattered throughout you’ll find secluded viewing areas where you can see a variety of exotic animals including macaws, otter, cranes, ring-tailed lemurs, kangaroo, storks, flamingo and ducks. You’ll also find the capybara and the giant Galapagos tortoise.

Magical Moments

  • If you’re an animal lover, this is the place to be! Discovery Island is filled with hidden treasures that most people overlook as they head for the rest of the park. You will often find that once you get off the main pathway you’ll have the animals all to yourself since most people don’t take the time to stop and look around!
  • Nothing else says you’re in Florida quite like pink flamingos! Keep an eye out for them sunning themselves near the water.
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Hidden Mickeys & Other Secrets

  • If you go for a snack in the Pizzafari Restaurant, go in the room past the Nocturnal Room and look for the leopard in the tree. To his right you’ll find a Hidden Mickey in the branches.
  • Look for the fire hydrant in front of the Mercantile Shop, it features an easy-to-find Hidden Mickey.
  • As you walk to the front entrance of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, look down at the pavement. You’ll notice that certain sections of the ground are painted a darker color. When seen from above (or on the park map), this painted section is actually a tree, resembling the Tree of Life. The brown painted sections are the branches and the green parts are the leaves. A similar trick was used to create a giant Hidden Mickey at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
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Did You Know...?

  • The capybara is the largest living rodent in existence.
  • The Galápagos tortoise has an estimated life expectancy of 100 to 150 years.
  • In the event of a rare Florida frost, the Animal Kingdom will use heaters to maintain the tropical environments of some of the plants.
  • Some of the trees scattered throughout the exhibits are not what they appear to be, they’re actually feeders for the animals!
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Touring Tips

  • Most people rush right through the Discovery Island Trails, thinking they’re just a non-important area that they need to pass through on the way to the Animal Kingdom proper. Take the time to explore as you wander through. The Discovery Island Trails are actually an attraction in their own right, with lots of pathways to navigate and animal habitats to discover.
  • Even though all of the pathways lead to the same place, it’s easy for your party to get separated (especially if someone gets distracted and falls behind). Be sure to keep your group together!
  • Here is a list of some of the animals you’ll find during your exploration of Discovery Island:African Spoonbill
    Babirusa
    Bahama Pintail
    Black Neck Swan
    Bronze-winged Duck
    Bufflehead
    Chiloe Wigeon
    Florida Cooter
    Giant Anteater
    Hooded Merganser
    Hyacinth Macaw
    Indian Spotbill
    Javan Tree Duck
    Mandarin Duck
    Military Macaw
    Patagonian Cavy
    Puna Teal
    Radjah Shelduck
    Reeves’ Muntjac
    Rhinoceros Iguana
    Ringed Teal
    Rosybill Pochard
    Ruddy Duck
    Scarlet Macaw
    Sharpe-winged Teal
    Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
    Swamp Wallaby
    Tufted Deer
    Two-toed Sloth
    Yellow-bellied Sliders
    White Ibis
  • You can tour anytime of day.
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Photo Gallery

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