“Disney’s Animal Kingdom––it’s many, many things, but remember, it’s… Nāhtāzū!”

Today marks the 22nd anniversary of arguably the most relaxing park in Walt Disney World Resort, and one I’m looking to escape to as soon as phased park re-openings begin. Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened on April 22, 1998, a date that appropriately coincides with Earth Day. Since then, guests have flocked to the park to trek its vast, immersive jungle trails, take in the lush, open-air spaces, and more recently, learn all about Na’vi culture (and soar on the back of a banshee) in Pandora – The World of AVATAR. While some fans have downgraded Disney’s Animal Kingdom as being a half-day park, it definitely holds its own in terms of uniqueness… after all, it’s nāhtāzū. Today, we’re going through some of the extinct attractions, animatronics, and ad spots for Disney’s Animal Kingdom throughout its 22-year legacy.

We start off our anniversary tour with one of my favorite ad campaigns by Disney. This Nāhtāzū ad was released in 2001 in response to negative feedback shortly after the park’s grand opening. While the park did feature animal exhibits, it wanted to highlight its other offerings, such as its many shows, attractions, and knowledgeable cultural representatives. You can check out the full commercial in the video above, including the actual storyboards sketched out by Mark Simon.

Phonetically, the made-up term Nāhtāzū was simply meant to sound like “not a zoo”, and the commercial was in regular rotation on the Travel Channel, which is where I routinely scoped out any Disney Parks specials growing up. Ask any ’90s kid-turned-Disney-fan about Nāhtāzū and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about.

Tarzan Rocks! at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (2006)

Tarzan Rocks! was a musical show that took place in the Theater in the Wild at Disney’s Animal Kingdom from 1999 to 2006. The high-energy live rock concert retold the film through a series of acrobatics, skating stunts, and rock music numbers featuring music by Phil Collins like “Two Worlds”, “Son of Man”, and “Strangers Like Me”. Characters like Tarzan, Jane, and Terk also made appearances throughout the show.

Final Farewell Performance of Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade Disney’s Animal Kingdom (2014)

Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade was a daily parade at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, debuting on October 1, 2001 with the start of Walt Disney World’s “100 Years of Magic” celebration. It had its final performance on May 31, 2014, and you can catch that very last performance in the video above.

Flights of Wonder at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (2006)

Flights of Wonder, a guest favorite show in Asia, opened in April 1998 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The show featured an entertaining and informative bird trainer who welcomed guests to a mystical place. With “help” from Guano Joe or Jane—the amusing explorer who feared birds more than a bit—the trainer went over the fascinating natural behaviors and often humorous talents of at least 20 species of exotic birds over the course of the show. Flights of Wonder ended in 2017, replaced by the UP! A Great Bird Adventure show.

Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (2006)

Finally, we have Kilimanjaro Safaris. Some of our younger readers might think––“Wait, isn’t this still at the park?” Well, it is, but it used to be a slightly different version when the park first opened. (And no, I’m not talking about the shoehorned Lion King 25th Anniversary spiel from last year.) The attraction used to feature a heavier emphasis on the dangers of poaching. Before the park even opened, early test audiences were subjected to the “dead body” of Big Red the elephant at the end of the ride. The elephant was said to have been killed by the poachers and sent a very strong message to guests, so it was removed.

The finale scene was then adapted to only feature the animatronic baby elephant (“Little Red”) safely hidden behind inside the back of a truck (with Big Red’s fate a bit more ambiguous), however the payoff wasn’t nearly enough to justify it. Various characters and narration changes were made over the years as the attraction could never really find an identity after the poacher story collapsed. Ultimately, the remains of the underlying poacher backstory were removed in 2012, which was generally considered a positive change given that more animals, like zebras, finally got a chance in the spotlight, giving the ride an overall more relaxed atmosphere.

So, what’s your favorite extinct attraction or show from Disney’s Animal Kingdom? How are you celebrating the park’s 22nd anniversary? Whether it’s scrolling through Joe Rohde’s Instagram tours, or bemoaning the loss of the would-be Beastly Kingdom, remember… it’s Nāhtāzū!

Featured Image: (Little Red) meeko_ on Flickr