12 Surprising Secrets About Disney World’s Animals!

When you plan your visit to Disney World and want to see animals, most people tend to flock to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but what they don’t realize is that it isn’t the only place where you can find incredible creatures.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, and EPCOT have had conservation efforts in place for taking care of animals large and small for decades while giving us a front-row seat with attractions like Kilimanjaro Safari and Seabase at EPCOT’s The Seas Pavillion. Now, we’re equipping you with a few fun facts about the animals around Walt Disney World.

1. Baby Grace’s Unique Name

If you’re looking to sneak a peek at Grace on your next trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom you can find her at Gorilla Falls Exploration Trails — usually near her mom. But where you can find Grace isn’t what makes her extra special, it’s her name.

She was born in May of 2019 at Animal Kingdom as part of the Species Survival Plan and named after the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education center in the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Get it — G.R.A.C.E.? (cue the lightbulb!) Disney’s Conservation Fund has partnered with GRACE for over 10 years to help rehab and protect gorillas in the wild and we’re fortunate to have her around as a living reminder of their efforts.

2. That’s A Lot of Mouths To Feed

There are around 300 species and 2,000 individual animals to be cared for at Walt Disney World between the parks AND resorts!

Disney Animal Scientists at the Nutrition Center prepare over 1,500 meals for the roaming animals every day. While some of them do eat in groups it still doesn’t take away from the fact that feeding all of these hungry bellies totals over 10,000 pounds of food between Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge. And you thought keeping up with the safari guide at the top of the ride vehicle was tough!

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3. There’s How Many Different Fish Here?

The Seas with Nemo and Friends gives us a great insight into the world through a fishy lens but what’s most impressive about it is something you get to experience at the end of the ride.

As you complete your clamshell exploration, you’re immediately immersed in Seabase which is home to over 60 different species of fish. But that’s not all that call this place home! You’ll also get a chance to see dolphins, sting rays, small sharks, and a few gentle giant manatees in their impressive aquariums. In fact, the Seas –where Seabase is housed– was the largest aquarium in North America until the Georgia Aquarium opened in 2005.

4. Film Inspiration

We hope you caught their good side while you were taking your safari photos! When you visit the lions, meerkats, hyenas, and warthogs you’re among some famous faces.

Many of the animals that are seen daily aren’t just known for their antics around the safari but are real-life inspirations. These animals served as the models for the live-action version of The Lion King which you can watch on Disney+. The creators of the film extensively observed,  studied, and photographed these incredible creatures to bring lifelike movements, and posture, and build as accurately on screen as possible. So the next safari you take, you could notice a few similarities between the movie version and what’s in front of your eyes!

5. For the Love of Animals

It might come as a surprise to you, but Walt Disney himself had an incredible love of animals.

It all started when Walt’s family moved to a 45-acre farm in Missouri when he was a small child. From there, Walt learned to draw animals in his spare time and went on to create some of his first cartoon characters Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Maybe it all started with a mouse, but Walt certainly had to have a passion for animals first.

6. Not-Quite-A-Zoo

Did you know that Disney’s Animal Kingdom is an accredited zoo?

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and has to uphold certain standards in practice, care, and treatment of the animals that call it home.

7. Look For the Babies

Since its opening, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has had its hands full in the nurseries. Disney breeds animals in the park to help endangered species survive.

The first baby born there was a Kudu, which is a large African antelope. They’ve also had 11 white rhino babies, several giraffes, and 40 Guam Kingfisher Chicks born at the park. This is a tremendous effort considering the Guam Kingfisher Chicks’ numbers were tallied at 145 after the 40 at the park. Disney has also funded over $100 million dollars to the World Wildlife Conservation Fund and if you want to help out, you can donate in the park at any shop in Animal Kingdom, and Disney will match your donation.

8. Animal Programs Teams are The Real MVPs

The Animal Programs team at Animal Kingdom is top-notch!

These Cast Members will look after this wild cast of characters year-round and will go on to perform over 600 wellness checks on the animals, some of these checks result in revolutionary findings. Scientists have discovered two distinct vocalizations that were previously unheard of in elephants at the park, one of which is a pseudo-alarm call to warn of bees — who knew these gentle giants are afraid of something so small?

9. You’ll Never Guess Who Likes To Play With Perfume

Did you lose your perfume or body spray at Disney World? Chances are, the lost and found team sent them to the animals for playtime!

According to Dr. Mark Penning, Vice President of Disney’s Animals, Science & Environment, perfume bottles that are collected from Lost and Found are donated to Animal Kingdom so that big cats like lions and tigers can enjoy them. Not only is Disney actively engaging in recycling and reusing, but the cats really enjoy when the keepers stink up the environment with perfume. In turn, it enables them to offer enriching activities to encourage more natural behaviors from the animals.

10. The Purple Martins’ Vacation Home in Disney World

Seabase isn’t the only way to experience wildlife in EPCOT — just look for these white boxes as you approach the World Showcase.

“In 2000, when we did our conservation garden, those boxes [houses for Purple Martins] were put up as a prop — and we got birds! So, we never intended to have purple martins,” said Eric Darden, horticulture manager of the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival. So while EPCOT wasn’t intended to be a vacation home, it seems they’ve set up permanent residence and now you can be on the lookout for them on your next visit.

11. There’s No Flamingo In Baseball..or Are There

While we’re not talking about the entire field, baseball clay plays a pivotal role with Baby Flamingos.

For the past 20 years, the Lesser Flamingo has only seen the hatching of one baby chick, so the Animal Care Team needed to get a little creative. They conspired with the ESPN Wide World of Sports team to discover that using their special fast-drying formula of baseball clay would help enhance the clay mounds the Lesser Flamingo build up to protect their nests from predators. And since their combined effort, the Lesser Flamingo has continued to build bigger and better nests resulting in more baby chicks.

12. The Disney Meet & Greet You Didn’t Know Existed

When we think of Disney meet and greets we often don’t count on a chance to meet the trust sidekick characters, but we’ve got one right in Animal Kingdom!

Most people don’t realize the real-life inspiration for Pua the Pig is nestled right in the heart of the park. Moana’s trusty sidekick Pua is named Charlotte at Rafiki’s Planet Watch and if you visit the Disney animation class, they’re thrilled to tell you all about how Disney animators frequently visited and studied Charlotte as they were creating Pua. Charlotte is a Kunekune pig which generally is a small, docile, and friendly creature that makes for an excellent domesticated pig.

Which one of these facts blew your mind and which ones are you excited to impress your family with on your next visit? We report on Disney news and facts constantly so make sure to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest in Disney updates.

We Had a RARE Encounter With Animals at Disney World!

Did you know any of these facts about the animals around Disney World? Tell us your favorite in the comments!

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