Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks and Resorts division, it is the largest theme park in the world, covering 580 acres (230 ha). The park opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and is the fourth theme park built at Walt Disney World. The park is dedicated and themed entirely around the natural environment and animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney.
Disney's Animal Kingdom is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, meaning they have met or exceeded the standards in education, conservation, and research. The park is represented by the Tree of Life, a sculpted 145-foot-tall (44 m), 50-foot-wide (15 m) artificial boab tree.
In 2015, it hosted approximately 10.9 million guests, ranking it the fourth-most visited amusement park in the United States and seventh-most visited in the world
