5. The Country of Africa Was Once Considered to Become a Part of World Showcase.
True. In 1983, Disney thought a great addition to World Showcase would be Equatorial Africa. The plans, which still exist called for a very large pavilion with a massive treehouse overshadowing the rest of the pavilion. Plans also included a large tree that would tower over the pavilion and be surrounded by waterfalls, rockwork, and thatched huts. There was to be an observation deck, a 20-foot projection screen showing animals gathering at a waterfall, including piped-in smells and sounds, and the thatched hut was to show 2 films, “The Heartbeat of Africa”, and “Africa Rediscovered”. Unfortunately, due to the climate of African politics and too much political upheaval, the African Pavilion project would never see the light of day. But, then on April 22, 1998, Animal Kingdom opened its doors, and it is here that Africa is now represented in a much more informative and entertaining venue.
