The story of Asia at Disney's Animal Kingdom is told through the people and animals of the fictional village of Anandapur. Like all the stories of this park, the Asian story is a contemporary one. The setting is today, so as best to emphasize the ever-present dangers facing wildlife and wild places and create a sense of urgency for their conservation.
While the story being told takes place now, the village is one that has been around for centuries. Surrounding us are infinite details that help bring the village to life and tell us some of its history. For example, at some point in the past modern conveniences such as electricity and telephone service made it to the people of Anandapur. It's not a particularly elegant installation. Note the hodgepodge of wiring and the glass Coke bottles used to stem old contacts atop the pole.
Look more closely, and you'll see even the smallest detail helps reinforce the story and create a sense of place. This tiny, rusted plaque affixed to the side of the pole reads, "Anandapur Rural Electrification Programme." Hardly anyone would even notice it's there, but once found it speaks volumes about this village. It's called Anandapur. It's remote and agricultural. The government here has invested in trying to help improve the lives of its people. There was likely a British colonial influence here at one time, judging from the fact that the plaque is in English rather than Sanskrit and by the spelling of "Programme."
The tiny plaque also says a lot about the people who created this place: the Asia Project Team at Walt Disney Imagineering. This group of people obviously cared deeply about their craft and took seriously the task of storytelling through details.
"Detail is there to make you believe in the reality
of the story you're immersed in."
- Joe Rohde - Executive Designer, Disney's Animal Kingdom
Fascinating, just how much thought is put into the detail. I wish other theme parks would put even 1/16th of the care into their spaces, as Disney does with its.
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