The Disney Store is celebrating Earth Day with a Free Reusable #MonkeyKingdom Bag Giveaway Today!

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This Earth Day, Disney Store invites guests to celebrate and protect our planet with a free reusable bag giveaway. Guests who visit a local Disney Store on April 22nd will receive a free reusable “Monkey Kingdom” shopping tote with any purchase (up to 200 totes, one per guest per store).

The free reusable tote, made of 80% recycled materials, features a design inspired by the new film from Walt Disney Studio’s Disneynature, “Monkey Kingdom.”

In addition to the reusable tote program, Disney Store will donate $1 to Conservation International for every Disneynature plush purchased between March 13, 2015 and May 14, 2015.

Maya Plush - Disneynature Monkey Kingdom - 18"
SRP: $19.95 Retailers: Disney Store, DisneyStore.com

Set in the storied jungles of South Asia, Disneynature’s new feature film, “Monkey Kingdom,” showcases the adventures of new mom Maya, a clever and resourceful blonde-bobbed monkey who’s determined to give her son a leg up in the world.

“Monkey Kingdom” is the sixth theatrical release for Disneynature, the first new Disney-branded film label from The Walt Disney Studios in more than 60 years. The label was launched in April 2008 to bring the world’s top nature filmmakers together to capture a variety of wildlife subjects and stories.

For every ticket sold opening week (April 17-23, 2015), Disneynature will make a donation to Conservation International to help protect monkeys and other endangered species in their natural habitats.

Disney Wordless Wednesday: Happy Earth Day & Happy Birthday Animal Kingdom

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Hi Disney photography fans. Welcome to The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop here at Focused on the Magic.com where each week we gather to blog hop, link up and share our #DisneySide Wordless Wednesday or Almost Wordless Wednesday Disney related picture posts.

This week's theme is all about Disney Nature. Disney Parks celebrates Earth Day every day, just the way Walt Disney would have wanted it, through numerous programs in the parks and in the community. To celebrate Earth Day and Disney's Animal Kingdom Park's birthday I'd like to share a few shots of The Tree of Life in Disney's Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World and a few animals that you might discover on one of my favorite rides, Kilimanjaro Safari.

The Tree of Life project was started in the late 80’s and opened on April, 22, 1998, Earth Day. This beautiful iconic symbol symbolizes the beauty, diversity and grandeur of our animal life here on Earth.

"You've probably heard people talk about conservation. Well, conservation isn't just the business of a few people. It's a matter that concerns all of us. It's a science whose principles are written in the oldest code in the world, the laws of nature. The natural resources of our vast continent are not inexhaustible. But if we will use our riches wisely, if we will protect our wildlife and preserve our lakes and streams, these things will last us for generations to come."  

"I have learned from the animal world, and what everyone will learn who studies it is, a renewed sense of kinship with the earth and all its inhabitants."

~ Walt Disney 

How will you celebrate Earth Day? I'll be planting seeds in my garden.

Would you like to link up your #DisneySide photo and hop with us? We have a theme each week that you can follow along with if you'd like. The Link-up is at the bottom of this post.

Time to link up your Wordless Wednesday photo...

Disneynature’s Bears Movie Poster & New Trailer #DisneynatureBears

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In an epic story of breathtaking scale, Disneynature’s new True Life Adventure “Bears” showcases a year in the life of a bear family as two impressionable young cubs are taught life’s most important lessons.

 

Set against a majestic Alaskan backdrop teeming with life, their journey begins as winter comes to an end and the bears emerge from hibernation to face the bitter cold. The world outside is exciting—but risky—as the cubs’ playful descent down the mountain carries with it a looming threat of avalanches.

Happy 15th Anniversary Disney's Animal Kingdom!

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Earth Day is always a special day at Animal Kingdom because the park opened on April 22, 1998. This year Disney's Animal Kingdom celebrates it's 15th birthday! 
The underlying theme of Disney's Animal Kingdom is conservation and preservation. Walt Disney was concerned about conservation and wildlife preservation as far back as the 1950's. He once said:

"You've probably heard people talk about conservation. Well, conservation isn't just the business of a few people. It's a matter that concerns all of us. It's a science whose principles are written in the oldest code in the world, the laws of nature. The natural resources of our vast continent are not inexhaustible. But if we will use our riches wisely, if we will protect our wildlife and preserve our lakes and streams, these things will last us for generations to come."  

"I have learned from the animal world, and what everyone will learn who studies it is, a renewed sense of kinship with the earth and all its inhabitants."

Many dignitaries were on hand for the dedication ceremony of Disney's Animal Kingdom on April 22. 1998 including Roy E. Disney who is quoted below.

As a photographer and Animal Kingdom lover from day one I have thousands of pictures from my magical adventures in the parks from the past 15 years. As a little DAK13 birthday tribute I'd like to share 15+ of those photo experiences and a few fun Disney Animal Kingdom facts today.

• The Tree of Life project was started in the late 80’s and opened on April, 22, 1998.
•  The tree is 14 stories high, its leafy canopy spreads 160 feet across. So large that it fits the Tough to be a Bug theater inside that can seat 430 people.
• It took 20 artists to carve the 320 animals into the trunk, branches and the roots. 
• The trunk carvings were assembled outside the park with 52 rock-work cages out of which the animal sculptures were carved. The trunk was then cut into a dozen giant parts and flown to an assembly area near the park. There, they joined the segments into pairs. The completed six trunk sections were then transported by crane to the Safari Village area and assembled. 

Make sure you stop by DisTherapy ~ 15 Days to 15 Years for the conclusion of the series.

In celebration of Earth Day today I'll be planting my Earth Day trees, a plum and 2 Weeping Willows. Do you have any special plans for today?

More Disney's Animal Kingdom articles:

• Photography in the Rain at Disney's Animal Kingdom (focusedonthemagic.com)
• Crispy Savanna Spring Rolls Recipe (focusedonthemagic.com)
• Rainforest Cafe Rasta Pasta Recipe (focusedonthemagic.com)
• On Safari in Harambe with Pursuing the Magic (focusedonthemagic.com)
•  Kunekune Pigs Ham it Up and an Artful Pig Paints ~ Disney's Animal Kingdom (focusedonthemagic.com)

Happy Birthday/Earth Day Tree of Life!

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Happy Earth Day to all and Happy Birthday to The Tree of Life in Disney's Animal Kingdom. The Tree of Life project was started in the late 80’s and opened on April, 22, 1998, Earth Day. This beautiful iconic symbol symbolizes the beauty, diversity and grandeur of our animal life here on Earth. 

Disney Parks celebrates Earth Day every day, just the way Walt Disney would have wanted it, through a myriad of programs in the parks and in the community. Walt Disney was a true conservationist, long before it became popular.

"You've probably heard people talk about conservation. Well, conservation isn't just the business of a few people. It's a matter that concerns all of us. It's a science whose principles are written in the oldest code in the world, the laws of nature. The natural resources of our vast continent are not inexhaustible. But if we will use our riches wisely, if we will protect our wildlife and preserve our lakes and streams, these things will last us for generations to come."   Walt Disney, 1950