The Art of Disney’s Theme Park Icons

Fabricated Wonders

The next few park icons fit into the Hidden Attractions category, but they also are prime examples of Fabricated Wonders. These icons combine works of art with natural aesthetics for believable, adventurous, and calm settings.

Mount Prometheus

Tokyo DisneySea

Tokyo DisneySea is generally considered the gold standard for Disney Parks, and its icon definitely meets that standard.

Design

Tokyo DisneySea flows around its icon: Mount Prometheus. The man-made volcano anchors the park’s coastal-themed areas, known as ports of call. No matter where you stand in the park, the 189-foot-tall Mount Prometheus blends into the background. From different angles, the active volcano may be more graceful with pleasing rock formations and foliage—as seen from Port Discovery. In ports of call like Mysterious Island, Mount Prometheus is more intense and volcanic as if it could erupt at any moment. It magnifies the adventurous spirit of Mysterious Island, which is heavily inspired by the retrofuturistic works of Jules Verne. The port of call is crawling with gorgeous craftwork, inventions, submarines, and points of discovery wrapped around and through Mount Prometheus.

Development

As eye-catching as Mount Prometheus is, the icon is technologically impressive as well. Its 750,000 square feet of sculpted rockwork hold the most dazzling effect in a Disney icon: fire. Mount Prometheus has 10 3,000-pound rocket boosters in its crater, which erupt flames up to 50 feet in the air. The volcano bursts throughout the day and as part of DisneySea’s nighttime spectaculars. It’s a glorious icon on the outside with more surprises for those who venture inside.

Creativity

Mount Prometheus is an attraction in and of itself, but it also contains—not one, but—two major rides: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth. These attractions further the Jules Verne world; the wonder of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and especially the compelling thrills of Journey to the Center of the Earth are among the best DisneySea has to offer. Mount Prometheus rewards exploration with its rides, mystique, and design.

Impact

Mount Prometheus clearly isn’t the typical Disney icon. At one level, it’s a staggering creation that represents Disney’s most cohesively creative theme park. Beyond the surface, Mount Prometheus is an engineering accomplishment that contains some of Disney’s finest attractions. It would take a special icon to stand up to the quality of Tokyo DisneySea, and Mount Prometheus does so with excellence.

Tree of Life

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

Only one icon can combine the spectacle of nature and the magic of Disney: Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life.

Design

Disney’s Animal Kingdom simultaneously looks like a creation by nature and a construction by Imagineers. The park and its icon are organic and, in contrast, well thought out; that’s a compliment to the handiwork of the great outdoors and Disney’s innovation. The Tree of Life combines Animal Kingdom’s respect for nature with a brilliantly lush design made by Imagineers.

From far away, it has intrigue and significance—but close up, it is a work of art with carvings and intricacies around every bend. The Tree of Life is covered in more than 300 wildlife carvings that appear to be naturally growing from the wood. It unifies our world’s diverse animal kingdom of land, water, and air, including creatures from ants to zebras—A to Z. The decorative roots sprawl throughout the Discovery Island area, intertwining the tree in the park’s hub.

Development

At 145 feet tall, the Tree of Life has nearly 8,000 end branches as the canopy extends 165 feet wide. The tree holds more than 100,000 leaves that stay put during Florida’s heavy storms thanks to wind tunnel studies during development; the tree can withstand 100 mph winds. The Tree of Life was constructed using a scaled oil rig—designed specifically for the project. This framework allowed for a sturdy natural figure while having enough space for an attraction inside.

Creativity

The Tree of Life is one of Disney’s more expansive icons with roots weaving far beyond its trunk. This environment paves exploration areas like the Discovery Island Trails, which wander by calm animal exhibits through the Tree of Life Garden. The tree’s gorgeous root system ushers guests through a queue that leads to the Tree of Life Theater. Inside the base of the Tree of Life is a 400-plus-seat venue presenting It’s Tough to Be a Bug!: a 4D show with animatronics, scents, and more. This opening-day attraction will be replaced with Zootopia: Better Zoogether!, which will take over the Tree of Life Theater.

Impact

The Tree of Life accomplishes what the best Disney icons do: It makes a statement. Animal Kingdom’s icon is bold yet serene; it’s a monumental work of art that makes guests want to discover more under its shady branches and beyond. That level of curiosity is what Animal Kingdom is all about—appreciating a world beyond our own.