The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 37

Qy CV 1 it ij i SfG I'D PE Off mm The best newspaper in Florida 9W Ortando Sanfcwl CommuracMom Company ortandosentinel.com FRIDAY, July 30, 1999 50 cents Vfci Animals air at the mot LA 0876F 36 25 park's tire Sculpture is the centerpiece of Disney's Animal Kingdom A COMPILED FROM STAFF REPORTS From a distance, Animal Kingdom's Tree of Life looks deceptively like any other tree, its 103,000 plastic leaves blending with the surrounding canopy. It is only close up that the size and scope of one of Disney's newest icons become evident. The Tree of Life stands as tall as a 14-story building. And beneath its elaborate facade, it's a building with a 430-seat theater. And more than 300 animal carvings are on its trunk and branches.

On each viewing, a different animal seems to catch the eye a baboon, a rhino, a dolphin, a horse, a herd of wildebeests or a koala. It may be impossible to see all of them on one trip. The tree and its roots spread out 170 feet. Among the gnarled roots are small habitats for real-life animals, including red kangaroos, tamarin monkeys, flamingos and otters. Visitors also find the line for the theater among the roots.

The theater, made to look like a hol-lowed-out tree inside, shows an eight-minute, computer-animated film, It's Tough to be a Bug! As Animal Kingdom's icon, The Tree of Life towers above Safari Village, which serves as the park's hub. Some stores and restaurants are here, and paths lead off in different directions to the park's other lands. Disney workers spent almost two years building and decorating The Tree of Life. A steel oil rig was modified to provide internal support for the tree, and giant expansion joints allow the branches to sway slightly in the wind. "It is not a particular species of Family tree.

The Rodio family of New Jersey takes a break near Tree of Life on their recent visit to the Animal Kingdom. Just 1 small section can have several animal carvings (top). Walt Disney World (407) 824-4321 Animal Kingdom 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Disney-MGM 9 a.m. -11 p.m.

Epcot Epcot EastWest 9 a.m.-9 p.m. World Showcase 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Magic Kingdom 9 a.m.-11 p.m. SeaWorld (407) 351-3600 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Universal Studios Escape (407) 363-8000 Universal Studios 9a.m.-10p.m.

Islands of Adventure 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Park details, Page 3 The Osceola Parkway is one of the best traffic beaters in the region. An east-west highway, it runs right into Disney and it is often traffic-free. You can reach the parkway from John Young Parkway or Florida's Turnpike. It's a toll road, so keep a couple of bucks handy.

Time to kill at the airport? Check out the sculpture of the stranded traveler in the middle of the terminal. He's enclosed in a cube because he's so lifelike that people would try wake to him up. Strollers aren't limited to carting around children anyone can make good use of one to help with hauling around camera equipment, souvenirs, bags and jackets. Airlines AirTran Airways 1-800-247-8726 American Airlines 1-800-433-7300 British Airways 1-800-247-9297 Canada 3000 1-877-359-2263 Continental Airlines Delta and Comair 1-800-221-1212 Northwest Airlines 1-800-225-2525 Southwest Airlines Trans World Airlines.1-800-221-2000 US Airways Inc 1-800-428-4322 United Airlines 1-800-241-6522 Virgin Atlantic 1-800-862-8621 Public transportation Lynx bus system (407) 841-8240 l-Ride Trolley (407) 354-5656 Rental cars Alamo 1-800-327-9633 Avis 1-800-831-2847 Budget 1-800-527-0700 Dollar 1-800-800-4000 Enterprise 1-800-736-8222 Hertz 1-800-654-3131 National 1-800-227-7368 Thrifty 1-800-367-2277 Taxis Ace Metro Cab (407) 851-3812 Sharp Taxi (407) 850-2007 Star Taxi (407) 857-9999 Town and Country (407) 828-3036 Yellow Cab Co (407) 699-9999 Visitor bureaus OrlandoOrange County 363-5872 KissimmeeSt. Cloud (407) 847- 5000 GAROGDONTHE ORLANDO SENTINEL of the roller coasters at Islands of.

some riders with weak stomachs. i This morning Partly sunny, with temperatures quickly reaching the lower 90s Fahrenheit (mid-30s Celsius). This afternoon Slight chance ot thunderstorms, with a 20 percent chance of rain. High of 96 (36 C). West winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight Mostly clear, with a low of 76 (25 C). West winds 5 mph. Inside today's newspaper National A gunman opens fire in an Atlanta office building Thursday. Local With a new pronouncement from Pope John Paul II and temperatures in Central Florida pushing 100 degrees, the concept of hell is on people's minds. Sports What has coach Lou Holtz gotten himself into with the South Carolina Gamecocks? Business U.S.

economic growth slows abruptly to 2.3 percent during the second quarter as consumers curtail exuberant spending. Calendar The organizer of "Swing Day" at Atlantic Dance on Disney's Boardwalk on Sunday is out to prove that the dance craze is not a dying fad. For entertainment and dining listings, directions and maps, go to calendar.orlando sentinel.com Plan your next trip at go2orlando.com Best bets After being closed for a private debut Thursday, the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney-MGM Studios officially opens to the public today. The indoor coaster is a mix of music and speed, with Aerosmith tunes providing the soundtrack. If swing is more your thing, you might want to check out the Brian Setzer Orchestra, with BR5-49, at Downtown Disney's House of Blues on Saturday.

The show starts at 9:45 p.m., and tickets are $32.50. Call (407) 839-3900. Vans Warped Tour makes a stop at the Central Florida Fairgrounds today. Acts include Blink 182, Penny-wise, Sevendust, Cypress Hill, Black-Eyed Peas, Less Than Jake, Suicidal Tendencies, Royal Crown Revue and Ice-T. The show starts at 1:30 p.m., and tickets are $25.

The fairgrounds are at 4603 W. Colonial Drive (State Road 50), Orlando. ii Early stages. Animal Kingdom's Tree of Life took 2 years to grow. A cement foundation was poured in the fall of 1995, and a team of sculptors from around the world working 6 days a week rain or shine for a year completed the exterior carvings last October.

Disney went all the way to Houston to hire an oil-field contractor to modify an oil rig for the tree's frame, providing the steel-reinforced strength needed for such an enormous structure. SENTINEL FILE each artist went to work, photos in one hand, sculpting tools in the other. The animal images were carved into a thin layer of cement over steel rods, which were shaped into the rough forms of the animals. "This was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime project," said Zsolt Hor-may, chief sculptor. There's nothing that would compare to The Tree of Life." Tree trivia Dimensions: Stands 145 feet tall with a 50-foot-wide trunk, 170 feet of roots and a canopy spreading 160 feet.

Leaves: 103,000 made from a plastic material with a 20-year guarantee. Branches: 8,000. Materials: Barklike facade is made from concrete plaster, just like all the other buildings in the park. Animal carvings: Disney initially said 350, but the tree's chief sculptor says more like 325. In motion.

Dueling Dragons, 1 Adventure, can be a challenge to around the world worked six days a week for a year to finish the intricate facade. Sculpting the black rhino's head, for example, took an artist two days. An eagle's wing took two weeks. To create such lifelike forms, the sculpting team assembled 1,800 photographs of animals, showing them from all angles. Then, standing on scaffolding, PTT Here are some tips from the Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada: If you feel ill, close your eyes so you can't see the horizon.

Another strategy is to take in large amounts of air through your mouth and hold for a second or two. Repeating that should quash any immediate urge to throw up. Because stomach acids are secreted during stress, don't ride on an empty stomach. Do eat a small, healthy meal a couple of hours before riding. But don't overeat, and avoid coffee, tea and fruit juices, which increase stomach acidity.

Take motion sickness medications, suchis Marezine or Drama-mine, the prescribed amount of time before riding; time-release versions reduce chances of drowsiness. tree," said the park's chief designer, Joe Rohde. "It's something like a baobab It's something like a ficus or a banyan tree with all those twisted roots coming down the side. "But it really, of course, is meant to be animals, not a tree at all." Carving the more than 300 animals was no easy task. A team of 10 sculptors assembled from 4 9 in only extreme conditions.

Motion sickness starts in the inner ear, which monitors changes in balance, and is worse than the momentary queasiness related to fear, said Michael Otto, a Harvard Medical School associate professor who earlier this year held a class in overcoming coaster fear at Islands of Adventure. "If you have trouble on boats or planes because of motion, you can bet it would be a problem here," Otto said. The most important thing is for riders to know their own bodies, the experts say. Pbr those who suffer sickness but love the thrill of thrill rides, over-the-counter drugs and diet may make the difference, they say. Can't stomach thrill rides? These tips may be soothing COMPILED FROM STAFF REPORTS The Incredible Hulk Coaster speeds through seven roll-overs.

A Dueling Dragons coaster has five. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man simulates a 400-foot dive down a skyscraper. These rides at Universal Studios' new Islands of Adventure make a lot of folks feel like screaming. Others may feel like throwing up. Motion sickness is a real concern for many who want to go on coast-errand thrill rides.

Research suggests that almost everyone is susceptible to motion sickness, although most experience symptoms.