WorldWide Drilling Resource

What’s Hiding Under the Disney Tree? Compiled by Amy White, Associate Editor, WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Disney World’s Animal Kingdom is more than a zoo; it’s an entire park devoted to animal conservation. Along with rides and shows, guests can have close en- counters with endangered animals like elephants and rhinos. Before the kingdomwas created, engineers were tasked with designing the perfect centerpiece to welcome guests. After several concepts were tossed about, the idea of the Tree of Life was settled upon. Engineers struggled when it came to constructing a giant tree that could withstand a Florida hurricane. They wanted a structure that not only looked like a tree, but also acted like one. It needed to stand strong while swaying in the wind. Instead of a root system anchoring it to the ground, the tree would house a 430-seat theater. As the story goes, one of the engineers was viewing a documentary about offshore drilling when he had a light-bulb moment, realizing an oil platform could be j ust what the tree needed. Disney went to Houston and hired an oilfield contractor to modify an oil rig to be used as the tree’s frame, since it could provide the steel- r einforced strength needed to support the giant structure. Disney World fans can appreciate the labor that went into transforming an oil rig into a 14-story, 50-foot-wide sculpted work of art. The Tree of Life not only makes a wonderful backdrop for patrons entering the park, it is also worth taking a moment’s pause to study the magnificent detail that went into all of the animals hidden within its trunk and branches. If you look closely, you can see over 300 animal carvings existing in the bark of the 145-foot-tall man-made tree. According to legend, a tiny ant planted a magic seed and made a wish for a tree to grow - a tree large enough to provide shelter for all animals. The ant’s wish came true, and a tree began to grow. It kept growing until there was room beneath it for all the animals from A (ants) to Z (zebras). As the tree grew, animals magically appeared on its trunk, roots, and branches. Now you know what really happened! E ditor’s Note: In between our print issues, t he WWDR Team prepares an electronic n ewsletter called E-News Flash . Based on re adership, this was the most popular - e s E N w F lash article of the month. Get in on the ac tion and subscribe today at: www.worldwidedrillingresource.com The oil rig that became the Tree of Life in Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. Photo courtesy of Mims Construction. Photo courtesy of Chad Sparks. SAVE THE DATE! 2016 NDA Convention # ! ' # ! " ! !#$ # " ! % ! " # # " ! # $ $ # ! #" ! " #+" ! & # & ! " $# * $# ! # # " (" # !# # ! ! ) " # ! ##" $! I am the Division Sales Manager for Protective Metal Alloys, a division of Broco-Rankin. We manufacture hard- facing rods, spray powders, brazing products, and offer solutions to wear- resistance problems. I just discovered this magazine and am so impressed. I work in almost all of these fields and am amazed at the amount of relevant information I found in one place! Cheryl Richards 8 MAY 2016 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®