Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris remain the most popular theme park destinations in the world. Nineteen ninety-eight was a banner year for new attractions, entertainment and adventure on land and sea.

    Dedicated in April, Disney's Animal Kingdom tells the extraordinary stories of all animals — real, ancient and imagined. Designed and created by Walt Disney Imagineering, the 500-acre theme park offers guests wide-ranging adventures. They can travel to the age of dinosaurs on Countdown to Extinction, relive the saga of Simba at the Festival of the Lion King show, experience close-up encounters with free-roaming wildlife on Kilimanjaro Safaris, and get even closer-up at the 3-D film It's Tough to Be a Bug! inside the majestic Tree of Life.

This year, Disney's Animal Kingdom adds Asia to its landscape, inviting guests to explore the mysterious world of the Far East. Maharajah Jungle Trek is a breathtaking visit to the exotic animals of the rainforest, where giant fruit bats fly overhead and a 12-foot-long Komodo dragon suns nearby. Then it's time to board a raft for a thrilling whitewater expedition on the Kali River Rapids that takes guests past fiery brush and falling logs, through speeding turns and rushing rapids, with a surprise at every bend.

The three other Walt Disney World theme parks also welcome new attractions and entertainment in 1999.

The Magic Kingdom continues to bring favorite Disney characters to life, starting with Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, which takes guests "to infinity and beyond." Set in the playful world of Toy Story, it teams guests with the beloved astro-hero for a daring mission to save the universe from the evil Emperor Zurg.

Guests join Pooh and friends for a journey through a storybook page and into the Hundred Acre Wood in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. This ride offers state-of-the-art special effects and a memorable musical score to highlight a whimsical trip as seen from a seat in a giant traveling honey pot.

This summer, the original Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade comes to the Magic Kingdom, inviting guests to relive the most popular night-time spectacle in the history of Disney theme parks.

At Epcot, Test Track, presented by General Motors, will open this spring, offering guests the longest, fastest ride ever created by Walt Disney Imagineers. The attraction sends drivers through a dizzying array of test-vehicle maneuvers — dodging obstacles, climbing hills, braking and swiftly accelerating. Highlights include a tire-squealing three-story ascent, a close encounter with crash testing and a high-speed ride along a steeply banked highway.