No, the Tree of Life Isn’t a Recycled Oil Rig

Written by Joshua Posted August 5th, 2025

I’m not going to bury the lede. The Tree of Life is not a recycled oil rig. It’s a cool story: a theme park dedicated to conservation converts a drilling rig into a monument to nature. Maybe that’s why so many people believe the legend. I did for a while, too. And who can blame us? Google “Tree of Life oil rig,” and you’ll find several reputable Disney sites are perpetuating the myth. But it’s simply not true.

Joe Rohde, Animal Kingdom’s lead designer, set the record straight a few years ago:

“We did not go find a used oil rig. The structure is the same in its engineering, design, and structural units… but designed to our scale and needs. But it also was not ironic or subtextual. Just pragmatic.”

Rohde’s tweet should put the oil rig myth to rest. Surprisingly, it doesn’t always work. That’s how deeply this legend is embedded in Disney lore. People want it to be true. Even when I share the link, I’ve had pushback from people unwilling to let go of a story that feels so perfect.

Looking up through the Tree of Life during construction — Tree of Life skeleton. Photo taken from *The Making of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park* by Melody Malmberg.

So we need another source (we don’t really, but we’ve got one). In The Making of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Melody Malmberg wrote about Animal Kingdom’s larger-than-life baobab tree:

“The Tree of Life was given the extra scrutiny as ‘the single most challenging structure on the property,’ according to Imagineer Leland Rorex. An engineering professor oversaw the project. The bottom half of the trunk is designed using offshore oil-drilling technology and 36-inch diameter pipe.”

After reading these two quotes, it’s easy to understand how the myth took hold. The Tree of Life’s structure may have been inspired by drilling rig technology and design principles, but that doesn’t mean it was built from a recycled oil rig.

If you’re interested in how this extraordinary park came together, I can’t recommend Malmberg’s book enough. Packed with details, photos, and behind-the-scenes stories, it offers a fascinating look at the creation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. As a former Imagineer (and Joe Rohde’s wife), Malmberg brings unmatched insight into a park that likely wouldn’t stand a chance in today’s IP-driven theme park landscape.

So there you have it: the Tree of Life is not a recycled oil rig. What it is, however, is the most beautiful theme park icon in the world. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at some photos.