Engaging Guests in Animal Training


Disney's Animal Programs Training Program

Our quality of work is their quality of life.
Meryle Nelson

Welcome to Disney’s Animal Programs’ Animal Training website! Disney’s Animal Programs training program strives to be consistent, effective, and an integrated part of our excellence in animal care philosophy. Because we believe that an animal training program is essential for the welfare of our animals, we have developed a training framework called S.P.I.D.E.R. which is featured on this website. We invite you to use this site as a tool for developing, or refreshing animal training programs at your institution, and encourage you to check back frequently for new updates and ideas.

Our Mission

At Disney's Animal Programs, the Behavioral Husbandry Team's mission is to:

  • Integrate training and enrichment methods into the daily care of animals to enhance their welfare.
  • Motivate staff by building technical and leadership skills that provide professional development to ensure excellence in animal care.
  • Inspire our guests to take action for wildlife and wild places through a better understanding of animal enrichment, training and welfare.