Being a member of AZA does not make you a "zoo". Individual people are members of AZA, and that does not make them a zoo. There are several organizations that are members that are not even open to the public. What being accredited by AZA means is that your facility is throughly inspected to insure that the utmost care is being given to the animals that are housed there. It is somewhat of a "gold star" rating of facilities that care for animals. Our facility went through AZA inspection last year, and it was definatley thorough! Most zoos have some sort of mission statement, specifically targeting education for the public, and species preservation. While these are obviously important aspects to Disney and the keeper staff, the main focus is still entertainment tied into Disney. I've never heard anyone refer to Sea World or Busch Gardens as a zoo

, maybe some do?
That being said, again as someone who works in a "real" zoo, I love AK!