How to Spend Your Time - The Easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit 2015 - page 104

option of walking or taking a tram. Those arriving via Disney bus will be dropped off just
a minute or two walk away from the main entrance.
Bag check precedes the ticket windows. Ticket windows generally have nonexistent
lines because it's rare that a group begins their vacation at Animal Kingdom. Guest Ser-
vices is located on the far left both inside and outside the main entrance. Stroller and wheel-
chair rentals are located on the right just inside the main entrance.
Rainforest Café sits on the left with an entrance/exit both inside and outside the park.
Theme park admission is thus not required to dine at the restaurant, which is only conveni-
ent as you enter or exit the park.
The Oasis
Unlike the entry into any other Disney theme park, The Oasis is completely devoid of
shops, restaurants, and loud stimuli. Instead, the area works to transition visitors into the
lush, tropical, animal-filled surroundings that set the tone for the rest of the park. Expansive
animal habitats display iguanas, anteaters, macaws, ducks, and a variety of other animals
amidst rushing waterfalls, dense vegetation, and a burgeoning canopy. Guests arriving pri-
or to park opening will want to breeze through the Oasis with plans to return either in the
afternoon or on the way out. Time spent here at open will only result in thousands of people
passing you and filling the queues for the major attractions, in turn pushing up wait times.
With an afternoon arrival, plan to slowly meander around the winding pathways, taking in
the various exhibits for 15 to 30 minutes.
Discovery Island
After The Oasis, guests cross a bridge to Discovery Island, the central hub for the entire
park. Discovery Island circles the 14-story hand-carved Tree of Life, the park's central icon
and an easy marker for guests trying to make their way back to the main drag from one of
the peripheral lands. DinoLand and Asia are off to the right, in addition to the Adventurer's
Outpost Mickey and Minnie meet and greet, It's Tough to Be a Bug 4D show, and Flame
Tree Barbecue, the park's best quick service. Off to the left is Pizzafari, another quick ser-
vice option—much less interesting than Flame Tree, but air-conditioned. Past Pizzafari is
Africa, one of the three major lands. (Camp Minnie-Mickey closed in 2013.)
Discovery Island is where you'll find the bulk of the shopping opportunities, with Island
Mercantile and Disney Outfitters supplying the widest selection. Virtually anything you
would find in any of the smaller stores can be found here. Plan to return in the afternoon
for some air-conditioned perusing when few people are shopping and the waits at the at-
tractions are longer. Like the major stores at the other theme parks, Island Mercantile and
Disney Outfitters remain open for at least 30 minutes after close, allowing for last-minute
impulse buys.
Adventurers Outpost
RANKING Don't miss for those that want to meet Mickey and Minnie together; skippable
otherwise. EMH No. FP+ Yes. High priority for guests wanting to meet the characters. TYPE
Meet-and-greet. requirements None.