Conservation Station is one of the most overlooked highlights of Animal Kingdom. You have to take the Conservation Express train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch to get here, but once you’ve reached this area, there are tons of activities to explore.
The area offers a backstage look at Animal Kingdom with everything from backstage cameras you can swivel and peek through, to live animal demonstrations and shows. Hang out for a bit and you never know who or what you may find.
1. The entryway mural’s hidden delights
The animal mural that you encounter when you first enter Conservation Station is stunning simply for the many beautiful animals featured in it. The really fun part of viewing this mural, however, comes in the form of over two dozen hidden Mickeys. Disney officially recognizes 26 hidden Mickeys in this single painting. However, some guests have reported spotting up to 100. Take a few minutes and see how many you can find.
2. The carefully-themed restrooms
While nearly all Disney restrooms enjoy a bit of creative theming, the elements added to the Conservation Station restrooms are some of the best. The tiles feature tiny images of wildlife to coordinate with the entire theme of Conservation Station.
Listen carefully and you’ll hear that the background audio here also echoes the general theme. It sounds just like you’re in the jungle. While a detail like this is easily overlooked in busier areas, these restrooms are relatively deserted if you pop in between trains when the flow of guests slows down.
3. The chance for hands-on fun
The first time I visited Conservation Station, there wasn’t much action happening as I walked through, so I just moved on. Don’t make this mistake!
The large flat rock in the center of the room plays host to a wide range of interactions. If you’re interested in petting something other than the farm animals in the petting zoo outside, this is where you can do it. Snakes, ferrets, rabbits, and more make their appearance here throughout the day.
4. The many Wilderness Explorer activities
Animal Kingdom offers Wilderness Explorer activities throughout the park. You can pick up a handbook at any post and complete missions to earn more than 30 different stickers.
Conservation Station has one badge on the way in, four more inside Conservation Station, and one out back by the petting zoo. These activities are some of the best because they’re self-guided. You can take your time exploring the exhibits and discover the answers on your own. One even involves translating a message on a trash can. When you’re done, report in for all three stickers at the central Wilderness Explorer table and enjoy a fourth sticker as a bonus if you’ve completed all the activities in this area.
5. The chance to do good with your change
Nearly every body of water at Walt Disney World is littered with coins. However, most of these coins are left to rot for so long that they’re just scrap by the time they’re retrieved. If you want to toss your change into some water at Disney, this is a good place to do it. Coins here are collected on a regular basis and used to support conservation efforts around the world. Save your pennies for this wishing well and stop tossing them into It’s a Small World.
If you want to know what Disney’s Animal Kingdom is all about, take a journey back away from the big name thrill rides like Expedition Everest and journey back to this environment-minded escape where you can really get to the heart of this park.
