3 Animal Kingdom Stores I'll Never Shop at Again

Animal Kingdom is arguably the best park when it comes to food, live entertainment, and, of course, animals!

But we’ll admit that as much as we love this park and all its beauty, it’s not perfect. Especially when it comes to merchandise options because while there are some great shops in the park, these three are ones we highly recommend you skip if you’re looking for the best souvenirs.

Island Mercantile’s Banshee Section

Island Mercantile as a whole is a great option when it comes to having a variety of merchandise to choose from, but the Banshee section here is NOT where you want to adopt your beloved Pandorian creature from.

In fact, getting your Banshee friend from Windtraders in Pandora is 100% the only place you’ll want to adopt your Banshee because the process is so fun! Instead of just taking it to the register and paying like you would at Island Mercantile, you’ll actually go through a whole adoption process, which is tons of fun and really makes it an experience!

Rainforest Café Shop

Listen, the Rainforest Café is technically part of Animal Kingdom, but it’s NOT owned by Disney. While the gift shop here is fun to look through while you’re waiting for your table, we don’t recommend spending your souvenir money here instead of in the park.

Why? Because you can find this generic merchandise at nearly ANY Rainforest Café found around the United States, and it won’t be Disney specific. Instead, you can head into the front of the park and grab a stuffed animal, shirt, Loungefly backpack, you name it from inside the park. And while Disney’s might be a little more expensive due to it being “name brand,” Rainforest Café’s items are often very overpriced, too.

Zuri’s Sweets Shop

While we love the vibe of Zuri’s Sweets Shop, the reality is that most of the offerings here are pre-packaged snacks, or classic Disney treats that can be found at most bakery locations or even merchandise locations around the parks.

If that’s what you’re looking for, then fantastic! This is the spot for you. However, there are so many incredible dining options and desserts available around Animal Kingdom that are unique offerings to the park, and we highly recommend those over these pre-packaged or classic items.