To those who skip visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we simply ask…WHY?!

This week, we had an absolute BLAST in the park, trying out some new food, enjoying the entertainment, and checking out a newly returned behind-the-scenes tour. There were a lot of new things to see, so if you didn’t get to stop by, we’re sharing the full list of news with you!

Animal Kingdom Food Updates

Flame Tree Barbecue

It’s February, and that means that Disney is honoring Black History Month with a “Celebrate Soulfully” promotion all around the resort. At Flame Tree Barbecue in Animal Kingdom, we tried a new menu item specifically for the occasion — Collard Greens!

Typically when we’re here, we settle for french fries or onion rings, but you can snag this alternate side dish for $4.49 for a limited time. And they’re tossed with bacon — that’s one way to make eating our veggies way more enticing!

Click Here for Our Review of the Collard Greens!

Animal Kingdom Construction Updates

Restaurantosaurus

And over at another one of Animal Kingdom’s quick service spots, there’s some construction going on! Much of Restaurantosaurus is currently covered in construction walls as the restaurant gets a little refurbishment.

We’ve been watching the progress to see if there are any major changes, and we’ll keep you updated! In the meantime, the restaurant remains open, so you can still pick up your classic burger-and-fries combo.

Out of the Wild

Over at Conservation Station at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, there used to be a small gift shop/merchandise area called Out of the Wild. A few weeks ago, this spot closed down to be transformed into a relaxation area, according to nearby Cast Members. Since then, the corner where the store used to stand has been covered up and hidden from guests.

When we visited this week, we noticed the same covered-up space. There hasn’t been an end date announced for this construction yet, so we’ll just keep checking whenever we stop by.

Disney World Construction Projects That You Need to Know About — Click Here!

Animal Kingdom Attraction Updates

Africa

In the middle of the Harambe Village in the Africa section of the park, there’s a stage where you’ll often find a variety of musical performers throughout the day. And in honor of Black History Month, there’s a special performance with the Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe. 

We caught their short show earlier this week, and we found ourselves swaying to the drum beats and thoroughly entertained by the dancers. We definitely recommend it if you’re stopping by soon!

Expedition Everest

And over at Expedition Everest, the ride is still closed for a rather lengthy refurb, but we walk by it every time we visit (obviously to tell it how much we love and miss it!). This week, we actually spotted some changes — the ride system was testing!

👀👀 Caught some testing today. It’s still expected to be closed for refurbishment until mid-April. pic.twitter.com/AEUZ8wnzex

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) February 1, 2022

It’s definitely a little weird to see those train cars go down the hill without hearing the screams of excited guests (and probably terrified guests too — that yeti is SPOOKY), but we’re one step closer to getting to ride it again. There’s not a set date for reopening currently, it’s just listed as mid-April.

Click Here to Learn More About the Expedition Everest Closure!

Animal Kingdom Merchandise Updates

Discovery Trading Company

Alrighty pals, it’s time to talk merch! We saw a LOT of new stuff in Animal Kingdom this week, so try to keep up! (Although we won’t blame you if you get lost along the way, it’s quite a long list.) First up, there’s the new Pink Tiara Minnie Ears that arrived all over Disney World. Aren’t they beautiful?

And to match your new Minnie ears, you can pick up the Minnie Ear Tank Top that we spotted inside the store as well. It’s $34.99, comes in adult sizes, and the back has an adorable bow detail!

But that’s not all that we saw in the way of Minnie ears! A couple days later, we spotted the Fuzzy Pastel Minnie Ears here as well. (This may be the hotspot if you’re looking for some new headwear, apparently.) They were $29.99 and look cozy enough to use as a pillow.

What if ears aren’t the only Disney souvenir you like to collect? Well, don’t worry, we’ve got something new for you pin traders as well! There’s a brand-new Disney KiteTails pin (inspired by the show that premiered at Animal Kingdom for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary) and you can find it in Discovery Trading Co. for $12.99.

There’s also a new pin dedicated to some of the most beloved characters out there — the Muppets! This one is more expensive at $17.99 and features Beaker and Dr. Honeydew.

Want to add a little Disney flair to your bookshelf at home? The shop also had a new set of Mickey Mouse bookends for $34.99, which is a pretty unique souvenir if you ask us!

And if you own a nuiMO and you’re looking to get them the latest spring fashions, then we’ve got you covered! This new Spirit Jersey Hoodie for nuiMOs is $21.99 and will keep your little guy nice and bundled up until the winter weather subsides.

They’ve got all kinds of fun outfits for the posable mini plushes, so make sure to check them out the next time you’re in the parks!

Island Mercantile

Okay, now it’s time to cross the walkway over to Island Mercantile, where we found a bunch MORE new items in the past few days! To start with, there were three new Minnie Mouse clothing items for kids this week. The first is a Minnie Mouse Dress for $39.99.

There’s also a new long-sleeve tee with Minnie Mouse and a subtle rainbow pattern on the front. This one is $34.99.

And to round out the trio, there’s a Minnie Mouse Shirt for Kids with ruffle sleeves. You can get this $29.99 and you’ll have a little fashionista on your hands.

Are you as enchanted by Encanto as the rest of the world? If so, there’s a new Julieta Funko POP for $15.25. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the movie collection in Island Mercantile while you’re there!

And you know that we couldn’t go a week without getting some new 50th Anniversary merchandise! A few days ago, a model of the Simba Disney Fab 50 character statue arrived in Island Mercantile, and you can purchase him for $99.

We’ve seen several of these statue figurines popping up around the parks, and they were even on sale online!

Creature Comforts

The holidays are over, but we found the remnants of one unique celebration inside Animal Kingdom’s Starbucks location, Creature Comforts. Here, there was a brand-new Star Wars Wookie Life Day Tumbler. 

The cup features Chewbacca in his holiday best, and you can pick it up for $24.99.

Yak & Yeti Bazaar

And finally, the last new item from this week was this adorable hat that we spotted in Asia. It’s $28 and has the phrase “Choose Being Kind” across the front. What a great reminder!

That’s everything that was new in Animal Kingdom this week, but stay tuned to DFB for more updates from the theme parks and beyond! We’ll be sharing the latest Disney World news.

Click Here to Check Out What’s New at Disney World’s Hotels!

When was your last visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Tell us in the comments!