What's New at Animal Kingdom: Finger Scans Are Back and a Popular Souvenir is GONE

It has been a HUGE week for Disney World news, with information on Disney Genie, restaurant reopenings, and things coming soon to the parks.

The Disney parks have had a big week!

But there have also been quite a few exciting things to notice in the parks themselves! Today we’re taking you along on a trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom to see what’s new over there.

Animal Kingdom Food Update

Creature Comforts

At Animal Kingdom’s Starbucks location, there’s a new limited-time treat for World Princess Week. Say hello to the Pocahontas Mousse!

It sure is cute!

You can pick it up for $5.99 and it’s made with pineapple-banana cake topped with cream cheese-coconut mousse. We’ll warn you — only try this one if you’re a big fan of coconut. (But if that’s your favorite flavor, then this was MADE for you!)

Click Here to See Our Review of the Mousse!

Animal Kingdom Construction Update

Front Entrance

Starting things out at the front gate, the biometric finger scan is back. Since spotting it at Animal Kingdom, we’ve seen this feature return to other parks as well.

The finger scan is back!

For those who aren’t familiar, prior to the closure, guests were required to scan a finger after scanning their park ticket for security reasons. The procedure was stopped when the parks reopened and Disney tried testing out other options (like facial recognition), but it looks like we’re going back to the classic.

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail

In Africa, we noticed that the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail has a new sponsor! The entrance to the attraction had a sign noting that some features are available thanks to the company famous for its bug spray, OFF.

There’s a new sign for the new sponsor!

This sponsorship didn’t really affect the flow of the trail or any of the offerings that we noticed, but we’ll keep you updated if anything changes.

Click Here to Check Out Construction Updates In Other Spots Around Disney World!

Animal Kingdom Merchandise Update

Discovery Trading Co.

In one of the main gift shops, Discovery Trading Company, we spotted the new Stitch Crashes Disney Sleeping Beauty collection. These items had appeared in other parks as well, but here there were plenty of plushes and other souvenirs still in stock!

The items were thoroughly stocked.

This collection has been particularly popular this year, with items flying off the shelves, so it’s no guarantee that these things will still be in stock on your next visit.

Windtraders Shop

In the gift shop in Pandora, we noticed something particularly unusual. The popular banshee toys that sit on guests’ shoulders and can be controlled with the wired remote were completely sold out.

The other banshees were missing!

Instead, the wall that usually housed the electronic banshees was home to several plush versions. Disney hasn’t shared if this is a temporary shortage or if they will return in the future, but we’ll keep a lookout.

Click Here to Check Out New Halloween Merchandise!

That’s all for Animal Kingdom right now, but stay tuned to DFB for the latest updates from the parks and resorts! We’ll keep you covered on all the important news!

Click Here to See What’s New at EPCOT!

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When was your last visit to Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments!