The Oasis Exhibits at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The Oasis Exhibits at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are probably the most overlooked attractions in the theme park. Everyone walks through The Oasis after entering the park and again when exiting.
After scanning your park ticket, you’ll be presented with the option to take a left or right through The Oasis. Straight ahead, a small pond with various birds and ducks makes for a picturesque scene. It doesn’t necessarily matter whether or not you go to the right or left. But we prefer to walk up the right side of The Oasis when entering the park because there’s more to see and do.
Below, we’ll discuss what you can expect to find in The Oasis and who to look out for at certain times of day. It’s also important to mention that a small gift shop, Garden Gate Gifts, is available to the right at the entrance of The Oasis past the ticket booths. This is where you can find strollers, wheelchairs, and ECV rentals for the park. On the opposite side of The Oasis, you’ll find a pair of restrooms, and the entrance to Rainforest Café sits nearby.
Here is the quick reference chart for the Oasis Exhibits.
| The Oasis Exhibits | Animal Kingdom Attractions |
|---|---|
Location: | Inside the park’s entrance |
Height Requirements at Disney: | None |
Lightning Lane: | NA |
Type of Attraction: | Walk-Through, Self-Paced |
Early Theme Park Entry: | Opens with the Park |
Good For: | Everyone |
Scary Factor: | None |
Must-Do List: | Medium |
Perfect For: | Animal Lovers |
Special Mention: | Watch out for surprise characters meeting in the area from time to time! |
A Walk Through of The Oasis Exhibits
As we begin our walk through The Oasis, we find ourselves with the decision to take the path to the right or left. Both paths lead to Discovery Island and the large opening where you first see the Tree of Life. We’re greeted by a cluster of palm trees, a display with park maps, and a couple of benches.
Straight ahead, you’ll see fencing that allows guests to peer inside a tropical oasis. This initial habitat is home to a variety of birds and ducks.
This is where you’ll find the Roseate Spoonbill and African Spoonbill.
Each habitat has signage sharing the name of the species.
Throughout the Oasis, you’ll find these pools of water. Freshwater fish native to Florida inhabit the waters of the exhibits.
This area toward the front of the park was formerly home to a pair of black swans. Unfortunately, the pair (who were old for swans) died within the last few years. Black Swans mate for life and usually live between 30 and 40 years. A pair of black-necked swans are now part of the exhibit.
The entire Oasis is home to wildlife, exotic plants, and lush vegetation. The Rosybill Pochard is pictured below.
As we make our way to the right, we’ll see if DiVine is out. Divine is a stiltwalker who is wrapped in vines. She is out intermittently throughout the day between 8:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. Look closely. Guests walk by her all the time and have no idea she’s there!
Related: Where to Find DiVine at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
From time to time, we have run into Meeko from Pocahontas meeting guests nearby. This is not a guaranteed character meet-and-greet, but we’ve seen him in this area on a couple of visits.
Continuing up the path, we’ll take a peek into the exhibit on the left side of the path. This area is home to the Reeve’s Muntjac, a small animal that resembles a miniature deer.
He can be difficult to see. This is also an excellent time to point out that if the signage is covered, the animal isn’t present. But if you see the sign and can’t find the animal, it’s probably only hiding.
Toward the top of the Oasis, we run into the Babirusa habitat. Babirusa are exotic boar. Two of them are in this area.
We often find Pocahontas meeting near the Babirusa exhibit in the mornings. Like Meeko, this is a surprise and delight meet-and-greet. As of this update, they are not listed in the My Disney Experience app, so they are not guaranteed.
Near the top of The Oasis, a separate path branches off that includes a few more exhibits. This is where you’ll find a Rhinoceros Iguana!
Sometimes he’s in the shade.
He’s almost always resting on a rock.
The next habitat was formerly home to a pair of Wallabies. Sadly, one Wallaby died a few years back, and the other recently passed away due to natural causes.
Several geese are floating in the waters nearby. This pair is a newer addition.
Across the path, you’ll find a waterfall. Years ago, this area was home to Scarlet Macaws and Hyacinth Macaws. It was common to see them on a perch in front of the waterfalls. Now, you can see the macaws in Winged Encounters in front of the Tree of Life. It’s a small, five-minute show with several performances throughout the day. You don’t want to miss it.
To the left of the waterfall, you’ll find a suspension bridge. We consider this our private entrance into the park. It leads into a short rock cave. At the exit, you’ll find a few benches in the shade that look directly to the Tree of Life.
Warning: this is a suspension bridge. So, if someone were to jump or run across it, you would experience some movement. However, it doesn’t have much give.
It’s pretty rare to find anyone in this delightful area. Children adore these types of things.
Here’s a look at the waterfall from the bridge.
On the opposite walkway, an additional encounter is available. That habitat is home to the Southern Giant Anteater.
The Anteater is probably much larger than you would expect, and she is a sight to see.
She’s usually relatively simple to find. Here is an older picture from a few years ago.
The Resorts Gal Spin on The Oasis Exhibits
This is an anytime attraction! We love stopping to see all of the animals in The Oasis at some point during the day!
Resorts Gal Traffic Signals
Green Light
We give an attraction the green light if we consider it a must-do, regardless of the posted wait. We also give the green light for attractions we deem suitable to experience anytime. For example, some attractions have high capacities. Therefore, the lines continuously move and you shouldn’t have a long wait unless the attraction experiences downtime.
Red Light
We recommend checking the posted wait times for red light attractions. Then, make a quick judgment call on whether to wait, skip it, or return later. We also red light some attractions that we feel might not be suitable based on our experience.
The Oasis at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is worth taking the time to explore and enjoy. Those interested will love spotting the animals in their habitats. For more Animal Kingdom attractions, you might enjoy:
- The Discovery Island Trails
- Maharajah Jungle Trek (Tigers)
- A Walk Through Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
- Rafiki’s Planet Watch
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Planning Guide
You might also enjoy learning about the Walt Disney World Resorts. If you are interested in staying near Animal Kingdom, you might enjoy these:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Review
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Review
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Review
- Disney’s All-Star Music Review
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Review
In the Comments
Do you ever take the time to check out all of the cool exhibits in The Oasis at Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Were you aware these areas existed? What is your favorite animal in the area?
