Discovery Trading Company — Local services in Bay Lake

Tucked right into the heart of Discovery Island, the charming Discovery Trading Company is the kind of store you don't plan to spend much time in, and then somehow end up browsing for twenty minutes. It's Disney's main gift shop inside Animal Kingdom, and it has that perfect mix of air conditioning, themed décor, and "ooh, I might need that" souvenirs that make it impossible to walk past.

It goes without saying that you need to bring money! The prices on Disney souvenirs has skyrocketed as of late. I'm still shocked about Mickey ears costing close to $40!

The atmosphere fits right in with the park's adventurous vibe. The shop has rustic wood accents, tribal patterns, and a touch of explorer flair (I just love the decor in here). It's bright, open, and feels like an organic extension of Animal Kingdom rather than just another retail shop.

As for what you'll find, the shop's got a little bit of everything. Plushes, pins, apparel, pens, toys, hats, packaged candy, stickers, sundries, and other goodies are in plentiful supply. You'll spot plenty of Animal Kingdom-themed gear, like shirts featuring the Tree of Life, fun Mickey ear safari hats, and wildlife-inspired accessories.

I like this store because it's sort of like Animal Kingdom's Emporium (if you know, you know). I like to say if you can't find it here, you don't need it.

Oh! And they offer a pretty generous 20% off discount for Annual Passholders. So be sure to flash your pass if...

😫 I bought a mug as a souvenir from here and brought it home. It made it all in one piece and looked beautiful. I give it 5/5 for appearance and quality I won’t argue its value. BUT the person I got it for did a Look over and quick hand wash and had some coffee ☕️ it was great. Coffee got cold and he went to reheat it welp turns out it’s not a microwaveable mug sparks ⚡️ fly lots of smoke. Great way to wake up at 6am on a Monday.😂 The only place it says that it is not microwave safe is underneath the sticky price tag that was stuck on there even after a wash. So because of poor placement of tags covering the warning of safety hazards on Disneys part and lack of common sense of the person microwaving the cup and my lack of effort to remove a price tags from a gift 😂 I am now out of microwave! I suggest rethinking the placement of sticky tags and labels over any safety concerns on a product. The cup came out burnt but after a quick wipe very minimal damage and im sure he will still use it for FRESH coffee. My microwave well RIP 🪦 it was nice...

Took my 5-year-old to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom for her birthday. We adults complied with all mask guidance throughout our whole stay, but never once was my daughter asked to put on a mask, across both parks and our resort over 2 full days... until we visited this store. We were harassed by FOUR different employees to mask her, over a time period of about 60 seconds, AFTER we had already made our way through the whole store and picked out our items. They claimed the policy is masks for age 2 and up, which is fine (although that age is posted nowhere), but they should get on the same page as the rest of the park and all be consistent with this message across the board if that's truly the case. They were insanely rude to us on my daughter's birthday, and there are plenty of other stores with the exact same merchandise, which this store is clearly uninterested in actually selling... Take your...