Drinkwalla

Just over the bridge to Asia is the small refreshment stand known as Drinkwalla. In Sanskrit, the historical Asian language found throughout the land, "walla" is used as a suffix to denote a trade, in much the same way "smith" is used in English. This location, then, is home to a Drink Master.

The flat-bottomed boat moored in the water below is used by the Drinkwalla to restock his establishment with tasty beverages brought from larger ports upriver. The original boat in this location was the largest prop shipped to Florida by Imagineers in the field. Found in Indonesia, the boat and its entire contents were purchased straight off the river and reassembled at Disney's Animal Kingdom. That boat lasted nearly a decade before weather and water finally took their toll. The replacement, however, duplicates the look of the original almost exactly.

Drinkwalla is one of many fine examples throughout Disney's Animal Kingdom of the art of the Imagineering "Propwalla." Set Decorators frequent garage sales, street markets, swap meets and other potential sources around the world to find just the right props to help create a sense of place within a location and help tell the story.

The interior of Drinkwalla is filled to the rafters with authentic items acquired during scouting trips throughout Southeast Asia. Everything from the international Coca-Cola bottles to the celebrity poster works together to help transport us to Anandapur. Of course, the custom-made hood stamped "Anandapur Sheet Metal Company" helps, too.

A more recent addition to the Drinkwalla interior is the assortment of postings on the message board pictured below. The board has been there since the beginning, but when its contents were refreshed in 2005, the posts were updated with notes from groups of hikers and mountain climbers, helping to reinforce the story line of the then under construction Expedition Everest.

The Drinkwalla sells his refreshing wares to locals and tourists alike. He also makes the occasional delivery to supply some of Anandapur's other businesses. His deliveries are made by bicycle, one of the most common forms of transportation in Southeast Asia. Look at the ground as you explore Anandapur, and you'll see a maze of bike tracks formed in the "soil."

As is true with many places of business in this part of the world, the Drinkwalla structure also doubles as the home of the shop's proprietor. Step around the side of the building, and you'll see the separate entrance to the residence clearly marked. You can knock, but no one will answer. Maybe that's because the Drinkwalla insists on his privacy... or maybe he's just too busy quenching the thirst of his Guests.