More Anandapur

One of my favorite kinds of details in Disney Parks is graphics that refer to things that aren't really there. They serve no other purpose than to enrich the story with layers of depth. We saw a few of these around the Anandapur Local Food Cafes, and there are even more detailed in this article from 2009.

Details like this can be found almost everywhere you look in Asia and Africa at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The signs pictured above are simply tacked to a street post and easily overlooked. The hand painted nature of the signs, the use of Sanskrit and the unusual application of English enhance the storytelling here in subtle, yet powerful ways.

For all the fictional businesses implied through these graphics, there are just as many real establishments. Some of these, like the Disney Vacation Club kiosk and Joffrey's Coffee & Tea stand, have become ubiquitous, but each installation plays a role in the story of the specific area where it's located.

Here in Anandapur, Disney Vacation Club is the Kshana Travel Company ("kshana" translates to "leisure"). Among the details present are a map of the Anandapur region and a portrait of the royal couple. Nearby, Joffrey's becomes the Royal Anandapur Tea Company in a beautifully hand-carved pavilion. While the same coffee and espresso selection is offered here as in other Joffrey's locations at Walt Disney World, the Tea Company carries special Asian blends. Simply the fact that tea is the featured product helps tie to the story line at Expedition Everest, where the trains employed by Himalayan Escapes once serviced local tea plantations.

Another business in this part of town is the Bhaktapur Market (actually the Landry's Restaurants-run shop associated with Yak & Yeti). Named for the city of Bhaktapur in Nepal, the market carries a fairly broad selection of authentic Asian products. These items in and of themselves help tell the story of this place and allow guests a sense of escape into another world.

Sometimes even signs that serve a true, operational function can still tell part of a story. Take this notice at Bhaktapur Market, for example. The shop is small, so it's recommended that strollers and electric convenience vehicles be left outside. This graphic does the job, though, in a very fun and story-authentic way: