Greetings from Disney’s Animal Kingdom! We’re over in Discovery Island, where the popular Island Mercantile store is set to reopen today at 1 pm. This is the first time the store will be open since the Walt Disney World theme parks closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Island Mercantile is a particularly large store, with multiple exits and entrances which allow guests to exit to different parts of the area surrounding Discovery Island. Under new health and safety restrictions, a one-way system has been implemented at the store, with the only way in now at the entrance located near the “Lion King” photo op.

Leading up to the store, floor markers have been placed to show guests where to queue in the event that the shop has reached capacity and guests have to wait outside.

Upon entering the store, guests are met with clear signage encouraging them to maintain a physical distance between themselves and others.

Island Mercantile is a great place to pick up some wild Animal Kingdom-themed merchandise. Have you seen this latest collection of park-specific merchandise, which we found earlier this week?

Signage is clearly displayed all throughout the store.

Hand sanitizer dispensers are also available for guests to use.

Tucked away in a corner, the Rookery has reopened, where guests are able to adopt shoulder Banshees, usually found in Pandora – The World of Avatar. Here, plexiglas screens have been mounted to the register, to protect the Cast Member behind it. Floor markers and clear signage reinforce proper health and safety rules for guests to adhere to as they wait.

The main register in Island Mercantile, however, is located right in the center of the store.

Floor markers can be seen leading up to the circular register, advising guests of where they should wait. Each operating desk has been numbered to make directing guests easier.

Some registers have been closed to allow for better social distancing, and more plexiglas dividers have been mounted on this desk to protect the cast members serving at the tills.

Whilst only one door is operating as an entrance, guests can opt to use any of the exits as they leave the store. For convenience, more hand sanitizer is available at these exits, too.

You can check out our Complete Guide to the Reopening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom here, including all you need to know about the updated park policies, procedures, and new health and safety measures that have been implemented since the park’s reopening.