Provide the rest

It seems like we have been going going going here on the Main Street Gazette recently, perhaps it is time to take a short break to revitalize ourselves for the next leg in our journey. No, I don’t mean the Gazette is going to stop publishing, I mean maybe we need to find a nice out of the way corner of Walt Disney World to stop and take a break in. I think I know just the place…This courtyard is, perhaps, one of the busiest on property. Adjacent and to the rear of Yak and Yeti Local Foods Café, this seating area is outdoors, with very little shade, and draws a crowd during the midday mealtime for hungry guests who find themselves in Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Asia. With this profusion of undesirable traits, why would I suggest this area for an out of the way, quiet, break from touring through the park? Because, the real question is when should you visit this hideaway.

The answer is anytime that isn’t lunch. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is not a park that keeps a full crowd throughout the day, this is for a variety of reasons, but that is a topic for another day. Additionally, most guests tend to schedule the sit down meals of their vacation during the evenings. This can alleviate some of the crowds that quick service hot-spots, such as Yak and Yeti Local Foods Café. The park’s structure itself also lends to the environment here. While in direct sunlight during the middle of the day, a consequence of the open natural spaces built into the design of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the trees that create the natural boundaries throughout the park also remove the sun from view quicker during the evening and keep it from view in the early morning hours. So, that gives you the when (early in the morning or late in the afternoon), why (crowds die away as the day wears on), what, and where, but is there more to this area than just a place to sit?

Yes, there is so much more. Beyond the details on the walls and the out of the way nature of the area, there is a built-in calming effect. If you are like me, when you think of a natural space, that thought not only includes vegetation like shrubs, flowering plants, and trees, but it also comes complete with a water source. In this back alley courtyard behind Yak and Yeti Local Foods Café, there is not flora that sheds beautiful flowers, but these flowers spill into a unique water feature. There is a reason that more often than not relaxation CDs highlight the sounds of a river, rain, or the ocean.

To make the moment complete, grab some chicken fried rice and pork egg rolls, and listen to the breeze and trickling water while the late afternoon sun retreats to leave you in a heavy purple dusk. Trust me, you’ll practically feel your batteries recharging, leaving you ready to take on fireworks, parades, miniature golf, or any nightlife you find across Walt Disney World.