Digital Tip Boards arrive at Disney's Animal Kingdom

May 07, 2021 in "Disney's Animal Kingdom"

Gallery / 5 Photos
Digital Tip Boards at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Posted: Friday May 7, 2021 11:00am Et by WDWMAGIC Staff

Digital Tip Boards are now in use at Disney's Animal Kingdom in a couple of locations around the park.

Digital Tip Boards at Disney's Animal Kingdom

The first is located on the busy corner near to Pizzafari, which sees a lot of traffic as guests head to Pandora or Africa.

Digital Tip Boards at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Information displayed includes wait times, show times, and health & safety tips. As well as theming the enclosure, the fonts are changed to fit in with the look of the land.

Digital Tip Boards at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Another tip board is located on the bridge between Expedition Everest and the Finding Nemo theater.

Digital Tip Boards at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Discuss on the Forums

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roj2323May 10, 2021

I strongly dislike they yellow but I'm a fan of these otherwise if for no other reason than the park is so large it can take 20 minutes to get from one end of the park to the other to check a wait time if you don't use the app.

note2001May 08, 2021

And it was awesome. So old fashioned that it had it's own appeal. People were always talking with the cast member. Great interaction.

LilofanMay 08, 2021

Back in the day such as DHS, there used to be a cast member standing all day at the tip board updating/changing times of shows and rides writing the changes with chalk.

MisterPenguinMay 08, 2021

Still, I expect vines to cover them up. Man can't control nature. Nature wins.

peter11435May 07, 2021

Correct. These are permanent installations replacing the temporary versions that were rolled out as part of the GET initiative.

peter11435May 07, 2021

Animal kingdom is not exactly pre digital. Everything is set in the present.

CosmicRaysMay 07, 2021

Needs the Avatar font.

gerararMay 07, 2021

Don’t they have all of these around HS, especially near the GET umbrellas/kiosks? I recall seeing them everywhere when I was there Christmas ‘19

RandySavageMay 07, 2021

In areas that are pre-digital (and at AK with this particular example, I admit there is room for debate on this), theme supersedes the necessity of having digital tipboards & displays everywhere. The charm/quality of park graphics/displays of yesteryear was far greater than today's (across all parks, in everything from exit signs to wait displays to menu boards) and was so for decades without digital tip boards or menu LCDs. Remember when they had someone writing wait times in chalk on 1930s Hollywood Blvd. They could have easily had a digital board all those years. That was because WDI got it back then - they actually wrote the book on it. It was the John Hench School of Design. The sum of a thousand little differences are what differentiate the very best theme parks from amusement parks. Putting hi-tech digital displays in all the pre-digital lands, replacing analog graphics, is one of those nuances that modern Disney/WDI doesn't get. It bugs me to no end when they build a beautiful period environment and then slap a big digital wait time display on the main marquee.

COProgressFanMay 07, 2021

Because people always needed them. Not every guest is staring at their phone all day (or wants to). Tip boards were always an easy way for guests to get information quickly about park status, even if they were just walking by and taking a quick glance. Taking them out was a short-sighted decision and I'm not surprised they're back, and its even better that they're in a few more locations.

donsullivanMay 07, 2021

For those who want more 'theming' on something like this, it's important to keep in mind the purpose of a board like this. They are meant to communicate information in as clear and precise a way as possible. They need to be distinguishable and understandable by every guest in a wide range of outdoor lighting conditions. It's needs to be legible and clear no matter your native language or age. Themed and detailed decoration will commonly detract from the clarity of the information on the board. Who among us (at least above a certain age) hasn't gone to a restaurant where they went crazy with the fonts and theming on the menu and you can't read a blessed thing. Simple and accurate should always be the goal for something like this. The enclosure seems to be appropriately themed but clear and concise on the content is better.,

sullyinMTMay 07, 2021

It slowly happens to all of us. ;) We took our once in a lifetime trip years ago, keep coming back to WDW, and I stalk these boards like crazy until the next time we're in the gates. I see what you mean about trying to theme the graphics and overall aesthetic, but I fall on the "keep it legible" side for accessibility. I also like the sharp contrast of the yellow text to keep it visible. This is a color scheme that likely works well through polarized sunglasses that are so necessary in the FL sun.

peter11435May 07, 2021

This project began before Covid. MK had its new tip board displays installed before the shut down. This was part of the same initiative that brought the guest experience team. It’s just a benefit that they can now be utilized for health and safety reminders. They’re intended purpose is to permanently display wait times.

zann285May 07, 2021

These seem to be focused heavily on health And safety reminders at the moment, at least from the pictures in the article. These might be seen as replacements or supplements for the temporary signs everywhere with the COVID info. Them being digital would make it easier to update as they begin changing things in the coming months too.