The Grand Bestiary (“O Grande Bestiário”) is the centrepiece and hub of sorts for the Wildlands, a beautiful, oriental inspired domed citadel resembling a palace, an ornate library, and a museum, built overlooking a lush lagoon. The wise sorcerer Yen Sid studies the mythical creatures that dwell within the Wildlands, creating a magical river through the landscape, sending gentle boats through the merging habitats of the various cryptids.
Stepping into the Grand Bestiary is like stepping into an ancient museum; almost entering the lost Library of Alexandria, or into London’s Natural History Museum if either had been run by a wizard. The large domed atrium is made of rich stone and marble, decorated in many intricate details featuring animals, mythical and everyday. Small water canals run through the atrium, the skeleton of a dragon hangs from the roof, under the glass skylight above.
Within the atrium lies the entrance to the Fantasy River Cruise, one entrance to the chilling Hydra’s Cave, and a small shop named the Broom Closet (“Armário de Vassouras”), a Fantasia-themed store; guests venturing through what resembles a cupboard takes guests into a larger room, transformed into a quaint shop filled with magical merchandise aplenty. Yen Sid's apprentice, a mouse named Mickey, runs this quaint little store A majority of the collectibles are based around the Wildlands’ magical creatures, the Grecian and Chinese-inspired landscapes, and a variety of books, toys, and household items with their own charm. Guests can find several broomsticks lying around the shop, and may even come to life if certain things are enchanted with one’s phone apps.